New York City's Doing Business Database Goes Online
The NYC Campaign Finance Board has put together an excellent <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/doingbiz/home.html" target="”_blank”">Doing Business
Database</a>, consisting of a searchable list of individuals (principal owners, principal officers, and senior managers of entities) “doing
business” with a wide assortment of city agencies and
quasi-governmental entities, including through contracts, bids or
proposals for contracts, concessions, franchises, grants, economic
development agreements, and pension fund investment agreements, as well
as those engaged in real property transactions (the sale, purchase,
lease or exchange of real estate to or from the city) and seeking land
use actions (applicants subject to the city’s Uniform Land Use Review
Procedure (which governs applications for changes in zoning
designation, special permits, and other actions) as well as zoning text
amendments). The list also includes registered lobbyists, and is searchable by individual or entity.<br>
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The list is intended to tie in to NYC's new pay-to-play provisions,
which mandate low limits on campaign contributions from people who are
doing business with the city. But such a list could also be used to
help officials decide whether to accept gifts from an individual as
well as whether to recuse themselves, although for these
purposes it would be useful to add information about which agencies or
departments an individual does business with. Such a list also helps
oversight groups and the news media determine who does business with a
city or county.<br>