Today, Assemblyman Brian Miller (R,I-New Hartford) joined Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb (R,C,I,Ref-Canandaigua) and several other members of the Assembly Minority Conference to call for greater transparency in the spending of taxpayer dollars for Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s economic development programs.

“Accountability and transparency are words that sadly have no meaning in Albany these days,” said Miller. “In the past nine months, a great deal of controversy has surrounded the awarding of Gov. Cuomo’s pet economic development projects and the funding that accompanies them. Ex-Cuomo aides Joe Percoco and Todd Howe have been indicted on federal bribery charges related to the ‘Buffalo Billion’ project and former SUNY Polytechnic Institute President Alain Kaloyeros has been indicted with charges related to a bid-rigging scheme. This legislation (A.5657-A) will make the governor and his cronies accountable to the taxpayers for how their hard-earned money is spent and stop him from continuing to use your tax dollars like a personal piggy bank to win favor with future political donors.”

Miller is also calling for implementing eight-year term limits for legislative leaders and committee chairs; replacing JCOPE with a new, independent five-member Commission on Official Conduct; prohibiting the spending of campaign funds for personal use, including the use for criminal defense fees and creating a new crime of failure to report corruption.