As the 2008 legislative session in Albany concluded last week, plenty of individual legislators issued statements lamenting the lack of progress made in the state capital this year.

The assessments included session reviews from minority-party legislators in both the Senate and Assembly. Despite their party differences, both sides expressed disappointment in the failure of the Legislature to get anything done in terms of property tax relief. Both were right on the mark in terms of identifying property tax relief as a major missed opportunity. But both were only half-correct on the people they blamed for this failure.

As you can predict, Senate Democrats had their strongest criticism for the Republican-controlled state Senate majority, while Assembly Republicans had their toughest words for the Democratic Assembly majority.

It's not surprising that either would take such a stance. It's what minority conferences in Albany do - blame the majority within their own legislative body. The problem, though, is that neither side has much of an impact in terms of shaping policy or even public opinion.

If Albany is to truly make progress on property taxes, it's going to take some legislators with courage to point out the failings of both major parties.

Those legislator statements� barely got noticed last week, but imagine if one of these representatives had decided to rap the people in his or her own party. But we never hear Senate Democrats blasting Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver or Assembly Republicans blasting the Senate majority leader, the position long held until last week by Joseph Bruno.

They both could argue, of course, that they have to focus on their own legislative body. But the reality is that under the current flawed system in Albany, they have no true power within their own legislative house as members of the minority party.

Meaningful legislation and reform in state government will only come with legislators who are willing to take risks. Let's hope this year's campaign brings some candidates who can demonstrate they'd do just that.