Michael Bloomberg's Idea of a Mayoral Campaign

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The Shame of the City Council

Today the City Council and Mayor Michael Bloomberg struck a low point in recent New York City politics by going against two public referendums in order to give themselves a chance at third terms. At least voters may have a chance when it comes to keeping them from extending their political careers.

The self-serving councilmembers:

Maria del Carmen Arroyo
Maria Baez
Leroy Comrie
Inez Dickens
Erik Martin Dilan
Simcha Felder
Lewis Fidler
Helen Foster
Alan Gerson
Sara Gonzalez
Robert Jackson
Melinda Katz
G. Oliver Koppell
Miguel Martinez
Darlene Mealy
Michael Nelson
Christine Quinn
Domenic Recchia
Diana Reyna
Joel Rivera
James Sanders
Larry Seabrook
Helen Sears
Kendall Stewart
James Vacca
Al Vann
Peter Vallone, Jr
Tom White
David Yassky

Councilmembers who opposed the extension:

Joseph Addabbo
Tony Avella
Charles Barron
Gail Brewer
Anthony Como
Bill de Blasio
Mathieu Eugene
Daniel Garodnick
James Gennaro
Vincent Gentile
Eric Gioia
Vincent Ignizio
Letitia James
Jessica Lappin
John Liu
Melissa Mark-Viverito
Michael McMahon
Rosie Mendez
Hiram Monserrate
James Oddo
Annabel Palma
David Weprin

Term Limits: Keep an Eye on the Council

The City Council is supposed to vote today on suspending the term limit rule that has already been upheld twice by voters. As I've already written, I'm not in favor of term limits but I'm really distressed over the mayor and members of the city council negating the current law—which might've helped them acquire their offices—to serve their own personal interests in remaining in office. It's just wrong.

Keep an eye on this vote. If term limits are overturned, we should be very careful about re-electing politicians who helped to overturn the law. And if Mayor Bloomberg is so indispensable, I'm sure he can find a way to share his brilliant economic strategies even if he isn't re-elected.

The Vice Presidential Debate 2008

In honor of Sarah Palin, I will ignore the question of tonight's debate and focus on another topic.

I'm not in favor of term limits for city politicians, but I'm even more opposed to elected politicians extending tenure by overturning the limits. So yeah, I think Mayor Michael Bloomberg should not be able to get a third consecutive term—especially without a public referendum. We managed to survive without extending Rudy Giuliani's term, despite the chaos of 9/11, so I think we can manage to survive without extending Bloomberg's term, despite the cratering of greedy and corrupt Wall Street. And hey: If the mayor's so great, how come he didn't prevent the collapse in the first place and protect a major source of city and state revenue? Anyway, I believe that, under the existing law, try again after a one term hiatus.

Y'see, that's how our team of mavericks get things done at patriotic Blog About Town.

MORE CRITICAL MASS HARASSMENT

Last Friday night I was with some friends in Greenwich Village when we saw a mass of bicyclists happily heading uptown on the Avenue of the Americas. Suddenly I realized that it'd been a while since I'd heard anything about police harassment of Critical Mass cyclists. It felt good to think that they could now pedal in peace.

But apparently they can't. That same night, a police officer in Times Square singled out a cyclist—an Army vet, at that—for a devastating smash to the head and then a stay in jail. Captured on video, the police officer's action comes across as a disgusting, gratuitous, bullying act of violence. Furthermore, the police report seems to be riddled with falsehoods.

So the city's treatment of Critical Mass bicyclists remains one of the major embarrassments and civil rights disasters of Mayor Bloomberg's so-called "green" administration.

See for yourself.



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BREAKING: MICHAEL BLOOMBERG TO CONVERT TO CHRISTIAN FAITH

Days after New York City's mayor Michael Bloomberg filed forms to leave the Republican Party, the billionaire shocked the nation again by announcing that he was leaving Judaism to become Episcopalian.

"I have nothing against Judaism," Bloomberg assured reporters from a pulpit in Pasadena, California. "It's just that, after practicing Reform Judaism for my entire life, I have somehow reformed myself...into a Christian!"

Like many other well-known Republicans, Bloomberg has undergone a number of changes in recent years. Well-established as a businessman and life-long Democrat, he switched his political allegiance to the Republican Party around the time that he declared his intention to enter mayoral politics. As a "born-again" Republican and newly elected mayor of New York, Bloomberg showed his enthusiasm for his newly adopted and then-powerful political party through large contributions and mass arrests of peaceful demonstrators and passersby during the 2004 Republican Convention. Now in his second and final term as mayor, Bloomberg attracted national attention yesterday when, rudely interrupted by the press while idly passing time in California, he explained that he was abandoning the now-weakened Republican Party to better reflect his latest political leanings.

Bloomberg, who has stated that he pictures himself living a life of philanthropy after his mayorship ends, is said to have already shown characteristic largess to his new religious faith through seven-figure donations, an invitation for the church to hold its 2007 convention in New York City, and a pledge to arrest and detain hundreds of law-abiding citizens should the church accept his invitation.

There are, however, rumors that Bloomberg is actually considering a run for the Presidency as part of his preparation to become a full-time philanthropist. The whispers persist despite Bloomberg's constant evasions.

"I assure everyone that none of my plans for the future have changed. I'm the same Michael I've always been," said Bloomberg as he left for a lunch of roast beef, mayonnaise, and Wonder Bread sandwiches.

Photo: David Marc Fischer