Gov. Cuomo: No Ethics Reform, No Budget

By Bill Carey

Monday, February 9, 2015 at 03:01 PM EST

The downfall of State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has led to a call for new reforms in state government, a campaign that could lead to a budget impasse. As Bill Carey reports, lawmakers believe they can avoid a budget stalemate by reaching a deal with the governor before the April 1 deadline.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has been on the road to warn that timely budgets are less important than a trustworthy government in Albany.

"We've got four budgets on time, in a row. I would love this to be the fifth on-time budget. I would love a fifth. Five is my lucky number. And I'd love to say five on-time budgets. But, it's more important to me to get this trust established and get this ethics reform, then just to be another budget done on time," Cuomo said.

The governor is insisting on full disclosure of outside income.

"Well, I could see more disclosure. I could also see limits on outside income.  But, under the current reforms, how many people have been indicted? You know my point is, there is substantial disclosure. In fact that's what got Shelly and that's what got a lot of the other people who've been arrested," said state Senator John DeFranciso, R - Syracuse.

The argument being made is that the laws still do not go far enough.

"We have made some progress over the last several years on ethics, but I don't think we have gone far enough, particularly in the area of disclosure of outside income," said state Senator David Valesky, D - Oneida.

"I don't think the public should think that that's going to change anything. There's good people in the world. There's bad people in the world," said DeFrancisco.

Work on the budget is being overshadowed by talking of the governor's ultimatum. No reform - no budget.

Legislators think there will be a deal.

"We have had, between Governor Cuomo and the legislature, four years now of a cooperative governing structure that has led to on-time budgets, fiscally responsible budgets. I don't see any reason that's going to change this year," said Valesky.

"He's trying to pressure the legislature to do as much as he possibly can. That's my read. Before, at the end, a deal is made,. Some type of deal. That's what I think," DeFrancisco said.

A deal they're confident will be reached before the budget deadline.

http://www.twcnews.com/nys/rochester/news/2015/02/9/governor-cuomo-pushes-for-ethics-reform-.html