The Deadlocked NY State Senate and The Big Cookie Solution

The New York State Senate is now deadlocked at 31-31, and the lawsuit to impose a judicial solution on a legislative problem was tossed out today. What to do with this mess? The solution is actually quite easy.

First, the idea of one party or the other being in charge because one particular vote was legitimately taken or not is a waste of time. For elevating form over substance is useless when both parties have the power to deadlock Albany. To get anything done, an agreement is necessary.

The solution for the Senate is the same one my father used for dividing The Big Cookie between two sons. One kid cuts it in half and the other kid gets to pick which one he wants. That way the cutter has to be fair. The game of “you cut, I pick” is diabolically simple.

The Senate should do the same. One party divides all the power positions into two separate groups and the other side gets to pick the one they want. Who cuts and who picks? A simple coin toss. There. Was that so hard?

Tomorrow I will attempt to cure the common cold.