Personally, I wish these guys would just lick their wounds and move on.
Patronage heaven
To the surprise of almost everyone except insiders, state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli revealed last week that more than a third of the obscure New York State Power Authority’s 1,600 employees make at least $100,000 a year. Only a third? NYPA has long been the gold-standard patronage mill for both parties, a quiet place far from public scrutiny where former elected officials and high-ranking staff go to pad their pensions.
State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. (Photo by Dan Barton)
With all those well-connected snouts at the trough, there’s little chance of meaningful reform at the Power Authority.
They might think again about eliminating the authority’s million-dollar aircraft and its four pilots, however. The authority was created during the Great Depression to provide us with cheaper power. That irony can’t be lost on New Yorkers paying some of the highest utility bills in the country.
Here and there
How about Hein’s assertion that he “unequivocally intended” (Freeman on Saturday) to honor a three-year county takeover of Safety Net welfare expenses from the city and the towns? Unequivocal intention constitutes a firm maybe, leaving plenty of wiggle room.
For the record, Hein’s own budget staff, which rarely acts without direct orders from the boss, told legislators in May that due to sharply increasing Safety Net expenses, the county might not be able to afford a three-year phase-in. After prodding from Cahill, the legislature formally adopted the three-year policy last month.
Supreme Court Judge Chris Cahill dismissed a residency challenge filed by County Legislator Dave Donaldson against challenger John Quigley with what amounted to the back of his hand. Quigley, the judge wrote, “manifested an intent [to live at his stated address], coupled with physical presence without an aura of sham.” Great phrase, that. Without an aura of sham. At least he didn’t say “frivolous suit.”
Quigley is circulating nominating petitions on the New Beginnings Party line, created by former mayoral candidate Andi Turco-Levin in 2011. Ninth Ward Republican Deb Brown won election with New Beginnings after being bumped off the GOP line by rival Democrats.
Freshman Democratic state Sen. Cecilia Tkaczyk is walking a tight line between warring with thin-skinned, vengeful warlords Hein and Cahill. Tkaczyk, a senate sponsor of the sales-tax extension who has advocated for a special session to pass the tax, has carefully avoided the line of fire.
Cahill and Hein are both vital to her re-election next year. With an 18-vote victory margin, she cannot afford to offend either.
Hein’s annual birthday fund-raiser drew the usual 200-plus attendees with $90 checks in hand last week. Reports that the two-term executive had more than $500,000 in his coffers were my misinterpretation. That number referred to cumulative contributions over more than five years. Hein’s war chest — he’s up for election in 2015 — showed a balance of just under $100,000 prior to last week’s cash infusion.
