[NYAPRS Enews] LG: SAGE Commission Already Getting Input

[Harvey Rosenthal]

SAGE Commission Already Getting Input
by Veronica Lewin   Legislative Gazette April 25, 2011

Officially formed last week, the governor's new Spending and Government
Efficiency Commission is already getting input from state lawmakers and
advocacy organizations on how New York can consolidate state government
and save New Yorkers money.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the formation of a 20-member Spending and
Government Efficiency (SAGE) Commission April 19 after proposing its
creation in January. 

"For decades, our state government has ballooned, evolving into the
sprawling and inefficient bureaucracy we have today," said the governor.
"It is time to consolidate the web of state agencies, authorities and
commissions that have overlapping functions and missions and to make the
remaining ones perform better and more efficiently."

The commission is being aided by the University at Albany's Nelson A.
Rockefeller Institute of Government, which received a grant from the
Rockefeller Foundation and McKinsey & Company to partner with the Cuomo
administration to redesign government.

The passage of the budget started the fusion of some state agencies. The
Department of Correctional Services and the Division of Parole will
merge to create the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
The state Banking and Insurance departments will join to create the
Department of Financial Regulation. The state will also merge the
Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation into the Empire State
Development Corp.

Now, according to the governor's office, the new commission will
"conduct a comprehensive review of state government including its
structures, operations and processes, with the ultimate goal of saving
taxpayers' money, increasing accountability and improving the delivery
of government services."

Antonio Perez, chairman and CEO of Eastman Kodak Co., will serve as
co-chair of the SAGE Commission with Paul Francis, Cuomo's director of
agency redesign and efficiency.

"Improving the performance of state government has been one of Gov.
Cuomo's highest priorities, and I am honored to be part of the team that
will make it a reality. Kodak began in New York and continues to be
headquartered in Rochester. "We are transforming our company as we adapt
to a new digital world. New York state government must also adapt to
reflect current fiscal realities and take advantage of new technologies
and ways of operating so that it can efficiently and effectively provide
critical government services," said Perez.

Some lawmakers already have suggestions as to how the SAGE Commission
could cut down on expenses.

Senate independent Democratic conference leader Jeffrey Klein, D-Morris
Park, and members Diane Savino, D-Staten Island, David Valesky, D-Oneida
and David Carlucci, D-Clarkstown, sent a letter to Francis and Perez
last Wednesday offering suggestions on how the commission could
consolidate government agencies.

"Since the IDC's formation, we have developed and put forward our own
proposals to create lasting efficiencies and tame a state bureaucracy
that has grown beyond our collective means," the letter reads.

The senators recommend the SAGE Commission create new rules regarding
the use of state assets, enact tougher standards for state contracts,
consolidate identical functions within agencies and give the Division of
the Budget final approval over all overtime spending. The independent
Democratic conference also suggests empowering the Office of General
Services to create risk management plans for state agencies and
consolidating the state's inspectors general system.

According to the senators, these changes would save the state at least
$500 million.

Gerald Benjamin, professor of political science at the State University
of New York at New Paltz, said a systematic review of state government's
organization is necessary.

"It's not always the case that review and reorganization of state
government reduces costs. It's likely to reduce the rate of increase and
cost. But I do think that review of the organization of state government
is periodically necessary. I think we can achieve a greater
accountability and accessibility of government by restructuring after a
period of time where we've incrementally altered the structure of
government," said Benjamin, a project director of The Legislative
Gazette and director of The Center for Research, Regional Education and
Outreach at SUNY New Paltz.

Also, some organizations that work with state agencies have begun to
offer their input to the SAGE Commission.

The Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Providers of New York State, an
association that supports organizations, groups and individuals that
work to "prevent and alleviate the profound personal, social and
economic consequences of alcoholism and substance abuse in New York
state," posted on its website last Wednesday that its staff has already
met with Francis. The organization gave Francis a position paper that
included input from its board and members.

"NYASAP sees a number of opportunities for the state to restructure and
streamline state operations to eliminate redundancies, improve
productivity and development appropriate cross-system coordination,"
reads the position paper. Among its recommendations are: consolidating
human resources, information technology, billing and purchasing
functions among mental hygiene agencies, streamlining auditing practices
and privatizing the process for issuing credentials to people who want
to work in the mental hygiene field. 

The commission will deliver periodic progress reports before providing
final recommendations to the governor by June 1, 2012.

Among the members of the commission are: Michael Balboni, former
principal and senior vice president of Cardinal Point Strategies, a
government solutions group. Prior to joining the company in 2009,
Balboni served as Republican member of the state Legislature for 28
years, spending time in both the Assembly and Senate. In 2006, he was
appointed deputy secretary of public safety, where he was responsible
for emergency preparedness and response, law enforcement and homeland
security affairs for New York.

Denis Hughes has served as president of the New York State AFL-CIO since
1999. Major achievements during his tenure include reforming the state
workers' compensation system, enacting a minimum wage for farm workers
and coordinating labor's efforts to pass the James Zadroga 9/11 Health
and Compensation Act. He is also a commissioner of the New York State
Insurance Fund.

Former Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano ran a government with a
$2 billion budget and 5,500 employees for 12 years. During that time,
Westchester County developed a reputation as a national and
international model for its use of technology, the preservation of the
environment and efficiency of government operations. Prior to being
elected, Spano worked as a teacher, counselor and administrator in New
York City and Westchester schools.

Cheryl Cohen Effron has served as vice chair of the Wildcat Service
Corp., a company that provides job opportunities and resources for New
Yorkers to become economically independent. Wildcat Service was the
first organization in the country to design and implement a transitional
work program for unemployed people with criminal backgrounds. She has
been a trustee of the Brookings Institution, the New School, the
Citizens Budget Commission and New York Cares.

Jim Corcoran, president and founder of James P. Corcoran LLC, served as
the superintendent of insurance for the state from 1983 to 1990 during
former Gov. Mario Cuomo's administration. Prior to starting his own
private arbitration firm, Corcoran was a partner at Winston & Strawn LLP
and executive vice president of government and industry relations at the
American General Corp.

Sens. Greg Ball, R-Patterson, and Liz Krueger, D-Manhattan, and
Assemblywoman Jane Corwin, R-Williamsville will serve as legislative
representatives on the SAGE Commission. A representative from the
Assembly's Democratic majority has yet to be named.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to serve on the SAGE Commission to
stand up for Western New York taxpayers and closely examine how we can
best reduce the size of government," said Corwin. "I look forward to
representing the minority conference on the commission and will take a
proactive role in working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle
to reduce government spending, increase transparency, and restore
accountability to taxpayers."

 

http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-c-2011-04-25-76746.113122-SAG
E-Commission-already-getting-input.html#print

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