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Fixing Albany One Member Item At A Time
Majority Leader Joseph Bruno has agreed to make public the member items pushed by each of us in the State Senate. This is great news for all New Yorkers. I've always been out front in releasing my member item lists, both in the City Council and now in the State Senate. To be perfectly honest, the Senate list didn't take so long to compile. As a member of the minority party, I have $150,000 to help fund organizations that I deem worthy. Compare that with the $2 to $3 million that Republican leaders had offered former Senator Seymour Lachman if he switched parties. (He refused.) Member spending, at its best, helps foster a more vibrant civil society. I represent the 28th Senate District, have lived here all my life, and – through research and personal experience – have a pretty good sense of the groups that will use this money to make a difference. But at its worst, when the system is veiled and imbalanced, member spending consolidates power for incumbents and majority parties. There is no reason why Republicans in the State Senate deserve so much more discretionary spending power than their colleagues across the aisle. After all, the groups that benefit from my member items, such as food pantries and museums, are fundamentally non-partisan. Having a Republican or Democrat representing them in Albany should not affect how much food they provide for the homeless, or how much art they hang on the walls. We not only need more transparency, but also a more equitable system. I realize cynics might say that pushing a pro-reform agenda while in the minority is – to borrow a famous phrase – like calling yourself a vegetarian between meals. But reform is an issue I sincerely believe in, and one that I will fight for regardless of who controls the Senate. Right now, fixing Albany is the #1 priority.
Good Writing
Well written and clear points. And congrats on the Environmental recognitions! I know we can count on you to protect Randall's Island from the Giuliani era waterpark deal and the exclusive use deal concocted for private schools only.
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I would like to know the lobbyists behind these groups...opps I already do...
*****State Senate Scandal Hits Randall's Island Plans****
December 8th, 2006 Contact: Harry J. Bubbins 646-206-5288 information (at) friendsofbrookpark.org Robert Jereseki 212-973-1782 mutualaid (at ) earthlink.net Investigations into State Senate leader Frank Bruno's spending allocations have included the leader of the controversial no bid proposal to give away and alienate 26 acres of public parkland on Randall's Island for the development of a costly private beach club and waterpark. As indicated in today's (December 8th) NY Daily News editorial (http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ideas_opinions/story/478116p-402230c.html) State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno funneled $500,000 in state funds to a private, profit-making business, Evident, run by friends whose investors are Bruno campaign contributors. One former director, Jared Abbruzzese, is under investigation for allegedly treating Bruno to free jet travel. The Albany based Mr. Abbruzzese became an investor in Aquatic Development Group (ADG) and rescued it from bankruptcy. ADG was awarded the no bid deal to develop the private beach club and waterpark on Randall's Island. Mr. Abbruzese was a major backer of former Sen. Al D'Amato and has long been a major Republican Party contributor. In 2004 and 2005, he and his wife gave $100,000 to the National Republican Party Committee. In 1999 and 2000 - around the time Aquatic Development was being chosen for the water park - Abbruzzese and members of his family contributed $6,000 to Mayor Giuliani's aborted U.S. Senate campaign and $30,000 to the state Republican Party. In 1999 Henry Stern was head of the Parks Department when the controversial proposal for Randall's Island was first floated. Two years later, Aquatic Development was chosen without going through a formal bid process. Stern recently said he had doubts that such a facility could succeed financially. "But Jerry Abbruzzese and his friends in Albany had a plan and it sounded good," Stern recalled. (from Juan Gonzalez in the NY Daily News http://www.eastharlempreservation.org/docs/ehps160.html ) Community groups again called on the Parks Commissioner to terminate this no bid Contract. "How much more damaging information to we have to piece together before they sink this no bid deal that would take away 26 acres of park land for the public?" Harry Bubbins, a local resident said. In addition, they asked that all ongoing and future investigations include all the entities and individuals involved with Aquatic Development Group. "We look forward to Attorney General Cuomo's probe into the various wrongdoings that obviously occurred in this matter. It never seemed fair and square, which is why the City Comptroller voted against it. Now we are digging deeper into the miasma of corruption that allows campaign contributors to be awarded public land and contracts without sufficient oversight from our elected officials. Any official that voted to support any aspect of this deal without moderating their course of action will be held accountable." Robert Jereski, a policy analyst against the theme site stated. In 2001 the project was just 15 acres - and with an estimated cost of only $45 million. Now, it would include 26 acres of green space, ball fields and protected wetlands and estimates put it at $215,000,000. "This project has certainly changed a great deal since we worked on it," said Henry Stern, Giuliani's former parks commissioner. ( http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/399439p-338439c.html) Thanks for this site!
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they are all in the paper now for scandal, hope they invesitigate the randalls island sports foundation too! where is the senstaor on this?
Yeah good writing and I'm exchausted after reading that extremely long comment Harry!
OMlXvn Thanks for sharing, this is a fantastic article.Really thank you! Will read on...
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