Moral Mondays Anti-Corruption Vigil

Faith Leaders, Labor and Good Government Groups Call on Cuomo and Legislature to Pass Ethics Reforms

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Petitioners at Moral Mondays Anti Corruption Rally

NEW YORK, NY (03/09/2015)(readMedia)-- Moral Mondays activists gathered in front of Gov. Cuomo's New York City office to demand an end to public corruption in Albany today. As part of the Moral Mondays New York movement, faith, labor and community activists are declaring the moral imperative in our state policy and budget deliberations.

The Moral Mondays groups and faith leaders called on Governor Cuomo to make good on his promises to clean up Albany and work with Legislature to pass strong and sweeping ethics and campaign finance reform. Speakers pointed out that with the arrest of Speaker Sheldon Silver, there are now 32 state legislators who have been indicted or have left office due to criminal or ethical issues since 2000.

Governor Cuomo has declared that he will not sign a budget unless it includes a package of ethics reforms, with greater disclosure of legislators' outside income. Responding to what they termed "a corruption crisis," the Moral Mondays groups are calling for campaign finance reforms that include public financing of elections, as Cuomo's Executive budget proposes. The groups say that fighting corruption means getting big money out of politics to elevate every voice and strengthen our democracy.

After the rally, Moral Mondays activists delivered thousands of petitions from New Yorkers across the state to Governor Cuomo's staff calling for swift passage of a meaningful ethics reform package.

Participants heard from clergy members from all three Abrahamic faiths, with Rev. Valerie H. Holly, Community Minister, Judson Memorial Church, Imam Samer Alraey, Board Member, Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition, and Rabbi Michael Feinberg, Executive Director, Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition, all citing anti-corruption teachings from the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths.

"New Yorkers expect that their elected representatives will serve the public interest, not special interests or their own self-interest, and that they understand that they are public servants, who should not abuse the public trust," said Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause/NY. "These are quintessential moral concepts. New York needs strong ethics and campaign finance laws to help guide our elected officials. Once criminal law is involved, something has gone very wrong with an elected official's moral compass. The root of all of these concerns is money in politics; we're here to bring morality back into state governance."

Imam Alraey cited the following three passages from the Quran:

"And they denied them unjustly and proudly, though their souls acknowledged them, for spite and arrogance. Then see the nature of the consequence for those who acted corruptly!"--The Holy Quran 27:14

"And do good as God has done good to you. And desire not corruption in the land. Indeed, God does not like corrupters."-- The Holy Quran 28:77

"Shall we treat those who believe and do good works as those who spread corruption in the earth; or shall we treat the pious as the wicked?"-- The Holy Quran 38:28

"Governor Cuomo made a promise to voters that he would clean up corruption in Albany and implement a system of public financing of elections to get big money out and allow everyday voters access to the democratic system. Instead, he's done exactly the opposite. He's become the poster child of money in politics and the number one recipient of large donor money from the 1%, including hedge fund managers and real estate developers. Now, he's advancing their radical agenda instead of helping the working New Yorkers who need it most. Governor Cuomo, shame on you," said Kristina Andreotta, Deputy Organizing Director, Citizen Action of NY.

"Our campaign finance structure undermines the integrity of our democracy by encouraging a pay-to-play culture in our elections," said Nadya Stevens of CWA Local 1180. "It has become increasingly apparent that the agendas of some elected officials have become more aligned with what a few deep pocketed donors want than the needs of the general public. Without transformative campaign finance reform, our standards of integrity for our elected leaders will continue to crumble as the voices of the people are drowned out by unlimited campaign dollars. If Governor Cuomo wants to reform the ethics of politics in Albany, public financing of elections is paramount."

Speakers:

Rabbi Michael Feinberg, Executive Director, Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition

Reverend Valerie H. Holly, Community Minister, Judson Memorial Church

Imam Samer Alraey, Board Member, Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition

Susan Lerner, Executive Director, Common Cause/NY

Kristina Andreotta, Deputy Organizing Director, Citizen Action of New York

Nadya Stevens, Mobilization Coordinator, CWA Local 1180

Photos attached.

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