Public Money Flows Freely At The NYC Board Of Elections

The Daily News proved this weekend what a lot of people either suspected or knew to be true, that the Board of Elections in our city is corrupt. Tim Robbins knew something was wrong over there when he tried to cast his vote but at least that could be labeled incompetence. The story of them getting the NY State Legislature to boost their incomes while pampering themselves on the city's dime is pure, unadulterated greed.

From The NY Daily News:

The city's elections commissioners won approval for a big fat pay raise last year, after swearing they needed extra cash because they're not reimbursed for board-related expenses.

One problem: It's not true.

All but one of eight sitting commissioners received thousands of dollars in reimbursements for air fare, luxury hotel accommodations and meals, a Daily News investigation has found.

The commissioners and agency employees appear to routinely get taxpayers to pick up expenses barred by city rules -- everything from a "deep tissue" massage to an $800 dinner.

As the article points out, the board commissioners held Grimaldi's pizza parties, went to conferences more than regulations allowed (paid for by you and I) and many, many more expenses that had no business being picked up by the city. And of course, the commissioners swear that they didn't write the legislation for their additional pay raises, and neither did the co-sponsors of the bill, Vito Lopez (figures) and Serph Maltese (also figures). With both sides denying writing the language, that most likely means that the commissioners and Lopez/Maltese wrote it, with the benefits going around to all involved. Just my opinion of course, but this is New York politics we're talking about.

Affordable Housing Bill Tainted By NY Legislature

A smart piece of legislation put together by a coalition of groups to enable construction of affordable housing was cut to pieces by the state legislature this week. Instead of a bill that would have provided for the lower and middle classes by revamping certain tax breaks, a few special developers (like Bruce Ratner) got gigantic tax breaks to pad their controversial projects. The culprit who amended the legislation is Brooklyn's own Vito Lopez, yet all but two legislators signed the bill.

From The New York Times:

Mr. Lopez, who did not consult many of the advocates and builders who had worked on the city’s proposal, defended his legislation, saying it aimed at housing for poor and working-class New Yorkers. Middle-class families were just “not as high a priority,” he said.

But many advocates, city officials and even some Senate Republicans are saying that Steven Spinola, president of the Real Estate Board of New York, betrayed the city’s effort. By all accounts, Mr. Spinola, the leading industry lobbyist, played a major role in negotiating the compromises and the tax deals for Atlantic Yards and other developments that led to Senate approval.

“This was a backroom deal,” said Liz Krueger, one of only two state senators who voted against the bill.

Sounds a lot like the same old crap from Albany. Unless the bill is miraculously changed back to its original intent, this one definitely needs to be vetoed by the Governor. It goes against the central theme of what he ran on, cleaning up the corruption that is so rampant in our state. Three hundred million dollars in tax breaks for companies like the Forest City Ratner group is completely unacceptable.