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Mayor Bloomberg criticized the city's Board of Elections, after BOE officials said Election Day could be chaotic, "This is a joke...this public is badly served by this agency as any city or state thing I've seen."
Yesterday, a number of reports noted concern over whether the BOE would be able to deal with the hundreds of thousands of new voter registrations and Election Day itself, and the BOE has cited under-financing as a reason for possible isues. Specifically, Board official Frederic Umane had said, "We just hope that people would be as patient when they try to vote as they would be trying to wait for a hamburger at one of the more fancy hamburger places, which I understand the lines can be up to two or three hours."
However Bloomberg, who is no fan of the partisan BOE, said, "We've got a check for $20 million, just sitting there. All they have to do is pick it up. But they're not getting the money until they tell us what they're going to do with it. This is preposterous." He further explained, "They keep saying they need more money and they won't tell us what they want to do with it. We keep making suggestions, putting a sample ballot on the web; they won't do it. What about recruiting poll workers who have to have training before? We require training. They don't pay any attention to it. What about poll workers from good government groups, rather then just political parties? You know, this is an outrage."
The BOE's spokeswoman called Bloomberg's remarks "unfortunate" since it's "less than a week before a historic election where we expect unprecedented turnout." And Umane told NY1, "We believed we're as ready as we could be. If we had money, we could hire an extra 50, 70, 100,000 people to work. We've hired an excess of 36,000 people. We hope most of them show up."
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Go bloomie!
There's got to be a better way to run elections in this country.
i love how this comes out 5 days before the election. Make me wonder if my name will be left off the rolls, just as it was 4 years ago... everyone, show up early!
I have really disliked a lot of the things Bloomberg has done lately but this he is dead on right about. What the hell is wrong with elections in this country. That last line takes the cake "We hope most of them show up." What the hell!!!!
I don't believe a word that comes out of his mouth.
and that 20 million check just sitting here, that's the ultimate in arrogance. another one of his, do what I say and you'll get the money.
How is it arrogant when he won't give them money with zero accountability? That's called good management.
"However Bloomberg, who is no fan of the partisan BOE"
I'm not familiar with the BOE. In what way are they partisan?
awesome... give 'em hell
then two can play that game, how bout his admin's accountability? mainly what the developers got.
he's not a good manager, he's a bully.
@Gothampc-- this NY Times editorial said, "Elections in New York City are managed by an arcane and secretive body — the New York City Board of Elections — that, in turn, is controlled by party leaders in the city’s five boroughs." And this 2001 Gotham Gazette article describes the BOE as this:
I really like his eloquent use of the word "thing".
are these full time workers? because I was hired once to be a translator. I just went on-line to the site and worked election day. pay was 15 or 20 hr, if I recall.
so the editorial suggests nothing gets done because of patronage?
I don't understand why election day preparedness on the part of state and local governments always becomes an issue at the last minute. What was the City Board of Elections doing all year long? What were the elections boards here and elsewhere doing in the years between presidential elections? Shouldn't that time have been spent replacing faulty voting machines, overhauling a questionable voting process, hiring an adequate number of poll workers and thoroughly training them, and increasing their staffs to process a higher-than-usual influx of voter registration forms during what everyone knew would be a historic election year? These issues should be resolved by now, and all of this finger pointing at the last minute won't guarantee that my vote will be counted on November 4. Unbelievable!
Gotham Gazette gives goo-goo groups a bad name.
It is a front posing as a reform group but is financed by Citizens Union, another front funded primarily by big-time developers and other power brokers to divert attention away from their power grabs. Call it 'noblisse oblige'.
Some Bd of Election jobs are patronage, but evenly divided, more or less. So,gothampc, you're question is appropriate. 'Bipartisan' describes it better.
And, Jacques, you are also correct. Many, if not most, workers get hired without any patronage. In Tammany days, many poll workers were party faithful, but, at the rates they pay, $200 for 15 hours, it is no longer.
I take anyhing coming from Gotham Gazette or Citizens Union with a grain of salt. Their purpose is to deflect and nullify the power of community organizers who would tackle the power grabs of the benefactors of CU and Gotham Gazette.
Wasn't a referendum vote for term limits estimated to be about $15 million? Wasn't that stated, very clearly by many people, at the BOE and City Council?
It seems like Bloomberg is the only one who is more concerned with the smooth and proper operation of our elections than who has won the latest partisan jab. Even these briefe quotes were a breath of fresh air from all the bickering about who is keeping whom from voting now. Reforming the way that New Yorkers vote is just one example of the many things that he could do in a third term, which I hope that all New Yorkers will join me in supporting in 09.
I only see bullying from bloomberg and snide remarks.
and, he will continue to line the pockets of the rich for another four years if he's back in office.
eminent domain will be his mantra. he'll look after you if you're rich and if you're poor he could care less.
I hope his daughter is careful with her hobby.
Bloomburger is a douchebag.
No, Bloomie is RIGHT! I had to deal with the BOA for a whole day last weekend, while I tested them to see how adept they were at actually HELPING anyone learn how and where to vote.
WHen I asked questions, like "Can an ex-con vote" one of the operators on the "help line" actually did not know what an ex-con was. I had to repeat it very slowly for her. ("EX-CON-VICT. Someone who has been in jail.") And she finally said, "I don't know, I'll have to ask my supervisor."
When I asked what would happen if I were waiting on a long line two blocks long at 8:59pm on election day, another one said, "If you're on the premises before 9pm, you will be allowed to vote." So I asked, "is two blocks away on line on the premises?" And she just repeated what she said before. WHen I insisted, she simply said, "I doubt that will happen."
That's the BOA! They doubt anything will go wrong. Nice approach.
Rather than strong-arming the city council to vote on overturning term limits for the last month or so, Bloomberg should have been devoting his energy to seeing that the city would have a smooth-running election day. Instead, now, when there are precious few days before election day, he's running around like a chicken without its head, yelling fire. We didn't hear one word from him about the mess at the Board of Elections until the day before yesterday. Something stinks and it's emanating from City Hall.
Anthony Weiner '09!