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Post by dgriffin on Sept 20, 2010 10:39:22 GMT -5
From an email to the mailing list of SeeThroughNewYork:Empire Center Sues NYC Council and Pension FundsMonday, September 20, 2010 The Empire Center for New York State Policy has sued two City of New York pension funds--and the New York City Council--for failure to release public records as required by the state Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). The lawsuits have already produced one result. After being notified of the Empire Center's legal action, Council Speaker Christine Quinn announced that the information sought would be released to the Center by Wednesday. "It should not have taken this long ... It will not happen again," Ms. Quinn told New York Daily News. The Center filed a Freedom of Information request for records of "member item" spending by Council members, which it intends to post at its transparency website,www.SeeThroughNY.net. "This is a victory for taxpayers throughout New York," said Tim Hoefer, operations director of the Center and its SeeThroughNY website. "We applaud Speaker Quinn for acknowledging the tardiness of the Council's response to our FOIL and for her commitment to expanding openness in the future." See salaries, member items and a host of ways your money is spent at: www.seethroughny.net/
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Post by dgriffin on Sept 24, 2010 8:35:55 GMT -5
Blue wall of obfuscationLast Updated: 4:29 AM, September 24, 2010 Just how bad has public-employee pension abuse become? So bad that the police and firefighter pension funds are defying the law to keep the embarrassing details under wraps. Wouldn't want taxpayers finding out about their gravy train, now would they? Both funds refused to supply the names and pension amounts of retirees when the Manhattan Institute's Empire Center requested it under the Freedom of Information Law. So the think tank sued. But why should it have come to this? The public has a clear right to the information being sought, and it's outrageous that it wasn't handed over without quibble or qualm. No doubt, cops and firefighters have been more than a little embarrassed by the spotlight The Post has placed on some flagrant pension offenders. Like Jerry Speziale, who collects a $58,000 tax-free NYPD disability pension -- even as he serves as deputy superintendent of the Port Authority Police Department, which pays another $198,500. Or ex-FDNY Lt. John "Johnny Lungs" McLaughlin, who pockets $86,000 a year from his disability pension, even as he competes in triathlons. Efforts to keep pension data from taxpayers aren't the only outrage: The city's Law Department is actually defending the funds' secrecy. So much for Mayor Mike's claims to want to curb crushing pension costs. The police fund apparently is now willing to cough up everything but cops' names, which the city claims would compromise their safety. Which is utter nonsense -- given that the city has for decades released the names of active cops and their salaries. And that the entire NYPD payroll is already online -- by name. Hizzoner needs to live up to his rhetoric about pension reform -- and demand the information be released. Pronto. Read more: www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/editorials/blue_wall_of_obfuscation_mMQWHKKbMyoVkWhr3VzkiN#ixzz10SB6VobU
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2010 5:02:23 GMT -5
The Empire Center like the Manhattan Institute are both conservative think tanks that have one agenda. Promote the interests of Corporate Amerika to the detriment of the middle class. Both these outfits are funded by the likes of Bank of America, & other corporate giants. These 2 "think tanks" have it in for public employees because of the pension plans & benefits that state employees earn. If it was up to these scumbags nobody would get any kind of pension or benefits. The above is a propoganda campaign in an attempt to make all public employees look as if they're all recieving huge pensions, when the fact of the matter is that most retirees recieve a fraction of what the above are getting. What the hell do you want anyway? For all retirees to recieve nothing for their years of service? Let's do away with all pensions. That's what Corporate Amerika wants. Screw the middle class while the aristocracy lives like kings. Pathetic.
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Post by clarencebunsen on Sept 25, 2010 6:31:13 GMT -5
While the concept of combining ad hominem with straw man is interesting, it is neither unique nor in this case effective.
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Post by dgriffin on Sept 25, 2010 11:26:14 GMT -5
Hi Kracker! Sure, they are a conservative group. I wouldn't expect a Teddy Kennedy inspired liberal think tank to be advocating for telling us how our tax money is spent. I don't often hear from anyone who has no problem at all with some of pensions that are overly indulgent, especially those that are given to higher ups in state and local government positions. And complaining right along with "ordinary" citizens like me are quite a few public employees who also pay property and sales taxes and will have to get by on far less when they retire. (My children and their families are mostly state employees.)
And yes, I'm aware that corporate America would just as soon welch on their pension obligations.
I believe that citizens have a right to know salaries and pensions that they are paying for. The first and primary weapon for the defense of our pocketbooks is knowledge. The motivation of any group who helps bring this about is of little interest to me. Every group has its angle.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2010 17:13:05 GMT -5
Gotcha Dave. But, u we don't hear from the Manhattan Institute how many pensioneers are getting a measly 5-600 a month. No, we hear about the above. This is just a smear campaign targeting public employees financed by Wall St. greed mongers who destroyed the economy of this country.
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Post by dgriffin on Sept 25, 2010 21:03:09 GMT -5
Kracker, I hear what you're saying.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2010 9:35:31 GMT -5
@ Kracker. Interesting screen name. Did you know that is the name Blacks call Whites?
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Post by dgriffin on Sept 26, 2010 17:54:55 GMT -5
@ Kracker. Interesting screen name. Did you know that is the name Blacks call Whites? Poor whites, specifically, and yes, I always thought he named himself Kracker for that reason.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2010 7:16:17 GMT -5
What's that supposed to mean? And my screen name has what to do with the subject at hand?
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Post by Clipper on Sept 28, 2010 7:43:56 GMT -5
Most likely he is simply making an innocent observation Kracker. I would think that arousing curiosity, and stimulating conversation would be the whole idea of creating a unique screen name. In reading it, I didn't see anything confrontational in the question. Good to see that you are back after a summer of not posting much. Hopefully things will come alive again here on the forum and we will have a winter of great discourse and enjoyment.
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Post by dgriffin on Sept 28, 2010 18:36:02 GMT -5
So Kracker, aren't you going to tell us why you chose your name?
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Post by Clipper on Sept 28, 2010 19:17:20 GMT -5
ROFL! How about it Kracker? LOL. (David, you are an instigator, LOL)
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Post by bobbbiez on Sept 28, 2010 21:16:31 GMT -5
Damn, now ya got me curious too since certain people on my street labeled me that a long time ago with the word b*tch at the end.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2010 6:58:08 GMT -5
So Kracker, aren't you going to tell us why you chose your name? Well, I guess I'm just poor white trash.
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