No Room For Pork in Cuomo's Budget

It's a political practice as well-established as candidates kissing babies: a local legislator shows up at a senior center or an elementary school, giant check in hand, to announce that he'll be funding a daily meals program or buying new uniforms for the spring soccer team.

There's a photo-op and everyone leaves feeling good--the politician gets to be the hero, and the local organization gets some much-needed money.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's bare-bones budget for this fiscal year, approved March 31, contains no funding for new member items--the public money given to state senators and assembly members that allows them to hand out all those big checks in their respective districts. These discretionary funds, or "pork," have often been criticized as wasteful spending, and for a few politicians, have been a source of scandal.

But local legislators say the loss of member item money will, ultimately, only hurt their communities; that the ones taking the hit are the local organizations and services that rely on support from elected officials to stay afloat.

"Local legislators know the needs of their districts better than faceless bureaucrats in Albany," said Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, in an e-mail. "The groups I fund -- youth programs, senior centers, arts and music groups and others -- all play a valuable role in our community and its quality of life."

Bronx News Roundup, March 30

Weather: Another sunny day today, finally warming up a bit to hit around 50 degrees this afternoon. Temps will drop again tomorrow, with rain expected and a possibility of light snow on Friday.

Story of the Day: Snake Fever
The nation is captivated by the Bronx Zoo's missing cobra, which disappeared from the park's reptile house this weekend and then, mysteriously, started posting updates of its whereabouts on Twitter yesterday. @BronxZoosCobra has racked up 136,458 followers and has reached celebrity status, getting shout-outs from Mayor Bloomberg, Steve Martin and the Daily Show's John Stewart. According to Gothamist: "Some entrepreneurs have already started an 'I Egyptian Cobra New York' line of clothing and accessories." Collectors items, for sure.

Quick Hits:
Charles Kavanagh, the former pastor of St Raymond's Church who was defrocked after accusations that he molested a 17-year-old seminary student in 2002, is suing his accuser for defamation.

The 14 pitbulls that were rescued from an apartment fire on the Grand Concourse earlier this month are struggling with health and behavioral issues, according to the Times. Three of the dogs had to be put down shortly after the blaze because their injuries were so severe.

Bronx State Sen. Jose M. Serrano makes a case to reform the member item distribution process in yesterday's Times Union. Serrano argues the money should be doled out equally, instead of the most powerful legislators getting the biggest cuts, as is currently the case. Meanwhile, Gov. Andrew Cuomo's budget has cut pork project spending entirely for this fiscal year.

A Bronx man pleaded guilty yesterday to bringing an underage girl across state lines and forcing her to perform sex acts on NFL star Lawrence Taylor. Rasheed Davis faces up to 30 years in prison; Taylor was sentenced last week to six years probation and will have to register on the New York State Sex Offender Registry.

Ex-cop Eddie Coello was indicted by a Grand Jury yesterday and charged with the murder of his wife, Throgs Neck resident and mother of four Tina Adovasio, whose body was found in a wooded area in Westchester last month.

This Daily News slideshow takes a look at the wives and girlfriends of the New York Yankees.

Congress will renew discussions today of a bipartisan bill to strengthen safety regulations for buses, sparked by a series of recent deadly bus accidents, including the Bronx crash earlier this month that killed 15 people on the New England Thruway.

Activists are fighting the Department of Environmental Protection for access to the Jerome Park Reservoir, which has been fenced off from residents since World War II.

A string of recent Bronx bodega robberies have store owners and police on alert.

Espada Lost $1.77M for Local Groups

(This story is from the latest edition of the Norwood News, out today.)

State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr., who has spent the past year boasting of the “millions” of dollars he has brought into his Bronx district as one of the state’s most powerful lawmakers, appears to have left the vast majority of that money on the table.

Last year, state lawmakers received nearly $148 million in discretionary funds, also known as member items or “pork,” to distribute in their districts. Espada managed to score just over $2 million of that for his 33rd district—something he’s played up on campaign fliers and elsewhere.

“I have secured $2.5 million in community project funds designated for many organizations in the district whose services and programs have become a vital lifeline to residents during these difficult times,” Espada said in a press release in February.

But after Espada botched his first two attempts to distribute the funds, it looks like a majority of the money he scored last year — some $1.77 million — never made it anywhere but back to the state.

Several calls and e-mails to Espada’s spokesman seeking clarification about his member item allocations were not returned.

Bronx News Roundup, July 8

Non-profits and community organizations in the Bronx, and all across the state, might not be getting their usual grants from state legislators this year. Governor Paterson vetoed thousands of member item requests (among other cuts) in an attempt to balance the state's long-overdue budget. He delivered his list of vetoes to legislators yesterday; you can check out what got nixed here.

Speaking of political pork: City Councilman Oliver Koppell didn't fair so well this year in securing district funds compared to other council members, according to the Riverdale Press. 

This stifling heat wave is finally starting to drop off (thankfully!). Unfortunately, thousands of outer borough residents are still without power, as Con Edison works to repair outages caused by this week's strain on the power grid.

