UPDATED: Dallas council member Ron Natinsky buying promo tchotchkes with taxpayer money despite budget crunch

by PegNews wire

DALLAS — In the face of a money crunch in Dallas, it seems untoward that Dallas City council member Ron Natinsky would be spending thousands of dollars on promotional tchotchkes such as letter openers, tape measures, etc. inscribed with "Ron Natinsky" -- as deliciously exposay'ed by Dave Levinthal. Natinsky says he gives them out as tokens of appreciation. Levinthal ferrets out an invoice for $2,838.50 that Natinsky spent to buy 1,000 candy dispensers shaped like miniature recycling bins candy.

The other semi-questionable expenditure is a $69,995 103-inch flat-screen plasma TV that was installed in the lobby of City Hall that simulcasts meetings and displays welcome messages to visiting dignitaries which Dallas city manager Mary Suhm said was needed to make Dallas look like a world-class city.

UPDATE: Levinthal drops the hammer harder on Natinsky with a delicious follow-up showing he spent close to $10,000 for nearly 5,000 additional pieces of plastic junk from a Richardson-based company named Regali, with the details on this PDF.

Posted by T.G.

Staff
Verified User
Anonymous

John McClelland, says:

Why doesn't he use his campaign funds to pay for those items?

http://www.pegasusnews.com/people/ron...

Where in the world did they buy a 103" flat screen? Unless it is showing football games, that is completely wasteful.

I seem to recall Natinsky telling the DMN in 2007 that he scoured the city budget, and made so many cuts. And how we just didn't have the funds for police or various other programs. But they can buy Pez dispensers? I hope it has a Natinsky flip top head!