All Roads Lead to Cornithaca

“How Many Cronies Can You Spot”

“Cronyism” is the Gold Standard of corruption. While following a money trail is difficult; the Quid Pro Quos and Future Expectations of cronyism are much more difficult to nail down as misconduct. • New York State requires that 3 of the 5 voting members of every oversight Soil and Water Conservation Committee be “farm” [one an active farmer, one from the Farm Bureau, and one from the Grange]: farming is the biggest polluter of the state’s lakes and waterways — is this “cronyism”? These Committees oppose fines and excuse even the largest agricultural spills; while constantly praising these farms for their commitment to Stewardship — is this “cronyism”? • There is always a point at which the logic and reasoning disappears, transparency is lost, and the power of the decision maker takes over — we need to make sure that these decisions are made for the right reasons.