A Bronx man was arrested on animal cruelty charges after leaving his dog in a van while he went for a swim. Police tried to revive the animal after freeing it from the 140 degree car, but the dog died shortly after.

The New York Times has a story and photo slideshow on the growing Mexican population in Belmont, the neighborhood traditionally known as the borough's "little Italy."

Bronx-native and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor raved about her dumpling lunch in Chinatown yesterday but had little to say about Lindsey Lohan's recent legal troubles, according to the Daily News. 

A man who tried to rob two women on East 180th Street last year--an attempt that scored him a measly $4--was sentenced to life in prison this week based on a number of previous convictions and unlawful run-ins. 

Member Items: Some Districts Getting Gypped

A few weeks ago, state senator Jose M. Serrano introduced a bill that would change the way member items are distributed and called for more transparency in how representatives are spending them. (Member items—or public money generally intended for nonprofits and community needs—have landed a number of Bronx politicians in hot water for alleged misuse).

One aspect of the legislation called for equal distribution of funds to all senate and assembly members. A statement from Serrano’s office at the time of the bill’s introduction said the current system for allocating member item funds is done “disproportionately,” with larger amounts going to the majority party.

According to an article posted Monday on the Albany Times Union’s blog, that’s definitely the case—and the politicians who represent your district might be getting the short end of the stick.

The good folks at government watchdog groups NYPIRG, Citizens Union of the City of New York, Common Cause, the League of Women Voters and the Brennan Center for Justice have taken the time to analyze just how much each politician pulled in for their district. What they found was that the vast majority are getting below the average amount of funds given out.

Serrano Looks to Reform Member Item Spending

A bill unveiled today by Sen. Jose M. Serrano—whose district includes Melrose, Mott Haven, Morris Heights and Highbridge—aims to change the way member item funds are distributed, according to a press release. The bill, which is a joint effort between Serrano and Assemblywoman Sandy Galef of Ossining, would make it easier for taxpayers to see how their lawmakers are spending public funds.

“This bill indicates a very common sense approach to this issue by adding additional layers of scrutiny and transparency to a process that, for too long, has been shrouded in mystery,” Serrano said in a statement.

Member items are public funds doled out to legislators that they can spend on local activities, usually through community groups and nonprofits. Over the past few years, a disturbing number of Bronx lawmakers have gotten into trouble for allegedly misusing them. Councilman Larry Seabrook, Councilwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo, State Sen. Pedro Espada, Jr. and former State Sen. Efrain Gonzalez have all made headlines for their alleged mishandling of taxpayer dollars.

Efrain Gonzalez Makes a Motion to Withdraw Guilty Plea; Blames Bad Legal Advice

Former state Senator Efrain Gonzalez Jr. has made a motion to withdraw a guilty plea to 2006 corruption charges.

In 2006, Gonzalez was charged with abusing member item funds for personal gain. He pleaded guilty to four federal fraud charges last May, according to documents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The Village Voice reported in January that Gonzalez considered withdrawing his guilty plea, with his defense claiming it was “involuntary” and that his previous lawyer, Bronx attorney Murray Richman, gave him bad legal advice.

“He has to say what he has to say,” Richman responded in a phone interview. “I carry no grudges. He’s my pal, and I’m sorry that he feels he was forced to take the plea, which is absurd.” 

Bronx News Roundup for July 17th

Just a day after Manhattan City Councilman Miguel Martinez admitted to using taxpayers' money improperly through slush funds, Councilwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo of the Bronx is suspected of funneling money through a nonprofit to pay for trips to Puerto Rico for her and her mother.

After the chaos that was the New York State Senate for almost five weeks, $85 million in grants was approved last Thursday and has been divided amongst the parties, with $77 million going to New York State Senate Democrats and just $8 million to Republicans. Bronx State Senator Pedro Espada received $2 million, of which $1.5 million is going to the Bronx Chamber of Commerce.

A strain of West Nile Virus has been detected in mosquitoes at Ferry Point Park in the Bronx, but no cases of infection have been reported yet.

A wild motorist that raged down Gun Hill Road on Sunday, killing one man and injuring nine people, was identified yesterday and is being held at a hospital until he can attend trial.

Smokeless tobacco is becoming increasingly popular for teenage athletes in the Bronx even though medical statistics disprove what might be a common myth that using snuff or chew is less harmful than smoking cigarettes (Data shows chewing tobacco has three times as much nicotine, and is therefore three times more addictive than cigarettes).

A bill to make texting-while-driving illegal is expected to be signed into law soon. If broken, it can wield fines anywhere up to $150. This is one step by the Senate to try and diminish crash statistics that show younger drivers are up to five times more likely to be in a car accident than an 18-year-old driver.

Assembly Member Items On-Line

Power up your Acrobat.
A 3,000-plus-page document detailing this year's state Assembly's "legislative initiatives," better known as member items, has been uploaded to the Assembly's Web site. Happy hunting.

All the Pork, All the Time

This terrific site run by a ragtag bunch of citizens interested in shining a spotlight on the ways of Albany and the state legislature has a lot of useful info links, including searchable member-item databases (see links at left of home page).

Serrano Jr. on Member Items

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.”