Matching funds for non-competitive races?

From the NY Post:

Take the money and run.

That's what a slew of City Council members are doing -- accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer matching funds to mount new campaigns, even though they have virtually no opposition in November.

The Campaign Finance Board dispensed $3.1 million in matching funds yesterday to 52 contenders.

The Post counted at least 20 candidates, primarily Democrats and all virtual shoo-ins in the general election, who were happy to collect a total of $482,527, courtesy of the taxpayers.

Bill de Blasio asked the CFB to take back his payment of $29,788 and withhold all future payments, since his Republican opponent for public advocate, Alex Zablocki, has about the same chance of pulling off an upset as hitting the Mega Millions jackpot.