Saturday, April 9, 2011

Do campaign finance laws need reform?

From the NY Post:

A city lawmaker is pushing to revamp the campaign-finance system after at least three council candidates who each got less than 10 percent of the ballot spent more per vote than did billionaire Mayor Bloomberg.

Republican Minority Leader James Oddo, of Staten Island, is introducing a bill later this month to double the threshold a council candidate has to meet in order to qualify for taxpayer-backed funds from the Campaign Finance Board.

Using public funds in 2009, three council candidates managed to outspend Bloomberg's self-funded $184-per-vote outlay in 2009:

* Erlene King, who spent $214 per vote and got just over 4 percent.

* Debra Markell, who shelled out $210 per vote for 5.35 percent.

* Ruben Wills -- the winner of a council race the following year -- who spent $257 per vote and won only 9 percent.

Council hopefuls need 75 donations of at least $10 each from donors in their districts and a total of $5,000 citywide in order to qualify for matching donations, which can be as high as six times the original amount.

Oddo's bill would double the figures needed to qualify for the public funds.

The CFB did not reject Oddo's proposal.

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

ABSOLUTELY!

But who's gonna change 'em...the city council crooks that benefit from the status quo?

ew-3 said...

google

opensecrets heavy hitters

that will give you an idea of how big the problem is.

Something to consider, Bambi expects to raise $1 BILLION for the 2012 election.

Anonymous said...

Markel is a cancer in the community who had a "Holiday" party at her home w taxpayer funds. She is a tweeder in every way and rides the coat tails of Parkside pols every chance she gets. She is for over development and does nothing for the community. She needs to be stopped!!!

Anonymous said...

Debra Markell is a nice lady who worked for Guiliani

Anonymous said...

even rudy makes mistakes....?

Anonymous said...

Debbie Markell looks like a dumb, fat, wannbee lady cop, dyke 109th PCT police groupie to me.

Anonymous said...

* Debra Markell, who shelled out $210 per vote for 5.35 percent.

L O S E R !

Dee Truth said...

Why was Markell fired from Bloomberg's Community Assistance Unit a few years ago? Inquiring minds want to know!

Anonymous said...

the new Debbi markell

like Charlie sheen is WINNING

and instead of the Godesses she has matt and warren at her side

Anonymous said...

dont make fun of debbie and matt
someone has to hand out fliers for the machine while district leader evan stavisky is collecting parkside checks at poolside in rockland county

Anonymous said...

ew-3 said...Something to consider, Bambi expects to raise $1 BILLION for the 2012 election."

Sure, the gop has the Kock brothers and their front org: the Tea Party to fund them. Idiot.

Moby said...

Sure, the gop has the Kock brothers


Did I hear kock?

Anonymous said...

Markel, Markel, can't wait till they catch up to her. She is pushing some no name up and comer in the Parkside group to take on Halloran and Vallone. I hear she is already planning another fund-raiser in in waterfront tweedmansion, Question is, will taxpayer be footing this bill as well? Fired by Bloomberg from her community assistant post? HMMM! Do tell.

Anonymous said...

moby your too funny

Anonymous said...

i belong to the TEA PARTY,taxes enough already.

i do not have a membership card or pay dues.

i have never been asked to give any money to the patriot grass roots citizens.

if some one wants to help them financially ,that is their right in this democracy (actually republic ).

yet,i have gone to the meeting at the n.y.c. court house to protest the Obama/Holder attempt to
try the Al Queda terrorists there ,instead of Gitmo.

Obama got the message.

i also joined the 1000 tea party patriots at the Hicksville L.I. train station, to protest the bankrupting of our country by the liberal/democrat politicians.

the next protest is a wives plan to check all products made in china in their houses, and stop purchasing these items,in April /May.

pay a few pennies more, but buy american produced products.
this will provide for more jobs for U.S.citizens in our country. if our government will not stop doing business with china, we can?

and remember in november,2012.

Anonymous said...

The bigger the government gets, the more of a vested interest people have in government. This invites more money to be spent on politics and also more bureaucrats to regulate the money spent on politics. Corps, unions, big orgs with big money align with politicians and keep themselves in office. Then the big $$ interests argue about who should be able to fund politicians.

Maybe the problem is a little deeper than these little quibles.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...i have never been asked to give any money to the patriot grass roots citizens.

Of course not..the operation is funded by the Koch brothers and various business front groups.

