NY Observer > Celestina Akbar http://www.observer.com/taxonomy/term/25149/feed Articles from Observer.com en Free Money http://www.observer.com/node/27557
Azi Paybarah, late of the Politicker, has a nice look in New York Press (in case you're not a regular reader!) at how the city's public finance system lavishes taxpayer money on candidates running essentially unopposed.

"Charles Barron already received $78,375 from the City to ward off John Whitehead, who raised $11,305 and has not yet received any matching funds. Queens Borough President Helen Marshall already has $57,181 ready to be multiplied four-fold while her opponent hasn't filed so much as a single dollar. Other races have much the same dynamic: Majority Leader Joel Rivera has $102,491 raised, with $21,646 to receive board funds, which should help him defeat Yvette Velazquez Bennett, who thus far has raised $600; Finance Committee Chairman David Weprin of Hollis raised $420,565 with $20,751 that could be matched while challenger Celestina Akbar has raised $245."

The piece has a pretty harsh take on the city's good government types, along with a key quote from the rapper sometimes known as the Big Baby Jesus: "Why would you turn down free money?"
]]> http://www.observer.com/node/27557#comments Politics Celestina Akbar Charles Barron Helen Marshall John Whitehead Thu, 01 Sep 2005 09:40:00 -0400 Observer Staff 27557 at http://www.observer.com