Gov. Cuomo stunned a ritzy audience the other night when he took a well-aimed swipe at his two immediate Democratic predecessors.
“It has been 14 months since the governor of the state was indicted or admitted committing major felonies,” Cuomo told the Citizens Budget Commission. “That is progress.”
Moreover, he added, “we have now gone three months without a conviction of a sitting legislator. Three months. Deserves a round of applause.”
Which is exactly what he got.
In truth, Cuomo, who was presented with the group’s Medal for High Civic Service, was being more than a tad sarcastic (a gift he’s inherited in spades from another statehouse predecessor: his father).
But, hey — he happens to be right.
For the ethical cesspool that is Albany, three months without a member of the Legislature found guilty of corruption does represent progress.
And as for his predecessors — well, let’s remember what we were dealing with:
* David Paterson, who just 10 days before leaving office was hit with a $62,000 fine for three violations of state ethics law.
* And before him, Eliot “Socks” Spitzer — a self-confessed serial patronizer of high-priced hookers.
Pretty much anything would be a step up from that.
There’s no denying that there’s been a crackdown on political corruption in the last year or so. So, yes, Cuomo is right when he says “relatively, we have made progress in Albany.”
But, again, the key word there is “relatively.”
Relative to what existed before he took office? Sure. Relative to most other states? Relative to what New Yorkers should expect from their elected officials?
Well, let’s just say that when it comes to political corruption, Albany remains a work in progress.