New York crackdown shines spotlight on festering corruption problem at state level

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Fox News:

WASHINGTON – For the second time in three days, prosecutors in New York announced the arrest of a sitting state politician accused of breaking the law for his own benefit.

This week's rapid-fire round of arrests caps the latest push by federal prosecutors to crack down on illegal activity by elected officials across the country -- and New York is not alone among states whose public officials are compiling a jarringly long rap sheet.

In New York, 11 state senators have been charged with crimes over the last six years. In Illinois, four of the last seven governors have been convicted on criminal charges. New York and California have each racked up thousands of federal public corruption convictions over the last few decades.

The charges came at a rapid clip in New York this week. On Thursday, federal prosecutors accused New York Assemblyman Eric Stevenson of accepting bribes for lucrative business contracts involving adult day care centers in the city. Charges against Stevenson, who represents one of New York's poorest neighborhoods, came less than 72 hours after authorities accused state Sen. Malcolm Smith of trying to rig New York City's mayoral race by buying a place on the Republican ticket.

Prosecutors arrested and charged five other politicians -- three Republicans and two Democrats -- in connection with the Smith case. In all, the government claims more than $130,000 in bribes took place or were promised during a series of secret meet-ups inside parked cars and in hotels.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, whose office is in charge of prosecuting the cases, called Stevenson's alleged plan to stack the deck in his own favor a "trick that offends core principles of both democracy and capitalism."

"The allegations illustrate the corruption of an elected representative's core function -- a legislator selling legislation," Bharara said Thursday. "And based on these allegations, it becomes more and more difficult to avoid the sad conclusion that political corruption in New York is indeed rampant and that a show-me-the-money culture in Albany is alive and well."

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Corruption as usual.

[Valin]

Fox News:

WASHINGTON – For the second time in three days, prosecutors in New York announced the arrest of a sitting state politician accused of breaking the law for his own benefit.

Corruption as usual.

 

 

So the question must be asked.....How are things in your (everyone's) state? Could this happen in your state?

 

 

Also from Via Meadia

Corrupt Pols Running America’s Biggest Nanny State

4/5/13

 

It’s been a truly abysmal week for New York politics. Earlier this week, Democratic State Senator Malcolm Smith was accused of trying to rig the city’s mayoral election by bribing his way onto the GOP ballot. Now two New York State Assemblymen are being charged in another bribery racket to keep a Bronx senior center free of competition. ABC reports on the latest scandal:

 

(Snip)

 

It’s hardly a stretch to say that New York has some of the worst political leadership in the country. This wouldn’t be such a problem if these leaders were powerless, but unfortunately that’s not the case: a study by the Mercatus Institute found that New York government puts more limits on its citizens’ freedom than does government in any other state. In addition to the high-profile embarassments like the “Big Gulp Ban” and the proposed ear bud ban, the Empire State also limits its residents with tight regulations on everything from education to health care to rent prices. Even on “personal freedom,” New York fares worse than much of the nation:

 

 

(Snip)

 

And with businesses and people fleeing the state, the worst may be yet to come.

[Valin]

If Politicians Are Stupid and Corrupt, Why Should We Let Them Run Our Lives?

John Hinderaker

4/6/13

 

New York State is in the midst of a corruption scandal, which caused Mayor Michael Bloomberg to tee off on the political class yesterday:

 

“The average legislator who has to make policy on things that influence our lives, our kids’ lives, our future, would they ever get a job in the private sector making policy on big things? No, not a chance,” the mayor said.

 

“And yet these are the ones we keep re-electing. You’ve got to ask yourself why.”

(Snip)

 

But Bloomberg, a liberal, fails to draw the obvious conclusion. If politicians are stupid and corrupt, why should we keep giving them more and more of our money? And if they are stupid and corrupt, why should we let them control our lives? To name just two examples, why would we let dishonest incompetents tell us what size beverages we can order, or micromanage how we exercise our natural right to self-defense?