CU Wants Hevesi to Resign
I spoke to CU Executive Director Dick Dadey earlier today. Here's what he said, taking into account Hevesi's belated decision to debate his opponent:
"I think it's great that a much-needed debate is finally taking. It will not change our decision.
"These ethical issues are going to overshadow anything else that should be part of the debate...they go to the core of who is best suited to be the public watchdog against fraud and abuse. You can have all the accomplishments behind you, but if you're not scrupulous about how you conduct yourself in office, it raises a lot of questions."
This hard-line position should make CU's annual fund-raiser at the Waldorf Astoria tonight more interesting than usual. (Expected guests include the mayor and Council Speaker Christine Quinn.)
A statement from CU is after the jump. -- Azi PaybarahUPDATE: Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno also wants Hevesi to step down. [link fixed].
The chair of Citizens Union Richard J. Davis and executive director Dick Dadey:Yesterday's State Ethics Commission report involving State Comptroller Alan Hevesi confirmed concerns that Citizens Union recently expressed when it declined to support his re-election.
Unless the Comptroller can promptly present persuasive evidence demonstrating that the Ethics Commission's factual conclusions are incorrect, Citizens Union believes his actions are so inconsistent with one of the fundamental responsibilities of the Comptroller - being the watchdog over the use of taxpayer dollars - that he should resign his position.
We take this position reluctantly because he has in so many ways been an effective Comptroller, but believe his resigning is the right thing to do.
For more than a century, Citizens Union of the City of New York has been an independent, non partisan force dedicated to promoting good government and political reform in the city and state of New York, serving as a watchdog for the public interest and an advocate for the common good. Citizens Union was founded to address the corruption of Tammany Hall in the affairs of City of New York. As part of its non-partisan work, Citizens Union has evaluated and preferred candidates for elected office since 1910.
Wasn't there a similar issue with Pataki and state employees doing shopping for his wife? Are the Repubs going to insist he reimburse the state and resign?
Who cares what Dick Dadey says ? The guy is a corrupt hack. How many lobbyists contribute to his slush fund ? Has he ever made that public ? How many legislators has he approached to be introduced to "donors" ? How much does he get paid ? Hevesi is a hack, but Dick Daey is a complete hack.
Hey timbnyc,
I hope you are not looking for Republicans for moral leadership. What Hevesi did was wrong, especially for a Comptroller. He should resign and/or face criminal charges.
What about all those private boards of directors that Libby was on or the companies that retained Libby as a consultant? Did any of the principals and/or officers of those companies give to the Patak or his various Funds?
Now, on the other hand, the public torturing of a politician is extremely entertaining? And, this is especially so since State government is so remote from the people and is such a club.
And, then again, no matter how bad Hevesi's conduct or lapse of judgment, or whatever, is, shouldn't we all weigh that against the work he did vis the Canal Authority caper of the Patak and public authorities in general? Truly, if the state legislature was run differently, then it might be legislative investigations that would uncover the abuse of the public authorities as opposed to the State Comptroller. (And, where, we might ask, was the Attorney General's office in all of that?)
Finally, by the by, what kind of protections did Judy Nathan receive when whe was just the First Girl Friend?
Come, let us sit upon the ground and tell sad stories of the death of COMPTROLLERS!
the above points are valid, but I still agree that Hevesi should resign. I also recall that he lombasted then City Comptroller (and former Congress Member) Liz Holtzman on her ethical issues, and won in part on that basis. What's good for the goose...
he should resign, but after he woops callaghan's but.
libby's stuff wasn't public funds unlike alan's.
as for the canal corp -- people forget that hevesi APPROVED that contract. it was only after someone else said it smelled that he withdrew his approval. hevesi is a pompus ass who will get exactly what he deserves.