Wow, this is really an old-fashioned bribery scandal. Give us money and we'll get you a good deal on your land. I didn't think people could be so blatant about it anymore.
BTW, have you seen Gangs of New York? The movie's good, but the parts involving Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall are priceless. There's a scene where Leonardo DiCaprio is rounding up voters for a Tammany candidate. The best line: "You only voted twice? And you call that fulfilling your civic duty?"