February 11th, 2010
Local political activists Peter Healey and Brittany Turner are to be congratulated for stimulating local discussion about the need for fundamental change in the structure of state government. The two organized last week’s forum in New Paltz on efforts to call a state constitutional convention.
Driving the issue is the increasingly obvious need for fundamental reform of Albany World.
One participant in the forum was Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb, R-Canandaigua, who has been among the most prominent of current political leaders pushing for a constitutional convention. He argued last week that the state Legislature is incapable of reforming itself.
Read the rest of this entry »
February 8th, 2010
By TERRA THOMPSON
NEW PALTZ — Fixing property taxes and education in New York is an uphill battle, but a constitutional convention might provide a solution — if citizens take the reins.
“The people don’t feel the legislators are working for them because [Albany] is so backlogged,” Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb said Tuesday at the town community center.
Read the rest of this entry »
February 4th, 2010
NEW PALTZ – Two state Assembly leaders and members of the Proportional Representation Party were in New Paltz Tuesday night meeting with local residents in an effort to muster more support for a statewide referendum on a constitutional convention this November. The next one is scheduled for 2017, but with state legislation, the voters could have a ballot referendum this fall.
Among those speaking were Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, a Democrat and Republican Minority Leader Brian Kolb.
Read the rest of this entry »
February 2nd, 2010
By Brian M. Kolb
Last summer, I shared with News readers my call for convening a People’s Convention to Reform New York, a nonpartisan, grass-roots-driven effort to empower citizens to take back their state government and deliver critical fiscal and governmental reforms. Since then, the arguments in support for a People’s Convention have only strengthened.
Read the rest of this entry »
January 27th, 2010
Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,I,C-Canandaigua) today invited Seneca County citizens to the first in a series of Town Hall meetings he will be holding throughout his Assembly District.
The feedback, views and opinions received at the Town Hall meetings will help shape Kolb’s public policy agenda during the 2010 legislative session. Issues to be discussed include the need for a comprehensive statewide economic development program to create more private sector jobs; a property tax and state spending cap; state government ethics reform, and a “People’s Convention to Reform New York.”
Read the rest of this entry »
January 11th, 2010
| |
| By GERALD BENJAMIN AND MARIO CUOMO |
Recently published year-end retrospectives universally agree: State government in New York reached a new low of dysfunction and nonperformance in 2009. Cries were heard from every quarter: Throw all the rascals out. But in truth, only a state constitutional convention can give us reforms that will help cure us of our governmental malaise and bring hope back to New York.
Read the rest of this entry »
January 5th, 2010
Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,I,C-Canandaigua) and Assemblyman Will Barclay (R,C,I-Pulaski) were interviewed today by Susan Arbetter, host of “The Capitol Pressroom.” Kolb and Barclay discussed the 2010 prospects for a “People’s Convention to Reform New York” and how it could help deliver long overdue fiscal and governmental reforms New Yorkers have been demanding. You can listen to the entire interview here.
http://thecapitolpressroom.org/the-capitol-pressroom-program-for-january-4-2010/
January 5th, 2010
By Jimmy Vielkind
ALBANY—Assemblyman Richard Brodsky says pushing for a Constitutional Convention is going to be his next big thing.
Read the rest of this entry »
December 28th, 2009
If there was any doubt about whether the state Legislature and governor could bring meaningful reform to the way New York state government operates, the past year cemented the answer.
