You've heard of slush funds, but what about lulus? Lulus are stipends given to members of City Council who lead committees, allowing politicians to take on a little extra responsibility and take home as much as $28,000 per year in extra cash on top of their $112,500 salaries. Critics say the money is really a payout to those who are loyal to Council Speaker Christine Quinn.
NBC reports that "lulus go back in Council lore to the good old days when party bosses ruled the five boroughs and these leaders bestowed largesse on their favorites." Reformers say they haven't changed much. Dick Dadey, director of the Citizen's Union, claims lulus "go to almost every member to increase their pay and help bring loyalty to the speaker," and that they increase "the number of unnecessary committees and strengthens the influence of the speaker beyond what is necessary, because she decides who gets them and how much they get."
Dadey wants to get rid of the stipends — and he has the support of 21 of the Council's 51 members. According to a Daily News editorial against the bonuses, Quinn told the tabloid: "I'm fine with the way the system is now."
