John Kaehny is always a good interview. The co-founder and executive director of Reinvent Albany has a firm grasp of government and a sharp tongue in expressing his thoughts.

That’s why his upcoming live interview with Investigative Post Editor Jim Heaney promises to be insightful and probably a bit provocative.

The Q&A is set for Thursday, April 30 at 7 p.m. at Big Ditch Brewing, 55 East Huron St., in downtown Buffalo. Admission is $10 and includes a free ticket for a beer. Tickets can be ordered here.

Kaehny has written and successfully lobbied for the passage of state and New York City laws related to government transparency and accountability, including the first open data law in the world in 2012. He’s also one of the first called by the press when there is a government corruption scandal. 

Reinvent Albany’s recent advocacy includes putting teeth in the state’s Freedom of Information Law, helping win the creation of the state’s public campaign matching system, greater funding and transparency for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and taking on corporate subsidy boondoggles — including the infamous Buffalo Billion.

His April 30 interview will focus on Buffalo’s City Hall as a citizen panel commissioned by the Common Council considers changes to the city charter, as well as the self-serving ways of state government and the special interests that unduly influence it.

Kaehny is familiar with several charter revision efforts in New York City and has conferred with the Buffalo Charter Review Commission, which is considering changes to Buffalo’s city charter that might be subject to public referendum in November. Consider his talk a primer on charter reform.

“There’s tons of room for improvement,” he said.

The commission is charged with weeding out anachronistic provisions, reviewing a plethora of boards and panels — many of them moribund — to see which should be retained, and generally bringing the city’s governing document up to date. Much of that work can be accomplished without a charter review commission; the mayor and Council can accomplish the changes through legislation. But other functions of city government require approval by voters.

Kaehny cited a couple of changes that he said hold great potential.

One is the establishment of an independent ethics commission with the power to investigate and fine government officials for misdeeds.

“That would be a very powerful thing,” Kaehny said.

Another reform: nonpartisan primaries and ranked choice voting.

Here’s how that would work:

In an open primary system, all candidates for an elected office compete in the same primary election, regardless of political party affiliation. All registered voters can cast ballots in the primary. The top two vote-getters — or, depending on the system voters choose, the top three, or four or five finishers — then compete in the general election.

Advocates for open primaries also tend to favor ranked choice voting, a system currently used in New York City and in a handful of other states. Instead of casting a ballot for just one candidate, voters rank candidates in order of preference. First-choice votes are tabulated. If any candidate gets 50 percent or more of the vote, they win. If no one has more than 50 percent, the last place finisher is eliminated and there’s a second round of counting that takes into account voters’ second choices. The process repeats until there’s a winner. 

Kaehny has strong opinions about state government, which he said is “more of a jobs program than service provider.”

 “It’s not about delivering for the public. Instead, it’s about delivering for special interests.”

The result, he said, “is an infinite appetite for spending,” he said. “There is no consideration for providing efficient government services.”

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