Post by hans on Apr 6, 2009 19:18:52 GMT -5
Valesky tries to share pork, gets no takers
Sen. David Valesky knows what it's like to be in the minority.
That's why, he said, he wanted to spread the wealth when he found out that he would receive a whopping $4.5 million in member-item money this year - an increase of 1,400 percent from last year.
Valesky, D-Oneida, offered three Central New York Republican senators - John DeFrancisco, Michael Nozzolio and Joseph Griffo - $250,000 each from his pot of pork. Member item funding, commonly referred to as pork-barrel spending, is discretionary money that lawmakers can dole out as they choose to organizations and pet causes in their home districts.
The Republican senators' response: No thanks.
But in refusing Valesky's offer, DeFrancisco, Nozzolio and Griffo gave up the chance to direct extra money specifically to their home districts the 47th, 50th and 54th Senate Districts and the voters who elected them.
I first read about this yesterday on Watertown's www.newzjunky.com/ and again in tonight's Rome Sentinel, but can't find anything about this in the Utica OD or Utica Daily News.
This is about the dumbest thing thing I have seen in a long time, Joe Griffo, take the money!!!!!!! Ya, kiss away $250000.
Sen. David Valesky knows what it's like to be in the minority.
That's why, he said, he wanted to spread the wealth when he found out that he would receive a whopping $4.5 million in member-item money this year - an increase of 1,400 percent from last year.
Valesky, D-Oneida, offered three Central New York Republican senators - John DeFrancisco, Michael Nozzolio and Joseph Griffo - $250,000 each from his pot of pork. Member item funding, commonly referred to as pork-barrel spending, is discretionary money that lawmakers can dole out as they choose to organizations and pet causes in their home districts.
The Republican senators' response: No thanks.
But in refusing Valesky's offer, DeFrancisco, Nozzolio and Griffo gave up the chance to direct extra money specifically to their home districts the 47th, 50th and 54th Senate Districts and the voters who elected them.
I first read about this yesterday on Watertown's www.newzjunky.com/ and again in tonight's Rome Sentinel, but can't find anything about this in the Utica OD or Utica Daily News.
This is about the dumbest thing thing I have seen in a long time, Joe Griffo, take the money!!!!!!! Ya, kiss away $250000.
