From the Daily News:Exempted from the hook, officeholders were not compelled to pay fines or clear up erroneous bills unless they felt like it. Among those who didn't feel like it were Bronx Assemblyman Nelson Castro, on the books for more than $8,000 in unpaid fines and penalties; Brooklyn Assemblyman William Boyland, $2,442; Queens Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras, $1,311, and Manhattan Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell 4th, $1,239.
Mayor Bloomberg and top aides pleaded ignorance of the policy when reporter Nicholas Hirshon's story appeared, but they quickly ended it.
Now elected officials face the same trip to the pound suffered by mere mortals. Good. Public office is not a license to misbehave.
It's not? Check this out from the Daily News:
These clowns write the laws and loophole themselves out of it.
Elected officials are the only people in the country who can vote themselves a pay raise.
Sweet! Wouldn't it be great if you could turn to your co-workers and say, it's about time for a raise, isn't it?
Assemblymen make at least of $79,500 a year, but they can earn outside income, and don't even have to report details. They just have to say, "I made between $5,000 and $20,000 on the side." Double sweet!
State pols get $171 a day for food and lodging - just like us, right? Ha! And they get reimbursed for their trips from their home districts to Albany. Doesn't your boss pay for your trips to work?
Even those perks are not enough for some pols.
Assemblyman Roger Greene charged taxpayers for fake trips to Albany when he was getting free rides from a prison services company looking for state contracts.
Assemblyman Brian McLaughlin had his driver go back and forth from Flushing to Albany in an empty car so he could claim travel expenses.
Brooklyn Assemblywoman Diane Gordon promised land to a developer if he built her a $500,000 house.
Nothing tops Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada who, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo says, ordered $20,000 worth of sushi delivered to his home - not in his Bronx district, but in upscale Mamaroneck.
Power gets to some pols. They no longer see themselves as public servants, accountable to the voters.
They become arrogant. The ancient Greeks had a great word for it: hubris, pronounced hyoo-briss. It means you have too much pride, you're a bighead, you are acting like you're a god, like the laws don't apply to you.
21 comments:
are not all the above mentioned politicians those who represent the "LITTLE PEOPLE" ?
did the municipal unions fund and support
their election to government ?
are not the unions and their members guilty of conspiracy ?
"Pols no longer off the hook for tickets"
Unless you're John Liu! Right, Mr. Comptroller?
Heads of any Union are all corrupt to the MAX. Remember Gus Bevona? 32BJ President, He lived like a king, and in his final year he made over $422,000, let alone his "golden parachute of $1.6 million.
Weekly union dues go to support the Union heads extravagant lifestyle.
Did Assemblyman William Boyland get his traffic ticket while illegally parking on his family's Boyland Boulevard?
Hoe about the HALF MILLION that Liu snaked he way out of paying for the election posters????
Psssssst. Here's my dirty little secret. I got the NY Mets to hold a benefit on my behalf to pay for the fines levied for illegal lobbying. Bwahahahahahahaha! You're all a bunch of LOSERS!
There's a common thread here something all the pol's have in common, for the most part they're all democrats
Bout Time! What ever happened to "All Men Are Created Equal"? That is the problem with politicians. They think they are better than everyone else and are above the law. They have the power to give themselves a raise when they want and to create laws that apply to everyone but them. The average person can't do that. This is why no one respects them.
"There's a common thread here something all the pol's have in common, for the most part they're all democrats"
As if there's an equal number of elected Republicans in this city.
Hyoo-briss. I vill prectiss tsaying dat von. Hahr-hahr
At the Federal level, Congress and Senate makes perfect sense.
But at the State level, it's BS. Too many players, too redundant, sucking up too much money. Hell, half the time they don't know what to do with themselves.
Referendum to reconfigure State government.
This is why I have been lobbying for the following change. If you are an attorney, and run for a "PART TIME" PUBLIC OFFICE POSITION, like other working class citizens you should shelve your law license for the amount of time you hold office, and not be allowed to work for any Company and or organization that seeks Government contracts or any other type of Government subsidies for at least Two years out of office.
This is done by all licensed Plumbers, Electricians, and it should be the same for Attorneys that seek to represent the people.
Alfredo Centola
It's called Conflict of Interest. These politicians have too many irons in the fire and reap lots of cash for too little work.
"This is done by all licensed Plumbers, Electricians, and it should be the same for Attorneys that seek to represent the people."
Please explain?
It's called Conflict of Interest. These politicians have too many irons in the fire and reap lots of cash for too little work.
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Ya mean like a certain state senator and her late husband who, in the 1980's, created a senior center in Flushing and this year gave them 2 donations totaling over $ 1/2 million of taxpayer money? Most of this senator's contributions to other worthy organizations averaged a few thousand each. This stands out like a sore thumb, doesn't it?
Ya mean like a certain state senator and her late husband who, in the 1980's, created a senior center in Flushing and this year gave them 2 donations totaling over $ 1/2 million of taxpayer money?
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You must be referring to Moby Stavisky. This is how the NY Times reported her involvement with that senior center in 1987: http://www.nytimes.com/1987/04/29/nyregion/
center-for-elderly-provides-jobs-for-stavisky-allies.html
And here's the proof!!!
http://wwe1.osc.state.ny.us/transparency/
contracts/contractresults.cfm?ID=1293882
This site is so educational. That's the ticket!
If you are a licensed Plumber or Electrician and you get a job as a city inspector, you have to hang up your license or put in on hold until the time you are no longer an inspector employed by the City.
If you are an Administrator working for the Department of Education, you can not work for any organization that contracts with or works for the DOE for profit.
Thus Civil Servants can not work in their profession while employed by the City as Government officials.
This seems a fair rule if you are of working class means, so it seems only reasonable if you are an attorney and want to represent the people.
Alfredo Centola
"Power gets to some pols. They no longer see themselves as public servants, accountable to the voters.
They become arrogant."
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Oh puh-leeze!
* Helping to put the "CON" in Congress for decades.
Shitbags, all of them.
Article 1, Section 6, Speech and Debate Clause, grants legislators immunity from prosecution which could be used to influence their votes by a Praetorian police.
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