Friday, May 4, 2012

More pork doled out to favored council members

From the Daily News:

The heartiest eaters at the trough of City Council slush funds were named Tuesday in a good government group report which argues that the way the money's doled out gives the Council speaker too much sway over individual members.

Brooklyn Democrat Domenic Recchia, the powerful head of the council’s Finance Committee, was number one in FY 2012 with $12.1 million, according to Citizens Union.

Councilman Erik Martin Dilan (D-Brooklyn) came in second with $11.3 million and Councilman Lew Fidler (D-Brooklyn) was third with $10.7 million.

The Council allocated $459 (fixed) million in discretionary funds in FY 2012. Members gave the money to non-profits and used it for capital expenditures on city property.

Citizen Union head Dick Dadey said the funds should be handed out “more objectively” and with “greater equity” and that politics should be taken out of the process.

“The City Council speaker and some of the other leaders have too much say in what gets distributed,” he said. “One could argue that that’s a way to keep the Council in line as you try and move a legislative agenda forward.”

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn pointed out in a statement that Council had already made changes to make its expense funds more transparent and was planning to do the same with capital funds.


From the NY Post:

A new analysis of how the City Council allocated more than $2 billion in discretionary funds between 2009 and 2012 has found a wide gulf between the haves and have-nots.

Dominic Recchia (D-Brooklyn), chairman of the powerful Finance Committee, was the biggest winner in the Citizens Union study, collecting $66.7 million to spend on capital projects and nonprofits of his choosing. Erik Dilan (D-Brooklyn), an ally of Brooklyn Democratic leader Vito Lopez, came in second with $37 million.

Dead last in 51st place were Dan Halloran (R-Queens) and his predecessor Tony Avella, now a state senator. Over the four-year period, they pulled in just $9.5 million for their constituents.

Avella, an outspoken critic of Council Speaker Christine Quinn, said the results should come as no surprise to anyone.

“Nothing is done by merit,” he said. “I was independent and took on the speaker.”


From the NY Post:

Council Speaker Christine Quinn is yanking Seabrook’s discretionary funds in the upcoming budget as the beleaguered Bronx politician gears up for a second federal trial on charges of extortion, money-laundering and fraud, The Post has learned.

“Council Member Seabrook and I have come to a mutual agreement that this year’s funding to his district will be determined by the Speaker’s Office and the Bronx delegation chair,” Quinn said in a prepared statement, reversing her position on the issue from several months ago.

“All allocations will undergo the appropriate review and vetting process, including by the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services and city agencies,” she said.
In February 2010, federal prosecutors alleged that from 2002 through 2009, Seabrook funneled more than $1 million in council member items — also known as pork — to nonprofits he controlled, with about half that money lining the pockets of his girlfriend and family members.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Abolish these slush-bribery funds!

Let all monies doled out be voted upon by the full city council!

Anonymous said...

I say turn City Hall into a museum and let the council members hold their sessions in a pig pen.

That would be most appropriate.

Anonymous said...

I can't wait for Quinn to come begging for northeast Queens votes in 2013.

She has been shitting on us for years. Perhaps it's time for us to return the favor.

Anonymous said...

hollerin halloran is 51st same as avella? isnt hallorans number one claim that he gets more dough than tv tony did?

Anonymous said...

More pork for the CM pigs
so they can pork their constituents!

Bring back the dunking stool...
and dip 'em in horse dung!

Anonymous said...

Northeast Queens
is dumb enough to vote for Quinn.

Why should anyone expect them to
be smarter than the rest of the borough?

Anonymous said...

So,
does any dumb-ass out there
think that little Scottie Stringer will be a better mayor?

We're all screwed
no matter who is running.

Just be thankful that John Liu
is out of the picture.

Anonymous said...

Everybody shits on Queens...
from politician to developer.

We are known for kissing ass
and remaining silent.

So we earned "!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for fighting for Whitestone Dan, last place. And you want to run for a higher office? How about learning how to walk before running?

Anonymous said...

Christine quinn will not be mayor

north queens will play a critical part in that election

there is nothing stavisky,or braunstein can do about it.

Anonymous said...

what do you expect from prog/dem/lib/rino/lavender/complex political leaders in n.y.c. ?

it is called "distributing the wealth".

the dictators are expert at taking care of their own....$10 for me and $1 for you ,you suckers. because you will vote for my people again

Steve Behar said...

This patronage system is disgusting!

Make sure to let Deputy Mayor to the City Council Quinn know what we think of that when she runs for Mayor in 2013.

No one in Northeast Queens should vote for her!

Anonymous said...

Funny how north queens elected official will support her because there families are lobbyists but not say anything when there own district gets shortchanged

Anonymous said...

Tony avella is the only one who will stick up for us in north queens against her disregard for bayside

Anonymous said...

48 dem/prog/libs vs. 3 G.O.P. in n.y.c.

you dopes voted against yourselves again and again.

see CHECKS AND BALANCES on wikipedia.

Anonymous said...

Dan walk before he runs? He does the crawl every weekend on Bell.

Anonymous said...

Tony Avella sticks up
only for his own perpetual career.

He's all show and no blow!

Arbeiter said...

Taxation withou representation is tyranny!