Vacca Announces Appointment of City Islander to NYC Lobbying Commission

Here is a press release sent by Councilman James Vacca last week about a community member he appointed to the New York City Lobbing Comission. For the next six months she will be part of a team evaluating city rules on lobbying.

Though easy to overlook, the appointment is a very important and a positive strategic move for the Bronx. I firmly believe subtle and powerful external lobbying forces often “Steer” opportunities away from the Bronx. The Bronx is often treated like NYC's STEP CHILD due to these unethical lobbying activities. These lobbying activities need to be reviewed and if found unethical or illegal stopped.

For those that don't agree, here is an example. When the hugely successful movie "City Island" was in it's planning stage , it is widely circulated and believed, that an employee of a Manhattan based city agency charged with promoting film production in NYC, suggested the movie be filmed in "Far Rockaway in Queens" ?????. Keep in mind between $250,000 and $300,000 was spent on local Bronx caterers on City Island alone. Kudos to the Bronx film makers who shot down the ridiculous idea. Kudos to Councilman James Vacca for seeing were we needed to have review and representation. Kudos to Margaret Morton, who lives on City Island in the Bronx, for her appointment.

If anyone has similar stories of how the Bronx is treated like NYC’s STEP CHILD, please do send me an e-mail. I am curious to see what you have to say.






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BRONX, NY ― Council Member James Vacca today announced that City Island resident Margaret Morton has been appointed to the New York City Lobbying Commission. Morton’s appointment to the five-member panel was approved by the City Council, with Vacca’s support, on January 18.
Morton, who is deputy commissioner of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, will work for the next six months to evaluate City rules regulating the lobbying industry and recommend ways to streamline lobbyist registration and oversight. She and her co-members on the panel were reviewed and approved by the City Council Rules Committee, of which Vacca is a member, also on January 18.
“Commissioner Morton is a respected and accomplished public servant who has served the City and State with distinction for over two decades,” Vacca said. “She has the expertise and the integrity to help make sure our political process serves the citizens of New York, not special interests, and I was honored to advance her appointment to the Lobbying Commission.”
Prior to joining the Department of Cultural Affairs, Morton served as counsel and director of human resources for the New York State Unified Court System, and as a legislative counsel for the New York City Deputy Mayor for Public Safety. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Barnard College and her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.
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