Replies

You may have heard of Alan Hevesi, especially New Yorkers. He was the State Comptroller forced from office recently due to egregious misuse of state monies for the purpose of chauffering his wife.

An equally terrible misuse of City money, when Hevesi was City Comptroller, was the Directory of Services for the New York City LGBT community published online by his office. The Comptroller of a big urban metropolis is suppose to ensure that money is spent wisely and on the citizens behalf, NOT for a publicly funded directory telling people how they can contact such organizations as ACT-UP and Queer Story for Boys.

Is this the role of government in 2007? And one of my main reasons for being opposed to this taxpayer funded website is my fear that young children will have access to it. There are literally hundreds of listings, totally inappropriate for a public official's website, including links to pornographic, and yes, sado-masochistic sites.

The website STILL exists under the present City Comptroller, Bill Thompson, and comes out every June. When I wrote to Hevesi and Thompson in opposition to it, they naturally ignored me. If you even suggested this is a terrible waste of taxpayer funds, they would label you an intolerant homophobe, even though this is NOT strictly an issue of homosexuality; it is more about the function and role of government in the 21st Century and how our leaders need to be monitored constantly. Ironically the office of Comptroller is supposed to be a fiscal watchdog of sorts. Alan Hevesi may have changed that perception permanently!

For what it's worth, when the media FINALLY brought this Directory to the public's attention about 4 years ago, the Comptroller's office becamse every defensive and now it has added a disclaimer to the Directory saying that the listings in it do NOT necessarily have the endorsement or approval of his office and citizens are to proceed to the listings at their own risk. Well that's something, at least.

So San Francsico, is by no means the only American city were taxpayers fund such evil.

If you would like to see this LGBT directory of services, here is the link.

http://www.comptroller.nyc.gov/bureaus/cac/LGBTguide06web.pdf