Kaminsky: End conflicts-of-interest in Albany

Assemblyman Todd Kaminsky promised this week that on his first day in office he would put forward legislation to ban outside income for Albany representatives.

Standing in front of the former office of Dean Skelos in Rockville Centre last Thursday, Kaminsky said that allowing outside income has led to a conflict of interest for legislators, who have to decide between serving their constituents and those who sign their paychecks.

Kaminsky’s rival, Republican Christopher McGrath, of Hewlett Harbor, responded that he is “against a professional legislature full of career politicians. To fight corruption in Albany, we need to start with two common-sense measures: enact term limits and strip corrupt politicians of taxpayer funded pensions.”

McGrath told supporters at his campaign-launch rally that if elected he would continue to work as an attorney while serving in Albany.

“As a former corruption prosecutor, I worked day and night to convict crooked politicians who used the obsolete outside income rules to ‘serve two masters’ — the people of the state of New York and their private business interests,” Kaminsky, a Long Beach Democrat, said.

“Now, once and for all, it’s time for Albany to put the public’s interest first, and that starts with banning outside income.”