Reform push mirrors changes sought by Al Smith in 1920s
By RICK KARLIN Capitol bureau, Times Union
Published 12:26 a.m., Monday, April 4, 2011

"We have too many political divisions, too many officials, too little efficiency," the governor said. 

He went on to call for government consolidation, including merging several regional entities and overlapping arms of state government.

No, this wasn't Andrew Cuomo speaking of the need to streamline state government. It came from Al Smith, in a 1928 speech to the State Bar Association.

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