The Albany fishbowl needs a new filter

Recent revelations that New York Governor David Paterson may have directly influenced a state police investigation regarding a domestic dispute with a top aide,  probably doesn’t come as a surprise to most observers of the ‘scene’. This type of hullabaloo regarding the behind the scenes culture of New York government is so common and hitherto unreported, that it permeates all other meaningful coverage and real business of the state. Its nuts, really.

As New Yorkspirals into fiscal chaos like California, reporters and players are obsessed with the internecine shenanigans and tomfoolery that resembles a daytime soap series. As fiscal deathbed convert Paterson struggles with revealing the absolute necessity of cutting spending (albeit in a wrong headed initiative - closing non-excludable public goods like parks), his fate may very well be in the hands of his very own Brutus, Attorney General Cuomo. The odds on favorite to assume the mantle of the almighty and crusading top law gun turned gotta be top guy spot, Cuomo plays a deft game of electoral intentions hide and seek that avoids the real tough questions. Presumed GOP nominee, Rick Lazio is lashing out at the latter with full knowledge that Cuomo will trounce him if he’s the Democratic nominee.

Meanwhile the average voter and citizen is stuck watching this charade continue with very little power to influence or change this political inbreeding that the system has wrought. After all, even the most jaded and stalwart observers on the scene have very little control over the ship of historic inevitability that the two parties force up the river year after year. They are simply clever courtesans as the tide goes in and out, effecting and advocating little change in the course of their desk bound daze.

 While the time may have very well come for a third party solution in New York, we know that the ballot qualified parties of this type will provide little inspiration or hope as they nominate the surest guarantees for their own fusion survival. While the Tea Party movement provides a will-o-wisp of hope in terms of populist anger and sentiment, it’s really no organization at all with no organizational memory or tone. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a voice of real change within either party monopoly (which realistic voters ultimately seem resigned to) that people could realistically unite around and legitimately fight for ?