NYC Magazine » Government Waste

NYC Wastes Tens of Millions on Pot Arrests, 12% of All Arrests Are Marijuana Charges

Igor Derysh — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 14:00:43 +0000

For all the talk about crime statistics in New York City, the irony of all ironies is that the taxpayer is charged tens of millions of dollars every year so that cops can arrest people for harmlessly smoking a pot.

According to a recent study, around 12% of all arrests in New York City are on marijuana charges, something that was rarely done until Rudy Giuliani and, even more so, Michael Bloomberg installed policies to make their crime statistics look good by going after pot smokers.

Of course the crime stats improved under Giuliani and Bloomberg, the two mayors saw marijuana arrests surge ...continue reading

Senate Dems Water Down Bill, Buy Votes for Healthcare

Igor Derysh — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:00:22 +0000

As expected, Harry Reid and Senate Democrats managed to water down the healthcare reform bill enough to get the support of the party’s “moderate” wing while also buying all of the votes that they needed to stop a Republican filibuster.

While the healthcare lobby spent $600 million getting the bill to where the insurance companies want it to be, Harry Reid and the gang used taxpayer money to buy votes for a lousy bill. Here’s a look at just some of the earmarks included in the bill:

-$300 million in extra Medicare funding for Senator Mary Landrieu’s ...continue reading

MTA Continues Waste, Workers Get FT Pay For PT Hours

Igor Derysh — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:33:35 +0000

The MTA has been under the microscope for the last few years as their budget has been spread very thin and commuters have been asked to foot the bill for their complete and utter waste through higher fares. It appears that pressure to cut costs has not pushed the MTA to become more fiscally responsible and the Daily News reports that the agency has been paying workers who work part-time hours full-time wages.

The MTA has been doing a lot of track work since last year but only allows workers to work on outdoor tracks between 10:30 AM ...continue reading

$96+ Million in Medicaid Waste in NY

Igor Derysh — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:00:38 +0000

As New York tries to crack down on wasteful spending, a report by the State Medicaid Inspector General shows that there is much fraud going on when it comes to free health insurance for the most needy.

According to the report, $96.7 million in Medicaid funds was misspent with nearly half of it in New York City.

The report claims, however, that the waste comes from bad bookkeeping and billing errors but the sum for some individual hospitals and pharmacies adds up to millions of dollars. For example, St. Barnabas Hospital alone charged Medicaid an excess $1.2 ...continue reading

Judges Use Tax Dollars for Personal Items

Igor Derysh — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:31:18 +0000

A New York Post investigation has found that New York judges have been using taxpayer funds to pay for personal things like iPods, portraits, and trips.

Although judges get $10,000 expense allowances (double what they had gotten until this year), they also receive reimbursements for “work-related expenses.” The total of these reimbursements? More than $12.5 million per year.

The investigation found that judges have a tendency of playing it fast and loose with these reimbursements, asking the state to foot the bill for an iPod Touch, a self portrait, and “meditation retreats.”

The Post story details ...continue reading