Michael Bloomberg | The New York Observer

Agreement Reached on Authorities Reform

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:14:54 -0500

ALBANY—Assemblyman Richard Brodsky just swung by to announce an agreement between legislative leaders and David Paterson to increase oversight of public authorities.

"It's an idea that is about the control of rogue institutions. I've called them Soviet-style bureaucracies. This is the end of that era," Brodsky said. "For people worried about debt reform or who are worried about secretive decision making or who ware worried about people taking political orders and about people lobbying...

Avella Wants More Oversight of Mayoral Appointments

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:40:55 -0500

Michael Bloomberg said he is looking to replace a dozen or more commissioners as he goes into his third term at City Hall, but those appointments, and other top positions in his administration, would have to be vetted in a public hearing by the City Council, according to a new bill introduced to the Council on Monday.

The bill, introduced by outgoing Councilman Tony Avella of Queens, and Councilwoman Anabel Palma of the Bronx, calls...

Arizona Congressman: What If Bloomberg's Daughter Was Kidnapped?

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:24:54 -0500

Here's Rep. John Shadegg of Arizona, a Republican, arguing against having the 9/11 trial in New York, and challenging Michael Bloomberg with a dreadful, hypothetical scenario.

"I saw the mayor of New York say 'We're tough. We can do it.' Well mayor, how are you going to feel when it's your daughter that's kidnapped at school by a terrorist?"

A spokesman for Bloomberg said they're not going to dignify the comment with a response.

UPDATE: Anthony...

Bloomberg Seeks $1.2 Billion in Cuts for Next Year

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:27:31 -0500

Michael Bloomberg wants to cut more than a billion dollars from next year's budget, and $550 million from this current budget, according to a letter to the heads of city agencies (and reporters) this afternoon.

For the current year, Bloomberg is...

The Liu and Bloomberg Photo

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:57:32 -0500

Courtesy of the mayor's...

Bloomberg on NYC Hosting 9/11 Trial: 'Fitting'

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:10:44 -0500

Michael Bloomberg is out with a statement supporting "the Obama Administration’s decision" to host the trial of an alleged 9/11 plotter here in New York City.

A spokesman for the mayor declined to offer an estimate as to how much security for the trial will cost, in terms of dollars and manpower. But the spokesman did say the federal government had reimbursed the city for security costs associated with similar trials in the past.

Here is...

Bloomberg for Khazei

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:49:19 -0500

Michael Bloomberg is endorsing Alan Khazei to replace Ted Kennedy in the Senate.

Khazei is running in a tough, four-way Democratic primary and has already picked up the support of Maxwell Kennedy, RFK's son. He is not expected to win.

But as The Cape Cod Times wrote, Khazei "is one of the lesser known of four Democrats vying for the party's nomination." He has an impressive resume which includes a degree from Harvard, work experience with...

Bloomberg Explains, Defends the Imam Meeting

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:02:00 -0500

Michael Bloomberg took a hit in the tabloids today for including a controversial Imam in his meeting with Muslim leaders yesterday.

Today, Bloomberg – with purposeful calm – told reporters he probably wouldn’t have invited Siraj Wahhaj had he known of the imam’s background, which includes being identified by the FBI as “unindicted co-conspirator” in the 1993 World Trade Center Bombing and appearing as a defense witness for the man convicted of plotting to blow...

The First Holiday Party Invitation

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:19:17 -0500

The first political person to send out an invitation to a holiday party this year is...

Bernard Whitman!

He’s the guy who raised money for the "next mayor" Christine Quinn before he got picked up to do polling for Michael Bloomberg.

Whitman's party is taking place in Soho the first week of December. I'm allowed to attend, but I'm not sure if my camera is. Anyway, if there are more opportunities to drink eggnog and trade campaign...

What Was in That Anthony Weiner Poll?

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:20:14 -0500

Anthony Weiner’s comments about how he really could have beaten Michael Bloomberg have caused a little stir this morning.

Aside from how it must look from Bill Thompson's perspective, it's also gotten him into a trade of insults with people in the White House.

But since he opened the door...

A couple of readers reminded me that there was a $44,600 poll Weiner had paid for days before officially withdrawing from the race. His aides never disclosed...

Weiner Returns to City Hall

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:25:49 -0500

Anthony Weiner could have held his press conference about federal health care legislation anywhere he wanted on Sunday. He held it in front of City Hall.

