Opinion: Politics off to the races already, by Mark Shames

This was to be a very quiet new political season, but the new political year is off to the races with a bang. Revelations about the activities of Assembly Speaker Silver first uncovered by the Moreland Commission and pursued by the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York led to a criminal indictment and his subsequent withdrawal from his role as Speaker. Immediately the speculation began about his replacement.

My personal preference from among the announced candidates was Bronx Assemblyman Carl Heastie despite his campaign finance issues. Contrary to what usually happens when I have a preference, he has emerged as the frontrunner and by the time this gets into print he will be our new Speaker. I admire how he successfully orchestrated the insurgency that unseated what had become a problematic Democratic Party leadership in the Bronx and he has been equally apt in putting together a coalition to become Speaker. These are useful skills in holding together a diverse coalition.

Assemblyman Heastie has experience at the Comptroller’s office that should prove useful in the imminent budget negotiations. However, in a party that always is sensitive to identity politics, it would have been terrific if a Latina was in the running, but that is not the case. Heastie, nearly from the start, had the support of Bronx Borough President Diaz and that of Mayor de Blasio and Kings County Chairman Frank Seddio. Soon after he added his former opponent Assemblyman Wright to his team. His rivals are bowing out one by one.

The only female candidate Assemblywoman Nolan (at this moment now the only other candidate)(further update: Assemblywoman Nolan has bowed out and Heastie is to be our next Assembly Speaker), who is running as a reformer, comes out of that bastion of backroom politics the Queens County organization. Our local assemblywoman hasn’t made a public commitment, but from her history, I would guess that she was at least originally inclined toward Assemblywoman Nolan. Everyone around here speaks kindly of Assemblyman Lentol, but he was never a serious candidate once his colleagues moved beyond thinking about appointing a placeholder.

Twenty-nine members of the Assembly signed on to a letter seeking a more open and expansive process. Most of the signatories are relatively new members who have little say in the current system and who would use the reform agenda to expand their influence in the body. It would indeed be great if beyond the prerequisite of personal integrity, there also is established a series of reforms to open up the process.

My first preference would be for our legislators to be designated as fulltime with a bump up in pay and a ban on outside income. My second choice would be term limits (perhaps a decade) for the Speaker and his/her deputies and committee chairs and a ban on outside income for all such legislative leaders also tied to a substantial pay increase. When people become entrenched there is a greater likelihood that they will substitute their business for the people’s business and such business is conveniently funneled through outside income. Heastie says he is looking at creating a fulltime Assembly, but I don’t expect such a reform to happen. Other lesser reforms such as a cap on outside income will not do the trick but such minor incremental changes including greater disclosure are better than nothing. When it comes to ethics reforms our elected officials seem to subscribe to the proverb that less is more.

On a happier note, I had the pleasure of attending the inauguration of State Senator Jesse Hamilton. A who’s who of Federal, State and City level dignitaries of the Democratic Party were there. Although the weather outside was frightful the entire auditorium was filled with good cheer spurred on by numerous performances by young local talents. If my feet weren’t soaked, I would have totally forgotten about the miserable rainy afternoon.

At the inauguration I spoke with District Leader Josh Skaller who confirmed that there would likely be some, if not all, new blood at the party level in the 44th Assembly District. Josh is clued in at the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats so I am a believer.

Congratulations to Larry Gulotta on his uncontested nomination to his first full term as president of the Independent Neighborhood Democrats. He will no doubt provide steady and measured leadership. There remains some intrigue as to the identity of the next chair of its executive board. The club membership roster has now become heavily weighted towards the tonier Brooklyn Heights portion of the district. The club founder, who attended the meeting, was for the first time not nominated to be on its executive board. Was that his choice, an oversight that will be corrected at the next meeting or was it something else?