A new rash of arrests of elected officials for corruption and bribery has shaken all of us. And at the root of one of the more outrageous scandals reported last week is the same problem that was at the heart of the slush fund scandal from just a few years ago that saw three members of the New York City Council go to prison.
Discretionary funding, or member items, is money individual Council Members have discretion to award to projects of their choice. Many of these investments, like support for little leagues and senior centers, are worthy. Yet the member item system is enormously susceptible to graft, corruption and abuse of power. Just two weeks ago, two Councilmembers publicly admitted their member items were slashed after they crossed Speaker Quinn – a clear punitive move.
If Dan Halloran is convicted, he will be the fourth member of the City Council to go to jail because of the slush fund member item scandal in the past five years. It’s painfully obvious that this system is ripe for abuse, and it’s clear the reforms Speaker Quinn instituted after the scandal broke on her watch aren’t working. It’s time for an immediate and outright ban of this controversial spending system, beginning with the current budget cycle.
This doesn’t mean we stop sending resources to the many good nonprofits and neighborhood efforts that are doing important work in our communities. There are many ways New York City can continue to fund vital projects without the member item system – from the traditional agency budget process, to basing expenditures on objective formulas and standards, to encouraging more public participation in spending decisions.
We need to end this system – completely and immediately. It’s the only way to stop the corruption and political retribution. We need more community input on issues and projects that matter to everyday New Yorkers, and we need a transparent, apolitical mechanism to ensure worthy neighborhood groups and nonprofits continue to the receive funding they deserve.
We need a breath of fresh air in New York City politics. This begins with an end to member items.
Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, candidate to NYC Mayor
Why didn’t he do this while he was a Council Member? As a public advocate he has been the worst and now he exploiting all these things he is going to do…BS. DeBlasio failed voters and constituents while he was our council member and Public advocate.
Member items have long ben used by Council Members as a means of securing political loyalty from those organizations and individuals they allocate yours and my tax $.
Incumbents have long defended their rights in obtaining public funds to advance their own interests and give them valuable campaign fodder to remain in office. This undemocratic and avaricious process must be terminated.
This may be the first time a public official displayed the courage to put this
tainted, corrupt enactment into a trashbasket of political excesses. t
This outrageous stealing of public funds.. must be put to an end.