Here's an interesting item from John DeSio on the NY Press blog about Jose Marco Serrano, a Bronx state senator whose dad is Congressman Jose Serrano, and his thoughts on member items:
Just moments before the rumor of Gonzalez’s impending indictment began to swirl through political circles (about 15 minutes, to be exact), his colleague, state Sen. Jose M. Serrano, a fellow Democrat representing both Manhattan and The Bronx, spoke about the culture of “pork” funding and just what criteria he uses to fund groups in his own district. Serrano has been brutally honest about his own member items, even going as far as publishing a full list on the Room Eight political blog. Having been in the state a short time and also serving in the Democratic minority, Serrano gets just $150,000 to distribute each year. But that small amount is subject to rigorous background checks. “I’m not accusing anyone of anything, but this funding should not be used as an electoral tool, as a way to get brownie points,” said Serrano, adding that he would never fund anyorganization that would bring him or anyone else close to him a profit. “I only fund well-established programs.”
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