The Green Party in central New York likes the idea of creating a new government structure, just not the one put forward by Consensus CNY.
The Green Party endorses most of the 50 proposals regarding consolidation of government services in the Consensus commission’s final report. The one it’s balking at, is the one that’s getting the most attention, the creation of a new metropolitan government from the merger of the city of Syracuse and Onondaga County, which would be run by an elected executive and a 33-member legislature. Green Party chair Howie Hawkins says that would further segregate many of the poorest residents in central New York.
“The governing structure they propose basically disempowers city residents,” said Hawkins. “And with the winner take all electoral system, creates a permanent majority that rules and the minority doesn’t get their fair share of representation and power.”
The Greens have a different idea.
“What we propose instead is a federated structure for metro governments, where you keep the town level governments outside the city, and in the city, set up neighborhood governments that are comparable,” said Hawkins.
He says that would make government more democratic and more local at the same time. The one thing neither of these new entities would do though, according to Hawkins, is substantially reduce the cost of government, which is the way Gov. Cuomo is framing his support for consolidations like this.
“The argument for merging is better infrastructure and service,“ said Hawkins. “If you want to deal with the fiscal problems, the state’s got to pay for its unfunded mandates.”
