This morning the New York TImes' endorsed David Yassky, currently City Councilman in the 33rd district, for City Comptroller. 

We are
particularly impressed with Mr. Yassky’s ability to think creatively
and then implement his ideas. Mr. Yassky, who taught at Brooklyn Law
School earlier in his career, has a somewhat professorial manner. But
in his years at City Hall, he has successfully fought to control guns
in the city, to lessen pollution from taxis and to ban illegal dumping
in the waters around the city.

He has pushed for help for small businesses and for more affordable housing. His campaign has set up an inventive Web site — ItsYourMoneyNYC.com — that opens the city budget to more scrutiny, a preview of his promise for more transparency for city finances.

The
other main Democratic contenders are Council members from Queens, and
all have sound records. David Weprin, who runs the Finance Committee,
has been an able Council member but is less creative in his thinking
about how to do this job effectively. John Liu has represented his
constituents intelligently and with great eloquence, but too much of
his strength is at the microphone. Melinda Katz has been a smart,
dynamic leader of the Land Use Committee, but we are less enthusiastic
about her connections to the real estate community.

Of the four,
Mr. Yassky makes the best case for making better use of the powerful
tools handed a city comptroller. He promises to use the audit powers —
including new ones overseeing the city’s education contracts — to
increase productivity and efficiency.

We have seen in New York
State the temptations and corruption that come with managing a
multibillion-dollar pension fund — with huge fees handed out to
political cronies and contributors. Mr. Yassky has promised to stand up
to special interests and has embraced new S.E.C. rules that would block
campaign contributors from doing business with the fund. For all of
these reasons, we endorse David Yassky for comptroller.