CAPITOL Recent cases bring attention to nepotism law BY SARA FOSS Gazette Reporter
Even for New York, last week was an unusually active one for accusations of corruption in state government. In two headline-generating incidents, investigators made reference to nepotism: the practice of employing relatives or appointing them to high office without regard to merit. On Tuesday, the state Inspector General issued a lengthy report that said the producing director of the New York State Theater Institute, Patricia Snyder, steered nearly $700,000 in contract jobs to family members, a violation of the state’s Public Officers Law ban on nepotism. In court papers fi led the same day, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo accused Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. — who has been accused of siphoning $14 million from his government-funded health clinic and whose office was raided by the FBI and IRS on Wednesday — of hiring his uncle to serve as a special assistant when he took office. The ban on nepotism was part of the sweeping ethics reform bill signed by former Gov. Eliot Spitzer in 2007. The law states that no statewide elected offi - cial, officer or employee, member of the Legislature or legislative employee may “participate in any decision to hire, promote, discipline or discharge a relative for any compensated position at, for or within any state agency, public authority or the legislature.” Elected officials and state employees are also barred from participating in any state contracting decision. According to the Office of the State Inspector General, nepotism was illegal and unethical in New York prior to 2007 and the new law simply strengthened a longstanding ban. But the new law “certainly makes it more difficult for someone like Ms. Snyder or NYSTI to claim ignorance,” said Nelson Sheingold, the agency’s chief counsel. “Complaints of nepotism like these aren’t common because most people know it’s illegal to hire your kids.” Prior to the 2007 anti-nepotism law, nepotism would have been considered illegal under a section of the Public Officers Law, according to the Inspector General’s report. In his report, which focuses on hiring and spending at NYSTI from 2004 to 2009, the IG found that Snyder’s control of NYSTI allowed her to select herself and close relatives more than 300 times to work on 92 percent of all NYSTI productions, and she paid her immediate family and their spouses to fulfill jobs such as actor, producer, director, author, narrator, musician, sound technician, composer, arranger, programmer, illustrator, instructor and office assistant. “A public authority is not a family business, nor a family employment agency,” said Inspector General Joseph Fisch in a statement. ....................>>>>................>>>>..............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00101&AppName=1
Pat Snyder has been calling the shots at NYSTI for more than 30 years. Her whole family is involved in theater as I recall.My kids were part of the NYSTI workshop and theater school about 25 years ago. In fact Helena Binder and her husband at the time, Ed Plog, were acting favorites there. There were others involved that were related then too. What's the beef? They all did excellent work.
Please- Not as bad as Espada but she should have the book thrown at her. Picking close relatives 300 times for 92% of the productions. How does this go undetected for so long? Nobody knows from nuthin?
An example must be set here-bravo to the IG for finally finding some fraud. Now move on to other State operations.
Hey MM--if Holly was still singing your tune would you be b!tching that Michele Golden got the job. I bet not. Holly's sister works for the Town as well.
I'm not as concerned about the jobs as I am about the VALUE of what my elected officials legislate into the 'tax code' penal code etc etc........
what is the value, can they judge value, can they keep it large vision like??????
I'm not so sure......both parties are lacking in being large visionaries with value.....they can something is and then never back it up,,,,why?...we forget then talk about how this official did this/that because they are such good guys/gals, when in all actuality it amounted to a hill of beans or just some feel good slogan........
as for the 'progressives'......they just like to feel good and feel everyone.......
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Yeah we have a lot of that right here in Rotterdam....Michele Golden, Holly Velano's niece, hired for the deputy town clerk job.
Molly and Clark Collins, Jim and John Longo, Holly's sis in law works for the comptroller, Mickey Mahar's bro in law is Judge Vito Caruso, Jackie Denny's nephew is a cop promoted without the chiefs approval, Signore's son, Frank Renna's son in law. I am outta breath! Did I miss anyone MM?
Don't worry Andrew Cuomo will end all nepotism here. ROTFLMAO!!
Nepotism is and always will be alive and well......for all people in power. Work, politics.....don't matter. It is what it is.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Re April 25 article, “Recent cases bring attention to nepotism law”: I take exception to the allegations of “nepotism” at Troy’s New York State Theatre Institute [NYSTI]. Whether one likes or dislikes [New York State Theater Institute producing director] Patricia Snyder, here is something that no one can deny: She has fought tooth and nail for over 30 years to carry theater to the general public, and particularly to future generations. My daughter, now 27, took classes at NYSTI as a child and reveres her education there to this day! One of the subjects named in articles denigrating Ms. Snyder’s hiring practices was her son, Will Severin Snyder. Have any of you heard his music? His work is amazing. I would have hired him, too, and been absolutely ecstatic to employ him. As a longtime fan of NYSTI’s productions, the work they do with children, and all of their extremely talented artists, I believe that comparing Patricia Snyder to [Senate Majority Leader] Pedro Espada is ludicrous.
This sounds like our Boomer. Hiring relatives for 92% of jobs is hardly OK even by Schenectady County standards. And she takes a leave of absence? Only in New York.
Logged
Andrew Cuomo promised to clean up all nepotism-lol-
