THE CHIEF-LEADER welcomes letters from its readers for publication.
Correspondents must include their names, addresses and
phone numbers. Letters should be submitted with the understanding
that all correspondence is subject to the editorial judgment of this
newspaper. Letters can be e-mailed to: RSTEIER@RCN.COM or
mailed to: Richard Steier, Editor, 277 Broadway, Suite 1506, NY, NY
10007.

Letters to the Editor: The Tip of Quinn's Iceberg

Letters to the Editor
The Tip of Quinn's Iceberg

To the Editor:

Your April 18 article, "Quinn Takes Steps To Purge Ghosts," was excellent reporting but there is still more to the story. The announcement of recent investigations by both the United States Attorney's Office and New York City Department of Investigation concerning the potential misappropriation of millions of dollars in taxpayer revenues for phantom organization funding requests may end up being just the tip of New York City Council Speaker and 2009 New York City mayoral candidate Christine Quinn's politically corrupt iceberg.

It is reminiscent of the 2005 New York City Democratic mayoral primary scandal surrounding then-Council Speaker Gifford Miller. Revelations that he programmed millions of dollars in so-called citywide information mailings conveniently sent out weeks prior to the September 2005 Democratic mayoral primary also made the news. Council Speaker Miller came in dead last in a field of four Democratic candidates. Many believed that his own Millergate scandal contributed to this overwhelming rejection by voters.

The same may be true as Quinngate continues to develop. This scandal is just one of many which have taken place under her watch as Council Speaker.

Council Speaker Quinn removed the veil of her Manhattan liberal independent reformer image to reveal that she is a seasoned Democratic party machine leader. She followed in the fine tradition of her predecessors, former Council Speakers Gifford Miller, Peter Vallone and the late Tom Cuite of Brooklyn. Quinn's announcement on Jan. 18, 2006 of her appointments to various New York City Council Committee chairs spoke volumes. Council Members who are loyal to their respective Democratic county organizations (the ones that endorsed her candidacy for Speaker) were rewarded with salary increases known as lulus ranging from $4,000 to $28,000 to chair Council Committees. Her six rivals for Council Speaker all got a piece of the action!

She tolerates numerous Council Members with potential conflicts of interest by allowing income from outside second jobs and campaign contributions from City Hall Pay for Play contributors including unions and political action committees that also look for favors in return at taxpayers expense. She allows the wasteful spending of Council Members' administrative budgets that are used to pay for personal office items. Travel abroad at city expense to foreign countries used to curry favor with ethnic constituents is also funded.

For years, Quinn, with the support of Council Finance Committee Chairperson and 2009 candidate for Comptroller David Weprin, has allocated several hundred million dollars in member items for local pork-barrel projects. Everyone inside City Hall knows how the game is played concerning many of these projects. After each Council Member announces his or her funding for their pet local organization via news release and/or press conference, there is the usual free press publicity with the smiling face of your local Council Member in your local newspapers. Recipients of "member item" pork barrel projects frequently honor their local Council Member at their own annual fundraising events.

After the City Council finally appropriated funding to keep local libraries open six days per week, there was a special mailing by the Queens Boro Library Association. Most content of this fancy four-page color brochure consisted of the smiling face of each member of the Queens Council delegation. Don't forget the occasional campaign contribution from the grateful group's CEO, other employees or members from the local community group.

Why do Council Members continue to use taxpayers funds instead of their own to make charitable contributions? If they will not dip into their own personal pockets, why not donate some of their excessive surplus campaign funds? Many term-limited Council Members are sitting on hundreds of thousands of dollars (much of it raised from Pay for Play contributors) in campaign contributions being saved up for future races in 2009. Why not tap into this pool of money or host a fund-raiser for one of many community groups they would like to support?

Perhaps Quinn, Weprin and their Council colleagues should read a past report by the Giving USA foundation on how Americans annually donated over $300 billion. Compare the average tax returns of ordinary people versus public officials. On a voluntary basis, Americans donate more money per individual than most elected officials, who earn far more. It would make an interesting story for any newspaper to ask all Council Members to make public and release their tax returns. This would reveal how generous they are with their own dollars when it comes to funding charities and community not-for-profit organizations.

Council Speaker Quinn has yet to announce support for an honest reapportionment of Councilmanic district boundaries after the 2010 Census to promote real competition for future contests.

The five city Democratic County political bosses have never cared if you are liberal or conservative, gay or straight, man or woman - just play ball like Speaker Quinn and you're one of the boys in the smoke-filled clubhouse back-rooms. They do care about who is electable to assist in regaining control of City Hall after the 2009 general elections.

As a result, don't be surprised in the upcoming 2009 Democratic mayoral primary when Queens Democratic Party leader Congress Member Joseph Crowley and his loyal followers, along with other Democratic Party county organizations, place their bets on a candidate other than Council Speaker Quinn.

LARRY PENNER