Greenfield Spends Thousands On Frisbees

Source: crashmaster007 via flickr
Source: crashmaster007 via flickr

Councilman David Greenfield has spent thousands of dollars of campaign money on frisbees bearing his name in an effort to get his name spinning in the air. The New York Post is reporting that in a review of campaign expenditures, Greenfield and other local politicians have spent big money on a whole assortment of freebies to win the love of voters.

Whenever you show up to a campaign event or catch a local politician’s booth at a fair or festival, you can usually walk away with a sticker, hand sanitizer or bouncy ball bearing the politician’s name. Those freebies don’t come cheap. According to the Post, Greenfield has spent $1,480 on frisbees with his name stamped on them. Greenfield spokesman Kalman Yeger believes the money was well spent.

“We were looking to give something to the kids, not a mug for the parents. They’ve been a hit!” Yeger told the Post.

Greenfield isn’t the only one ringing up large bills in the novelty gift department:

GOP mayoral contender John Catsimatidis dropped $4,000 on sunglasses alone.
He says his wife, Margo, likes the party favors, which include flashlights, fans, nail files and water bottles…
* GOP City Council hopeful Lisa Giovinazzo of Staten Island spent $270 at Carmine’s Cigars in the borough.
* Councilman Peter Koo (D-Queens) dropped $223.19 on paperweights.
* Independent mayoral hopeful Adolfo Carrion Jr. racked up a $4,262 bill at IKEA, with $365.78 going to “rugs.” He also shelled out $227.07 for a Kindle Fire.
* Queens BP candidate Everly Brown, a Democrat, paid $200 for a tablecloth. His rival, Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Queens), spent $90 on a baby gift.
* Councilman Steve Levin (D-Brooklyn) spent $1,106 for “turkey donations” last fall, and Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez (D-Manhattan) spent $1,057.35 on turkeys in January.

I am not surprised. If you go to any public gathering, business expo or festival, you will see people with large bags trying to scoop up all the free junk they can get their hands on. They look visibly agitated when they are told they can only take one or if the booth has run out of the free t-shirts that they see everyone sporting at the gathering. Free stuff = votes, I guess.