Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Quinn using taxpayer resources to promote herself

From the Queens Tribune:

The show, the Queens scenes and the food held my interest until around 2:20 p.m. when a “Diversity” commercial was aired. “Hello, this is Council Speaker Christine Quinn” or something like that said the recognizable voice of the council boss and Mayoral wanabe. It was a 30-second, multi-cultural lovefest with terrible production values – as bad as you ever see on network television. But the message of “Love Love” and “Hate Hate” is of course a seller in our great city. At the end of the painfully bad commercial with a solidly good message, was the City’s logo (NYC) taking ownership for the spot.

The Speaker of the City Council was elected by one district out of 51 in the city. She represents 1/51 of our population. She is not our public spokesperson, the Mayor is. She is not to be lavished with promotional funds to spread her name around our city. She should not be the beneficiary of taxpayer funds or City-owned property to elevate her image as she prepares to run for Mayor. Not on our backs, Chris.

Eleven years ago, Queens’ Peter Vallone Sr., then Speaker of the Council, showed up at my office as a Mayoral candidate with more than a half a dozen city staffers – besides a driver. I challenged the use of City resources on a campaign stop. Vallone asserted his right. I opposed him. The people rejected his candidacy – he finished third in a field of four and did not make the run-off.

In 2005, four years later, the story was somewhat the same. Then Council Speaker, Gifford Miller, had used the council mailing budget to put his name and face in the mailboxes of almost the entire city. He caught it from me and many others in the press. The people agreed and Giff finished a poor fourth in a field of 4 (Ferrer, Weiner, Fields, Miller). In the General Election, Bloomberg beat Ferrer again.

Now, we have the third Speaker in a row running for Mayor. She too apparently thinks it’s okay to use City resources to try to get elected. There is still plenty of time for her to recognize she was wrong in using City money to put her name and voice on a TV commercial. She can apologize, reimburse the city and pledge to only use campaign funds outside of her district.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

If Quinn is elected mayor,
she could wind up being worse than Bloomberg.

The real estate industry has the speaker in their pocket.

Quirky Mike bought the office out of his own
deep pockets.

Chrissy would become the "builders' whore".

Anonymous said...

An elected official using taxpayer funds to promote his/herself. Like it has never happened before?

Anonymous said...

She's already bought and paid for by Mayor Mike. She will be his puppet when she gets elected mayor. This gives Mayor Mike another term.

Anonymous said...

Once she starts yelling its over for her.
insiders picked her and the voters will reject her.
bill deblasio is the one to watch

Anonymous said...

If DeBlasio runs, you not only have to watch him, but watch your wallet. He's ready and willing to raise taxes. He wants to expand the Pre-School Program, so he needs money to do that.

Anonymous said...

"If DeBlasio runs, you not only have to watch him, but watch your wallet. He's ready and willing to raise taxes. He wants to expand the Pre-School Program, so he needs money to do that."

- I rather have my taxes go to children's education than my taxes going to corporate welfare.

Anonymous said...

Uh...Chrissy and Mike
are on the outs with each other.
Your info is out of date.

Bloomberg will simply retire to Bermuda, London or one of his other many addresses after his term has ended.

NYC was only a rich man's hobby to him and it's given him a major headache. Throwing all of those hissy fits when the little emperor couldn't have his way, has bound to have affected his health.

How old is he now?

There will be no ghost 4th term for Mayor Mike.

If Quinn should win...she's one tough hombre.
She gives the impression that she's her own man!

Of course (under the table) she'll be taking her orders from the NYC real estate industry...
not a former mayor.

That's where the real lasting power is.
They run New York City! They're wealthy enough to dispense most of the campaign contributions.

Anonymous said...

She is the new Manes!

She will never win NO NON NO!

Anonymous said...

Quinn may behave like a man at times, but she's certainly no Donald Manes!

He was in a class by himself.

Chrissy is just a shrill beast with borrowed power!

At the end of the day she has to get down on her knees before the real estate board.