Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Department of Investigation making progress

The DOI is the only entity of its kind in the country - a city watchdog agency solely designed to root out government graft.

Unique law enforcement agency tackles NYC corruption

A relatively small outfit compared to its larger crime-fighting brethren, the DOI's mission is daunting: Keeping 300,000 city employees at scores of agencies honest as well as city-elected officials, boards, commissions, the school system and the housing authority.

The oft-overlooked agency was created more than a century ago in the wake of the Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall scandals that robbed taxpayers of millions of dollars and became synonymous with political corruption.

[The commissioner] also decided not to regularly meet with the mayor; Hearn says she keeps Mayor Michael Bloomberg at a healthy arm's length and has a good relationship with him.

"The mayor is tremendously supportive of me and the DOI," Hearn said in one of two interviews. "He's not interested in sweeping things under the rug - ever."


Well then we can't wait to hear how the mayor was able to have one of his Deputy Mayors and one of his CAU commissioners work on his presidential campaign while on the city payroll and then shipped the latter off to the Parkside Group to carry out the plan. Also still curious how the city is allowed to use taxpayer money to hire this same politically connected group to work as a lobbyist on its behalf.

Please, Ms. Hearn, investigate.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

How about how the boro president disburses her funds.

How about how tourism funds are disburused.

Anonymous said...

How about that Huang investigation?

Anonymous said...

Yeah, how come an ineffectual
incumbent like Terri Osborne still holds her high paying patronage job all these years?

Anonymous said...

What about many of Queens' cultural institutions like i.e. Flushing Town Hall, Queens Botanical Garden, etc. having been (h-m-m-m) "persuaded"(?) to use the "Parkside Group" as their lobbyist for fund raising ? !!!

It's time for DOI to scope their books!

Anonymous said...

Dennis Curran (formerly of the DOI)has already done a great job exposing Huang regarding the plundering of the
historic RKO Keiths theater.

DOI's new director should continue to follow in his footsteps and be hard up that criminal Huang family's ass!

They should be driven out of NYC never to build their ugly sub standard crap again!

Anonymous said...

Hearn says he has "an arms length relationship" with the Commissar.

Looking at all the non-investigations, the question is: what is Hearns' hand's relationship with the Commissar? His hand IS at the other end of that arm, isn't it?

Anonymous said...

From an advisory opinion available online at the web site of the Office of the City Clerk:

"It is the opinion of the City Clerk that all efforts to influence the determinations of Community Boards are "lobbying" or "lobbying activity" under Administrative Code Section 3-211 and those who attempt to influence the determinations of Community Boards must register as lobbyists with the City Clerk."

Earlier this year, Shulman made a unique presentation to Queens Community Board 7, to encourage the Board to vote in favor of the proposed redevelopment of Willets Point. Accordingly, Shulman has engaged in "lobbying activity" as specified by the City Clerk's advisory opinion, and must register as a lobbyist.

Willful failure to file is a class A misdemeanor, and may be subject to a $30,000.00 fine. Late filing also carries stiff penalties.

There remains the question of whether or not Shulman has accepted or expensed more than $2,000.00 annually during her lobbying efforts. It is possible that if she has not, then she may not be subject to the filing requirement. However, given the LDC's large budget and Shulman's appearance at nearly every significant event in connection with Willets Point, it appears likely that, she would have to be compensated, or that she would incur significant expenses, either of which would trigger the filing requirement.

Why does no one press for an investigation of this?

Anonymous said...

DOI? The very same incompetent sleuths who had gallagher in their clutches and couldn't bring his corrupt drunken ass to justice. Good luck.

Anonymous said...

The entire NYC government is corrupt from Bloomberg down. Who's kidding who? The whole country knows it. And now we have Bloomberg buying his publishing world 'friends' into trying to brainwash unsuspecting New Yorkers into thinking it's actually GOOD for us to get rid of the term limits we ALL voted for so the little despot can get a third term as Mayor Greed.

Does this whining little idiot think people will actually fall for this crap?