Madmallard
.223 Rem
It’s an occurrence as uncommon in these parts as a bearhug from the governor or an indictment-free year.
On Monday, New York State legislators embarked a rare and rigorous five-day workweek here, the first time in nearly six years that they have been scheduled to be in the Capitol from Monday through Friday.
The prospect of spending five consecutive days at your place of employment might not be a shock for someone with, say, a job. But the lawmakers say their seemingly light legislative schedule does not take into account ample time spent on the clock in other ways: budget hearings, which can drag on; community and district events, which often occur far from Albany; fielding constituent concerns, via phone, email and the occasional screed; and researching the myriad issues they are responsible for tackling.
All of which, it can be argued, makes criticizing their lack of time in the Capitol unfair.
“It’s kind of like saying your workweek is the time you spend typing on a keyboard, or that a radio reporter’s workday is the three minutes their voice is on the air, or that a schoolteacher doesn’t spend time grading papers,” said Assemblyman Richard N. Gottfried, a Democrat from Manhattan who is his chamber’s longest-serving member. “I can’t imagine any legislator that only works a five-day week.”
The operative word there may be “imagine,” in large part because so much of Albany’s governance — and yes, work — happens behind closed doors, including the homestretch of budget negotiating which began this week. While they did not convene till after lunch on Monday, legislators will spend hours debating bills among themselves, and their leaders will spend many additional hours debating with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo about his often divergent vision of those bills.
That opaque deal-making has been criticized by good government groups, who had hoped for more from Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat.
“Candidate Cuomo pledged to make Albany the most transparent government in history,” said Blair Horner, the executive director of the New York Public Interest Research Group. “Governor Cuomo has kept the curtains drawn and the blinds tightly closed when it comes to budget negotiations.”
The rarity of a five-day week also touches on the lawmakers’ ever-present albatross, ethics reform, as well as other simmering issues, namely their salary and part-time status.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/27/...-lawmakers-face-five-day-week-in-capitol.html
On Monday, New York State legislators embarked a rare and rigorous five-day workweek here, the first time in nearly six years that they have been scheduled to be in the Capitol from Monday through Friday.
The prospect of spending five consecutive days at your place of employment might not be a shock for someone with, say, a job. But the lawmakers say their seemingly light legislative schedule does not take into account ample time spent on the clock in other ways: budget hearings, which can drag on; community and district events, which often occur far from Albany; fielding constituent concerns, via phone, email and the occasional screed; and researching the myriad issues they are responsible for tackling.
All of which, it can be argued, makes criticizing their lack of time in the Capitol unfair.
“It’s kind of like saying your workweek is the time you spend typing on a keyboard, or that a radio reporter’s workday is the three minutes their voice is on the air, or that a schoolteacher doesn’t spend time grading papers,” said Assemblyman Richard N. Gottfried, a Democrat from Manhattan who is his chamber’s longest-serving member. “I can’t imagine any legislator that only works a five-day week.”
The operative word there may be “imagine,” in large part because so much of Albany’s governance — and yes, work — happens behind closed doors, including the homestretch of budget negotiating which began this week. While they did not convene till after lunch on Monday, legislators will spend hours debating bills among themselves, and their leaders will spend many additional hours debating with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo about his often divergent vision of those bills.
That opaque deal-making has been criticized by good government groups, who had hoped for more from Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat.
“Candidate Cuomo pledged to make Albany the most transparent government in history,” said Blair Horner, the executive director of the New York Public Interest Research Group. “Governor Cuomo has kept the curtains drawn and the blinds tightly closed when it comes to budget negotiations.”
The rarity of a five-day week also touches on the lawmakers’ ever-present albatross, ethics reform, as well as other simmering issues, namely their salary and part-time status.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/27/...-lawmakers-face-five-day-week-in-capitol.html
