In an editorial about Quinn’s use of discretionary funds to reward and penalize local politicians, the NY Post states, “(Vito) Lopez, a state assemblyman and the subject of a federal corruption investigation, needed a front-end loader to haul away the so-called member-item cash lavished on him in the new city budget by Quinn.”

In a NY Times article entitled Quinn’s Friendship with Lobbyist May Pose Test in Mayor Bid,” Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York, a government watchdog group, said, “When someone who is a close associate (lobbyist Emily Giske) is making their living and improving their financial status because of their ongoing personal relationship with an elected official (Christine Quinn), that makes you a lobbyist on steroids.”

“The City Council celebrated Lulu Day on Friday as Speaker Christine Quinn dispensed the checks she issues twice yearly to fatten the wallets of favored members.  The payments are called lulus because once upon a time the stipends were deemed “payments in lieu of expenses.” No more. Now they are paid on top of a $112,500 salary as rewards for faithful allegiance to Quinn’s agenda.”

“Each council member gets a different amount of money to spend. The speaker always gets the most. According to council members, those members who curry favor with the speaker get the most money.”