Ed Koch is plotting a coup.
"Now is the time to deal with our sad state of affairs in Albany," the 85-year old former mayor wrote in a letter that's being circulated to anyone who might want to join up, according to The Times. "The key must be the defeat of those incumbents, regardless of Read More
ALBANY—There might be movement on legislation restructuring the notoriously porous ethics enforcement in Albany.
"My understanding is we're actually looking at a new bill that has elements from all of the different passages that have actually been presented and as I said before I think that is a positive development," said Susan Lerner, the executive Read More
Citizens Union signaled they’re putting some muscle behind their criticisms, and focusing not just on “on criticizing government, but changing it in Albany,” according to their executive director, Dick Dadey.
In a speech last night at the Pierre Hotel right off Central Park, Dadey said, “We need to end the responsibility-ducking, ethically challenged culture, Read More
The executive director of Citizens Union strongly opposed extending term limits legislatively, and hopes that those City Council members who went along with the rules change face the wrath of voters at the polls tomorrow.
But it may not work out that way. In fact, only a handful of the more than two dozen Read More
ALBANY—Two good-government advocacy groups and Assemblyman Michael Gianaris have an idea to solve the leadership struggle in the State Senate: have David Paterson appoint a lieutenant governor.
Standing before a blown-up chart showing an excerpt from the Public Officers law, which contains a "catch-all" provision for filling vacancies, Gianaris, a former counsel in Read More
The changes will include a reduction or elimination of the unincorporated business Read More
Mr. Gioia, 35, has been preparing for higher office since his election to the Council seven years ago, and has raised more money since then than all but three of his Council colleagues. Mr. de Read More
Governor David Paterson attended the Citizens Union annual dinner last night at the Waldorf Astoria to present his father, Basil, with an award from the good government group. But C.U. may or may not have appreciated it when, during his his remarks praising the nonpartisan organization, Paterson, a lawyer, began constructing an argument for why Read More
"You're trying to have it both ways," said Citizens Union executive director Dick Dadey to Councilman Councilman David Yassky.
He was talking about Yassky's amendment to the term-limits bill, which would have required the measure to go to a voter referendum in the future, even if the bill was passed by the Council.
Yassky's Read More
Christine Quinn, who came into the Council speakership as a self-declared reformer, is now coming under fire from one of the oldest good-government organizations in the city, which says it is “disillusioned” with her handling of the term-limits issue.
Citizens Union executive director Dick Dadey released a statement yesterday criticizing Quinn for announcing her support Read More
At 2:30 p.m. today, I'll be chatting with Dick Dadey, executive director of the good-government group Citizens Union.
Among the topics Dadey and his colleagues have had to ponder recently are: continuing, serious talk about changing city term limits and the mayor's bill about financial disclosure requirements for board members of nonprofits.
If Read More
Running out of City Hall this afternoon - where there’s been some chatter by folks lingering in the lobby that there might be a deal on the city budget as early as tomorrow night - I saw Dick Dadey and some good-government activists outlining changes they’d like to city put in place before the elections Read More
Barack Obama's decision to opt out of the public campaign finance program is "unfortunate but understandable," says Dick Dadey, executive director of the good-government organization Citizens Union.
When asked for comment, Dadey emailed:
It is unfortunate but understandable.The federal campaign finance system hasn’t kept up with the times and the changed nature of what Read More
Citizens Union will now evaluate candidates that seek its endorsement by how well they live up to campaign promises. At a meeting of the good government group’s local candidate committee last night in Times Square, Executive Director Dick Dadey said they will ask candidates, "What were the top five promises you made to your Read More
So, many City Council members have strong feelings about the reforms Christine Quinn proposed last week, particularly about the notion that they would lose the ability to fund specific groups through member items. Those groups would instead have to go through a R.F.P. process and be approved by various departments that are administrated by Read More
