Despite Saying He'll Fire 18,500, Mayor Hires Campaign Staffers

Photograph of Mayor Bloomberg rubbing his eye during Senate testimony last week by Mike Groll/AP

Even though Mayor Bloomberg says he might be forced to lay off 18,500 city workers—including 8,500 teachers, 3,150 police officers, and 1,050 firefighters—he has hired 15 members of his campaign staff. The Times notes that as the Mayor calls for "a leaner government that reflects the economic downturn, he is finding money in the budget for those who engineered his unexpectedly close re-election," paying many of the City Hall newcomers six-figure salaries and allowing several other city workers who left their jobs to work on the campaign to return to their posts with higher pay.

Bloomberg's highest profile hire might be campaign communications director Howard Wolfson, who just landed a $200,000-per-year gig with the city, but the Mayor has also brought on board Republican political operative Matthew Mahoney to head the Department of Environmental Protection for $160,000-per-year, Democratic strategist Larry Scott Blackmon at the Parks Department for $157,000-per-year, and campaign chief of staff Kim Molstre with the deputy mayor for $135,000-per-year. The Mayor defended his decision to hire by saying it would be unwise to make cuts at the top: "If there's any group that I wouldn't want to cut in tough times, it's those that can guide people and incent people and excite people to do more with less."

Altogether, the appointments cost taxpayers more than $2 million, and some unions and government groups aren't happy. "If we are tightening up our belts all over, we should be tightening up the belt at City Hall," said Harry Nespoli, the city's sanitation union leader and the president of the Municipal Labor Committee.

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By Ben Muessig in News on January 27, 2010 10:17 AM

Comments [rss]

newport27

so he just hired those thousands of unneeded traffic-directing minorities disguised as NYPD so he could TEMPORARILY claim reduced unemployment rates to win his third election? Or was it just to waste another couple tens of millions of tax money? Now that he's successfully bought his third term, he's firing them all?

I don't know if I should be happy that the absurdly unnecessary traffic-directing scarecrows will finally be gone, or utterly depressed about how this city is run and how our tax money is consistently being scammed away from us on a consistent, daily basis.

Steven

Seems like in the public sector it's wise to keep the fat salaries, while in the private sector those are the first ones to be cut.

JenChungsBaby

Bloomberg tried to spin it as if the only job that was made up new for all these people is Wolfson's. But that is a lie.

JacqueMehoff

I hope no one is forcing him to pay his new staff $10 per hour.

MT

Why does he need campaign staff if he can't run again?

Snoopy

This all makes sense now. Fire 1,050 experienced fire fighters and replace them with 1,050 inexperienced minority fire fighter wannabees.

sidenote

Hard to argue all these people have a track record of success though - they helped the Mayor overturn term limits, got him re-elected to a third term, and overall his approval ratings are pretty high. Whether you like or dislike that, they're still the facts.

Clearly everyone on Gothamist hates his guts, but there's alot to say these people are actually effective at executing the Mayor's goals. I think firing all these civil servants would be horrible for the city, but if we're not going to have a choice (which it seems like we won't) we may as well have people who can get things done at the top.

Guest

if this is in a sarcastic note:

+1

sidenote

Nope - look, just because you probably think a guy like Karl Rove is the anti-Christ, the man had a strategy that worked pretty well. I'm not saying I endorse the results, I'm just saying it worked.

Same thing here - I guess if you hate Bloomberg it's bad news because these people will actually get something done and it won't be what you want. Not sure if that's preferable to having a bunch of idiots that just sit on their ass and do nothing.

Guest

i don't hate or like bloomberg. but when i see something quite hypocritical such his firing thousands, then hiring for his personal gain...

...makes my eyebrows flinch. that is all.

hope you or your friend is doing a good job for the man. kudos to you/your friend.

sidenote

I've no association w/ City Hall - not sure how this is hypocritical though - he has to do more with less, so he has to focus resources on where it will make the most difference. Better to spend $250K on one good guy who can lead the fire department than five more firefighters and a crumby leader if you only have $250K to spend (or less in this case).

I'm just probably more pro-management than you might be.

Guest

uhm, hope you know that he's not hiring leaders in any of the fire/police departments. he's hiring campaign staffers.

...?

JenChungsBaby

That "Republican political operative Matthew Mahoney"? They created that job just for him in an office where there already is a well-paid assistant commissioner. People are still wondering what his duties will be.

JenChungsBaby

The track record of prior patronage employees in city government doesn't necessarily support your point of view. Many in the past have sat on their butts and done nothing.

GOP

Are these teachers, police officers and firefighters he is firing able to do the jobs that he is hiring for? If not, juxtaposition fail.

theevilone

Bingo. And he's not firing people by choice, it's because we're getting f*cked by the state budget. Again.

GalBklyn

Time for De Blasio and Lui to speak up. (Guys - that is why you were elected...) This is completely absurd. Bloomberg -- obviously wants to run this city into the ground.

Chuck Schumer's Fat

Hey, do not forget: we are employees of the Bloomberg Corporation. Suck it up, pay your landlord and if you see something, say something (unless it is political corruption). The rich boss knows what's good for us.