Each year, New York State lawmakers play Santa Claus with tens of millions of taxpayers’ dollars with discretionary disbursements known as member items. Pork barrel spending, raiding the public till, the spoils of office—it has many names, but with the state budget facing catastrophic shortages, there will likely be many individuals and organizations disappointed that Christmas is not coming early again this year once cuts are finalized during the next month.
Member items may get a bad name, but they do good as well. Generally, the money is supposed to go toward community projects as well as civic and public health initiatives in the senator or assemblyperson’s district, or fund things such as Little Leagues and community center upgrades. Some of the clearly beneficial charitable causes on the receiving end include The Long Island Crisis Center, Island Harvest and the local chapter of the United Cerebral Palsy Association. However, a 2007 law requiring greater transparency for member items reveals some questionable earmarks in the 2008-2009 budget, although allocations prior to that are difficult to determine. Specifics can be found on Project Sunlight, a government website that serves as a clearinghouse for state financial data (www.sunlightny.com).
Among the smaller expenses last year that lawmakers may find difficult to justify nowadays are the $5,000 given to the Baldwin Oaks Civic Association “to conduct a study on frogs in the wetlands by young people in the community” or the at least $7,000 given to the Garden City Bird Sanctuary. With the state’s projected budget gap estimated to be more than $13 billion, the more than $24 million worth of member items that LI’s senate and assembly delegation previously secured for the region—not to mention the tens of millions more spent by state legislators beyond LI—are sure to be at the top of the “to cut” list over the next six weeks.
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Governor David Paterson’s proposed budget does not include member items and the funds allocated will almost certainly be smaller than in years past by the time the financial plan’s final version is due on April 1. At presstime, Paterson’s spokesman, Errol Cockfield, had not yet responded as to whether the governor is using a bigger knife on pork this year.
Cuts to these services could be disastrous, critics of the governor’s proposed budget say. Member items “basically are the safety net for the people that need resources where the government fails to provide,” says Harvey Weisenberg (D-Long Beach), the most outspoken member of LI’s assembly delegation who notes that he hasn’t slept much since the budget debate kicked into high gear. This year is “especially onerous” for non-profits who get member item money, he says, because donations are down, state funding is being cut and demand is up as more people are falling on hard times. “You have to consider the consequences” of the cuts, he says, noting that federal funds en route need to be factored in before cuts are determined.
Some of those who could be hit hard, should member items be significantly curtailed, would be school districts. Nassau County schools received more than $1.8 million and were among the top recipients last year, compared to $286,500 allocated to schools in Suffolk County. Higher education was a higher priority in Suffolk with $410,000, compared to $122,000 for colleges and universities in Nassau.
Among the remarkable appropriations made in Suffolk was a $100,000 commitment to the Long Island Contractor’s Association (LICA) for what was described as training services. In addition to other things, the organization appeals to lawmakers on behalf of the local construction industry and has a political action committee that donates to the campaigns of candidates who support their cause.
The top individual payment for a beneficiary in Suffolk last year was Gallery North in Setauket, which received $300,000 for “general operating expenses,” in addition to another $110,000 for training classes. The director of the not-for-profit art organization was not available for comment as of press time.
A legislative aide from LI’s Republican senate delegation noted that member items are extensively examined as they’re debated before the budget is voted on, signed off on by the governor and also must be reviewed by the state attorney general and comptroller. The recipient must also be a not-for-profit organization and with all the checks and balances involved, the money often takes more than a year to arrive. Still, some would not go on the record to comment on the occasional abuses and political motivations behind some member items in the past.
Cutting the pork or not, there is sure to be a whole lot of squealing to come in the next few weeks.
Stefanie Baum and Ertan Bicer contributed to this story.
