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April 5, 2007
New efforts in Albany to promote disclosure are only half the battle
The Journal News, Editorial
Reform of "member items" is "only half the battle." The other half is what happens to the money afterwards, as is evident in Yonkers and the controversy brewing around Bruce Ratner's Ridge Hill project:
The missive from Cuomo's office stands in some contrast with new representations from the Yonkers Chamber of Commerce regarding an attention-getting $175,000 "member item" received by the chamber last year courtesy of then-Sen. Nicholas Spano, R-Yonkers. The taxpayer money was used in part to fund a $100,000 consulting contract with the chamber that went to city GOP chief Zehy Jereis, a former executive assistant to Spano, who was voted out of office in November.
...
The state's Freedom of Information Law doesn't apply to [the Chamber of Commerce], but certainly its Albany benefactors' pledge of "openness, transparency and accountability" - those words are from Senate Republican leader Joseph Bruno - should apply to grant recipients. They should be more forthcoming given their receipt of taxpayer money.There has been official and unofficial interest in Jereis' activities. As reported by staff writer Bruce Golding, the city Board of Ethics received a federal grand jury subpoena March 19 for financial disclosure forms filed by the GOP leader. A March 2 subpoena from the feds demanded certain City Council records as part of a federal inquiry into the City Council's handling of the $600 million Ridge Hill development. Inquiring taxpayers want to know what's going on; they are entitled to prompt answers.
Posted by lumi at April 5, 2007 8:26 AM