In this column, over the past two weeks, we wrote about two New York State Senators – one Republican, one Democrat — using public funds to further their re-election to office.
They are by no means the only ones. The practice is widespread. The practice is widespread because the laws and rules governing such outrageous abuses are written by the very same people who they are supposed to regulate. They are skillfully crafted to permit incumbent legislators to use the people’s money to mount expensive image building campaigns which are clearly the same as those paid for with campaign funds.
Republican State Sen. Serf Maltese is mailing big bright postcards emblazoned with his picture and name in large type, to his district. He is also expected to face a fierce challenge for his seat which the Republicans need to hold onto for their narrow majority. You can bet the ranch that Serf will have a lot more direct mail money given to him by the Senate Republican leadership than a Senator with a safe seat.
Democratic State Sen. John Sabini squeaked out an election victory last time when challenged by City Councilman Hiram Monserrate – who may be considered by Senate insiders as a renegade. Well, Sabini now has a large van with billboard-type sides bearing his huge picture and “Sabini” in his campaign colors and logo right down to the two stars replacing the dots over the “i’s” in his name, riding throughout his district.
There is no doubt that both are spending money from the New York State treasury in an effort to win re-election. Maltese is doing so with the explicit approval and help in the form of extra funds from the Senate leadership – the Republican-controlled Senate will invest fortunes to win this important seat.
Sabini may not have the explicit approval of leadership – his seat will go Democratic even if Monserrate should beat him in a Primary. In spite of rumors to the contrary, even the strong Monserrate cannot win this district on the Republican line. However, Democratic leadership has remained silent when they could easily insist Sabini pull the van from the streets and his campaign billboard from its side.
We challenge our friend Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith – a reformer, we believe — to do so immediately.
Either Maltese or Sabini could stop the abuses themselves and apologize to the people. Don’t hold your breath.
As we said these and other abuses to further re-election are commonplace among elected officials. Now they allow others to abuse, in case they need to down the road.
Examples of steps that must be taken at all levels of government to stop abuse of public funds for campaign purposes:
• Government employees must be prohibited from working on campaigns between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Compensatory time and lunch hour explanations are shams set up to enable public paid staff to do political work.
• Bulk mailing done 90 days before a primary or general election must be prohibited.
• There must be a prohibition against all bulk mailings at any time which uses the name of the official more than once in any headline, or where more than 10 percent or the entire printed area has pictures containing the official, or any mailing with the name of the official more than twice per page. Publicly paid-for mailing must inform the recipient of something that is of direct, real benefit to them.
• The official’s name may not be used in headline-size type except as part of a headline, and then the same size as other equivalent headlines.
• There must be a prohibition against any expenditure of funds that are designed to build the image or promote the name of an elected official, including the use of billboards, television, radio, internet, vans, mailings, etc. Public funds must improve the lot of the electorate and not the image of the elected official.
Remember, these electeds are supposed to police themselves and don’t do a very good job. Therefore, here in Queens we invite you to police them. Send us government paid-for mailings like Maltese’s and photos of abuses like Sabini’s van now. During next year’s election season, take photos of government employees working on campaigns and send them to us. We’ll print them and name names – Republican or Democrat, friend or foe.
There is no excuse for abusing the public treasury.
Oh, remind me someday to tell you about how elected officials get their campaign cash.
A diligent and involved electorate is the best insurance against a corrupt government.
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MSchenkler@QueensTribune.com