Regardless of whether it's effective, the police using nets to catch people (guilty or innocent) is lazy policework. And I understand what youre saying, but Bloomberg insisted that every single person arrested was guilty. Lazy policework plus Bloomberg's support of lazy police tactics that cause innocent people to be arrested should be heavily scrutinized.

Besides, it happened by Union Square, which is noticably far enough away from the RNC that mass netting of people seemed extremely odd. I'm all for the arrest of unruly people, but seriously, mass-netting is not good, and violated a lot of people. If the mayor would at least say "sorry" then I'd give him a little slack, but he won't budge. This is crazy!

Yes I would be upset. But describing Bloomberg's role in that as "unforgivable" is hyperbole. A security event like this (which was necessitated by jerky protesters) is bound to have snafus. It is easy to say that the police were too aggresive, but what if they had been too passive and something even more terrible happened? And what if everyone who was arrested gave the same story as your friend?

There were large groups of protesters who were dedicated to shutting a political convention down. When that many people devote themselves to unlawful and undemocratic actions, the results are not going to be pretty. Your friend's experience was very unfortunate but far worse could have happened.

So if you were arrested and lost two days of work only because you were getting some food, you wouldn't be upset?

I forgive him.

I have to ask, where did I mention that my friend was spitting or protesting? My friend was imprisoned for doing nothing wrong. I understand spitters and protesters did something wrong and got arrested rightly so, but my friend wasn't even a participant. He was literally minding his own business and got caught up in a crowd that was being netted by the NYPD, along with a lot of other people. *That's* what I'm talking about. That's illegal. When one has to worry about being imprisoned just for getting lunch, that's a little messed up. When this point was brought up to the mayor numerous times, he refused to accept that there were a lot of arrests of innocent bystanders. He insisted that they all did something wrong. And that's what's unforgivable.

Funny that those kinds of problems didn't seem to occur in Boston for the Democratic convention. Maybe that's because nobody was spitting on their delegates or threatening to shut down their event.

Our forefathers died for a country where national political conventions could be held, not prevented by people who think they have a monopoly on free speech. Spitting on old people as they leave the theater wasn't what they fought for. Most protesters had no violent designs, of course, but the dangers were great enough to warrant extremely high security.

Monday morning quarterbacking is easy enough but most people recognize what a huge challenge this event presented and Bloomberg could have done a lot worse.

"Nola", my co-worker was arrested and imprisoned for two days because he happened to be on his break getting lunch around the time the NYPD decided to use netting to trap people. Two days, just because he was getting lunch--he wasn't protesting, he wasn't on a bike, he wasn't doing a damn thing wrong. Two days of imprisonment, and having rights stripped, without due process (or *cause* for that matter) is about the most anti-American thing I can think of.

And the fact that the mayor won't acknowledge that for every guilty, pimply anarchist that was imprisoned, there were at least two innocent bystanders caught in the police's broad sweep. That is the most unforgiveable offense commited by Bloomberg. Think about how many of our forefathers died in the name of liberty and freedom...just to have people think it's no big deal, oh because the Republicans are in town. That's unforgivable.

Nice try! I guess if you can't answer specific questions you can just start throwing out "reactionary" and "ignorant". Did you forget "fascist" or were you saving that for a later post? Those words are predictable crutches for weak arguments.

So you've been dealing with these people for 9 years and still harbor this fantasy that they are all victims of our cruel society and the government should be housing them? Talk about a slow learner. If these people were genuinely interested in supporting themselves and their children they would probably move somewhere more affordable than NYC. Instead they stick around and become part of the permanent underclass, looking for government handouts, aided and abetted by bureaucrats like you.

that's "waste" not "waist"

nola, the commish was aksed this b/c that's what homeless parents were asking that she be asked. you have no idea what you are talking about i have been working with homeless famlies in the shelter system full time for 9 years. actually speaking with individual families. aw, nevermind, you are just a flamer, i forgot. why waist my poor typing skills onthe likes of you. your emails make it clear you do not know what you are bitching about. reactionary is the word, i think. oh, and ignorant.

What kind of a jackass really expects the "homeless commissioner" to have an answer for these fact scenarios? Kids whose parents are getting evicted or whose moms are getting beaten have bigger problems than the 3rd grade math test. Parents are responsible for creating an environment where kids can learn, not some city commissioner. No mayor can make those kinds of problems go away.

As for the RNC, Bloomberg did an outstanding job. Police state? Spoken like a true spoiled brat. Go spend some time in Saudi Arabia and then tell us about police states. I suppose he should have let pimpled anarchists throw bricks through windows all week?

And how is Bloomberg "generally anti-democratic"? The policies you seem to be advocating - free housing, lax law enforcement and court-imposed gay marriage - are all anti-democratic.

Rod, most people like you just accept anyone as their leader as long as that official's policies don't directly affect them. Those who comment, on the otherhand, are often thinking about other new yorkers and not just themselves when making the decision about whom to support for mayor or another office. I work full-time--often more than full time--in legal advocacy for poor and often homeless New Yorkers. I make crap money, but I care about New yorkers who are hurt by this mayor's policies. I laready listed a couple of things I think this mayor did right. They just don't outweigh the bad i think he is doing and trying to do.

I'm not a huge Bloomberg fan, but I will admit that he has grown on me lately. But anyway, please -- name me a few good things any of the latest mayors have done... most of the people who comment on gothamist love to complain, but none of the criticism is ever constructive. How would you solve the latest problems? What have you done to implement your ideas? Give me a break. LOL.

About a third of the general population of NYC are smokers, so I don't think they'll vote for Bloomberg based on the ban. So I guess the only unanimous thing Bloomberg's got going for him is that noise complaint line. Woo hoo 311. Bloomberg should campaign this "Hey, at least I created 311."

2 good things: 311 and the smoking ban. Neither of those things cancel out the horrible things he has done, though.

Name specifics about Bloomberg's "good job" that are so good that we should ignore the bad things he's done.

mike hates the homeless and his homeless commissioner is one of the most cruel, insenstive persons i have ever had the misfortune of having to know.

she is a horrible example of female "leadership". She has actually shed tears in meetings with groups to get her way. She talks about the homeless like they are lower forms of life.

I once her heard say, when she was asked why her system couldn't place families with children into overnight placements earlier than the usual( 11 pm, 12, 1, 2, 3 am)on the night before the third grade math test that if these parents don't want their child to get to the test too tired, they shouldn't apply for shelter the day before the test. This woman sat there and acted as if she didn't understand that sometimes, people really are kicked out of doubled-up living situations, sometimes, someone's partner really does beat them or threaten to kill them and they have to leave their home right away with their kids and the clothing on their backs.

She should be ashamed of herself and the threat of her continued tenure as homeless commissioner is reason enough why Bloomberg should not be realected. But if you need other reasons:

he tried and partially succeeded in turning NYC into a police state during the repub convention and he is generally anti democratic and claims to be for gay marriage but has directed his attorneys to appeal the ruling that said gays can marry. what a bastard.

Glad to see the mayor that wanted to make fixing the education system THE priority for his administration is actually making the olympics and a new football staduim a priority.

f()ck bloomberg

I think he's been doing a good job. At least he doesn't owe favors to anyone and he doesn't have his hands in others pockets -- if you agree with him or not, IMO he does what he thinks is best for the city.

Ugh... I'd sooner use my vote to write my dead dog on the ballot. Though, now I think of it, it's almost the same difference.