An audit released last week found questionable spending by the city of Dunkirk and its Dunkirk Local Development Corp. More than $1 million, according to the comptroller's office, was wrongly spent on bonuses, traveling as well as land and business deals.
Which brings us to the big question: why are those items not acceptable spending, but skyrocketing salaries, health benefits and pension plans are?
Seriously.
We have a $22 million budget in a city of 12,500 people. It is filled with worker compensation costs that total more than $12 million.
And all that spending is truly acceptable?
Please, comptroller's office, begin finding out why salaries are allowed to be so out of whack while economies throughout upstate continue to struggle. Dunkirk is not alone in this "questionable spending" to continue outdated and unsustainable worker contracts.
Maybe a report by the comptroller on runaway compensation, that include questionable practices by employees, could be the start to fixing a multi-billion dollar problem that affects all of New York state.
Because, on closer review, that questionable $1 million is a pebble or two in a stone quarry of out-of-control spending throughout the state.
