NYC Mayor: Dianne Morales Water-Meter Bribe Probe Preceded 2004 Departure from Big City Schools Job

[brooklynite]

The City

Mayoral candidate Dianne Morales years ago participated in a $300 bribe of a city Department of Environmental Protection inspector who offered to make her $12,500 water bill go away, city investigative records obtained by THE CITY show.

Morales was working as a senior employee at the city Department of Education when the probe concluded in June 2004. The DOE’s Special Commissioner of Investigation, which conducted the review, recommended in a letter to the schools chancellor summarizing the findings of the probe “that Morales’ employment with the DOE be terminated.”

“Dianne Morales is a high level official in the DOE who directed her father to pay $300 cash to a DEP inspector in order to take care of a problem she was having with her water meter,” concluded the special commissioner, Richard Condon.

“Moreover, when confronted by city investigators about the bribe, Morales lied twice before telling the true story.”

[jimfields33]

1. A few neighbors had water meter problems and negotiated a lower price

They got new meters too. Their bills were over a thousand and the negotiate price was the average price of the month divided by 3 years (last 3 April’s). Quite frankly anybody would think WTF on a 12,000 water bill. I think paying 300 was still pretty high for this individual.

[brooklynite]

2. So, bribery is ok as long as the fee is high enough?

[jimfields33]

3. Bribery? Are you saying you'd just say, "cool 12,000 dollars for my water bill?"

The water company had to know that was an error and accepted the 300 which probably was still too high.

[brooklynite]

4. No, I'd go to the Department of Environment Protection and challenge it through legal channels

FYI - NYC doesn't have a "water company", it's a city service. So, better to put money in a corrupt employee's pocket than in the City's General Fund?

Fortunately, Morales is in last place and has no chance of winning the Mayoral Primary.

[jimfields33]

5. I'd go to the water company myself.