Press Release
Charter Review Commission Must Delay Ballot Proposals Due to Rushed Process
Given historically quick timeline, expansive scope of Commission's work, and lack of public input, Commission's proposals must wait until next year's ballot
Press
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“New York State will have early voting in name only without a dedicated funding stream,” said Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause/NY. “Governor Cuomo must fund both early voting and electronic poll books if he actually wants to see this much needed reform succeed.”
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“The Nassau County Open Checkbook will offer taxpayers a precise accounting of their money," said Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York. "All New Yorkers deserve this level of transparency, and other counties should follow suit."
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The Let NY Vote Coalition, which advocated for early voting and other election reforms, called on Cuomo to include funding in the state budget for early voting. Cuomo's budget proposal doesn't include funding for early voting or other reforms.
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Ethics watchdog Susan Lerner of Common Cause NY says she’s glad to hear Ferrer’s on leave from Mercury, as her group urged after previous chairman Joe Lhota quit in a cloud of questions about collisions between his outside business and MTA power, but says that’s not enough. “He should recuse himself on any matter that may involve a past or future client,” she says.
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These heady times at the Capitol have some of New York’s liberals pinching themselves. Susan Lerner, the executive director of Common Cause New York, a reform group, said she was recovering from shock after watching Democrats in the first hours of the new legislative session pass voting reforms that had been stymied for years. “It’s whiplash,” Ms. Lerner said. “Is there more to do? Yes. But today, we’re celebrating.”
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Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause-New York, called the reforms "a fantastic first step" and "long overdue."
"New York can and will be a shining example of democracy," she said.
"New York can and will be a shining example of democracy," she said.
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“We are finally beginning to see New York’s elections begin — just begin — to catch up with the rest of the country,” said Susan Lerner, the executive director of Common Cause New York, a good-government group.
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“Once an elected official has betrayed the public’s trust, he should be stripped of his power — campaign cash is no exception,” said Common Cause/NY Executive Director Susan Lerner. “In Albany, money equals power, and if someone is behind bars on corruption charges, he shouldn’t be allowed to hold onto donations meant for campaigning. Simple as that."
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“Nothing is 100 percent guaranteed in Albany,” said Susan Lerner, the executive director of Common Cause New York, a government reform group. But she added: “I think it would be very very difficult for people who were elected on the promise that they were going to heed the voice of the voter, to then turn around and just have it be old-fashioned Albany business as usual.”
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Even while some suggest its unconstitutional, government reform groups praised a commission’s decision to raise state lawmakers salaries for the first time in 20 years while also imposing restrictions on outside income and legislative stipends.
"The Commission has done an excellent job of balancing the public interest against the very real need to raise lawmakers' pay,” said Common Cause/NY Executive Director Susan Lerner.
"The Commission has done an excellent job of balancing the public interest against the very real need to raise lawmakers' pay,” said Common Cause/NY Executive Director Susan Lerner.
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Sen. Liz Krueger and Common Cause New York executive director Susan Lerner joined Jarrett Murphy of City Limits and Ben Max of Gotham Gazette on Monday for a special video edition of Max & Murphy on Manhattan Neighborhood Network to size up the political reform agenda in Albany in 2019.
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"New York, unfortunately, has been a leader in the past in voter suppression," said Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause/New York, one of the groups pushing the "Let NY Vote" reform package to bring the state out of the electoral dark ages.