Why the New York Times even goes through the bother of individually writing up this recurring story is actually kind of mystifying, but here it is again.

Mr. Paterson, right, has sent 18 bills to the Legislature since taking office in mid-March, according to records provided by his administration late last week. Of those, three were budget bills that demanded attention and two more simply outlined the result of contract negotiations with public-sector labor unions. Those five were swiftly passed.

None of the remaining 13 bills, however, have been passed. Seven of them have not even been introduced in either chamber, though four of the seven were sent over at various points last week. Still, by comparison, Mr. Spitzer’s first five bills were all passed by both chambers within three months of his taking office, even though he had a fractious relationship with lawmakers.

More than half of the governor's bills haven't even been introduced, with a total of eight working days left on the legislative calendar. So what's going on, in case you as a citizen are concerned about this lack of effort, let alone progress?

In the Assembly: “Many of these issues are still being negotiated or moving through the committee process".

In the Senate: "“The governor came in under extraordinary circumstances,” [Bruno's mouthpiece John McArdle] said, adding that several of the bills were being actively negotiated."

Here's a thought: how about open hearings that citizens can take part in? Or would that be as radical as torching the Tuileries?