600 Lexington Avenue, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10022Democrat Samuels Also Creating Independent Expenditure Committee to
Help Elect Pro-Reform Legislators
Yesterday, 3ntrepreneur Bill Samuels today announced his candidacy for State Senate President and Lieutenant Governor, launching a public campaign to achieve fundamental change in Albany with a new vision of the role of the Lieutenant Governor and how he can contribute to restoring The Empire State to its former greatness.
Samuels is a longtime Democratic Party activist who was a leader in both 2006 and 2008 in the campaign to restore the Democrats to a majority in the State Senate.
"New York can't innovate-create new businesses and new good jobs without totally remaking the rules by which our legislature works. Sadly, neither the Democrats nor the Republicans can honestly wear the mantle of reform," Samuels explained. "The GOP ran the Senate for 40 years, helped create the most dysfunctional legislature in the nation, and have shown no interest in change. Then the Democrats took the majority on a wave of change but despite taking some good small steps forward, they didn't take advantage of the new majority. Rather than reforming, they didn't reform a corrupt member item system; did nothing to fix the broken redistricting process; went along in 2009 with increased state spending at unsustainable rates and cynically accepted back Pedro Espada and Hiram Monserrate to keep their majority benefits. They simply failed to muster the political will to fundamentally change the system."
"We must set our goals high: New York demands and can be the best legislature in the country."
As State Senate President and Lieutenant Governor, Samuels will use the position as a bully pulpit from which he will rally voters to keep the pressure on their elected officials to enact reform in five foundational areas of governance: Fiscal reform, Redistricting reform, Campaign Finance reform, Ethics reform and Legislative Rules reform.
Samuels is running in the Democratic Primary independently of any gubernatorial candidate, but if successful will be on the ticket with the eventual Democratic nominee.
"Look, here's the bottom line: If we are going to lower property taxes, create jobs and fully fund key services like education and health care we must act now to fundamentally change the system," continued Samuels. "And with a champion of reform who is independent of the power structure we can help achieve this."
To help keep real political pressure on State Legislators to do the right thing, Samuels is creating an Independent Expenditure committee, the New Roosevelt Initiative, which will spend money supporting pro-reform challengers to anti-reform incumbents.
"We chose the name New Roosevelt Initiative because we are looking for the New Roosevelts - leaders in the model of Franklin, Eleanor and Teddy who came to Albany with a commitment to principled reform and honest government," said Samuels. "So if any elected official chooses to stand against the reforms that the people of New York need and demand, he or she should know that there will be a strong, well-financed campaign ready to educate their constituents and elect a real leader in their place."