There's been no shortage of finger-pointing among Democrats over who's really to blame for not helping Bill Thompson in his unexpectedly close loss to Michael Bloomberg. Weiner himself has come under fire for criticizing the White House's conspicuously insignificant role in the race. But Weiner himself is not in...

Unreleased Marist Poll Showed Thompson Closing in on Bloomberg

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:03:23 -0500

A Marist poll completed the day before the election but never made public showed “a continuation of the trend we saw in the previous week” with “Democrats and African-Americans coming home,” said pollster Lee Miringoff.

Miringoff said the poll also showed “Bloomberg’s numbers had this low-50s element.”

The methodology here was slightly different than in earlier Marist polls. Instead of calling mostly land lines and "random dialing" to expand the pool of participants, this latest poll...

Bloomberg Confident He'll Make Friends with Liu, City Council

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:01:35 -0500

Michael Bloomberg brushed aside questions about his apparently contentious relationships with incoming city comptroller John Liu, who declined to meet the mayor for coffee, and with a (presumably) emboldened City Council.

At a press conference this morning about expanding 311 to include the MTA, Bloomberg explained Liu's apparent snub, saying, “Well, he’s been very busy, but we’ll get together. You can rest assure that we will all work together.”

Later, when asked if he was expecting...

Staten Island Room

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:37:42 -0500

Michael Bloomberg has said he removed politics from government. Not so easy to do, though.

From the New York Times:

In the days after the mayor had emerged, victorious, but badly bruised, from his fight to rewrite the city’s term limits law, Mr. Bloomberg and his three top deputies, Edward Skyler, Patricia E. Harris and Kevin Sheekey, gathered in the Staten Island room in City Hall and began to plot his...

Unofficial Results: Liu and de Blasio Get More Votes Than Bloomberg

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:55:55 -0500

The person who got the most votes in yesterday’s election?

No, not Michael Bloomberg. It’s Comptroller-elect John Liu.

According to unofficial results, Liu got 696,330 votes, with 652,511 on the Democratic line, and 43,819 on the WFP line.

The second-highest total belonged to Bill de Blasio, in the public advocate’s race. He got 672,383 votes. 627,390 came on the Democratic line and 44,993 from the WFP line.

Michael Bloomberg got 557,059 votes in total. 414,242 came from the...

Bloomberg Spends Big, Wins Small, Survives on Independence Party Votes

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:38:48 -0500

Bill Thompson beat Michael Bloomberg among New Yorkers who cast their votes on the Democratic and Republican lines, 479,521 to 414,242.

But Bloomberg’s margin of victory last night was delivered by the Independence Party line, where the mayor got 142,817 votes, compared to the 27,196 Thompson got on his major third party line, the Working Families Party, according to unofficial results from the city Board of Elections.

This can be attributed mostly to the fact that...

Spotted: Bloomberg, Sanjaya

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:26:30 -0500

Michael Bloomberg hasn’t had an event on his public schedule since 8 a.m. this morning.

There are some theories--David Seifman said the mayor is already calling to thank supporters and practice his victory speech (no lack of confidence over there).

One person on Twitter said Bloomberg “set up a table” on 135th and Lennox.

And in slightly unrelated weird news, Sanjaya, the long-haired phenom from American idol, is over at Avenue N and 56th Street in Brooklyn,...

Bloomberg Meets a Polite Thompson Supporter

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:25:05 -0500

Among the people who stopped to shake Michael Bloomberg’s hand at 72nd Street and Broadway this morning was Richie Fife, the campaign manager for Democratic Governor David Paterson.

Fife, whose boss endorsed Bill Thompson, shook the mayor’s hand and chatted for a few moments. I didn’t hear what they said but it seemed polite.

Afterward, Fife emailed to say, “I said good to see him and wished him luck.”

That's better than what happened when Bloomberg met...

No Rest for the Trackers

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:59:28 -0500

Even though the polls open for only a few more hours, there’s still time for candidates to mess up and for a rival to make use of that negative information.

Which explains why Erica, the (friendly!) woman from the Bloomberg campaign charged with following Bill Thompson, is out in the field today.

A source on the Thompson campaign spotted her at several events. A Bloomberg source shrugged at the notion that this is anything out of...

More Bloomberg Calls, But Live

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:56:51 -0500

Here’s a live call a reader from Manhattan just got from Michael Bloomberg’s campaign, urging people to re-elect the mayor.

“To keep our city safe and strong, we need Mike Bloomberg, and he needs your vote,” the caller says.

The live calls are being done by Whitman Strategies, and the robocalls, of which there are plenty, are being done by Corporate Spoken Hub, I’m told.

Any other interesting robocalls, live calls or general campaign-y stuff floating around...

Bloomberg's Day Before

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:19:36 -0500

Michael Bloomberg, who is outspending opponent Bill Thompson $85 million to $6 million, said he doesn't need to win by a landslide tomorrow--he just wants to win.

Outside a bakery on Staten Island this morning, the mayor said, "Maybe a win's a win, but you'd always like to have more. But nobody is going to remember two days later how much you won by. You're only going to remember who the...

In Bloomberg's Robocall to Latinos, a Nod to Sotomayor

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:10:55 -0500

Here is one of the many robocalls Michael Bloomberg’s campaign is sending out. This one, by Spanish television personality Denisse Oller, mentions Barack Obama and Sonia Sotomayor.

It’s targeted to Spanish voters, but was received by a reader originally from Manhattan with a distinctively Italian name.

“Not only did Mayor Mike recommend to President Obama that he nominate Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, but when some in congress publicly went against her, Mayor Mike...

In Russian, No Alternatives

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:01:05 -0400

Here's an ad the front page of a Russian newspaper, which, when translated, is slightly ominous.

"There is only one choice - Mike...

Bloomberg on Corzine: 'No Strain in Our Relationship'

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:43:21 -0400

David Chen is up with a story saying the relationship between Jon Corzine and Michael Bloomberg – Wall Street guys who entered politics at the same time - has become strained.

“I was at a dinner party with him, maybe, two months ago,” Bloomberg told reporters at Union Square this afternoon, when asked about Corzine. “I don’t think I’ve talked to him, maybe once or twice since. Some business stuff. But there’s certainly no strain...

Poll: 45 Percent Unswayed Over Term Limits

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:11:52 -0400

One fact that may underscore why Bill Thompson’s main complaint about Michael Bloomberg hasn’t served him better: 45 percent of registered voters said extending term limits made “no difference” in their decision.

That’s according to a new Marist poll, which shows Bloomberg leading Thompson 53 to 38 among likely voters, up slightly from last week, when Bloomberg led 52 to 36 percent.

In the latest poll, Bloomberg leads Thompson among Democrats, 47 to 39 percent.

Liz Benjamin...

Wolfson and Garin

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:05:47 -0400

When Mark Penn was dislodged from Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, the two people who stepped up to try righting the ship were Howard Wolfson and Geoffrey Garin.

Now, they’re working for rival candidates in the mayoral race.

After Garin released internal poll numbers yesterday showing Bill Thompson is closing the gap, Wolfson, in defense of his candidate, Michael Bloomberg, trashed Garin’s work.

In a public statement today, Wolfson said, “Bill Thompson’s poll gives new meaning to the...

Jon Stewart on Term Limits

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:50:04 -0400

The impression I got from watching this clip, via Jen Chung, is that he kind of likes...

Citizen Union Wants to Fight Albany

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:05:08 -0400

Citizens Union signaled they’re putting some muscle behind their criticisms, and focusing not just on “on criticizing government, but changing it in Albany,” according to their executive director, Dick Dadey.

In a speech last night at the Pierre Hotel right off Central Park, Dadey said, “We need to end the responsibility-ducking, ethically challenged culture, campaign cash influenced, closed-door deliberations, special interest driven, decision-making process that passes for Democracy in Albany.”

The crowd, which included a...

Thompson Gaining in Thompson Poll

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:47:38 -0400

Bill Thompson’s pollster, Geoffrey Garin, released internal polling numbers, calling this “a very close race.”

“This is a mayor who hasn’t been able to close the deal,” said Garin.

According to the Thompson polling, released late today in a conference call, showed Bloomberg leading Thompson 46 to 38 percent with 17 percent undecided, among 614 likely voters.

Among the 82 percent of people polled who said they were “certain” to vote, Bloomberg led Thompson 44 to 41...

Markowitz Says Vote Democratic (After Voting Bloomberg)

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:45:03 -0400

“What we do in the next five days is going to win the election,” Michael Bloomberg told supporters in his Atlantic Avenue campaign office in Brooklyn this afternoon.

Borough President Marty Markowitz, a Democrat, was on hand to support Bloomberg, but remind people to vote for others in the party.

“We have the benefit of a mayor who’s moved this city forward,” Markowitz said. But, he added, “Please, after people have voted for the mayor, tell...

