Libraries are among the foundations of civilization. Whenever I got to any of our local libraries they are always in use despite inadequate facilities, often no AC in the summer, etc. NYC cuts libraries as fast as they can, it seems. To me there is something fundamentally wrong with a city that doesn't value its libraries. Seems at least one mayoral candidate agrees with me...

From Comptroller John Liu:

PRESS CONFERENCE: CITY COMPTROLLER JOHN C. LIU TO CRITICIZE UNDERFUNDING AND SELL-OFF OF NYC PUBLIC LIBRARIES TO PRIVATE REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS

WHO - City Comptroller John C. Liu, Citizens Defending Public Libraries, Committee to Save the New York Public Library, Historic Districts Council
WHAT - Press Conference regarding the City Administration’s sell-off of public libraries to private real estate developers
WHEN - April 18 at noon
WHERE - The steps of City Hall

On Thursday, April 18th at noon on the steps of City Hall, New York City Comptroller John C. Liu will speak at a Citizens Defending Libraries press conference in protest of the sell-off of public libraries to private developers eager to build luxury condominiums and hotels on their sites.

Liu has decried the proposed sales that include in Manhattan the Mid-Manhattan and SIBL branches, and in Brooklyn the Downtown Brooklyn and Boerum Hill libraries. The Donnell library in Manhattan was closed in 2008 for sale to a developer who bought it for the site of a future luxury hotel. The sell-offs, which will result in shrinkage of the library system and assets owned by the public, include destruction of the famed research stacks of the 42nd Street library on Fifth Avenue behind the lions Patience and Fortitude.

From NY1: New York City Comptroller John C. Liu sat down with Errol Louis to discuss The People's Budget, his proposal to revamp the City's budget process.

Seems corporate greed by Hewlett Packard may be defrauding NYC out of about $163 million. From a recent email from NYC Comptroller John Liu:

To those who say there's no money: there's plenty due to the City. That is, of course, if you know where to look and have the will to go after it.

Last week, Comptroller Liu uncovered $345 million that should be recaptured from the City's generous Times Square giveaway. This week, it's $163 million that should be recouped from "CityTime II", another botched, runaway consultant contract already over-budget.

Doing business with the City of New York is a privilege, not a lifetime guarantee. Although City Hall can't turn back the clock and undo the gross mismanagement, it must pursue the rightful refunds for our taxpayers.

Looking behind the press release, from the Daily News article covering the Hewlett Packard fraud:  read more »

The latest project from Comptroller John Liu's office, and it looks like a good idea to me:

Comptroller John Liu's www.checkbooknyc.com offers unprecedented access into how the City of New York spends its nearly $70 billion annual budget.

While it's catapulted the Big Apple to top in the nation in governmental financial transparency, that was never the end goal. The real goal is to simply compel more judicious spending of precious taxdollars.

The idea here is that opening up government's books and baring it all online empowers and enlists the public to keep an eye out. Then, when city agencies know that every penny spent is being watched, there is an inherent incentive to exercise that much more care in the spending of the public's dime.

The website breaks down city spending by department, vendor, contract, etc. See where your money is being spent by the city!

It's nice to hear politicians calling for policies that actually help the working class rather than mainly helping Wall Street. From NYC Comptroller John Liu: