Over the last several years on Long Island, a plethora of public officials have been convicted for a variety of crimes.
With several others in the middle of ongoing investigations, there is no shortage of corruption in our community.
This widespread systemic violation of the public trust has infiltrated the offices of local, county and state elected officials.
It’s a shame; because even though most people in the public sector take pride in their jobs and work hard for the common good, the perception is otherwise.
The atmosphere of irresponsible government created by the constant stream of negative headlines has adversely impacted our Long Island community in the following areas:
• Business and Development — Corruption and inefficiencies in the permitting process creates massive delays in construction projects and in attracting new businesses, prompting top-notch developers and companies to deploy resources elsewhere.
Why take years and tie up valuable capital without the certainty of getting building permits when you can deploy that same capital in other parts of the country in a fraction of the time? The local Industrial Development Agencies (IDAs) are supposed to use tax money to create jobs. Tax breaks to health clubs and car dealerships are not why IDAs were developed.
Why would a business owner choose to open on Long Island when there’s a conga line of elected officials being convicted of lining their own pockets? The pressure of donating to “connected politicians” to receive preferential treatment does little for fostering a healthy financial environment.
• Society — Corrupt officials create a toxic aura that leads to contempt and disregard for any elected office. How many times have you discussed local politics with friends and heard someone comment, “They’re all corrupt.” When public officials are accused of malfeasance, faith in the system is diminished, and apathy becomes commonplace, as evidenced by record low voter turnout in recent elections.
• Basic Services — Corruption and mismanagement are downright expensive. As resources become scarce, budgets tighten, leaving basic services vulnerable to the proverbial chopping block.
In Nassau, youth and bus services are consistently used as bargaining chips, to the detriment of the community. Numerous social service agencies live in constant fear that funding of services for the working poor, homeless, hungry and mentally ill will be cut. Without the revenue to provide services, planning a yearly budget that will provide stability to serve those in need becomes quite the challenge.
In the midst of so much corruption, it’s important to establish a list of principles for good governance that will help officials regain the public’s trust.
Here’s that list with associated questions to ask, a kind of litmus test, to see if representatives are worthy of holding office:
Honesty and integrity — Do representatives have a track record of acting in good faith and representing the people’s interests above their own? Have they become wealthier in their elected office than they were before? Do they use their political connections for their own personal benefit?
Openness and transparency — Can you only communicate by phone call or fax with your elected officials as opposed to sending an email?
Do they respond to your requests and answer FOILs in a timely manner? Are budgets and contracts detailed online so you know how every taxpayer dollar is being spent?
Accountability — Do representatives take responsibility for their decisions, or do they change them when politically convenient?
Are critical votes on important topics openly discussed and explained, or does your elected official voice an opinion only when it’s safe?
Leadership — Do your representatives create original ideas and speak out to lead on important issues, or do they follow the pack and only show up for the photo op?
Ethical conduct — Does your representative take donations and then provide contracts or sponsor legislation to benefit those donors?
Sound financial management — Is your local government well run? Does it follow sound fiscal practices, or is it close to insolvency?
Honest, transparent, responsive and efficient government make for a strong community.
Only when the average constituent gets the same attention as the largest donor will the public’s trust be restored. For our community to thrive, the people need to come first and foremost.
Let’s hope our elected officials set more principled New Year’s resolutions than in year’s past, and make 2016 the year they resolve to end corruption.