Revealed! Bloomberg in Washington Heights, Thompson with Diaz Sr.

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:51:03 -0400

Sometimes, candidates campaign without the media.

This morning at 9 a.m., Michael Bloomberg had a breakfast in Washington Heights with seniors, which was not publicized by his campaign.

A campaign source said it wasn't publicized because they feared reporters wouldn't be able to make it on time, and that the mayor's schedule was so chock full of stuff that they couldn't guarantee when then event would start or end.

This person also said the campaign wanted to...

Cuomo to Endorse Thompson

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:57:54 -0400

Andrew Cuomo is expected to endorse fellow Democrat Bill Thompson today, possibly at an event in the Bronx, according to a person familiar with the event.

The endorsement comes late in the campaign, and it’s unclear if Cuomo, like other elected who have endorsed Thompson, will be any more critical than is absolutely necessary of Thompson's opponent, Michael Bloomberg.

The endorsement today may shed more light on the brewing governor’s race next year, where Cuomo is...

Bloomberg and Thompson Act Like Politicians on Taxes

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:07:48 -0400

The most memorable part of last night’s debate, for me, was the moment when Michael Bloomberg and Bill Thompson attacked one another when asked who would “consider raising taxes” to balance the budget.

It’s likely, if not unavoidable, that whoever is mayor over the next four years will have to raise taxes or fees, since he’ll be faced with a multi-billion-dollar deficit and little hope of getting help from Albany or Washington. As mayor, Bloomberg...

Thompson's Hip-Hop Coalition

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:15:40 -0400

Michael Bloomberg has Bono. Bill Thompson has Andre Harrell, and soon, the “hip-hop party.”

Thompson’s campaign has paid $30,000 since August to Harrell Entertainment, the company founded by hip-hop mogul Andre Harrell.

Harrell, in my book, is best known for giving a start to, and then firing, an up and coming producer named Sean Combs, aka P. Diddy. (It's not unlike Salomon Brothers firing a 31-year old in their tech division who ended up doing pretty...

Everywhere, Bloomberg

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:16:30 -0400

Michael Bloomberg held a women's rally at the Hammerstein Ballroom last night, where, in addition to the free pretzels and iced tea, guests were treated to a slide show of famous pop culture images, doctored to include the campaign logos. It seems the ubiquitous nature of Bloomberg's campaign is something he, and his critics, can agree on.

Here are some images Bloomberg's campaign showed off last night.

Click on the image above to start the slide...

Thompson Supporters See a Scary 2021

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:10:10 -0400

Liz gets her hands on the latest ad from the Communication Workers of America who, like Bill Thompson, are focusing their anti-Bloomberg efforts on term limits.

The best line, from this ad, about an imagined future New York City: "There are no public...

Quinn Argues Consistency, Then Backs Thompson

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:21:03 -0400

When Christine Quinn said she supported extending term limits, she said it was necessary in order to have the same in place to deal with the fiscal crisis.

“As we move forward in these very difficult times, continuity in leadership will allow our city to continue to work,” Quinn told reporters on October 12.

Today, she endorsed Bill Thompson, not incumbent Michael Bloomberg.

How does Quinn square her endorsement of Thompson with her reasoning for extending term...

Bloomberg Envisions 2013, Thompson Sees Empty Promises

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:56:34 -0400

Michael Bloomberg said crime that crime will be cut in half, and schools will be so good that suburban families would move into the city just to get their kids into one.

Those were among the highlights of Bloomberg’s speech this morning about what he thought the city would look like at the end of his third term: a cleaner, greener New York City with more efficiently run schools.

But the speech didn’t break much new...

Poll: Bloomberg at 53 percent

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:24:40 -0400

Michael Bloomberg leads Bill Thompson 53 to 35, according to a new Quinnipiac poll of 1,088 likely voters.

That’s virtually unchanged from their poll last month, which had Bloomberg leading 52 to 36.

This latest poll has Bloomberg leading 46 to 44 among Democrats, 61 to 24 among Independents, and 49 to 35 among Hispanics. Plus, he's leading in every borough.

Last week’s poll from Marist showed similar results, except it had Thompson leading in the Bronx.

A...

Paterson: Same-Sex Marriage on the Agenda for the Special Session

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:34:50 -0400

Governor David Paterson has promised to put same-sex marriage on the agenda when he calls lawmakers back to Albany for a special session to deal with business left undone since the coup back in June.

