Not Everyone Dislikes Dysfunctional Albany: Unions, Lobbyists and Law Firms Buy the Government

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Not Everyone Dislikes Dysfunctional Albany: Unions, Lobbyists and Law Firms Buy the Government

Not Everyone Dislikes Dysfunctional Albany
Unions, Lobbyists and Law Firms Buy the Government

Like the ecosystem in a swamp the special interest in control of Albany grow and prosper. Not everyone hate Albany's control of redistricting, the corrupt election system that will result in less incumbent than every being challenges this year and member items which election officials use to buy election support from local community leaders. Without campaign finance reform the UFT and the unions in solidarity with it can do anything it wants to protect its charter school cap. Unions put 'bounty' on reformers promising candidates as much as $200,000 in campaign cash and help from the Working Families Party to take on leading charter proponent Sen. Craig Johnson.

Big law firms can buy the AG position, speaker or the leader of the state senate. Law Firm Is Big Donor to Attorney General Hopeful Weitz & Luxenberg is pouring money into the campaign of Kathleen M. Rice. The law firm counts Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver as among its members, a source of suspicion for critics of Mr. Silver, who has been a loyal ally of trial lawyers. Why would the UFT, Weitz & Luxenberg or Belluck & Fox which hired senate democratic leader John Sampson want election law reform in Albany which would cut back on much of their power. * All In The (Rice) Family (Daily Politics)