Tricky Dick's blog http://www.r8ny.com/blog/466/atom/feed 2008-04-03T14:36:42-04:00 Question for City Council Members...Where are your cojones? http://www.r8ny.com/blog/tricky_dick/question_for_city_council_members_where_are_your_cojones.html 2008-04-09T23:05:56-04:00 2008-04-10T10:06:50-04:00 Tricky Dick So it's been about a week since news of Christine Quinn's budget hijinx was discovered. In this time, Quinn has given every excuse under the stars as to why fake organizations were created under her watch; blaming her staff, blaming ex-staff, blaming ex-Speakers, but now finally "The buck stops here."

For Quinn, the buck should stop here. My question is, where are all the Councilmembers on this issue? Where are the rogue members who are by nature anti-establishment? Tony Avella, Hiram Monserrate, Charles Barron - GROW SOME BALLS! Is everyone too scared they might lose their "pork" in this year's budget? Do the right thing for the City, not your individiual interest.



]]> So it's been about a week since news of Christine Quinn's budget hijinx was discovered. In this time, Quinn has given every excuse under the stars as to why fake organizations were created under her watch; blaming her staff, blaming ex-staff, blaming ex-Speakers, but now finally "The buck stops here."

For Quinn, the buck should stop here. My question is, where are all the Councilmembers on this issue? Where are the rogue members who are by nature anti-establishment? Tony Avella, Hiram Monserrate, Charles Barron - GROW SOME BALLS! Is everyone too scared they might lose their "pork" in this year's budget? Do the right thing for the City, not your individiual interest.

This whole event has brought to light the true Christine Quinn. She has shown the public that she is manipulative, fradulent, and dishonest. At the very least, she has shown she can't be trusted to run the Council. She apparently can't even handle her own staff.

Quinn should realize her flaws and step down as Speaker of the Council and the Councilmembers should come out of hiding.


]]> So Much for Transparency... http://www.r8ny.com/blog/tricky_dick/so_much_for_transparency.html 2008-04-03T11:42:51-04:00 2008-04-03T14:36:42-04:00 Tricky Dick

The definition of transparency from wikipedia:

Transparency, as used in the humanities, implies openness, communication, and accountability. It is a metaphorical extension of the meaning used in the physical sciences: a "transparent" object is one that can be seen through.



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The definition of transparency from wikipedia:

Transparency, as used in the humanities, implies openness, communication, and accountability. It is a metaphorical extension of the meaning used in the physical sciences: a "transparent" object is one that can be seen through.

Transparency is introduced as a means of holding public officials accountable and fighting corruption. When government meetings are open to the press and the public, when budgets and financial statements may be reviewed by anyone, when laws, rules and decisions are open to discussion, they are seen as transparent and there is less opportunity for the authorities to abuse the system in their own interest.

The NY Post today reports that City Council Speaker Christine Quinn had formed around 30 dummy organizations over the past 2 years to hide taxpayer's budget money to dole out as political favors to organizations as the year goes along. The City Charter requires the Council to list, at the time of budget enactment, all organizations that are receiving money in the fiscal year. By creating these dummy organizations, Quinn can give out money to other organizations after the budget has been finalized.

For all of her preaching on transparency, to hide $4.7 million from taxpayers to use for your own political gain is hypocritical, wrong, and possibly illegal. She ditched her top two finance people a few months ago and lawyered up because she knew this was going to hit.

Christine Quinn needs to step down as Speaker and she must take her fradulent staff with her! That includes Chuck Meara, and Ramon Martinez.


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