Member items
We did a piece a little ways back on how Joe Robach buys the goodwill of the community (despite his too-conservative-for-Rochester voting record) using member items. The Daily News reports that the rules on this form of pork are being tightened a bit:
Gov. Spitzer reached an agreement with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) and Senate GOP Leader Joe Bruno (R-Rensselaer) to reveal exactly how each lawmaker intends to dole out “member items” before they are approved.
Spitzer said the agreement would end the “secrecy, gamesmanship and a lack of accountability” that has plagued the budget process “for decades.”
Member items typically go to community groups, often buying goodwill from voters.
Let’s be clear her: member items certainly do fund a lot of good things. But they cost the taxpayers money and deserve greater scrutiny. Our tax money should never be used to buy votes.
Now, did we just simply give Joe better advertising for his contributions?
But on the whole, this is a great development by Governor Spitzer.