patronage" ("Robert Moses"). Without the need for political patronage, he was free to hire "elite professional staff" ("Robert Moses"). This was how the Triborough Bridge Authority became known as "the fourth branch of government," with its records off limits to the public and its policies and plans decided solely by Moses rather than by voters or elected officials ("Robert Moses").
By 1960, the budgets Moses controlled added up to $213 million derived from Niagara and Massena electrical generation, the budgets of city and Long Island State Parks, and bridge tolls ("Robert Moses"). The same year, the Triborough Bridge Authority's control spanned 161 miles, was "outside the city's control and had its own flag, license plates, fleets of yachts, trucks and automobiles," and Moses-at its head-"lived like an emperor, with round-the-clock limousine service and four offices backed by fully-staffed dining rooms" ("Robert Moses"). Although he received no salary from any of his jobs, "his generous expense accounts made compensation
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