To Achieve Ethics Reform, Restore Lobby Commission Former Exec. Dir. States in Empire Page Interview

ALBANY, NY (07/16/2009)(readMedia)-- With the NYS Commission on Public Integrity under fire, the Empire Page interviewed David Grandeau, former executive director of the now defunct NYS Commission on Lobbying, to gain his perspective on what needs to be done.

With regard to the problems that have arisen with the Commission on Public Integrity, Grandeau stated: "The main problem with the PIC has always been the integrity of the people running it."

Why was the Lobby Commission closed? "Only in New York do we reward the incompetent and unethical and eliminate the agency that actually was accomplishing its mission," Grandeau stated.

What should be done? Grandeau noted that The Assembly last month passed a bill that would create two separate commissions – in essence restoring the separation that existed before the Integrity Commission was created in 2007.

Grandeau declined to say whether he'd accept the job of heading the new commission should Assembly bill become law.

The entire interview with David Grandeau as well as interviews on related topics is available in the Improving New York section of The Empire Page.

The Empire Page is published by PoliticalNewsToday.com, LLC, which seeks to provide information and opinion on the key issues of the day through websites that aggregate news and opinion and provide useful content for people active in government and politics. The partnership consists of Peter G. Pollak, who is the majority shareholder and actively manages the company, Schwartz-Heslin Group and Wynantskill Capital.