A Third Term for Bloomberg? Really?
Yesterday, with a report in the New York Post, the idea that Michael Bloomberg will try to seek a third term as mayor returned with force.
Much like the rumors that he would run for president, or was being considered as a running mate for either of the two presidential candidates, the whisper hasn't died despite pro forma denials by aides and vocal support for term limits by Bloomberg.
Is any of it real?
A spokesman for City Councilman Domenic Recchia, who strongly supports changing term limits and has been rumored to have encouraged the mayor to run again, said that there has been no indication of legislative action and denied that Recchia was encouraging the mayor. But he did say that it would be a nice thing if it happened.
“We've been hearing this rumor a lot and we would love to know where its coming from," the spokesman, Rob Hart, said in an e-mail. "There have been no strategy meetings, there are no bills being drafted. The councilman feels that extending term limits for the mayor would be a great idea--Bloomberg has been doing a great job.”
At a press conference in Harlem yesterday, a reporter asked Bloomberg about the report he plans to change the law so he, and other city lawmakers affected, can have one more term of four years. The mayor didn't exactly shoot the idea down.
"I’ve always had a policy of never saying what I’m going to do," he said. "It’s like saying, 'No new taxes.'" He added, "You have to be open to everything."
Bloomberg did also say he had no current plans to try to change the law.
That was in sharp contrast with what the mayor said at a City Hall press conference back in June, when he was steadfastly in favor of a two-term limit.
“Term limits have the advantage of forcing change,” he said at the time. “I am a big believer in change. I think you, after a period of time you get stale, you learn what can’t be done.” He went on to say, “The public has picked eight years, for example, in New York City, eight years for the presidency of the United States. And we’ve had presidents that people wish could have stayed on and presidents people were happy to see go.”
And in April, the Daily News quoted Bloomberg spokesman Stu Loeser saying, "The mayor is absolutely not seeking a third term," and reported that he also said Bloomberg would promise to leave in 2009, when asked.
Term limits for council members and citywide offices became law after voters twice approved the measure in referendums in the 1990s. In 2003, then City Council Speaker Gifford Miller tweaked the law to define "term" as four years in office, instead of allowing the occasional two-year term, which occur immediately after redistricting, meaning some lawmakers had only six years, not eight. The change was upheld in local courts, and, some observers say, set a precedent for sitting lawmakers to rethink term limits before they were kicked out by them.
Some legislators have openly talked about putting a referendum to extend the maximum number of terms to three, each of them four years.
The deadline by which referendums need to be finalized and presented to the public is 60 days before an election--sometime around Labor Day. And although Bloomberg announced plans to convene a charter commission, which is required for a referendum, he hasn't selected members yet. It seems unlikely that he could do so before the deadline.
The only other way he could do it, legislatively, requires City Council approval but not a referendum, and the mayor's office has previously said he believes that voters should approve or reject term-limit laws.
Bloomberg should run for NYS Governor - this nonsense with 3rd term is absolutely out of the question - voters decided years ago that there should be a term limit and, thank goodness, that was the right choice for the voters - no one should be allowed to change the voters'wishes...no matter how good of a politician one is....that's when things change, people change and their job becomes ineffective. Bloomberg should run for Governor in 2000 and he will win...he can do wonders in Albany.
Bloomberg is afraid that Quinn cannot remain Speaker after continually letting down all her members. There is already talk of a revolt if term limits are removed or extended. Three councilmembers are rumored to be candidates against Quinn. Sorry, their names are being withheld to protect them from retribution by Quinn and her partner Mike Bloomberg.
I suspect this has more to do with posturing to avoid being a lame-duck-mayor than anything since he did in fact fund the campaign last time around fighting the councils attempt to remove the term-limits.
As far as Councilman Domenic Recchia is concerned,you can't trust anything he says. He has thrown so many people under the bus,he's such a liar & back stabber, no wonder he would like to get another 4 years, to line his own pockets & his friends with the tax payers monies. HE'S A BUM. Even the NY Daily News has listed him as KNUCLEHEAD OF THE YEAR, back in 2006. He's also bought & paid for by Developers, especially Joe Sitt of Thor Equities, who wants to develop Coney Island into a Mega Mall & Condo City. He's only interested in the next "DEAL" he can make, to better himself not the community he was voted in to represent.
NY City Council should be abolished - these fat cats are getting so much money, not only with their stipend, but also by their developers, etc...it is a Club of Idiots who don't give a damn about the people they represent. The job is less than a part-time and the salaries are much more than full-time. Needless to say, their intelligence level is way below the national IQ...then you wonder why the City is in such a pathetic shape? Now they are trying to eliminate Term Limits...of course, what else are these morons going to do for a living - no one would hire them. Plus the incredible fact that they get Campaign matching funding - It's not enough that we pay ther huge salaries, we also pay for these morons to run for office...so we get screwed twice by the same idiots.
Well do something about it. Instead of worrying about federal races, shake up the local races. If more people knew that the MTA and pensions are going to bankrupt the city, more people would be outraged.
Mayor Without A Shovel
Mayor Michael Bloomberg is estimated to be worth 14 Billion Dollars.
Back in Feb. of 2003, the Mayor was responsible to revoke the parking permits of three of our NYC Councilmen from parking their vehicles at City Hall to
prevent them from representing their constituents from their
districts. Most were forced to use taxi cab's to get to their
job's at City hall. The reason? All because they voted against
his real estate tax hike's.
Back in early July, Mayor Bloomberg threatened to bank roll
any opponent in the coming election's against several of the
Councilmen who did not vote for his Congestion Pricing Plan.
This is a man who one political leader said and I quote: He
(the Mayor) is not use to anyone saying no to him. We the
public have voted and we say no to Mayor Michael Bloomberg
in his quest to seek a third term in public office.
In my opinion, this corporate micro-manager does not want
to lose his political immunity while in public office from
possible Federal prosecution for discriminating against three
pregnant woman who lost their job's in his company. Attorney
General Andrew Cuomo has the obligation to the people of
our state to investigate all off these allegation's in a public
forum and remove this tyrant who is quick to call a deceased
9/11 responder who had died from breathing in the toxic air
at ground zero "not a hero" should be removed from public
office and sent packing to his corporate headquarters were he
and his cronies could abuse more pregnant women.
I have a friend who was a 9/11 responder and was just
notified that something was growing in his lungs.
I'm sure the Mayor will tell his 16 year old daughter that her
father (God forbid) was not a hero and that they would not be
eligible for any monetary compensation and to "do more with
less"
All from an arrogant wealthy man who never picked up a
shovel at ground zero.