Jumaane Williams’ Greed

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams has no real opposition in this fall’s election, but he’s still pushing to raise enough donor cash to collect the 8-to-1 taxpayer match. In other words, the public advocate wants to milk the public fisc for millions more for his personal war chest.

His nonstop fundraising e-mails fudge the issue, asking to give as little as $10 to “power our progressive movement” because “opponents are working around the clock to stop our progressive movement.”

His nominal GOP challenger has raised about $40,000; the Conservative candidate, $70,000. Neither is likely to qualify for public funds, let alone do much “to stop the progressive movement.”

As of June, city taxpayers were on the hook for $109 million-plus in matching funds this year. Williams may add another $4 million to that total — an “overdog” exploiting a system that’s supposed to help underdogs.

What will he spend it on? Perhaps on ads generally boosting his profile — in advance of, say, a run for governor next year. (He came close to beating now-Gov. Hochul in her last statewide Democratic primary, after all.)

Or he could give back the public matching funds and transfer all the private cash to a state campaign account — even though he’s been raising the money by asking for help to qualify for the match.

Count this whole sordid scheme as more proof the public-finance system empowers the political “haves” — and Williams is just another politician chasing his own ambitions while mouthing progressive pieties.