Our Borough President

just got body-checked by the NY Daily News


It appears as though he has been acting as a one-man stimulus package for some pricey friends. See - http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/03/15/2009-03-15_staten_island_borough_president_james_mo.html

Now I don't personally have the investigative power to raise the question, but the first thing I would look at is his end-run around competitive bidding...and why. $70,000 to one firm, in one year, for photography?!?! Correction, for Information Technology and video equipment (I hope it was at least a purchse, and if it was, where is it now?)

I don't deny that Staten Island is very lacking in the tourism department, and that the Island could use some promotion. However, most of the promotion is self-promotion. These photos are not going to tourist centers or information kiosks, they are being passed out at his events, events where there are likely very few tourists.

It is this type of shady dealings that highlight the need for reforms and transparency at every level of government. By the time these issues are brought to light, the money is long spent, and the memory of just how things went down dims. I have seen some factions on the blogs calling for the elimination of this position altogether, and this behavior backs up that desire. So the question I put to my fellow Islanders is simple...What do we need a Borough President for?