To quote Don Corleone – “How did things ever get so far?” That’s the question regarding Albany’s latest fiasco involving Joe Bruno’s political travel at state taxpayers’ expense. The answer to the question and the festering problem is this, a specially created independent commission. Another commission? Are you kidding? Albany needs another commission like a hole in the head. All too true, however, the four potential investigations into “...gate” (supply your own moniker – i.e., Trooper, Spitzer, Bruno, Travel, etc.) have shown that no one in Albany is interested in getting at the truth or moving onto substantive issues of policy. As foreshadowed two weeks ago, Joe Bruno and his Republican cronies together with entrenched Democratic insiders are using these “sideshows” to avoid the important policy issues that the Governor intended to address when he took office seven months ago. As a result, the public is left with wheel spinning and obsessing about who had subpoena power and when – classic Albany obfuscation. Indeed, if any lingering doubts about what is really going on still existed they were cleared up last Thursday at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Investigations and Government Operations. According to the New York Times (“Aide Says Cuomo Could Have Issued Subpoenas in Spitzer Case” – Metro Section, B3 – 8/10/07), “none of the Democrats defended Mr. Spitzer, despite his recent efforts to repair his relations with others in his party.” Moreover, the hearing focused on when and/or whether Mr. Cuomo and his office reached out to the Inspector General’s office about a potential conflict of interest, and if subpoena power should have been granted to the Attorney General before he issued his report on July 23. Certainly these are important legal issues, but like many legal points they provide cover for those who want to avoid delving into and resolving the greater issues at hand. Again, classic “Albany.” Even more troubling is that more of these so-called hearings are planned for the future. The problem is not hearings, rather it is the participants’ (i.e., Republicans and Democrats on the panel) inability to reach a consensus over how they should proceed and come to a legitimate conclusion. Not that this is any surprise to even the most casual observer of Albany dysfunction. All of this comes at the price of real policy reform which includes; campaign finance reform, authorities reform, redistricting, voting machines, health care and legislative rules reform, just to name a few. The point is, while Albany is content and the mainstream media mollified by these sideshows, New Yorkers are left with no progress on the things that the Governor and true reform-minded Democrats want to accomplish. This begs the question of how to get past all this. The answer, create a real independent commission. Now, Albany commissions usually have been and can be a disaster –just ask any legislator or New Yorker who has felt the brunt of the Berger Commission’s recommendations. The New York Lawyers’ for the Public Interest can offer a glimpse into the amount of paper (i.e., - trees killed) already expended for just one of the seven lawsuits generated by its recommendations. Nevertheless, loathsome as the idea of a commission is, it is exactly what the doctor ordered. Indeed, this is not meant to be your standard Albany commission – rather, something along the lines of the 9/11 commission. A bi-partisan panel made up of people with neither an ax to grind or political advantage to be gained. Yes, hope does spring eternal for finding anyone in New York with these qualifications. However, there is one man who could qualify – John Feerick, the former dean of Fordham Law School and the chairman of the Ethics Commission. He has already led a commission on government integrity back in the late ‘80’s whose report has been characterized as an honest assessment of the travails of “Albany.” At 72 he seems unlikely to be swayed by political ambition or fear of career damaging results. Indeed, even though Mr. Feerick was chosen to be chairman of the Ethics Commission by the Governor we have already seen that Democrats (i.e., Andrew Cuomo) are willing to skewer the Governor if they see fit. Allow Mr. Feerick the freedom to appoint his own team – preferably chosen from a pool of scholars, legal practitioners and observers of Albany (i.e, without loyalty or debts to Spitzer or Bruno for their current or future jobs) – give them subpoena power, lock them in a room (figuratively speaking) and let them get to the bottom of this thing. In the meantime, the Governor can get back to his summer reading (Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People” would be a great #1 choice) and the public can turn its attention to the Legislature and ask when and if it will get anything of substance done. It’s enough already with the Bruno sideshows – New Yorkers have more important things for Albany to do.