EDITORIAL

To someone from another part of the country visiting for the past year or so, it probably would appear that many New Yorkers are comfortable with dishonesty.

Otherwise, it's difficult to explain the penchant for voting so many crooks and chiselers into office, year after year.

The latest crisis to come out of Albany is enough to make a person cringe. However, it all seems to be taken in stride by the voting public, who simply shrug and pull the lever.

Just to get up to speed, let's look at a few of the elected officials who have earned a place on the list of shame.

Eliot Spitzer was elected as governor of New York State and seemed to take delight in describing himself as a "steamroller" who would cut a path through Albany and get things done. However, he had a very dangerous addiction to prostitutes and used his office to facilitate his liaisons.

Spitzer subsequently was steamrolled right out of a job— not by the voters, but by his own arrogance and stupidity.

He was replaced by David A. Paterson, who was not elected into the office, but arrived by default. He tried to offset any hint of sexual indiscretions by admitting to liaisons. But little effort was necessary; Paterson's transgressions were accepted, as befits the only game in town.

Alan G. Hevesi, the former local Assembly member, was state comptroller until it was found that instead of watching out for the money, he misused it to care for his wife. In addition, two of his aides were indicted for a scheme involving kickbacks on state pension fund investments.

Former State Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno has been indicted on federal corruption charges and former State Sen. Guy J. Velella of the Bronx went to jail because that nasty tax money kept sticking to his fingers.

Two former Assembly members from Brooklyn, Clarence Norman and Diane M. Gordon are behind bars—Norman for for crimes that include extortion and Gordon for bribe-taking.

Not to be outdone, two who were sent to Albany by local Queens voters are on the list of shame: Assemblyman Anthony S. Seminerio, charged with bribery; and former Assemblyman Brian M. McLaughlin, serving time for bribery plus the added offenses of racketeering and the downright pilfering of funds from anything he could lay his hands on.

Former State Sen. Efrain Gonzalez Jr. of the Bronx pleaded guilty to mail fraud; former Assemblyman Roger L. Green of Brooklyn to larceny; and former Assemblywoman Gloria Davis of the Bronx spent time in jail for bribery.

Charges of drunken driving or assault have added more names to the list of shame: State Sen. Kevin S. Parker and Assemblyman Karim Camara of Brooklyn; Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell IV of Manhattan; and two former state senators from Queens, Ada L. Smith and John D. Sabini.

Now, we have a pair of truly dysfunctional state senators, one being Hiram Monserrate—already on the list, following his indictment on a felony assault charge for an alleged attack on his girlfriend—and the other being Pedro Espada.

These two have befouled the halls of Albany with the stench of their dangerous games, changing party lines in a scandalous power grab.

To an observer, it would seem that we are merely getting the government we deserve.