Local Government = Local Leaches

     It seems only "natural" that NYC's local government sucks the lifeblood from the local community: taxes, surcharges, fees, fines, and donations.  Meanwhile, it collectively provides few improvements to the average citizen.  Let's look at Queens County--the most culturally diverse county in America.  It is underserved by so few subway lines (the city hasn't built any new ones since 1917).  Aside from the Astoria, Kew Gardens, Rego Park, Forest Hills and Howard Beach, most of its neighborhoods are unimproved, underserved, and unattractive.

     Where does all the tax paid money go?  Who's working on the issues?  Well, here's who's SUPPOSED to be improving things:

Chairpersons of 14 Local Community Boards.

District Managers of 14 Local Community Boards

(but they merely siphon money for their own costs/salaries).

Borough President of Queens.

Public Administrator for Queens.

New York City Council members of Queens (14 of them), who all serve on several committees and sub-committies.  Don't forget each of their assistants and chiefs of staff, and staff members (each council member has 2 offices).  For example, Paul Vallone has 7 staff, and he replaced Councilman Dan Halloran, who was indicted for corruption.

New York State Assembly members for Queens (17 of them), and their drivers, assistants, lawyers and staff.

New York Local State Senators for Queens (6 of them), and their teams.

U.S. Local Congress members for Queens (5 of them).
[not to be confused with our federal-level congress & senate members].

It's not just "Queens County", it's also a borough of New York City.  Thus, Queens is "served by" city government: its 15 City Council members (and their staffs), a Comptroller team, and an enormous Mayoral team.  How enormous?
-Actuary.
-Administrative Justice Coordinator.
-Administrative Trials & Hearings Office.
-Department of the Aging (because you know how well NYC treats old people).
-Art Commission.
-Department of Buildings.
-Business Integrity Commission (NYC is famous for integrity)
-Campaign Finance Board (NYC is famous for embezzlement)
-Center for Economic Opportunity (nothing needed to say).
-Center for Innovation through Data Intelligence.
-Chief Medical Examiner.
-Children's Services (the commissioner just resigned after media-publicized failures).
-City Clerk's Office.
-City Planning.
-CUNY.
-City-wide Administrative Services.
-City-wide Event Coordination & Management.
-Civil Service.
-Civilian Complaint Review Board.
-Gender Equity.
-Commission to Combat Police Corruption (they're busy).
-Community Affairs.
-Conflicts of Interest Board.
-Consumer Affairs.
-Mayor's Office of Contract Services.
-Department of Correction.
-Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice.
-Cultural Affairs.
-Data Analytics. 
-Department of Design & Construction.
-District Attorneys.
-Department of Education (NYC fails at teaching kids).
-Board of Elections.
-Emergency Management.
-Environmental Remediation.
-Environmental Protection (look at our polluted rivers).
-Equal Employment Practices Commission.
-Finance (look at NYC's wasteful spending).
-Fire Department.
-Food Policy Office.
-GreeNYC.
-Department of Health (known for taking bribes).
-Homeless Services (they're still in the subways & tunnels).
-Housing Authority.
-Human Rights.
-Immigrant Affairs.
-Mayor's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.
-Department of Investigation.
-Inspector General of NY Police.
-Mayor's Committee on City Marshals.
-Mayor's Advisory Committee on the Judiciary (wow, look at those last 4; we should have the most legally-honest city!)
-Labor Relations.
-Landmarks Preservation.
-Public Library.
-Long-Term Planning.
-Office of Budget.
-Mayor's Fund to Advance NYC.
-Mayor's Office of Special Projects.
-Internal Affairs.
-Technology & Innovation (subways still don't have signs with arrival times).
-Deputy Mayors (4 of them).
-Mayor's Office of Minority & Women-owned Business. 
-NYC Young Men's Initiative.
-New Business Acceleration Team.
-Media & Entertainment.
-NYC & Company.
-Economic Development Corporation.
-NYC Employees' Retirement System.
-Transitional Finance Authority.
-Mayor's Office of Operations.
-Parks & Recreation.
-Payroll.
-Police (with a huge budget of $5.9 billion, its War of Drugs is ineffective, its War on Guns is ineffective, its War on Crime is ineffective, and the same neighborhoods remain infested with crime for the past 60 years.  What are we paying for?)
-Police Pension Fund.
-Procurement Policy Board.
-Public Advocate (yes, I guess we'll need one against all those other organizations).
-Quadrennial Advisory Commission.
-Department of Records.
-Rent Guidelines Board (they're not doing much, huh?)
-Sales Tax Asset Receivable Corporation.
-Department of Sanitation (the public has no idea where they're dumping all the garbage).
-School Construction Authority (they're not busy either).
-Small Business Services.
-Mayor's Office of Sustainability.
-Tax Commission.
-Department of Transportation.
-Taxi & Limousine Commission (notoriously ineffective against the people).
-Veteran's Services.
-Water Board.
-Mayor's Office of Workforce Development (probably lets the Office of Immigrants do all the work).
-Youth Development.

...and finally
-the Mayor's office of Appointing

     Days ago, "U.S. News & World Report" ranked New York as 17th of the 50 states in America.  Here are its rankings:
Crime & Corrections = 44th in terms of Opportunity.  Infrastructure = 22nd.
Transportation = 30th (but have the highest use of public transportation in America).
Bridge Quality = 34th (too many bridges are deemed deficient, mostly in NYC).
Commute Time = worst, we are 50th--last place! (due to NYC).

     But--without donations/graft--don't expect your elected officials to improve your neighborhood dramatically.  In addition to paying all the fees, taxes and surcharges, business owners and home owners often work together like Business Improvement Districts to actually improve, beautify and clean the neighborhood.  Volunteers clean the parks, and so many other things.  

     I'm reminded of the true story where a BID pooled extra money to plant trees along the sidewalks of their businesses.  That winter, the tax-paid city used cheaply inferior road salt, which killed the trees.  Or the community members who beautified their "center of town", but then the city (which had received money to allow it) ripped up the street for road construction... then ripped it up again for pipe repairs... then ripped it up again for electrical work--ruining the area for a year.