Jackson Heights Life

Project Sunlight was created by AG Andrew Cuomo to track member items, state contracts, and other previously secretive workings of New York State government.

I thought it could be interesting to see the member items requested in recent years by our local delegation in Albany (DenDekker, Lafayette, Monserrate, Peralta, Sabini).  To that end, I've compiled the data for 2007-08 and 2008-09 and posted them here.

According to the website:

A member item is a portion of state funding allocated by the Senate and Assembly. Constitutional standards require that all member items be used for a public purpose. The annual member-item allocation is divided among the two houses of the New York State Legislature pursuant to agreement with the governor. Member item allocations are discretionary. Typically, the funds are used for community projects, civic, and public health initiatives in the recipient members' districts. Programs such as little leagues, community centers, and legal assistance all receive funding through member items. Member items traditionally represent tens of millions of dollars of spending in each year's state budget. As a result of recent litigation and legislation passed in early 2007 reform, many aspects of the state budget process require that member items must be publicly disclosed and itemized.

For the first time, Project Sunlight allows the public to easily search member item allocations. Project Sunlight allows member items to be viewed by county or by individual Elected Official. Project Sunlight also allows the public to review a summary of the public purpose that the member item is funding. Our goal is to shed light on these programs and allow you to see how tax dollars are being spent in your area.

If you're going to look at these tables, please keep in mind that just because an item is listed here doesn't mean that the funds were actually received and spent.

Overall Conclusion: I was wrong.  It's not very interesting after all.  But it's here for reference if anybody cares.

Here is a document listing City Council member items for FY 2010.

In case anybody is interested, I have excerpted items requested by our two City Councilmembers, Helen Sears and Julissa Ferreras. 

Sadly, we can't spend our way out of this puddle!   

Here are the data for 2009-2010.  Interestingly, there are no items attributed to Monserrate.  I don't know if this means he didn't request any, or that his requests weren't approved.

Most of Monserrate's items were disapproved by Malcolm Smith after Monserrate's "alledged" attack on his girlfriend earlier this year. This is one of more prominent reasons attributed to Monserrate's decision to cross the aisle and dethrone Smith.