The Hevesi Question
Nov. 4th, 2006 08:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sdelmonteThis is a rare political post, but I need some advice...
If you followed NY politics, you know that state comptroller Alan Hevesi was found to have violated state ethics rules by appropriating a limo for his wife, claiming that it was necessary for her security, and passing the cost onto the taxpayers. He's up for reelection this week, as this was revealed too late for him to not be on the ballot.
I don't know what to do. His offense may or may not be criminal, but as he is in charge of keeping an eye on the state's money, his authority has been compromised. But the alternative is an inexperienced upstate Republican with political veiws I can't accept. I don't want to see him get the job.
So do I vote for a man who did a good job till now as first NYC comptroller and then state comptroller; vote for the other guy simply because Hevesi has forfeit the right to the job, or not vote for either? It's worth noting that I could vote for Hevesi on the assumption that he will resign and that the next governor, almost sure to be Democrat Eliot Spitzer, will appoint someone i can trust.
My inclination is to abstain for the first time in my life. I hat this choice. I like Hevesi. But he's violated the public trust. And the other guy is not appetizing at all.
What do you think?
If you followed NY politics, you know that state comptroller Alan Hevesi was found to have violated state ethics rules by appropriating a limo for his wife, claiming that it was necessary for her security, and passing the cost onto the taxpayers. He's up for reelection this week, as this was revealed too late for him to not be on the ballot.
I don't know what to do. His offense may or may not be criminal, but as he is in charge of keeping an eye on the state's money, his authority has been compromised. But the alternative is an inexperienced upstate Republican with political veiws I can't accept. I don't want to see him get the job.
So do I vote for a man who did a good job till now as first NYC comptroller and then state comptroller; vote for the other guy simply because Hevesi has forfeit the right to the job, or not vote for either? It's worth noting that I could vote for Hevesi on the assumption that he will resign and that the next governor, almost sure to be Democrat Eliot Spitzer, will appoint someone i can trust.
My inclination is to abstain for the first time in my life. I hat this choice. I like Hevesi. But he's violated the public trust. And the other guy is not appetizing at all.
What do you think?
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Date: Nov. 5th, 2006 03:36 am (UTC)But you should consider voting for the R candidate, regardless of the scandal. There's no doubt that Spitzer will be the next governor, and there's a lot to be said for having the comptroller of the opposite party to the governor. For the past 12 years we've had an R governor and D comptrollers; 8 years ago when the Rs swept every other statewide office, the Ds held the comptroller's spot, because enough voters voted R for everything else and D for that. I think their motive was to have a member of the opposition auditing the books. Now that we're to have a D governor, we should have an R looking over his shoulder.