Taxpayers Foot the Bill

To the Editor:

“Once Again, You Pick Up the Tab” [Editorial, Oct. 22], concerning Council Speaker Catherine Quinn considering ending the practice of Council members using taxpayers dollars out of their administrative budgets to pay for holiday greeting ads in weekly community newspapers, was long overdue.

Perhaps Speaker Quinn and her fellow council members were embarrassed into this action by a recent report documenting how much money has been wasted for these frivolous ads.

Council members could have paid for these ads out of their own ample salaries, overflowing campaign funds or local political clubhouse accounts instead of picking the pockets of taxpayers.

Ordinary citizens use their own funds to buy cards and stamps when they want to communicate celebrating a holiday with friends, neighbors and family.

Shouldn’t New York City Council members do the same as the constituents they were elected to represent?

Larry Penner
Great Neck, N.Y.