How Bad IS The CityTime Scandal?

By Celeste Katz

CityTime ranks as one of the city’s biggest political scandals but falls short of those that plagued Mayor Koch during his third term, according to Baruch College political science professor Doug Muzzio, reports our Kate Lucadamo:

“It certainly doesn’t rank with the third-term Koch scandals,” he said, recalling the suicide of then-Queens Borough President Donald Manes after a massive kickbacks scheme.

“This administration seems no more corrupt than other administrations, and probably less so, but this was serious. This was a lot of money,” he said, noting the most damaging part of Bloomberg’s scandal was that it went on for years despite The Daily News and others shedding sunshine on the problems of CityTime.

Several City Council members and union leaders today said on the steps of City Hall that the CityTime mess is the best case for not outsourcing:

Councilwoman Letitia James (Brooklyn - WFP) said, “The fact that this complex scam took place under the radar of this administration is proof of just how out of control the greed has gotten and how some consultants continue to fleece the city of New York and taxpayers. It is time to stop using public funds to continue these poorly managed, poorly supervised private enterprises.”

Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito (D-Manhattan) chimed in, “I’m quite alarmed by the lack of scrutiny and attention that is being placed on the decisions that are being made by this administration when it comes to these private consultants that are hired.”

And Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Queens) put it in a rhyme: “CityTime has seen its time and now it’s time for CityTime to go.”

Last but not least, Councilman Jumaane Williams (D-Brooklyn) questioned why Bloomberg’s private empire has thrived while taxpayers were bilked for $80 million: “We need you to do what you said you could do, which is manage finances,” he said.