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Mayor Bloomberg's campaign reported that it spent $77.8 million to get the man reelected. Given that the Mayor spent almost $70 million for 2001 election, is inflation over four years over 12%? Or did the Mayor just decide to use more wood pulp and roboto telephoners to bombard us with how awesome he was? The Mayor said, "It is what it is. I spent my own money. I had a big message to get out and we did get the message out." Yes, the message was "I'm rich, bitch!" Fernando Ferrer spent $19.5 million for his failed campaign, which amounts to $19 per vote (the Mayor paid $103!).
One interesting fact about Bloomberg's spending was that he "spent tens of thousands of dollars on MetroCards and rental cars for canvassers and airfare for some volunteers to travel to New York in the days before the election." What? He couldn't find hardworking New Yorkers to shill his message for him?
Photograph of a cameraphone-taking-in-subway-approving Mayor Blomberg from Reuters
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The articles about the mayor's re-election campaign spending don't mention the tens of millions he spent handing out contributions to not-for-profit agencies as an "anonymous" donor, an effort that he ramped up significantly in the last year. All good causes, but money given with a purpose: stay away from my opponent, whoever it is. Real cost of his election to the mayor: probably above $100 million, or about a quarter for the rest of us.
i wish i had known i could get flown home if i volunteered. that would have been awesome!
i am a new yorker studying abroad and my plane tickets have become very expensive. if mike decided he wanted to pay my airfare, that would have been alright.
Now I'm no math tutor (false), but if Ferrer's 19.5 million was spent at $19/vote, he'd have gotten over 1M votes; Bloomberg's 77.8 million at $103/vote would only have gotten him about 700K votes. Mayor Freddie? Demand a recount!?
If he spent $70 million in 2001, then he would have to spend almost $76 million in 2005 to keep up with inflation.. so... he really only overshot by $1.8 million (or 2%). Though, this is all based on the government's CPI (Consumer Price Index) which, I think, underestimates inflation (hell, they don't even count energy costs or home prices).
Just so you know.
Oh, go here for inflation calculator:
http://www.westegg.com/inflation/