Bing Defends Albany-Style Democracy
Michael Bloomberg and his aides have presented the demise of their congestion pricing plan, which occurred without a floor vote in the Assembly, as an example of Albany’s well-noted dysfunction.
Not surprisingly, the view from within the Democratic-held Assembly is different.
“The idea that democracy did not occur here [because] it was not a floor vote really is incorrect,” Democratic Assemblyman Jonathan Bing told me last night. “Democracy occurred with every member of the Assembly majority providing the speaker with his or her views, whether it was in conference or when the speaker polled members. And there was a clear consensus among the membership that the conference was against congestion pricing. Each legislator has the right and the ability to let his or her constituency know how he or she would have voted."
It should be noted that one practical reason that Silver didn’t bring the bill to the floor for of the state Assembly for a vote, where his Democratic conference outnumbers Republicans 107 to 43, is that if he did, and if the Republican minority decided to vote together for the measure, it could have passed with a minority of support from the Assembly Democratic conference. And that would have established a precedent which would destablize the absolute control Silver has in that house.
It's democracy as defined by the members of an unassailable supermajority.
- Poll
- Obama (D)
- McCain(R)
- Spread
- RCP Average
- 45.7
- 46.7
- McCain +1.0
- Candidate
- Favorable
- Unfavorable
- Spread
- Obama
- 55.8
- 35.8
- +20.0
- McCain
- 54.8
- 36.6
- +18.2
Tedisco never had the abilty to deliver all his votes. Some of his suburbanites would have been livid, and might have even lost their seats if they'd done so.
But say he did, my count is that would have given the bill 61 of the 76 votes it needed.
No cigar. And an expanded majority for Silver next time out.
Hey Buddy, how about a hat tip? Unless someone else mentioned it to you first.
Shelly was asked about this yesterday. He said that even with Tedisco's 42 votes, the bill still would have been defeated. Anonymous is also right, the Nassau/Suffolk/Westchester Republicans would have been crucified if they voted in favor of this scheme. It really was in everyone's best self-interest (including Bloomberg) to kill this in the conference.
Sheldon Silver is a disgrace. He has cost NYC millions to enhance his power. Any project which is not solely for his district is unimportant. Screw the rest of the City and State.
looking at his picture make me through up! corruption at its best!
looking at his picture make me through up! inefficiency at its best!
11:54 & 12:18 are right about Tedisco's lie about delvering all the Republicans. But one correction, it's only Nassau& Suffolk. Thanks to Bush & Pataki, there are no more Republican Asssembly members from Westchester.
Well maybe now some of those pukes in Westchester will vote Republican next time out...hmmm?
Probably not, brainless voters. How the party does in Washington should have no bearing on who you send to Albany to represent your district.
Like you can blame a Republican assemblyman on the Iraq war, Katrina, and federal overspending. Typical of the liberal, panty waste northeast voter to reflexively despise any politician because he or she has a capital R behind their name.
Well, you get the government you deserve.