Michael Bloomberg

Choire Sicha sees today's New York Times story about the apprehension of the city's "corporate titans" about the end of the Bloomberg era as "a bit of sophisticated propaganda" from Kevin Sheekey and other Bloomberg allies who haven't given up hope of eliminating the pesky term limits law in time for next year's election.

Anthony Weiner said in a recent interview that the public hasn't noticed Michael Bloomberg's failure to push the city's agenda in Albany because the mayor has "had a lapdog press corps."

The Congressman, of course, may have to deal with that press corps if he runs for mayor next year.

When I asked Weiner spokesman John Collins about the "lapdog" comment, he emailed:

"We won't be a press critic. The mayor's operation does a good job on all fronts and I think Anthony will stay out of the press evaluation business."

 

Yesterday, Jon Bon Jovi and Michael Bloomberg held a joint press conference to announce a free concert in Central Park on July 12.

About nine minutes into the video, Bon Jovi is recalling other concerts in the park, and he notes that earlier, Bloomberg had mispronounced Art Garfunkel's name (he apparently said Garfinkel).

“Did I say that?” Bloomberg asks. “He’s my neighbor too. He lives next door.”

The local community board in Queens has endorsed the Bloomberg administration’s plans to redevelop Willets Point, the industrial 61-acre site by Shea Stadium, according to a late-night release from the Bloomberg administration. The vote comes despite opposition from the local City Council members, housing advocacy groups and property owners.

We don’t yet have key details—such as the margin of the vote or the conditions attached to the endorsement—but the city sent out an announcement hailing the vote a bit before 1 a.m.

Such community board endorsements are rather uncommon early in the process of contentious rezonings, as the boards usually vote against the developments with a set of conditions they want to see satisfied.  read more »

Spanish-language television ads that feature Michael Bloomberg encouraging people to vote are tentatively scheduled to air in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut in mid to late August and September, according to a person familiar with the plans.

The ads are part of a nationwide campaign called “Ya es Hora,” which is produced by the Spanish-language television network Univision and will feature mayors from around the country.

Univision has produced similar public service announcements in the past, but this is the first year they’ve included mayors. (Bloomberg, however, has touted his Spanish skills before.)

A person familiar with the program said they decided to include mayors like Bloomberg, Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and others because they'll be recognized outside their city's borders.  read more »

Last night at the New York Blood Center auditorium on the Upper West Side, Assemblyman Micah Kellner moderated a panel on post-congestion-pricing solutions for city transportation that reached a general consensus but no real solution: Congestion pricing is not a bad idea, the proposal was just executed poorly, and right now the M.T.A. is, as one panelist said, in “deep doo-doo.”

“The congestion pricing plan proposed by Mayor Bloomberg failed to gain approval in the State Legislature in the spring,” said Kellner, who was a vocal proponent of congestion pricing. "Neither the plan’s supporters nor its critics seem to have a firm idea of what to do next.  read more »

Not everyone is happy with the $59.1 billion budget that Michael Bloomberg and the City Council agreed upon last night, which preserved property tax cuts and school aid by cutting funds to cultural programs and senior centers.

“I’m very dissatisfied in terms of calling it a budget negotiation,” Councilman Lew Fidler told me in an interview this morning. “A number of us went to the quote-unquote 'handshake' last night to support the speaker, but not because we thought there was a partnership with the mayor.”

Fidler said Bloomberg "wanted to raise the property taxes.”

Raising property taxes may be necessary if budget revenues continue to decline, Fidler acknowledged.  read more »

During his weekly appearance on John Gambling’s radio show this morning, Michael Bloomberg defended the amount of money going to education in the budget the City Council just passed, saying, “It isn’t like we’re cutting the schools' [funding].”

He added, “I’m in a business where if they ask for 10 percent, and you give them a 6 percent raise, they say, 'You cut us 4 percent.' In government speak, you talk about cutting, but cutting from the budgets.”

Referring to the overall budget, Bloomberg went on, “The truth is, in absolute dollars, we are spending this coming year, assuming it holds together, virtually exactly the same.  read more »

Earlier this afternoon, a diverse cast of politicians gathered in front of the Brooklyn House of Detention on Atlantic Avenue to protest the Bloomberg administration's plan to reopen and expand the downtown jail. (It was the Bloomberg administration that closed it back in 2003, due to high costs).

Councilman and city comptroller candidate David Yassky, comptroller and likely mayoral candidate Bill Thompson, State Senators Marty Connor and Velmanette Montgomery, Assemblywoman Joan Millman, and Randy Mastro, a deputy mayor under Rudy Giuliani, were among the rally participants. They all gave the current administration an earful for creating what they portray as a serious impediment to the goal of creating a financial hub in Brooklyn.  read more »

Earlier today, Michael Bloomberg defended the pledge he reportedly made to help Dean Skelos keep the narrow majority Republicans hold in the State Senate.

“Because I have said repeatedly I will help those who help this city,” Bloomberg said when he was asked why he made the promise during a Q&A with reporters in Lower Manhattan after unveiling the Waterfalls. “The Republicans in the State Senate were willing to vote for congestion pricing, and the Democrats were not. And there’s been a whole bunch of things where they have been there to help us," he added. "If the Democrats help us, I’ll support them as well.  read more »