Fidler Likes Transparency, But Fears Quinn Gave Up Too Much
Councilman Lew Fidler of Brooklyn has a number of concerns about the "historic reforms" Christine Quinn announced at a press conference earlier in the day. Fidler said he does not object to spirit of what Quinn said—aiming for greater transparency—but he thinks the mechanisms will harm too many small groups.
Quinn said all groups that want money from the approximately $20 million speaker's discretionary fund will have to go through the Request for Proposal (RFP) process.
"The RFP process is flawed, and it tends to favor the large, well-funded groups that can hire grant writers," Fidler said. "It's this ladder process for the use of discretionary funds that really funds the local CBOs [community-based organizations)] that aren't quite as fancy or ritzy. You know, if they don't win the RFPs ..." he added, before trailing off.
"The RFP process is not transparent. No one's accountable in the end, and you don't know who's making the decision," he continued. "I allocate money, I'm happy for the more information on Schedule C, I'll defend every dime that I allocate to every group.
"To suggest that [the RFP process is] apolitical is naive. Everybody comes to the table with preconceived notions, friends and predjudices. And you just don't know who they are in the RFP process. If it's a council member, you know who I am and where I come from."
Finally, Fidler asked, "Why, in a charter where the charter is so heavily concentrated in the executive branch, why would you give up $20 million more leverage to the executive branch? It's one of the few powers we have left! What if the relationship between the next speaker and the next mayor isn't as lovey-dovey as this one is?"
"The implication that what we've been doing up till now is unfair I disagree with," he said.
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Fidler is all talk and no action. If he thinks he can do a better job then Chris why doesn't he convince 25 of his colleagues and take over. The reason is: he full of...hot air.
Please read the following article concerning Lew Fidler, Speaker CHristine Quinn. and Quinn's Deputy Legislative Director Laura Popa:
http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0721,robbins,76726,2.html
I agree with Lew here. Why not just keep a discretionary fund, and make the council members who dip into it state that they are doing so on the record? Just eliminate the stupid fake organizations.
Everyone hates pork, except when it's THEIR little league, block association or food pantry that gets it, and most of them do good work, many on a volunteer basis. How are they going to access to these funds now?
Quinn's "reforms" are just to cover her ass, since her "instructions," (fictional in my opinion) didn't take.
Honest Attorney posts all over the place at every possible opportunity to impugn the rep of a fine civil servant, Laura Popa. HA is obviously a disgrunteld fired Council staffer who couldn't cut it. Probably still out of work, HA seems to have a great deal of time to blog about Popa, often reduced to childish name calling. By all means, read the VV article referenced, which merely mentions Popa in passing, does not accuse of her of anything whatsoever, or for that matter, accuse Fidler of anything. The ploy here is to suggest by innuendo that if someone's name is in a Tom Robbins article, they must have done something wrong.
Some people need to get a life.
Quinn staffers should focus on covering her fat ^%$&$ instead of getting on these blogs and insulting people that are obviously telling the truth.. I guess the "TRUTH HURTS".
wow! 8:34's must be the said Ms. Popa and she seems to be making an accusation, pointing to people who may have nothing to do with her bad reputation or who may not even be checking this blog. it's very sad that cronies in the council continue to defend themselves accusing people who were fired over two years ago because unlike her, they were professionals and lacked a padrino who would protect their jobs. Everyone knows Fiedler is Popa's political protege, she does what he tells her. Not that Fiedler is a bad Councilmember, he is a skilled and smooth politician, but as a politician he needs has cronies lie Popa who stay loyal to them.
... on the post above (9:06) i was referring to 10:24, not 8:39 (with whom I totally agree)
and to clarify, council staffers are technically not civil servants.
Quinn has f'ked up big time in this one and is doing evrything to save her fading mayoral hopes. Anyone who has worked with the two people she fired, Stacy and Mike, know that they are not the types to go off on their own. Stacy and Mike have not said anything on this -- does anyone smell a cover up?
The legislature is a check on the executive branch and has the power of the purse. It's so disappointing to see Quinn give up so much to try to salvage her selfish ambition.
It's understandable when you have people like Avella and Barron criticizing you. But, when you have Liu and Fidler criticizing you, you're probably really screwed up. Quinn's days are numbered. I smell a revolt.
Does anyone know if Maura Keany and Laura Popa have hired criminal defense attorneys?
The New York Times just wrote an excellent article reporting that Speaker Quinn has just hired a former federal prosecutor to be her defense counsel. To top it all off Quinn is using public City Council funds to pay for her private defense counsel.
Does anyone know if Speaker Quinn's Deputy Legislative Director Jeremy Hoffman still works for Quinn and if so has he hired a defense attorney?
Please read the following article concerning Speaker Quinn and her staff's possible indictment:
http://m.nypost.com/ms/p/nyp/nyp/view.m?pid=23907&storyid=106313
Hey Honest Attorney--isn't it dishonest to make questionable statements about people--possibly even blatant untruths..then you don't honestly say who you are. So, you are not an honest attorney-mabye an angry attorney--maybe even a liar!