The Independent View: NY 2014-2015 Budget and Campaign Finance Reform

Yesterday, New York Governor Cuomo and legislative leaders adopted a state budget that avoided the meaningful campaign finance reform they've been promising for years.

I had hoped that Governor Cuomo would seize an historic opportunity to pass public financing of elections in this state budget for all state and legislative races. He told us that he was pressing for consensus on a system of public financing that would end pay-to-play politics in New York.

Instead, the final budget includes a "pilot" program that would apply only to the State Comptroller's office and would need to be implemented in just two months, mid-election cycle.

This proposal isn't a compromise. It's a capitulation to the deep-pocketed interests that have so much sway at the Capitol and an affirmation of the corrupt status quo that prevails in Cuomo's Albany.

There is a good chance the current comptroller, Thomas P. DiNapoli, with an over $2 million campaign fund and no credible opponent, will opt-out of this pilot. But will others use the pilot to get into the race?

At the same time, Cuomo disbanded the Moreland Commission, whose top recommendation for fixing Albany's broken campaign finance system was to enact public financing of elections for all statewide and legislative races. The commission was supposed to be a catalyst for reform, instead Cuomo ignored its proposals and ensured its investigations into public corruption would cease.

The fight for Fair Elections in the 2014 budget may be over, but the work this legislative session and heading into November isn't.

Good Government Groups will be in the streets talking to everyday people about Albany's dysfunction and continuing to build a movement for a renewed push against the CEO donors. They will be going door to door to rally people to respond to their representative's failures.

We must hold accountable those in Albany who continue to protect the corrupt status quo.