By John DeSio

Transparency is one of the keys to reforming Albany, and a former state senator is offering the world a very transparent look at our state’s many governmental failings.

But it’s not all bad. He’s also provided a roadmap to return New York state to its former glory.

In Three Men in a Room (The New Press; www.thenewpress.com), retired Brooklyn/Staten Island Democratic state Senator Seymour P. Lachman and co-author Robert Polner present in great detail the history of Lachman’s legislative career and the various backroom shenanigans he witnessed during his decade-long stay in Albany. Those in the political loop have known for years that Albany is a dysfunctional swamp, but Lachman has put forth firsthand evidence of just how bad things can get.

To be clear, Lachman was never an insider, as evidenced by the failed attempt in 2002 to change the shape of his district and force him out of elected life. Changing the way current legislative districts are drawn, the process known as “gerrymandering,” is top on the former legislator’s list of much-needed Albany reforms. When politicians draw their own district lines, writes Lachman, the public interest is never served. 

“Deadlock in Albany will be broken only when redistricting is taken out of the hands of those who have a self-interest in the outcome—meaning partisan elected politicians and their staffs—and given over to an independent, nonpartisan commission that operates with the public’s interests uppermost in its mind,” writes Lachman, who adds that such gerrymandering helps to ensure that legislators have a secure job for as long as they want one and can also be used to punish free thought, an ordeal Lachman went through in 2002.

But redistricting only takes place every 10 years, so voters will have to wait until 2012 to see any real reform in that area. More pressing reform is needed in the budget process, said Lachman, whose book title refers to the way the governor, Assembly speaker and State Senate majority leader hole up in a room and decide the state’s monetary priorities for the next year, with little or no input from rank and file members like Lachman. Those legislators forced outside of the room keep themselves happy with member items—taxpayer funded budget largesse that mainly exists to provide incumbents with photo-ops in their districts. Such items are not specifically listed in the budget by member, and many current and former legislators, like Lachman, feel that citizens have a right to know exactly what our money is being spent on and just who is spending it.

“These are never evaluated, and these are never, ever, found in the budget in a transparent manner,” said Lachman of such member items. “The budget is not an instrument that is used to educate and elucidate issues. It’s basically written in a manner that prevents you from knowing certain things.”

Lachman’s book is by no means all doom and gloom. In his last chapter, the former legislator outlines a very reasonable blueprint for just what Albany can do to bring reform to state government. Lachman’s suggestions make perfect sense: establish an independent budget monitoring system, eliminate redundant state authorities, limit the power of lobbyists and allow every member to have their say. If need be, Lachman would even like to see a constitutional convention for the state, bringing with it a rewrite of all the rules. 

Prior to that, Lachman sees the best hope for reforming Albany in the presence of our likely next governor, Democrat Eliot Spitzer. Spitzer has campaigned on the reform mantle, and Lachman believes the current attorney general is without a doubt the right man to shake up the state house. But voters should not expect any sweeping changes when Spitzer takes office in January, said Lachman. These things take time, and Spitzer will be fighting a multi-headed beast of power, money and influence that has been allowed to grow fat in Albany for decades. “He’s going to select his issues very carefully,” said Lachman. “Maybe after several years, or after a couple of terms, we’ll see some major changes in the state legislature.”

Lachman closes his book with a rousing call to action, urging his former colleagues to stand up and do the right thing on behalf of the citizens of New York and give serious consideration to his own reform suggestions and those of any like-minded individuals. He wrote the book, he says, because he finally felt free enough to speak his mind on Albany’s many problems, now that he no longer had constituents who could be hurt by his independence. More of his independence is just what Albany needs, notes Lachman, though the perks for keeping your mouth shut in Albany—the member items, committee chairs and job security—are more than enough to make even the most reform-minded politician zip his or her lip when it came time to act, a problem of which Lachman is all too aware.

“It’s a lifetime secure job if you go along with the leadership and don’t rock the boat,” said Lachman.