Campaign Finance Board of New York City denied mayoral candidate matching funds. SJ Dodgson. MJoTA 2013 v7n2 p0806
Today is Hiroshima Day, the 68th anniversary of the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima, causing immediate death, bringing death and huge regrets in the descendents of the bombers. On this day in 1984, my niece Angela Jane was born. A day to remember life that was, and life that is. Happy birthday Angela!
Dropping the deadly bomb was a collective decision by a functional army that grew up and was maintained in a democracy. Which means we are all guilty.
Since 1945 the number of military executions is increasing daily, but apart from the second atom bomb in Japan a few days later, never again has this weapon been used.
New York City is an unparalleled democracy, a functional unit that works because of collective will and intelligence. When I sought refuge from the February cold in Albany, so cold my cameras stopped working, I wandered into the New York State Museum and looked at exhibits explaining how New York City functioned.
In Oct 2012 a massive storm spilled water underground, shorting powerlines, halting mass transit. Even before the disaster happened, engineers were on their way from all over the United States, with the single goal of making the city function again.
Since 1945, the US has never again dropped atom bombs to execute civilian or military populations. In 2012, after Hurricane Sandy, the US came together and got New York City functioning again. The lack of action and the action both for the same underlying reasons: collective will and intelligence that have put in place accountability, checks and balances.
And then I look at the New York City Finance Board.
On Aug 5, 2013,
the Campaign Finance Board denied matching funding to John Liu, who since 2010
has been the elected comptroller of New York City finances, and is
clearly the popular candidate in the New York City mayoral elections.
And
since I heard the news, I am asking myself what the Campaign Finance Board's 5
members found that the FBI did not, in 18 months of combing through
every document that John Liu has in his office, in his campaign office,
and has ever mentioned his name.
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From the New York City Campaign Finance Board website, Aug 5, 2013
"The New York City Campaign Finance Board was
created in 1988 as an independent, nonpartisan city agency.
The CFB
has three primary mandates: administering the Campaign Finance Program,
publishing the Voter Guide, and overseeing the Debate Program.
The Board is strictly nonpartisan and composed of five board members.
Two board members (who cannot be enrolled in the same political party)
are appointed by the mayor, and two board members (who cannot be
enrolled in the same political party) are appointed by the speaker of
the City Council.
The chairman of the board is appointed by the mayor
after consultation with the speaker. Board members serve staggered
five-year terms."
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I am looking at the way the 5
members of the New York City Finance Board are appointed, and I see that 2
members are appointed by the mayor. I know that Mayor Bloomberg has
gone out of his way to trip up John Liu. Suing him, complaining about
him.
And then I see that 2 members are appointed by the speaker of City
Council. Who is a candidate for mayor and looks like the anointed heir
to Mayor Bloomberg.
I am not for a minute suggesting that the
honorable mayor and honorable speaker are calling in favors by stopping
matching funds going to John Liu's campaign.
In my observation,
Mayor Bloomberg has been a good mayor doing an impossible job, and I can
certainly say the same about Speaker Christine Quinn. And I have a
natural affinity for Speaker Quinn as a strong opinionated woman and as a
daughter of Ireland.
What am I suggesting is that this 5-member Finance Board has the look of having a conflict of interest.
What
is needed is a full release of all the evidence the Finance Board has
that they used to award matching funds to the speaker, and to the
current public advocate (who is also a mayoral candidate) and to deny
matching funds to John Liu.
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Picture below, statue in Albany, the capital city of New York State, on a sub-freezing February Sunday.
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An opinion of the ruling from a long-time resident of New York. Angry Bronx Guy is not happy click here
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