Press release:
Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today called on legislative leaders and Gov. Cuomo to bring a bill to the Assembly floor for a vote that would strip pension and retirement benefits from corrupt lawmakers. Hawley said this is an issue he and the Assembly Minority Conference have been fighting for the past several years and it is finally time to get tough on ethics reform.
“As a taxpayer of this state, I am appalled at the amount of money our pension system has given over the past couple of decades to lawmakers and officials convicted of crimes,” Hawley said. “In my view, this has nothing to do with party or position in government; it is commonsense legislation that we need to put the people’s faith back into our government. I have been a sponsor of this legislation for years, because each day we sit idly by is another day we have failed the taxpayers of New York State. I am calling on legislative leaders and members of the Assembly Governmental Operations Committee, where this bill is currently being held, to bring this bill to the Assembly floor for a vote.”
Hawley’s comments come after it was reported by The Journal News that 14 former lawmakers and officials convicted of crimes are being paid a total of about $531,000 per year by the state’s pension system. Over the past 15 years, about $4 million has been paid out in pension benefits to ex-lawmakers and officials convicted of various crimes.
I think Hawley does a great
I think Hawley does a great job. He tries to do the right thing. Plus, he saved me a bunch of money on my car insurance!! LOL
Of course this should be a
Of course this should be a law. Better yet, eliminate pensions for "lawmakers". Not a single one of them should have received pension money through holding an elected position.
Common sense!! Thanks
Common sense!! Thanks Steve!!
Funny that Hawley talks about
Funny that Hawley talks about being ethical, he should take his own advice.
you can't do it, one has
you can't do it, one has nothing to do with the other. a pension is something you negotiate with employer and earn, can't just take it away because someone acted up.
is this guy getting bored with his job?
David. You're probably (half)
David. You're probably (half) right. They probably can't make this law retroactive, but, it's quite possible they could pass a law which states that, after the implementation date of the law, any future pension monies would be disallowed. Not sure - just my thinking on that.
Let's face it. This wouldn't be the first unconstitutional law that they've passed. Then it would be up to the courts to decide.
"a pension is something you
"a pension is something you negotiate with employer"
In case you've forgotten, WE are the employers.
Raymond, I realize these are
Raymond, I realize these are government employees he is talking about, however it does not change anything. If you are entitled to a pension, criminal activity and/or criminal prosecution can not take that entitlement away.
"If you are entitled to a
"If you are entitled to a pension, criminal activity and/or criminal prosecution can not take that entitlement away."
That's not entirely true Dave.
Law enforcement officers are public servants paid by our tax dollars, no different than politicians are. Yet, when cops are found to be corrupt, and in many cases, convicted of crimes, they can, and in many cases have, lose their pensions.
Why would you want your tax dollars to fund a retirement pension of a corrupt public official?
NFN, but recently there was a story on News10NBC's website in which the NYS Supreme Court ruled that our tax dollars are to reimburse legal fees to a NYS Legislator who was removed from office, and brought up on criminal charges. Why should we the tax payers pay for his legal defense? Did we the tax payers force him to break the law?
Marie, that's a heck of a
Marie, that's a heck of a vague comment - almost an accusation but with no substantiation. Care to elaborate?
David, WE are the employer.
David, WE are the employer. Shouldn't the legislature have to reach an agreement with us? Even if it was put before us as a referendum the downstate vote would override ours. They wouldn't bite the literal hand that feeds them.
This would disproportionately
This would disproportionately effect downstate assemblycritters. That would not be fair or equitable and would create a hostile work environment for all those invisible party hacks that are elected not for their actual performance on behalf of their constituents but because they are on THE PARTY'S line.
Can't have that. Not in the City of New Yawk and its' provinces.