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It's happening: Mayor Michael Bloomberg will reportedly announce that he will seek a third term on Thursday. The NY Times writes, "The extraordinary move promises to upend New York City’s political world.."
Three people tell the Times that the billionaire mayor will "propose trying to revise the city’s 15-year-old term limits law, which would otherwise force him and dozens of other elected leaders out of office in 2009." And he will use the financial crisis as a reason for why he should be in office for four more years.
This comes after the NY Post reported today that Ronald Lauder, another billionaire who spent millions on voter referendums to introduce two-term limits for city lawmakers, supported the idea of Bloomberg pursuing a third term in these difficult times, "To me, Mayor Bloomberg's brilliance in the financial sector, particularly Wall Street, would be invaluable." It's believed that the City Council would pass legislation to overturn term limits in this instance.
City Comptroller Bill Thompson, who has been eying a mayoral run next year, told WCBS 880, "I will be very disappointed if the Mayor attempts to do this to the legislation of the City Council. He will undermine the will of the voters, who under two occasions have said they believe in term limits. Any change to that law should go back to the public."
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what a lying scumbag
Boooo!
My boyfriend mooned him once. I'm so very proud.
Mayor Putin. No thanks. Whatever happened to the will of the people? THIS IS ABUSE OF POWER.
Limits are imposed by the people. They're not imposed by nature, or by God. So they can change.
It should be up to the people. If he runs, and people vote him in, then why not? If people vote him out, then the people have spoken.
What's so wrong about that.
It's going to be budget cuts whoever is the next Mayor. Park Avenue plastic surgeon or supermarket butcher... it's going to be bloody no matter how you slice it.
let him try, we've seen what he's done.
thank god...he's better than the alternatives and has proven to be very good at his job relative to say the last 5 mayors before him
...and developers are popping the champagne
Bloomberg is not anoiting himself king.
There will still be elections.
If so many people are against him having a 3rd term...then they won't vote for him!!
Anyone is still open to run against him. He's now an independent, so its not going to keep any democrat or republican to enter the race.
I personally would pick Bloomberg over any other candidate that has been in the mix so far, so I am not against having him mayor for 4 more years.
Drewo...agreed.
what are the options? thompson? quinn? give me bloomberg!!
If the citizens voted FOR term limits, they should have a referendum to repeal it, not the City Council.
To call it a "Conflict of Interest" would be an understatement.
the super-rich are the ones responsible for the current economic disaster. Bloomberg is insane to think he's going to get the increasingly screwed-over working class to change the rules for him.
lets see what are options are for the next election without Bloomberg
...Quinn, Stringer, Weiner, Thompson
- yeah, that looks promising.
This is sure to draw ire, fire, and personal insults, but I would rather a guy like Bloomberg right now than some hack like Adolfo Carrion Jr. at the helm.
Whether you love him or hate him, he was able to oversee a corporate giant--and even if he destroys the city (like some people seem to suggest), I'd rather give someone with financial experience a try over another pol. ...aaand now you can start flaming.
From the Times article:
“He has the confidence of the business community and the executive ability to run the city,” said Stephen M. Ross, the chief executive of Related Companies, a major developer. “This is a good time for him to do this. People are scared.”
Politicians thrive on fear. It got Bush re-elected and it caused Giuliani to threaten term limits too. Now it's Bloomberg's turn.
Pig.
I cant believe people think this is a good idea.
This time next year, when the city is over budget, services are down and crime is up, let's redo the above poll.
Go away you shit bag. You shit all over the people of Queens for eight years and we don't need you anymore.
I trust in Bloomberg and Bloomberg only. Giuliani made this city great again. Bloomberg made it even better. I heart Bloomberg.
let him run. thats what an election is about. if he gets voted in, its the will of the people.
he presided during this current financial crisis. what makes people think he can get us out, if he, in a sense, got us into it?
I would have preferred if he ran for President, but given our piss poor alternatives in the next mayoral election and the real prospect of the city returning to "Dinkins time" I'll vote Bloomberg for another term.
Fine, let's just see what the people say.
I can't wait till dinkin's time cuz I'm ready like freddy mart.
isn't this something that us normal folks get to vote on?
and, did we just do this not overly long ago? isn't the government just changing the laws on their own, sorta NOT a democracy?
and i like Bloomburg!.. =\
He's not running yet. The term limit law is still in effect. Hopefully it won't change. It's for the best.
It looks bad for an incumbent politician to want to change term limits. It make him look like a power monger.
absolutely disgusting.
Term limits are stupid. More evidence of how we want rules and others to handle things for us.
Never mind that we have them already, it's called voting. If enough people want him he should be able to run, win and be mayor. If so many hate the idea of him being mayor they can vote for someone else. Like that guy who owns Gristedes.
No matter what happens this town is in for some mean years. Who lived here during Koch and after? Not that Ed was totally at fault, but the city was a total shit hole. Crime trash,
You whiny bitches moan Bloomberg. Who was the mayor you liked. Name one that did a good job.
this man is the smartest politician alive. Too bad he's too cosmopolitan for main street (rednecks). I'm definitely voting for bloomberg.
