DiNapoli Is Best Choice For State Comptroller | News, Sports, Jobs

The race between incumbent state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli and Republican challenger Paul Rodriguez of Queens is an interesting one.

Rodriguez has been critical of DiNapoli’s seeming willingness to audit local governments while allowing too many big fish in Albany to swim away. The challenger also says he would focus more on pension recipients’ investments rather than use the pension fund to advance the state’s environmental, social and governance goals — like divesting from fossil fuels. He is an intriguing candidate, but in our view not the best candidate in this race.

On state matters, there are times we do wish DiNapoli would be more aggressive in stating his opinions on corruption in government. But, doing so too often risks DiNapoli losing the even-keeled demeanor that gives his office such weight. Were DiNapoli to weigh in on something like Gov. Kathy Hochul’s $637 million purchase of COVID-19 tests from a major campaign donor without first doing his due diligence, he would become the political hack that we so often lament. DiNapoli has spoken out against both Hochul and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and, even more importantly, regularly finds waste in major state programs. He is a rabid watchdog over your tax dollars. The state doesn’t need a comptroller who behaves like Attorney General Letitia James, who far too often wades into the political realm rather than remaining in the legal parameters. DiNapoli, in our view, straddled the line well between politics and being a financial watchdog.

And while Rodriguez decries the state Comptroller’s Office’s adherence to environmental, social and governance when managing the pension fund – think divesting from fossil fuel companies — the state’s pension fund is earns a healthy rate of return and its obligations to retirees and their families are fully funded. That’s much different than other states — and a sign that while one can disagree with the way DiNapoli manages the fund, you can’t disagree with his results.

Finally, DiNapoli’s office plays too important a role in ferreting out fraud and theft in town and village governments and some school districts. We have seen it here in Chautauqua County, where the Comptroller’s Office has found far too much fraud locally for our liking. But when the fraud is discovered, DiNapoli and his staff are quick to assist local governments in piecing together a criminal case against those who are stealing from the public coffers as well as helping implement better procedures to prevent theft from happening again.

DiNapoli has been a good comptroller for the past three terms. He should be returned to Albany — and the state Legislature needs to restore his oversight of SUNY and CUNY contracts to allow DiNapoli to better do his job.