Party Time!

Last night, the Manhattan Surrogate's Courthouse--Tammany Hall's glorious Beaux Arts folly--played host to the City Council's annual Christmas party. The highlight, by unanimous consent, was a duet rendition of "Silent Night" by Council member Melinda Katz and former Council Speaker Gifford Miller.

Council members are said to have paid $35 a head for their staffers to attend the party, while lobbyists had to shell out $50.

There were a number of other parties as well, including one for Jerry Skurnik's political consulting firm, Prime New York. Efrain Gonzalez, the state senator from the Bronx recently indicted for embezzling more than $400,000 from charities in his district, was spotted at that one, according to one person who was there.

If anyone has pictures of the festivities--lampshade shots would be great--please forward them on.

UPDATE: The Politicker has been corrected--rather amusingly--by several anonymous commenters from City Hall. It seems some (all?) council members made their staffers pay their own way to the holiday party. Sheesh--you'd think there'd be room in the city budget for a couple free longnecks and a bowl of Fritos. Jimmy Walker would never have stood for this! Keep the outrage coming...

-- Azi Paybarah
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Comments
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anon (not verified) says:

Um. This Council staffer, and most of those I know, had to pay his own damn $35.

anon (not verified) says:

had to pay my own $35 as well

Term Limits forever (not verified) says:

me too, my boss is too cheap to take care of his staff, who all make around 20k a year. While this jerk cries poverty with his $122,000 a year salary for a part time gig in which i do all the work. There is a lazy councilmember in brooklyn who is a moron. Take a guess who?

anon (not verified) says:

some members paid for their staff, not all are cheap.

Anonymous says:

Be interesting to see some names named...

Anonymous says:

Will bea n easy list to go through. My boss did not even allow us to go, we had to help him carry his briefcase full of cologne and tic tacs.

Anon (not verified) says:

PFV Jr was troling the place like a dog in heat. Too bad he could not pick up the tab for his staff :(
I hear Gentile, Monseratte and Stewart also make the staff scrouge list.
More info to come. Stay tuned.

bobthebuilder (not verified) says:

why not have all the developers getting 421 tax benefits cover the cost of the party? this way the party can have a nice mix of affordable and luxury. just a suggestion.

appreciative staffer (not verified) says:

Council Member Fidler bought tix for his personal council staff AND his committee staff. In addition to holiday presents. Not all of these jokers have no class.

Central Staffer (not verified) says:

Council Member Fidler bought tix for his own staff and his entire committee staff...in addition to holiday presents for all. He also sent huge gift baskets to the staff in Finance and the Speaker's Office. Not all of these jokers have no class.

Anonymous says:

Fidler is a nice guy, I know him and wish i could workl there instead of my brain dead loser

Clancey (not verified) says:

A brain-dead loser on the City Council??? I am shocked, shocked! to hear this.

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