New Yorkers Unhappy With Taxes and Corruption; Katz Chooses "Change in Albany" as Platform

As Stephen Katz went door-to-door and spoke to people on his campaign trail, the majority of them had told him they were unhappy to live in New York State. Some were planning to move out, while others were in the process of leaving. The reason? Taxes and corruption.

Katz of Mohegan Lake is challenging Jim Borkowski, the GOP nominee, for the 99th Assembly District seat. Katz has secured enough signatures to force a Republican primary, the winner of which will face off against Democrat Brendan Tully of Yorktown. Both Borkowski and Tully are carrer lawyers.

On July 27, in front of a group of supporters and reporters at Town Hall, Katz presented six points he thinks could help restore Albany. 

"We must restore honesty and integrity in Albany, returning our government to function for and by the people," Katz said in a statement. "Too many career politicians have occupied state legislative seats for far too long and have gamed the system to stay in power for personal gain. This needs to stop this November and it will. The voters are awake and engaged in the process like they have not been in decades."

Democratic candidate for the Assembly seat Brendan Tully also recognized the need for a change. 

"I support a complete restructure of the ethics law to increase enforcement and make it more stringent," Tully said. "What we've seen too much of recently is that career politicians can evade the ethics law and we deserve better than that."

Katz called for all revenue to be made public.

Under current New York State Legislative ethics rules, lawyers do not need to fully disclose the sources of their income under the protections of attorney-client privilege.

According to a released statement, both of Katz's opponents Borkowski and Tully, who are career lawyers, "can take advantage of this loophole" and "Katz wants them to pledge and produce full disclosure."

When asked if Katz thinks his opponents have not been honest, he said some current legislators have not been honest because they have not disclosed what they have received outside of the money taxpayers are providing them with.

He called it "outrageous" that a public servant would not be required to report all revenue gained outside of his public office. 

"I think you should be prohibited from having clients that have business with the state," Tully said. "And there should be full disclosure of outside incomes and any clients that may pose a conflict of interest."

Katz said taxpayers are entitled to know how much money and from what sources people are making money. 

"If they want to keep it secret, then they can stay in the private sector," he said.

He also wants to place a limit on how many terms members of the New York legislature can serve. He would want to make three terms, or six years, to be the maximum starting immediately. Another point of his was to have no more than a single two-year term for the assembly speaker and senate majority leader.

"It's not meant to be a Kingdom for those who have developed seniority," Katz said.

Katz's next point was that he wants witnesses to be present at all meetings between elected officials and lobbyists, and that those meetings should take place within the legislator's office only.

"Let's get it done," he said.

He also asked for no pre-preliminary endorsements, because he said voters needed to decide who should be nominated. His last point was to stop legislators from having pensions, which could yield to savings.

"I'm doing this for no other reason, but for my love for the state," Katz said in an interview. "I believe there is hope for the state if we change the characters in Albany completely."

The primary election will be held on September 14. The general election will be held on November 2.