New York's fiscal watchdog says other branches of state government have damaged his ability to monitor where tax dollars go. Tom DiNapoli was in town to attend a labor political rally in the Buffalo Irish Center.
The Buffalo Irish Center is not far from the Riverbend complex, which houses the Tesla solar panel factory, a three-quarters-of-a-billion-dollar investment from the Buffalo Billion for jobs and economic development. The Tesla plant has been a favorite backdrop for political candidates, complaining about corruption in New York State government this election season.
A few years back, state law was changed during a state budget battle. The Comptroller used to be able to look at state contracts before they were awarded and then audit the way the money was spent. That traditional pre-approval of contracts was taken away.
DiNapoli said that has been a mistake.
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