Pork disclosure a good start, now let's cut that fat

Senate Democrats helped pull the covers back on Albany's hush money, which is why - and may be the only reason why - The Citizen is able to publish our local lawmakers' line-item spending for the past fiscal year in today's edition.

When asked to override Gov. George Pataki's budget vetoes last month, those Democrats (who are like the best small children: Seen but not heard from) finally had leverage in the Republican-controlled Senate. Although they compromised on their initial demand, those Democrats have forced our state lawmakers to disclose their member-item expenditures, which has also been termed “pork.”

But before you hail the Democrats as Albany's only true reformers, know this: If those same Democrats held a majority and the bulk of member-item allocations, they may have been shielding their spending just like their Senate Republican counterparts.