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