Caravan is part of a statewide travelling sideshow, highlighting a decade of corrupt public officials
(Hempstead, NY) A travelling sideshow of (cardboard) corrupt officials converged on the Hempstead Town Hall earlier today, welcoming the beseiged Town Clerk to the ranks of the Caravan of Corruption.
The Caravan, led by its boisterous ringmaster, entertained and informed a crowd of local residents, regaling them with stories of a decade of corruption in the state government. Among the characters making an appearance were Pedro Espada, Joe Bruno, and the inimitable Hiram Monserrate.
“As recent alleged events in the Town of Hempstead show, there’s a strong temptation to abuse the power of an elected office” said Lisa Tyson, Director of the Long Island Progressive Coalition. “It’s up to the voters themselves to look for every possible way to discourage the abuse of power in public office, and fair elections are one clear and easy way to do it. We’re calling on elected officials to pass these reforms, and put the power back into the voters’ hands.”
The Caravan is part of Fair Elections for New York, a campaign focused on four key goals, enumerated by Governor Cuomo in his State of the State Address:
- Public Financing of Elections – establishing a voluntary system to empower small donors by matching their contributions with public money, similar to NYC’s successful system.
- Lower Contribution Limits – bringing New York State’s sky-high contribution limits down to reasonable levels.
- Ending Pay-to-Play – saving public dollars by preventing contributions and bundling by contractors and lobbyists from influencing decisions about state business.
- Stronger Enforcement and Transparency – ensuring that our laws are enforced in a fair, effective and timely manner, and that public matching funds are appropriately disbursed.
“My message is to the good and decent elected officials — you know who you are — who have got to stand up and take leadership and fight for fair elections” said Nancy Dwyer, a member of the Long Island Progressive Coalition. “For the sake of your constituents, for the sake of the next generation of politicians coming up, and even for your own sake: fix our campaign finance system, and give a voice back to New York State voters.”
“When elections are founded on chasing big money, it shouldn’t come as a surprise when scores of elected officials are convicted of corruption” said Paul Gold, a member of the Long Island Progressive Coalition. “It also shouldn’t come as a surprise that many of us don’t feel we’re truly being represented, since the voices with the most money are the ones which are heard most clearly. I’ve been making trips to Albany for years to speak out on this issue, because I think it’s important for every voter to be heard, not just those giving thousands of dollars.”
About Long Island Progressive Coalition
The Long Island Progressive Coalition (LIPC) is a grassroots community-based organization founded in 1979, dedicated to promoting sustainable development, revitalizing local communities, enhancing human dignity, creating effective democracy, and achieving economic, social and racial justice.