You are being used, and you can't even see it. THAT is the product of a life of fantasy and propaganda.

"i also joined the 1000 tea party patriots at the Hicksville L.I. train station, to protest the bankrupting of our country by the liberal/democrat politicians."

Where were those "patriots" when Bush plundered out country's finances with two pointless and losing wars?

How about those tax cuts for the wealthy..The one that blew an 800 billion dollar hole in out budget.

How about this Mr. "Patriot":

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x830651

Anonymous said...

do you mean the two wars that the democrat congress voted for ?

one that obama just funded again and his solo war in Libya,with no congressional vote at all. his act is unconstitutional and subject to impeachment.

Anonymous said...

"one that obama just funded again and his solo war in Libya,with no congressional vote at all. his act is unconstitutional and subject to impeachment."

Why not do at least a little research before gassing off:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Powers_Resolution

But yeah, I don't consider arabs worth -any- American lives or treasure.

Anonymous said...

You guys are off target. It's not about markell. The present Campaign Finance law allows the little guy to take on the powerful established candidates and Party favorites.
Would you guys prefer the NY State/Assembly ways of elections, with Pac money and w/o public fundings? {Check out who contributed last year to Avella and Stavisky: almost all the $$ came from Parkside-connected unions!}

Anonymous said...

You are correct, its not Markel but people like her that take taxpayer money to position themselves for $100 K plus jobs when the people they back win. She had no shot of winning and new it, ask yourself why she did. What about the "holiday" party in her tweedmansion? with matching funds? She plays off her former job with the Bloomberg administration for clout, and her friendship with Stavisky and Parkside to push development and overdevelopment within our community. She is a cancer as is Halloran, and it appears that Bruanstein is following suit rather quickly.

ew-3 said...

Anon -
Koch Brothers are small change compared to the unions.
The NEA (national education association) and the AFT (American Federation of Teachers) gave almost $60 million to dems between 1990 and 2010. How does that compare to the Koch Brothers?
Or were you educated by members of either of those unions and therefore unable to think for yourself?
BTW - $43,477,361 from the American Fedn of State, County & Municipal Employees to the Dems.

At least the Koch Brothers gave their money and not union fees coerced from it's union members.

Anonymous said...

ew-3 said...

Anon -
Koch Brothers are small change compared to the unions.

Really? You might want to read this:

http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/Peter-Fenn/2011/02/02/tea-party-funding-koch-brothers-emerge-from-anonymity

This shadowy have been working on their corporate oligarchy schemes for a -long- time.

They have hidden their actions with the best legal connivance money can but.

Asper usual, types like you only see what they want you to see.

Anonymous said...

The weakness of the present NYC Campaign Finance law is that it doesn't allow contributions from corporations or LLC's, but allows contributions from unions and employee unions, who are treated as individuals. See:
"What Albany Could Learn from New York City: A Model of Meaningful Finance Reform in Actions."
http://www.albanygovernmentlawreview.org/articles/_10_194-249.pdf

Anonymous said...

RE:KOCH Brothers,"they have hidden their actions "

etc,etc.

do you mean like the $100,000,000,given to the nys theatre at lincoln center.

or the $100,000,000. given for cancer research at M.I.T.,his Alma Mater?

or the donation to the Hospital for special surgery?

his name is is noted on these buildings for all the public to see.

"hidden", give us a break?

Anonymous said...

Their charitable contributions are public (and good for them for doing that); their political contributions aren't.

Anonymous said...

Here old man, read and learn:



http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Koch_Family_Foundations

Anonymous said...

i told you that i never read your leftwing links. you are wasting your text.

but check out wikipedia ,STANLEY M. CHESLEY.... a clinton fund raiser,who may be disbarred for legal theft.
also known as "THE MASTER OF DISASTER"

birds of a feather ?

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

In other words, Gramps, don't bother you with the facts. You know what you know.

You "never read your leftwing links"? Fine. Then stop dumping your rightwing links on us.

Anonymous said...

"his solo war in Libya,with no congressional vote at all. his act is unconstitutional and subject to impeachment."

I'd like to see one Repubcon in Congress with the balls to try a resolution like that. Khadafi is a murderer with the blood of American citizens and Armed Forces personnel on his hands. Anyone who suggests something like impeachment could be called a Traitor to the United States of America.

What would you have said if George W. Bush had done this? Come to think of it, Ronald Reagan did!

Anonymous said...

Any measure that would keep Debra Markel off the ballot is a necessity.