New: check out the Brodsky Social & Governmental Reform Package

Government Reform

We need an Attorney General that will keep public officials and agencies accountable for their actions. As Attorney General, Richard Brodsky will use his vast experience as a reformer to crack down on unfair practices by government agencies that have cost New Yorkers millions of dollars. He will also fight against any government official that abuses their power at a cost to everyday citizens. He has a proven record of government reform and will continue to fight these wrongdoings in the AG’s office.

In 2009 Richard authored the Public Authorities Reform Act. It is a sweeping reform of all of New York’s 700 authorities, the most significant reform of State government in decades. It restructures state authorities in ways that will improve the daily lives of all New Yorkers. PARA saves New York State millions in authority debt, creates an independent Authorities Budget Office, protects whistleblowers who report wrongdoing, requires authority Board Members to act in the interest of the people and not those who appointed them, requires outside approval of no-bid contracts, and enforces MWBE standards to ensure that minority and women businesses fairly participate in State contracts.
Richard’s legislative agenda for reform includes individual constitutional amendments, which may be ratified without a constitutional convention. These amendments include reform of the State budget process and debt provisions, electoral reform, reform of the executive and legislative branches, direct petition and response, and ethics reform.
In 2006 Richard investigated and stopped the political abuse of the Olympic Regional Development Authority, the New York Power Authority, and the MTA by then Congressman John Sweeny.

Consumer Protection

We need an Attorney General that will stand up to big corporations and unlawful businesses when it is clear that they are taking advantage of the people they supposedly serve. No financial institution, whether it is large or small, is above the law. With people all around the state hurting in these tough economic times, it is crucial that we have a strong enforcer who will fight for our financial security. Richard Brodsky has a proven record of not being afraid to stand up against those businesses that have crossed the line and violated the public’s trust.

Richard’s investigation into the use of public funds to build the new Yankee Stadium revealed secret and illegal deals between the Yankees and NYC officials, including publicly funded luxury boxes for city officials, violation of sworn commitments to the IRS, illegal tax assessments, failure to provide parks and community benefits to Bronx residents, lack of job creation, high ticket prices, and others.
Richard led the successful referendum effort that approved the Transportation Bond Act of 2005 and is now fighting for the preservation of free and discounted metro cards for NYC students.
Richard brought an administrative proceeding, in response to the 2006 power outage in Astoria Queens, that held Con Edison accountable for its negligent actions that caused unnecessary suffering to residents and businesses. As a result, Con Ed returned over $40 million to ratepayers and the community and issued an apology.
Richard issued a report on the major deficiencies in evacuation planning for the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant in 2002. He continued these efforts in 2006, issuing a report on the unrealistic hurricane evacuation plans for Long Island and New York City.
As a co-creator of the STAR program, Richard has worked to save homeowners and senior citizens thousands of dollars each year in property taxes.

Environmental Advocacy

Our environment is a precious resource that continues to be under attack from those who put the value of a dollar ahead of all else. Polluting our environment can have serious consequences when it comes to our health and well-being. We need an Attorney General who is not afraid to fight large polluters and those who believe that they can get away with putting our health at risk. Richard Brodsky has been a leader in protecting our environment and will continue to do so as Attorney General.

Richard created The Environmental Protection Fund, the first dedicated fund for environmental protection in the State’s history, which has disbursed billions to preserve and restore the environment statewide.
Richard was the lead Counsel, along with Pete Seeger and the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, in successful litigation, which compelled the DEC to regulate the ongoing pollution caused by Indian Point’s use of over 4 billion gallons of water daily from the Hudson River. As a result, the DEC has denied the plant’s request for a variance to continue harming the River and local communities.
Richard authored the Clean Air/Clean Water Bond Act, a $1.75 billion bond act passed by voters to fund clean air and clean water projects.
Richard has championed the issue of Cancer Mapping, authoring legislation that requires the State to issue maps of environmental facilities and cancer clusters.