Silive.com, the Staten Island Advance’s blog, reports that Councilman James Oddo (R-Mid-Island/ Brooklyn) is pitching a change in New York City’s budget. He says the new approach will save the city from cutting essential services such as fire and education. Currently, city-wide candidates, if willing to abide by certain fund-raising restrictions, may request that the city match campaign funding received from private donors. Oddo proposes cutting matching funds from the city’s Campaign Finance Board “from the current 6-1 to 2-1″.
There is a question, in addition to how much money this measure would actually save in a non-election year (pointed out by reader Lisanne!), as to how this could affect the city’s democratic process. It may prevent future newcomers with few donors, or candidates from poor districts (Oddo’s district has some of, if not the highest per capita income in the city) from competing against incumbents with deeper pockets. States and municipalities across the country are in a budget crisis, leaving the possibility of across-the- board cuts to quickly become a question of, not yes or no, but how much.
Coucilman Oddo represents the 50th Council District, which includes a large swath of central Staten Island, as well as parts of Dyker Heights, Bay Ridge and Bensonhurst.
