As illustrated by the difficulty in merely getting a temporary MTA budget fix passed, the State Senate is in a precarious position these days. It used to be that the governor and the leaders of the Senate and Assembly would meet, strike a deal, and tell their parties how to vote. It wasn’t the most democratic system, but it was often more efficient than what we have now with Democrats holding a bare majority, the demands of any one senator can potentially derail legislation. The worst part? We’re apparently obligated to refer to each new dissident group, however small, by some cute nickname, like the Three Amigos, the Long Island Two, and even the North Country One. [NYT]
