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April 10, 2008

City Comptroller to Review City Council Budget

2008_04_quinnthompson.jpgIn the wake of revelations that the City Council had a slush fund (for rainy days when the mayor would cut budgets), City Comptroller William Thompson told City Council Speaker Christine Quinn that his office would review how the council uses discretionary money. In a letter, he wrote, "It remains clear…that the Council’s process was conceived and used to deflect legitimate inquiry into how our City’s tax dollars are being allocated.”

The NY Times plays up how Thompson and Quinn are both interested in being the Democratic mayoral candidate in 2009, and the Sun points out how Thompson's letter to Quinn was "letter reached reporters just moments before Ms. Quinn appeared at a press conference in the East Village, ensuring that she would face immediate inquiries about the fictitious groups." Thompson denied any political motivations for releasing the letter and Quinn said she looked forward to working with him, “I have no doubt that whatever efforts he takes relevant to this will be of the highest professional caliber.”

City Councilman Charles Barron told the Observer's Azi Paybarah and the Daily News' Elizabeth Benjamin that Quinn should resign while the investigation is taking place, "She put the comptroller on the line. She put the mayor on the line. I know both of them are angry with her...Christine has not been honest and forthcoming." You'll recall that Barron is no fan of Quinn, after she fired his aide Viola Plummer.

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Comments (5) [rss]

I mean really, would any of you with a modicum of brains trust either of them? Read their lips.

 

NYC is a cesspool when it comes to politicians.

 

I think I sympathize with Quinn's predecessors' want for a slush fund for their pet projects, but the whole thing seems pretty poorly thought out. I want to believe her, though. Shouldn't the comptroller have found this to begin with?

 

what was done was illegal. whether she can slither out of taking full responsibility is another matter. hearing barron's view doesnt make me feel any better about the entire city council. how about we dissolve the entire circus and save us all the 112,000 bucks each for the PART TIME job. the whole thing is a waste of money, time and makes NYC look a like a joke.

 

Please. There's no mustery as to why Bill Thompson couldn't spot this financial practice since he cut the City's audit department to the bone in order to have money available to hire his policitcal cronies.

 
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