The more things change…
The Senate today is going to pass a resolution determining how $85 million in discretionary money – known as member-item spending or pork barrel – is to be spent.
As in past years, members of the majority party are to get most of it – about $77 million, with the minority getting the crumbs, amounting to about $8 million.
The difference this year, though, is that the majority party is now the Democrats, and the minority is the Republicans. And the Democrats promised things would be different when they took over after last fall’s elections.
“Is this a giant leap forward? No,’’ said Austin Shafran, a spokesman for Senate Majrity Leader Malcolm Smith, D-Queens, who pointed towards a new system to make it easier to track who’s getting the money as progress. He said the system will be fairer in future years.
“How do you defend the indefensible? You can’t,’’ said Blair Horner of the New York Public Interest Research Group, a watchdog agency. “This is still the spoils system. To the victor go the spoils.’‘
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republicans just retook the state senate. unbelievable.
You kiddin me? This state is broke. This is almost 100 million dollars! What good are watchdogs? It’s like a reporter telling you Idi Amin is eating people. The public says, so what? You laugh and shake your heads over Uganda. It’s happening here and no one gives two Schlitzes. I hope we’re never invaded. Everyone will run the other way.
Conservatives revolt against Andy Spano-DiFiore and Castro on Conservative endorsement and council candidates get Independence and Conservatvie Lines—at the YonkersRising.com blog