AN OPEN LETTER TO BEVERLY SILLS.

Dear Ms. Sills:

What a surprise to receive a letter from you! As I tore open the envelope with trembling hands, I wondered what could have led to this honor. Were you writing to celebrate this blog's inclusion on the 400 List of the Manhattan User's Guide? Were you inviting me to appear in a gala production of Die Fledermaus?

Nope. Like so many other bigwigs these days, you were singing the praises of Mike Bloomberg, urging me to help re-elect him. And you did so in a letter paid for by Bloomberg for Mayor, 2005, Inc. And because you didn't have a return address on the letter...well, here I am, replying in cyberspace.

You write that "A big part of Mike's success has been his insistence on acting independently on our behalf — advancing no specific group or person's agenda." But it seems to me that an impartial observer might well find that Mike has shown favoritism to the wealthy, the Republican Party, and the cultish leaders of the Independence Party, to name just three examples. I think Mike should have been a much stronger advocate in getting billions of dollars of overdue education money from his fellow "moderate" George Pataki. And don't you agree he's been way too harsh with New York's bicyclists as well as protestors and complete bystanders during the Republic Convention? And what's up with his bizarre policy on gay marriage? I understand that the Bloomberg administration scores very high in terms of support for the arts, but (as much as I hate to admit it), there’s more to life than that.

I realize you must be very busy these days, but if you'd like to read any or all of the following items (one from NY1; the others from The Village Voice), I'd welcome your reactions. Feel free to share the articles with Magic Johnson, Ed Koch, Marty Markowitz, Kathleen Turner, Harvey Weinstein, and anyone else on the Bloomberg bandwagon.

Bloomy's Hypocritical Oath: Four gripes with Michael Bloomberg's first-term performance


What Freddy Must Say: Calling Bloomberg a billionaire Republican isn't enough. Ferrer must prove he acts like one.


Mike's Mixed Message: Bi-positional Bloomberg assails gay marriage in court


Mayor Mute: Bloomberg gives Bush a four-year pass at city's expense


"Psychopolitics": Inside The Independence Party Of Fred Newman


Shut Your Mouth: Big-Bucks Bloomy buys corporate silence in six sex and race cases

Finally, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for the great good you’ve done in terms of enriching the
cultural life of New York City and the nation and world as a whole. Your operatic accomplishments and your charity work are inspiring.

Sincerely,

David