Friday, March 6, 2009

New York's Watergate: Who is Going to Jail?

Friday, March 6, 2009

Cover Up At City Hall Continues
by Gary Tilzer

MIKE PULLS COUNCIL MONEY FOR GROUPS
Sources said they have been informed by Quinn (D-Manhattan), her staff or others familiar with the US attorney's investigation that there would be "a scathing report but no indictments" in the slush-fund scandal, in which lawmakers funneled public money into fake charities.

Lulu of a bill: Speaker Christine Quinn's pay scheme makes case for Council reform The speaker's ability to, in effect, purchase support undermines representative democracy by giving individual lawmakers the incentive to vote on behalf of their wallets rather than in the interests of constituents. The way to end that conflict is to ban lulus, as good government groups have urged for years. Nearly two years after Queens Councilman Tony Avella requested a bill, the Council staff has now drafted a measure that includes such a bar. It will be ready for introduction today, fulfilling a commitment Quinn made a long, long time ago. *** Despite hard times, City Council members still get big stipends for leadership positions.

From True News January 26, 2009
Quinn's Con Game City Council speaker and her cohorts took your money and ran - Council took the pay raise recommended by a special mayoral commission but ignored the part of the report that urged lawmakers to enact reforms aimed at reducing self-dealing and favoritism. Key among the proposed reforms was a call to abolish so-called lulus - extra cash stipends doled out by the speaker to well-behaving sheep - and to rule out raises in the middle of a term.

From True News January 12, 2009
Inspector Clouseau Investigates Inspector Clouseau Investigates NYC Political CorruptionWhen a candidate for council was asked recently at a community meeting if she had been questioned about the investigation of the City Council member items slush fund scandal, she truthfully said no. A review of the member item scandal and other recent political corruption cases that made headlines reveals a very definite pattern. The investigations are more like shooting stars that flare for a second and then burn out and become forgotten by the prosecutors and the media after the headlines disappear. It is another third rail of politics that the media never reports on – the fact that the prosecutors in this one-party incumbent-protected city, must rely on those same elected officials and their political partners to get reelected.

From True News January 4, 2009
Member Item Slush Fund Cover Up What If There Had Been A Media Blackout On Watergate? The media, the prosecutors and even the challengers to the 29 incumbents who voted in favor of extending term limits have been strangely silent for months about the Council's criminal member item slush fund scandal - the earmarking of millions of dollars to fictitious organizations in the council's discretionary budget.

From Room 8 October 10, 2008
A Letter to Garcia: (Michael) Garcia U.S. Attorney Only one man can stop this elite gang of elected officials, party leaders, lobbyists and their clients from a complete takeover of New York City’s budget and political system: Michael Garcia, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District.

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