Beware of Buyer

The NY Post reports on the generosity of Mike Bloomberg: "New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave $254 million of his fortune to philanthropic causes in 2009.The Chronicle of Philanthropy ranked the billionaire No. 4 on its list of 50 Americans who gave the most to charity last year.Bloomberg has steadily increased his giving over the years. In 2008, he gave $235 million and in 2007 he gave $205 million. In 2009 he spread the money among 1,300 charities. He does not disclose individual amounts."

But shouldn't he provide the folks with an itemized list? Especially of those groups who just might have an interest in the mayor's sometimes perverse policy interests-or the fortunes of one Michael Bloomberg. For instance, Did any organization associated with Floyd Flake or Calvin Butts get the mayor's glad hand? What about the Environmental Defense Fund or Transportation Alternatives, big cheerleaders for the Bloomberg congestion tax? The list of potential conflicts is very long indeed.

Who knows, maybe the Daily News can get right on this potentially corrupt use of the mayor's personal wealth? Well, we can dream, can't we?

Update

Transportation Alternatives informs us that they have never gotten any of Mike Bloomberg's money. Given their effective support of the mayor's congestion tax-more so than some of the other groups that were supportive-we'd say that they probably deserved at least a small gratuity. However, their righteous commitment to what we believe is a misguided public policy should, in a climate of subornation, be treated with deep respect.