:• complete article: http://gothamgazette.com/index.php/g...or-real-reform

Good government groups including NYPIRG and Citizens Union recently reiterated calls for sweeping reform, including:

"Strengthen financial reporting disclosure requirements for public officers to allow the public to more easily spot conflicts of interest."

Earlier this year, Gov. Cuomo pointed to prior reforms he oversaw that required disclosure of outside income that enabled the case against Silver. "We've passed disclosure laws that, frankly, would have been unthinkable ten years ago," Cuomo said, adding, "For the first time ever, they have to disclose their clients. That's one of the reasons this case is this case, right?"

But the Reform Albany Act that contained the disclosure requirements also created the Joint Commission on Public Ethics, a board that has yet to take any major actions and remains paralyzed by infighting between members appointed by legislative leaders (including Skelos and Silver) and Cuomo.

In response to the Silver verdict Monday, Cuomo issued a statement that read, "Today, justice was served. Corruption was discovered, investigated, and prosecuted, and the jury has spoken. With the allegations proven, it is time for the Legislature to take seriously the need for reform. There will be zero tolerance for the violation of the public trust in New York."

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Lancaster's Town Hall has always had a problem getting completed Financial Disclosure statements from our Elected and Appointed Officials.

A full functioning Board of Ethics has never been empowered or made functional.