Luster shows students where power resides in state government

By Linda Myers

What does a former politician do after a distinguished career in Albany? If he's Marty Luster, who represented the 125th district in the New York State Assembly from 1988 through 2002, he takes his knowledge of state politics into the classroom.

Former New York State Assemblyman Marty Luster talks to students in his New York State Politics class in 366 McGraw Hall, Oct. 8. Nicola Kountoupes/University Photography

Luster, who has been teaching the course New York State Politics in Cornell's Department of Government this fall and last, first got the idea for it while relaxing with family on an Aruba beach after the 2001 election. He had with him a copy of New York Politics: A Tale of Two States, co-written by former Assembly colleague John Murtagh and Edward Schneier. "I realized it would be a good framework for a course," he said.

One reason for teaching such a course, he said, is to make students better-informed, more-active citizens. And -- who knows -- some might decide to go into politics to change things.

He came up with a plan on how to structure such a course, materials to include (among them, Governing New York State, by Jeffrey Stonecash, and relevant New York Times articles), discussed his ideas with Isaac Kramnick, vice provost and professor of government, then presented his proposal to the government department, which hired him.

An outspoken believer in the rights of citizens to have a voice in state government, Luster devoted much of the course to helping students understand where the power resides in the state capital and why it's challenging to pass meaningful legislation. He and the students (16 this semester) looked at the struggles for power, position and access within the executive and legislative branches as well as the conflicts between the two bodies and the role of lobbying and interest groups.

Ben Brickner, a junior who is a College Scholar in Arts and Sciences, called Luster's teaching style "refreshing" and said, "He's an animated speaker who gestures, makes eye contact and brings life to his subject."

In a class on Oct. 8, Luster reviewed executive power in New York. "Knowledge and credibility strengthen power in Albany," he said. He compared recent victories for shared power -- such as the line-item veto -- to the Rockefeller years, when the governor shared little information with legislators. And while the governor alone once set the policy agenda for the state, now legislators play a more issue- and policy-oriented role, thanks to bipartisan efforts, he observed. He also noted, ironically, that it was Rockefeller who, toward the end of his tenure, built the massive Empire State Plaza for legislators, tremendously increasing their status.

But "the governor retains the power to provision, to control large sums of money," noted Luster. "Often there's political pressure on where that money goes, especially when economic development is involved."

Students discussed a recent, controversial demand by a developer for $54 million in economic development zone guarantees in return for expanding Carousel Mall in Syracuse into one of the largest malls in the country.

"The city and county have already given tax breaks, and the land" -- a former brownfield -- "has gotta be cheap," commented one student.

"Do people want it?" another student asked, to which Luster replied that many do, but others question the benefits. "Some ask, 'Why should state taxpayers support the efforts of the richest man in the state to become richer?'" he said. "Now, someone give me an argument for it."

"Sales tax."

"All sales tax is to be allocated to a state center on tourism."

"If it's successful it will bring in billions."

"But low service-sector wages will mean people will need further support from the state."

The concern about state giveaways in tight financial times led one student to question the state's selling of the Erie Canal region development rights for a mere $30,000. Luster added his own touch to the discussion by recalling in voice and gesture the low-key, pointed delivery style of the representative who blew the whistle on the near-secret deal, which is now undergoing hearings.

The class went on to discuss the pros and cons of a strong state Legislature and how the diversity of the state, with its urban and rural conflicts, is reflected in the composition of the Assembly. Also touched on were conflicts that prevent progress.

"Compare it with the House of Representatives on a national level, which is very diverse but they seem to get things done," commented a student.

"But in Congress, laws are more general, whereas in the state they effect everybody," said another.

That led into a discussion about voting along, versus across, party lines. "One things state legislators have to learn, and it doesn't come easy," said Luster, a Democrat, "is where the line is and how to stay right on it all the time." He spoke of his own decision to vote for gun control, despite representing a pro-hunting district. While he received more critical mail on that decision than any other, The New York Times praised him for his courage and independence, earning him broad respect. "I gained three times over what I lost," he said.

The course has been eye-opening, said Brickner. "I've learned that often it's only with great effort and the influence of a wide range of groups that the process yields something acceptable to the public." But despite the state's persistent problems, "there are many public servants with good hearts -- Marty's one of them."

The accomplishments Luster is proudest of in Albany include helping more people become part of the governing process; producing a package of bills, now law, that make life better for the mentally disabled; and introducing a bill calling for health insurance parity in the treatment of mental and physical illnesses, still not passed. Of his attempted "coup" of the Assembly speaker in 2000 in a bid to share the power more evenly, Luster said that although the move failed, it paved the way for some change.

In teaching as in government, the challenge is to get everyone to participate, said Luster. While he loves the classroom, what he misses most about Albany is "being in the middle of a good, rip-roaring fight."