George Washington Plunkitt was an American politician from the late 19th and early 20th centuries who introduced the concept of “honest graft”, which he claimed was an honorable way of obtaining political power His idea was that political power should not be obtained through bribery or corruption, but by taking advantage of legitimate opportunities to benefit the public, such as building public works. Plunkitt served as a leader in the New York State Assembly and was the Chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee. Plunkitt was known for his colorful anecdotes and his wise view that there was an art to political power and its acquisition.
Plunkitt's five most famous examples of honest graft illustrate his idea that politicians should take advantage of legitimate opportunities to benefit the public. The first example is when Plunkitt claimed that he increased the value of land he owned near the Harlem River by encouraging the construction of public works such as bridges and roadways in the area. This increased the value of his land and allowed him to make a profit without any ethical violations. A second example is when Plunkitt claimed that he was able to secure government contracts for his friends and supporters. He claimed that these contracts were legitimate as long as the goods or services provided were of quality and met the city’s needs.
A third example is when Plunkitt claimed to have used his influence to get a lucrative city contract for a syndicate of wealthy businessmen. He reasoned that this contract was beneficial for the city, as it provided an opportunity to build a park in an area of the city that needed it. A fourth example is the so-called “star route” scams that Plunkitt masterminded. These scams involved creating a network of post offices and mail routes and then paying kickbacks to those who awarded the contracts. In this case, Plunkitt claimed that he was taking advantage of a legitimate opportunity to benefit the city while still getting his cut of the profits.
Finally, a fifth example is when Plunkitt used his influence to get a contract to build a dock in New York City. In this case, Plunkitt claimed that he was taking advantage of legitimate opportunities that would benefit the city, such as providing jobs and improving transportation in the area.
In conclusion, George Washington Plunkitt introduced the concept of honest graft, which is a way of using legitimate opportunities to benefit the public while still obtaining political power and personal gain. His most famous examples of this concept include using public works to increase the value of his own property, contracting public works to friends and supporters, contracting public works to wealthy businesses, arranging “star route” scams, and using his influence to secure contracts for docks and other public works. All of these examples show Plunkitt's belief that honest graft could be used to benefit the public while still obtaining political and personal gains.