Mark Wilson/Marquil (28th Apr 2004), Independent Authorities, EmpireWire, http://www.empirewire.com/archives.html(Accessed: 11th Jan 2009)

“Independent Authorities” are bodies authorized to issue bonds and incur other debt (other than tax) for the construction and operation of capital projects outside of electoral control¹.

The Wilson/Marquil cartoon shows New York State Independent Authorities as an octopus on a leash held by a government official. The octopus is hoarding bags of money while pickpocketing the  bystander (the electorate/tax payer??).

The octopus as “pet”, or under some sort of external control, is not that common. It is more common in the pulps ² – i.e. at Poulpe Pulps: Adventures into the Unknown (1953), House of Mystery (1963) and Argosy (1932) – than in political cartoons.

Footnotes:

1. INTERIM REPORT
   Task Force on Independent Authorities (2005), http://www.njstatelib.org/digit/r424/r4242005.pdf (Accessed: 11th Jan 2009) p.2.
2. Vintage Pulp Covers: Poulpe Pulps