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How about a constitutional convention to fix New York?

By Howard B. Owens

Alan Bedenko notes that New York blew it in 1997 -- under terms of the state constitution, there should have been a vote to determine whether a constitutional convention should be convened.

But it's not too late. No year is too late. The Legislature can put the question on the ballot any year, like, say, this November.  That's Bedenko's suggestion.

So what reforms would you like see included in a new state constitution?

Peter O'Brien

No income tax.
Dissolve Marriage as a legal status. (It belongs to religion)
Allow table games at Horse Tracks.
Make the thruway free.
Create a school voucher program

Jul 31, 2009, 7:15am Permalink
Sean Valdes

A Constitutional Convention is a bad idea. Chances are the people that would be writing our new State Constitution are the same people that have caused our current woes. At least now 'lawmakers' are somewhat constrained by the current laws and rules. Imagine if they could start over with a blank slate and no parameters. We'd have to move to Canada eh?

Jul 31, 2009, 8:42am Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Read Alan's post -- I think he's got some good ideas about how to make it a reform convention. It's a matter of getting reform-minded delegates elected. It would take a strong, non-partisan, statewide organization to pull it off.

Jul 31, 2009, 8:56am Permalink
bud prevost

I thought we were in Canada! If you add up all the taxes,fees,and surcharges we as NY'ers pay, I would venture to guess we are not much better than our socialist neighbors to the north. AND we get to pay for private health insurance. I think a blank slate is exactly what NY needs. The slate with the 15,853,287,448 rules to suffocate a citizen by needs to be eliminated, and replaced with some simplicity and common sense. The days of excess are long past us, along with the glory days of superiority among the states of the USA. We don't manufacture a tenth of what we did just 30 years ago, we are ground zero for the debacle that wall st created and perpetuated, and we are the home of way too many lazy ass welfare recipients! A clean slate sounds like what the doctor ordered.
Now, will it happen? HELL NO!! There is too much at stake for the powermongers of Albany and Manhattan to allow that too happen!

Jul 31, 2009, 9:25am Permalink
Bea McManis

Better than that, why not leave the state to those east Syracuse and let those of us who live in the frontier part of New York state become a territory.

Jul 31, 2009, 9:28am Permalink
E. S. Sherman

Wouldn't that be nice if we really could break away from the part on NY state that causes most of our finacial woes. Like Bud said though they will never have reform because it would put too many restraints on all the people that caused most of this mess. Would be nice to think about getting rid of a lot of the layers of government that we don't need.

Jul 31, 2009, 3:03pm Permalink
James Renfrew

Constitutional Convention? Just picture the tidal wave of cash washing in to overwhelm this process every step of the way. Do you really thing voters would elect fair-minded, reform-oriented folks like those of us in these Batavian pages to these positions? I bet Citizen Golisano could take charge of this whole thing and do it for us. He's probably be willing to pay for it, too. Our we could secede and become part of Golisano's Florida? Wait a minute, he's already tried all of these things!

Secession? I think my town should secede from the county - we are undoubtably subsidizing the bad choices the rest of y'all are making. Better yet, get my block to secede from our town, cause everyone else - besides me, of course - is a knucklehead. Of course if there's a flood, tornado, plant-closing, meteor strike, how come the rest of you weren't here yesterday to help me out?

What I have is genuine need, what you have is wasteful.

And - just because I don't know - how much does Western NY get in agricultural subsidies from the government?

Jul 31, 2009, 3:37pm Permalink
Stephanie Armstrong

NY definitely needs some change. Why can't this be done in a sort of "grassroots" movement rather than a political one. We all agree that NY politicians can't be trusted. Town Hall type of meetings could take place. Counties could determine what changes ought to be made, draw up proposals and reconvene as a state once each county had completed their proposal, voting for the most important issues. Everyone should be given an opportunity to be involved and each voice should be heard.

Jul 31, 2009, 4:59pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Counties of citizens could come up with competing platforms of ideas, sort of a progressive side represented, and a libertarian side represented, and then slates of delegates could pledge to one or the other platform, and then voters elect the slate that best represents the views they want carried to the convention.

The rural counties could really have a strong say-so in how the new government is formed, since there's more rural counties than urban counties.

Jul 31, 2009, 6:35pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Here would be my dreamed revisions:

-- Reverse the tax and spend process -- the state can't levy any taxes; local governments are responsible for levying sufficient taxes to fund local services, with some surplus to send to the county, and the county takes what it needs and then sends the surplus to the state.

-- The state can't spend more than it gets.

-- Only those services that a state must provide on a statewide basis would be allowed. Local governments would provide all local police, fire and social services; state roads would be funded through statewide pool ... I'm trying to think of what essential services the state provides, but coming up short at the moment. (Yes, this plan would nearly eliminate state government).

-- Privacy in voter registration. Voters would still need to register, but there would be no question as to party affiliation. If you want to join a political party, you go to that party's headquarters, pay your dues and join. Primaries would no longer be subsidized by tax payers. Parties would select their candidates at their own expense through their own process and stand them for the general election.

-- Retail businesses not HQ'd in New York would pay a fee, maybe $100 per square foot, to operate their stores in New York (call this the anti-big box provision) (Companies would be expressly prohibited from setting up shadow HQs to escape the provision). These funds would be used to foster incubation of locally grown small businesses.

-- I'd keep a bicameral legislature, but we'd return to the original Federalist model -- an Assembly elected by population with at least 50 members, and county legislatures selecting one senator to represent the county (not directly elected). Assembly, two-year terms, senators, six; senators serve only one term and a county cannot select members for the same political party in consecutive terms. On the Assembly, members of the same party would be prevented from serving in that seat for more than six consecutive years.

Those are all the radical ideas I have for now.

Jul 31, 2009, 6:48pm Permalink
Fred GUNDELL

Yes, we need a convention. It's the only way to change the mess we have. Abolish the existing Legislature. One senator for each county period. One Assemblyperson for each county + one for each 60,000 resident. All elected at large in each county. No Gerry Mandering. Address the gambling issue one way or the other. Eliminate the Indians as a sole proprietor. Competition is good. Elect the Lt. Governor. Two State Budgets "ON TIME". One for Down State and One for Upstate and Western NY. Two separate Tax structures. Downstate votes on Downstate, and Upstate votes for upstate. I do not like term limits generally. If the voting process is run properly we have term limits called an election. But I would like to re-elect all legilatures every two years. Stop the Gerry Mandering!! Public Funds only for election campaigns period. No contributions from anybody. No outside PACS. No ads not purchased by public funds.

Aug 1, 2009, 9:05am Permalink

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