Young Dynamos of Albany

The comptroller hearings are still going. Tom DiNapoli was received warmly today, Richard Brodsky was asked about his temperament, and accountant Robert Hoffman was in and out in record time, according to a state legislator who was there.

Once the screening is completed today, the real politicking begins. The three-person panel of former city and state comptrollers will recommend five of the 18 candidates to the legislature, who will (presumably) then pick from among them.

The political implications of the possible permutations are interesting. Would it make the choice of the legislature easier, for example, if the panel included only one lawmaker on its final list? Or would that make the act of voting for that lawmaker too nakedly political for the members of the legislature to stomach?

The nominations are likely to be made days before the legislature convenes to vote on it, giving the five candidates a brief window in which to, you know, actually campaign.

Which is when things will get really interesting. Despite the brief excitement of the last comptroller campaign, running for the top bean-counting job doesn't have to be dull, as former NYC Comptroller and current comptroller screening panel member Harrison Goldin can attest. When running for NYC Comptroller, some of you may remember, Goldin campaigned by referring to himself as "a young dynamo".

Your updated lists of this year's top five comptroller candidates (and suggested campaign slogans) are welcome.

-- Azi Paybarah