Even as he urged lawmakers to help him cut spending, Gov. David Paterson last week quietly authorized $16.7 million in grants from a fund he controls — to pay for chess tournaments in New York City, foreign trade offices in Chile and Australia, and to promote a New Jersey Super Bowl in four years with the National Football League.
In an act one policy analyst called “outrageous,” Paterson’s budget director on Nov. 30 signed 20 grants from the governor’s member item account.
The discretionary awards — from the community projects fund — are for new contracts, mostly to New York City organizations. And in many cases, the money will not go to a New York state community.
The grants are well above traditional amounts some of the recipients usually receive from the state — such as the $500,000 for Chess-in-the-Schools Inc. for schools in New York City. It helps pay for chess competitions and supplies as well as programs to encourage college enrollment…..
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