Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Developers & lobbyists footed bill for Viverito's party

From the Daily News:

A band serenaded the crowd with bomba drums and Mayor de Blasio praised her progressive credentials.

What the attendees likely didn’t know was that nearly all of the celebration was paid for by real estate developers that rely on city approval for their projects and unions that have lobbied City Hall for “living wage” laws.

Records show 87% of the $30,000 Mark-Viverito raised for her party came from three developers — the Witkoff Group, Marathon Development and Lighthouse Group LLC — and three unions that hired one of her campaign aides as a lobbyist.

The inauguration fete took place Jan. 30 in the auditorium of Hostos Community College in the Bronx. There was catered food, fresh flowers and two artists hired to paint public art in the plaza outside.

Mark-Viverito paid for all this by setting up an inauguration committee that accepted donations. Starting in December, she raised $30,000 and spent $27,000, according to records. Of that, $26,500 came from the developers and unions.

And $6,500 came from three unions — the New York Hotel & Motel Workers, Plumbers Local 1 and Hotel Workers Local 6 — that have pushed for the living wage laws recently enacted by the City Council. Mark-Viverito has pushed to expand the laws even further.

The Witkoff Group and the three unions have all hired the lobbyist group Pitta, Bishop, Del Giorno and Giblin to press City Hall for various causes. One of the firm's partners, Vito Pitta, was a “liaison” to Mark-Viverito’s campaign.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

And yet she is here to stay, she will be elected into office for the next 30 years and I'm sure we will continue to hear how honest, noble and charitable she is. True legitimacy of all the issues is owned only by left wingers, never mind their affection for tyrants, thieves and murderers

J said...

so much for the commie leanings

this looks like blaz's one city promises for a living wage and affordable housing is only going to apply to hotel workers and hired help.

it seems that's why the only development the city is getting are towers.

Anonymous said...

$30K for one party - that's more than most people make in NYC - esp. if they have a minimum wage McJob at McDonalds, RiteAid, Walgreens, CVS, etc. And face it - who else is expanding and hiring in NYC - this is now the city where dreams come to die.

This woman, along with DeSleazio, Katz and Vallone just reek of smarminess. Can't wait for them all to fall.

Tony Avella is the only honest politician in Queens - perhaps all of NYC. Tony for mayor!

Anonymous said...

Oh. so she IS part of the 1%. What a lying phony!

Anonymous said...

My my, how far she's come.

Anonymous said...

Who footed the bill for Melinda's party?

Anonymous said...

Politicians make heroin and crack dealers look like petty crooks.

Politicians are BIG TIME criminals. Not only that, they are elected and voted for by "YOU".

Anonymous said...

The Guardian Angels.

ron s said...

You heard it here first-indicted within first term.....

Anonymous said...

This is a scarey woman.