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Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Manhattan BP Stringer Calls for Elimination of Member Items



Here is a first among any major elected official -- Manhattan BP Scott Stringer has called for the elimination of member items (worth nearly $50 million) in the City Council. While certainly the timing of his proposal is suspect given his intention of running for Mayor, it still makes him the first elected official to go on record in saying that slush funds should be eliminated. The race for 2013 is already getting interesting.

25 comments:

  1. That man has been in city government for years and years, but it's only NOW that he realizes the perverse impact of pork-barrel/"member-item" spending in the City Council?

    Better late than never ... But Scott Stringer is only doing this to have a strong platform to attack Council Member Christine C. Quinn (the slush-fund queen who is currently Speaker of the City Council and plans to run for Mayor).

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  2. It’s time to change the title of the BOROUGH PRESIDENTS to BOROUGH
    ADVOCATES, since they are symbolic figures who hold not executive power.

    Think about it … What are they really “President” of? They are not
    Chiefs of State. Not Heads of Government, not Governors, or Mayors or
    even legislators.

    They’re kind of like smaller versions of the NYC Public Advocate
    (Think of each one as one-fifth of the Public Advocate, a position
    that’s also pretty insignificant).

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  3. It's about time. Although they really make up a small fraction of the City budget, these outlays are just a way for local pols to curry favor with special interests and dish money out to their friends. Will be interesting to see if Stringer makes this a focus of his campaign.

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  4. Stringer needs to manufacture something to run on. It might as well be member items.

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  5. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer's call to eliminate legislative earmarks in the City Council is a totally transparent political move to position himself in the mayoral race. As an issue, it low-hanging fruit and no skin off his nose.

    And Tony Cassino, you'll recall that Scott Stringer wasn't sining this anti-member-item tune last year when he testified before you and your fellow members of the NYC Charter Revision Commission.

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  6. On December 7, 2010, a New York Times editorial said “the best thing to do about member items is to get rid of member items." I heartily agree!

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  7. The member-item system needs to be eliminated because the funds are allocated to favored groups not on the basis of a district's needs but on the basis of pure politics.

    Legislators in the City Council, State Senate, and State Assembly control these funds like it's their own private stash, but IT'S NOT THEIR MONEY.

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  8. Why doesn't Stringer reject the $$$ he receives for pork spending as Manhattan BP????

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  9. NYC Council Member Peter F. Vallone, Jr. of Queens now has a problem with member items, but his daddy, former Council Speaker and Majority Leader Peter F. Vallone, Sr., absolutely loved member items, loved dispensing them and loved buying political influence with them.

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  10. Beware of "benevolence"

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  11. One of the main reasons for member items is so that legislators can steer cash into the pockets of family and friends.

    And if you don't believe me, just ask any of this fine cast of characters:

    Former NYC Councilman Miguel Martinez
    Former NYS Senator Efrain Gonzalez
    NYC Councilman Larry Seabrook
    Former NYS Senator Pedro Espada
    NYC Councilwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo
    NYS Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo
    Former NYS Senator (and NYC Councilman) Hiram Monserrate
    NYS Assemblyman Vito Lopez (the Brooklyn Party Democratic boss)

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  12. These old BPs didn't seem to have any qualms about discretionary funds:

    C. Virginia Fields
    Claire Shulman
    Howard Golden
    Fernando Ferrer
    Guy V. Molinari

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  13. Obviously this blog does not favor legislative pork.

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  14. Scott Stringer is right, even if his motivations at this point must pure political selfishness.

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  15. The fact that Borough President Stringer waited decades before adopting the right position on member items shows how insincere he truly is.

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  16. @Anonymous July 24, 2011 4:15 AM

    This blog doesn't favor legislative pork until it does.

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  17. Christine Quinn or Bill de Blasio for Mayor!!!!!!!

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  18. Isn't former Queens Boro Prez Claire Shulman sill is holding fundraisers to help her pay off a giant lobbying fine?

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  19. NYC Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly for Mayor!

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  20. Raymond Kelly = Michael Bloomberg
    (which ain't so bad, so I'd vote for Kelly over any of those career pols)

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  21. If Stringer wants to find real problems, why doesn't he examine the true price of maintaining bloated gold-plated public-sector pensions?

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  22. To Anonymous July 27, 2011 5:59 PM, here is the answer: The unions need to back serious pension reform and they need to shell out more for health care. That would go a long way to dealing with the situation.

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  23. The way that member items are used and misused by lawmakers is part of a psychosis of unconscious arrogance common among politicians.

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  24. What does it matter what Scott Stringer proposes? According to the polls, he's not going to be mayor.

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