Back in March of last year, thenpresident and CEO of the New York Power Authority Timothy Carey was defending his agency’s practice of giving nearly $1 million a year in donations to community organizations and other agencies near its power projects. At the time, NYPA was being criticized not only for the donations but for the way they were being awarded: with no competitive bidding or formal review process. Now, thanks to a reform-minded boss at the Long Island Power Authority and an opinion by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, these giveaways, if they continue at all, will have to be legally justified. Corporations often make such donations and sponsor events for advertising and to generate good will. But NYPA and LIPA (which was spending about $1.4 million annually on these things) do not need to advertise, because they are monopolies. They are also nonprofits: The money they were being so generous with did not belong to them, but to their ratepayers. And the lack of controls over who got the goodies made it worse. The perception was that the money went to executives’ pet projects and buddies, whether it was a hospital, a fishing tournament, or an annual ski trip to Lake Placid by a congressional delegation that included former Rep. John Sweeney. The plug was pulled because Kevin Law, LIPA’s new, Spitzerappointed chief, questioned the practice and asked Cuomo for a legal opinion on it, as well as another dubious practice: giving bonuses to power authority execs. Cuomo said the bonuses are OK, as long as they are related to performance. But the other spending can only be justified if it is related to the power authority’s mission, such as participating in the National Solar Tour or sponsoring an energy fair. It’s easy to be generous with other people’s money, but not necessarily the best policy. Or in this case, even legal.
So I guess this is just a slap on the hand for the New York Power Authority, huh? They were clearly acting illegally and yet it appears that they just got a 'talking to'! Nice, huh? Why even bother putting this artical in the paper? It is just a slap in our face!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
OH MY!!!! WHERE IS THAT VASOLINE......IT'S GETTING MIGHTY PAINFUL HERE IN CORRUPT NYS........\
MR.SPITZER MR.BRUNO MR.SILVER MR.TEDISCO MR.AMEDORE MS.CLINTON(wanted her to match 'the guys club' with the number of letters in her name so she didn't feel left out, although-- whitewater anyone...? I guess they are all the same......
AND THE REST OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE GUMBA'S
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Gumba's for sure! It is clearly a little secret society that WE pay for!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Logged
I guess they are all the same......
