Even though Mayor Bloomberg won a third election after raising the Mayoral term limits from two to three, a New York Times poll says New Yorkers are still bitter about those voter referendums the Mayor overturned when he asked the City Council to rewrite that law. About 73% of New Yorkers say they'll gladly restore the term limits to two when asked to vote on them this November.
Two-term limits were adopted in 1993 with 59% of the vote, and even those who didn't support them the first time around are thinking Bloomberg's time should be up. Lawyer Alan Brodherson said, "When the term limits were enacted, I thought it was a bad idea, but what was worse was the way Bloomberg went about overturning that law. The way he handled it was not right." The support for term limits also comes across the political spectrum, with 74% of Democrats, 73% of Republicans and 72% of Independents supporting reinstating them. Even 68% of those who approve of Mayor Bloomberg's third-term performance want limits imposed.
Bloomberg argued his way into a third term by saying the city needed his financial expertise during the recession—We're doing fine now!—but many worry that the state already has enough corrupt, career politicians. Ronald Rosen of Queens said, "The longer most politicians are in office, the more corrupt they get...They’re supposed to be people who want to serve the public for about two terms and that’s it, you get a new face."
Others say it's not the terms, but the man serving them. Peter Marsala said of Bloomberg, "When he first came into office, I thought it was a breath of fresh air, but it turns out he is an elitist. You can ride the subway all you want, but it does not make you the common man." But look at him drinking this beer! He's just like us!
