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The public hearings on term limits came to a close yesterday, but not before a second day rivaled the opening session with an equal amount of dramatic flar and fiery exchanges and even included a letter in support of the mayor's proposal from Robert DeNiro. At one point, the hearing's sergeant-at-arms was forced to eject a group of hecklers who showed up and interrupted the proceedings with a sign that read, "Bloomberg to Democracy: Drop Dead!"
State Senator Eric Adams drew a good deal of attention when he called out local politicians' self-dealing in the formation of the bill and referred to the mayor as the Wizard of Oz. "You've got to pay attention to the man behind the curtain. Don't be the puppet, please," Adams said.
Friday saw input from familiar faces in the term limits battle including Anthony Weiner, William Thompson, Charles Barron and Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons. Parsons pleaded the case to allow another Bloomberg administration, saying that the current state of the economy "will make the 1970s fiscal crisis look like a day at the beach. In times like these, there's no substitute for leadership that's been tested."
All in all, the two days of hearings lasted 19 hours. At the end of it State Island Councilman James Oddo told SI Live, "I've disagreed and agreed. A lot of times I wanted to bang my head against the table. But I want to live every painful moment and every historic moment of it. This way, when I do make my decision, I can honestly say to my constituents that I listened to everyone who came."
On his weekly radio show yesterday, Bloomberg said he expected the proposal to be voted on next week. But a spokesman for Speaker Quinn said that is not likely to be the case.
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I'm fine with a Bloomberg third term, but only if the term limits are eliminated by REFERENDUM!
Bloomberg may well be able to do some good for another four years but he'll seem more like Fidel Castro in tuxedo if he does and end run around the will of the people to do it.
it really is a sad day for NYC. There were ex-offenders from Doe Fund speaking in behalf of bloomberg went most of them don't even vote. Democracy for sale in NYC. I hope people realize that this is not about term limits but about a few self-interested politicians overturning our votes. This is really sad that Americans have died for our right to vote and Bloomberg/Quinn will null our votes. Very tragic
it really is a sad day for NYC. There were ex-offenders from Doe Fund speaking in behalf of bloomberg when most of them don't even vote. Democracy for sale in NYC. I hope people realize that this is not about term limits but about a few self-interested politicians overturning our votes. This is really sad that Americans have died for our right to vote and Bloomberg/Quinn will null our votes. Very tragic
now I know why the public art fund was there on thurs. the mayor's got them all in his pocket.
the rich can do whatever they want.
boycott time warner and end their monopoly over the city
It's shameful that Bloomberg with the help of the local oligarchs would turn NYC into a third world country by pushing term limit extensions onto New yorkers. The people that support this are just as shameful. You don't ever do or support anything that undermines democracy.
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn didn't attend the hearings. It makes me believe she is a coward. Quinn most likely realizes she has made a mistake by supporting Bloomberg's term limit change proposal.
When Ed Koch took the mayor's office in 1978, he appointed an economist to guide the city through the financial crisis. That's why I'm not afraid of there being two-term limits on elected officials. Because elected officials have the ability to pick the right person for the job. We have the benefit of being in a city with many of the most brilliant minds in the world. They can be called upon to take the task and guide us. Even with term limits remaining as they are.
The idea of there being a need for legislative memory or whatever it was being called is nonsense. The people that are involved in civic culture that are not elected officials have excellent memories of what is going on in the city. They more than likely have some outstanding ideas of improving things.
The Conflicts of Interest board is a joke. If it's proper for the Council to vote to change term limits now, why didn't they ever do it in the past?
Overall, Bloomberg's hand has reached all over City Hall. It's quite obvious. He buys support.
New York deserves a change in the mayor's office.
Read about the RICO Act
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racketeer_Influenced_and_Corrupt_Organizations_Act
Good article in the Times today regarding Bloomberg leaning on agencies that benefit from his philanthropy and who also happen to have city contracts. They include The Doe Fund and The Public Art Fund. He controls their purse strings. Those who are on the receiving end of his charitable bucks should have said so when they testified. The squeeze is his Standard Operating Procedure.
so it appears some people were right all along during the hearing. People are getting paid in one way or another to testify. and I may be wrong but the public art fund sponsored the water falls.
what a despicable human being. truly the devil comes in all forms.