All I needed to know about him was found out by his actions and inactions involving the 2004 RNC.
too bad bloomberg, you can't change the rules to suit your agenda.
the voters voted and the voters have spoken, twice.
so stop your whining.
Aside from his love for subsidized sports stadiums (including the failed Jets/Olympic Stadium on the West Side), I usually agree with Mayor Mike's decisions concerning the present state of the City and his vision for the City's long term future (which many politians ignore since they'll be long gone).
As for the repeal of the current term limit law - I don't think it's as big of a deal as opponents are stating. It's only 14 years old and Bloomberg is an independent, which means there will be republican and democrat on the ballot as well. People will have a choice and can gamble on someone else if they're afraid of Bloomberg entrenchment. Yes, he'll spend tens of millions for his privately run campaign, but you know what you're getting by now. What we don't know (and what many of us don't want to know) is whether the other candidates can handle the reigns of this city, especially during these bleak times.
JacqueMehoff,
...and when the voters vote again, they'll re-elect him
remember how there was a candidate from "The Rent is too Damn High" party?
There are always options, folks.
I think I can sum up the past eight years under bloomberg's reign.
Bloomberg's rich friends get richer and the middle class and poor get poorer.
now with those four more years he'll make sure NYC is soley for the rich.
If he gets a third term, the next teacher's contract will be horrible for the teachers.
But people already voted TWICE for term limits and still support term limits. Personally, I think Term limits are good considering the slush funds that was under both Vallone Sr and Quinn's watch. I bet it would never had been discovered if it was not for term limits. I know someone drop the dime on Quinn because she was dispensing to those members who voted on her side. Also Bloomberg gave over 5 millions of our money to council member simcha felder who is a thief to vote for congestion pricing. Enough is enough. Bloomberg needs to get out. We don't need a billionaire running this city like wall street. He is selling out all our landmarks to the rich and driving out the small business and residents. This city is cold an has poor quality of life because there are no neighborhoods anymore. He is creating the city into his own private mansion. And in his mansion he doesn't want smoking, transfat, and he doesn't want us.
i can't believe there is so much support for this. the people of new york voted twice for term limits and now you want the city council to overturn the will of the people wtf?! forget blomberg, think about the power you are giving the city council. this is a new low in politics.
Amen, Jacque.
Bloomberg is a businessman and that is the problem. WE don't need more of those weasel giving the rich a free handout. Bloomberg met with the New York Post, Daily News and Times to discuss term limits. He would never meet with the people. No public forums because we are irrelevant to him
We don't want those city councilmember back. NOt gale brewer, michael mcmchan, Janes gennaro, simcha felder and especially Christine Quinn, oliver koppell. They will win because of all that slush funds they gave to organization to vote for them. This is bogus and I can't believe Bloomberg is doing this.
I agree that the citizens should get to decide whether term limits should be abolished and not the (mostly corrupt) city council. I don't really understand the love people have for Bloomberg. I don't think he cares about the average New Yorker at all. And he definitely doesn't seem to care about anything that happens outside of Manhattan.
You're a scumbag Blumberg!
My 2 cents.
Bloomberg.
assberg is more like it.
It wouldn't surprise me if bloomberg and the rich club has the minutemen takes the polls to extend bloomberg's job. sick
Consider yourselves lucky to have such a competent mayor. Look at other big cities in the USA and find another mayor this intelligent and skilled as an administrator. It's a gift. Enjoy it.
If he's so good, why are we so fucked? He never spoke out against the deregulated markets or the screwing of the working people-- but he did give the Yankees a BILLION city dollars, while cutting senior centers. Here's hoping that everyone who votes for this sociopath gets his eminent domain for business all over them. It's a shit stew of entitlement, too much money and power hunger. He's despicable.
Bloomberg should run-- away and as hard as he can.
The economy is this jacked up and people are worried developers are going to take over for another Bloomberg term? Those guys are just trying to figure out how to deleverage and still survive. Bloomie certainly doesn't deserve another term, but if he wins, we could do worse.
I've never understood the concept of a good business executive equals a good public administrator. Business is all about maximizing return on capital. If the current business model doesn't work, then go into another business.
Government doesn't have that choice or it would decide to take the homeless, retarded, AIDS patients, long-term drug users and the elderly 20 miles out to sea and drown them.
"To me, Mayor Bloomberg's brilliance in the financial sector, particularly Wall Street, would be invaluable."
Now, how exactly did his brilliance in the financial sector help us get into the past year or so's fiascoes? Did we all forget what sector started this situation?
That would be that one that the billionaire is calling the other billionaire good at...
Another point is that most people working on Wall Street don't live in New York City. Unless there will be a new tax on those people, like the congestion pricing proposed but not imposed, I don't see a general benefit to people of the city from another term from the Bloom.
How does he propose to financially solve things for the rest of us that may be either 401Kless, insuranceless, higher metrocard prices imposed, etc? What's his fiscal plan for the outer boroughs and the community of New Yorkers that comprise it?
There should also be a study to find out how many of the young population under 25 have been retained in the city and specifically Manhattan in the past ten to twenty years. Would the influx be larger than the exodus of them or vice-versa?
Well put, ANGRYGOD11