Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Quinn has a secret she won't tell

Here's another closely guarded secret about the money that the New York City Council doles out every year—and this one's 10 times the size of the $50 million in so-called member items that are currently providing fodder for investigators and reporters:

It's the council's share of the city's capital budget, a mammoth piece of economic patronage that last year weighed in at more than $500 million.

Like its smaller cousin on the expense side of the ledger, the council's capital budget is assembled from member requests for presumably worthwhile projects.


Christine Quinn's Half-Billion-Dollar Secret

Sandwiched in between are hefty donations to favored local nonprofits, such as $100,000 to the Queens Symphony Orchestra, $1 million for the Battery Conservancy to create a new glass-enclosed carousel in Battery Park, and $2.2 million for the New York Aquarium.

Which council members steered this taxpayer largesse to which projects? Who decided one project was more worthy than another? No one's saying.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Quinn is the "Black Eyed Susan" in the daisy chain of corruption that plagues New York City!

Calling "Gang Busters".
(The FBI will do nicely if they can't take the call) !

Anonymous said...

It's time to revise the city charter once again!

Anonymous said...

Here's a useful name and phone:

Southern District of New York – US Attorney Michael J. Garcia,
One St. Andrews Plaza New York, NY 10007
ph:(212)637-2200 fax:(212)637-2685

If you know something, he's the one who needs to know.