When we endorsed Scott Stringer for city comptroller over Eliot Spitzer in the Democratic primary, we did so primarily to keep Spitzer out of office — knowing the former love gov’s well-earned reputation for bullying and abuse of office.
But we had no illusions about Stringer. He was, as we wrote, a conventional Upper West Side liberal, likely to use the job to promote good liberal causes instead of focusing on the bottom line. In that sense, he hasn’t disappointed: On Wednesday, the outgoing Manhattan borough president filed an amicus brief in court to make a politically correct point about fracking.
Stringer’s amicus is in support of the upstate town of Dryden, which two years ago banned fracking under a local “home-rule” provision. Other towns have followed Dryden’s lead. It’s an effort to preempt companies from starting to extract natural gas even if the state ends up giving them the green light to do so.
Norse Energy, one of the companies that had hoped to frack here, is challenging the local bans. The company says these bans overstep the state’s regulatory authority. Stringer has now intervened on the side of the bans, and he defends himself by saying he’s only doing here what he’s always done, whether as an assemblyman or borough president: empowering municipalities.
The amicus brief,” says Stringer, “is really about using the law as a bully pulpit to show people around the state that local communities, in working through their governments, that they should have the ability to work on issues like this.”
“Using the law?” “Bully pulpit?” The truth is, this is a PR stunt designed to burnish the political credentials of our soon-to-be city comptroller. Not a bad thing for Stringer, at least if he harbors ambitions for higher office.
But it gives us pause about what Stringer may do once he’s sworn in as comptroller.
That job, and especially its oversight responsibilities for millions in city pension funds, gives its holder enormous power that can be used in a 101 ways to promote political causes that have nothing to do with the real responsibilities of the office, which are to ensure good returns for the taxpayer.
Which is why — after the threat of Comptroller Spitzer was eliminated by the primary — we ended up endorsing ¬Republican candidate John Burnett in the general election.
Seems we were right about all the candidates.