Thursday, July 10, 2008

Katz tries to create fundraising loophole

Starting in December, real estate interests — which have helped bankroll so many city campaigns — will be severely restricted from giving contributions to political candidates. That is a big problem for Melinda R. Katz, a candidate for city comptroller. As chairwoman of the City Council’s Land Use Committee, Ms. Katz has taken in hundreds of thousands of dollars from the real estate industry.

A Candidate Plans Early for a Runoff

But Ms. Katz has come up with an unusual request that would allow her to keep the money from the real estate industry flowing. She has asked the city’s Campaign Finance Board to permit her to set up an account now that she could tap if she faced a runoff in the comptroller’s election next fall.

That would allow her to keep collecting big donations from the real estate industry for much of this year, while they are still legal, and then spend the money in the heat of battle next year.

Of course, it is not unusual for a candidate, especially someone likely to be a top contender, to set up an account for a runoff campaign ahead of time. But typically, such an account is authorized a month or two before the runoff begins, not 14 months earlier.

And if the city’s Campaign Finance Board approves her request, real estate professionals who have already given her campaign the maximum allowed by law, $4,950, would be able to contribute a fresh $2,475 to a new runoff account, rather than the $200 that will be allowed after the new rules take effect in December.

The board could rule on Ms. Katz’s request as early as Thursday.


Update, 4:15pm from the Daily News: CFB decides against Katz

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

AMAZING, HOW BLATANT CAN YOU GET?

Anonymous said...

Why should we be surprised at
C.M. alley Katz using every hole she's got to get what she needs?

Asking for a legal loophole is just small potatoes for her!

Congratulations for this brazen real estate industry's #1 slut
to have the chutzpah to try and pull this one off!

Anonymous said...

We should all vote for Katz so her friends the developers can finish the job of destroying every neighborhood and pushing all of out of our community.

Keep selling your vote to the developers Katz and lets hope the public is not as dumb as you think.

You a low life political whore who even makes dumb dumb weprin look good, when he forgets to review member items that don't exist when he passing them though his committee.

Anonymous said...

Melinda Katz represents ALL that stinks about NYC politics. She's a shameless do-nothing hack who will sell you out for a nickel.

It's about time Queens woke up and rejects this political whore.

Anonymous said...

I usually support Melinda but she has lost me after this one. I was wrong. I won't be fooled again.

Anonymous said...

Fooled me too, but never again. Wish we could do a poll of how many have also realized this.

Anonymous said...

I want to read about this in the Queens Weeklies.

Now in the outside chance they don't cover it, how about chastizing them Mr Public with some letters to the editor (with copies to Queens Crap)

Anonymous said...

I don't blame Katz.

I blame all you voters who elected her.

You're the pond that allows pond scum like her to float to the top!

Learn not to swallow the clubhouse hook, line and sinker, then you won't find yourself caught in the political frying pan next time!

Anonymous said...

Sadly some voters would rather elect a corrupt Democrat like Katz than to consider voting for another party. This especially true among many black, Jewish, and Hispanic voters, who would vote for anyone with a (D). Just as boss Tweed would like it.

Anonymous said...

Could the same die-hard party allegiance hold true for this year's presidential election?

Anonymous said...

Saw her and 'Dick Junior' with her nanny the other day.

Anonymous said...

is it just me or does she sort of look like a dude?

Anonymous said...

One big way voters let whatever party decide who should be elected IS NOT TO VOTE IN THE PRIMARIES. That is where the election really happens.

Been saying that for years, but I give up.

Anonymous said...

The job of Comptroller anywhere requires the most scrupulous honesty.

Apparently, Katz attended the Hevesi school of integrity in government.

She's a pal of Gallagher and now Como, the persistent DOB violator. She swapped Chief of Staff with Como.

So, if she needs to violate some annoying law, what stops her?

We taxpaying voters have no say in what becomes of our money or who holds the keys to the treasury.

And, we should have no say. We rely on our betters to be honest. To question what they do would be an insult.

Anonymous said...

Melinda got hit with the scuzzy stick.

Anonymous said...

Excuse my ignorance, but what is a scuzzy stick?