“Marriage equality will be on the calendar,” Paterson told an audience at the Empire State Pride Agenda’s annual fund-raiser in Manhattan last night. “Marriage equality is coming to New York State.”

The head of ESPA, Alan van Capelle, went further, calling...

An Anti-Bloomberg Rapper Elaborates

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:57:31 -0400

Two days ago, a rapper from Harlem released a song that criticized Michael Bloomberg for extending term limits, and encouraged voters to oust him in the November 3 election.

The Daily News reported that the song and accompanying video may have contained a racial slur when it asks "How many condos you sold now?" as an image of Bloomberg is shown kissing the Western Wall in Israel.

In a brief interview, the rapper, Rief Rawyal, formerly...

How New York Is Like Albuquerque, How New York Is Not Like Albuquerque

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:57:47 -0400

Bill Thompson and his supporters have made a calculated decision to invest heavily in the issue of Michael Bloomberg's term-limits extension, which, for campaign purposes, is arguably the most problematic aspect of the mayor's record.

Thompson has repeatedly stressed the issue, and now, one of his institutional supporters, the Communication Workers of America, is launching a second ad reminding people that it was the mayor who pushed for the term-limits extension, overriding two public referendums.

Will...

Poll: Bloomberg at 52 Percent

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:34:47 -0400

Michael Bloomberg inches over the 50 percent mark and now leads Bill Thompson, 52 to 36 percent, widening his lead now to 16 points, according to a new Marist poll. Last month, Bloomberg was hovering at 50 percent, with Thompson back at 39 percent. In July, Bloomberg was at 48 percent.

So, things are trending in Bloomberg's favor. He's even leading among Democratic voters, 47 to 39 percent.

Another figure that stood out to me: 62...

One Giuliani Critic Remains Silent

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:23:31 -0400

Errol Louis is out with a column this morning sharply criticizing Rudy Giuliani for comments he made over the weekend in Borough Park, where he warned that crime could rise to their pre-1993 levels if Michael Bloomberg wasn’t elected.

Louis also criticized Bloomberg for defending the comment by drawing a comparison to Detroit.

“New Yorkers, all too familiar with gutter politics, reacted instantly,” Louis wrote, before quoting a bunch of unhappy observers, like Bill de Blasio,...

Bloomberg Explains Axing Commissioners, Raising Taxes and Being Polite to Bill Thompson

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:22:20 -0400

At a Crain’s breakfast at the Sheraton this morning, Michael Bloomberg expanded on his comments about wanting to change commissioners in his third term.

“[I]t’s very difficult to walk in, look a commissioner in the eye and say, ‘You know, you have done great things, you’ve worked hard, you’ve done everything we’ve asked you. But it’s time to go.’ But that is what you have to do,” said Bloomberg. “That’s what management is all about.”

“If...

CFB Dismisses Thompson's Complaint Against Bloomberg, Then Changes Rules

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:13:21 -0400

Bill Thompson’s complaint against Michael Bloomberg for not publicly accounting for the the personal contributions he’s given to candidates has been dismissed.

The city Campaign Finance Board said their rules weren’t clarified before the issue was raised by Thompson back in August. Thompson complained that Bloomberg personally donated millions of dollars without declaring it as campaign spending. Bloomberg people responded by saying it wasn’t required, and then provided a list of other citywide candidates, all...

Bloomberg Downplays Obama's Thompson Endorsement

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:54:34 -0400

After getting a tepid endorsement from Barack Obama's spokesman, Bill Thompson is expected to get a warmer reception from the president, who is in town today.

When asked what he'd like to Obama to say, Thompson told reporters, "I have no idea what the president is going to say. I think his endorsement has been helpful so far. I’d like him to add to it and put a little more substance to it, but I...

Thompson Goes Past Bloomberg, Calls for Monserrate to Go

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:52:27 -0400

Bill Thompson thinks Hiram Monserrate should step down.

Speaking to reporters outside Michael Bloomberg’s campaign office, where he joined a protest organized by AIDS activists, Thompson said, “I think it’s becoming clearer, and clearer each and every day that in this case of domestic abuse is one that, in spite of the fact that he was only convicted of a misdemeanor, people feel that elected officials should be held to hire standards, and that senator...

Source: Detroit Mayor Reaches Out to Bloomberg

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:26:33 -0400

A source at the office of Detroit Mayor Dave Bing says the mayor there has reached out to Michael Bloomberg's administration in response to comments Bloomberg made on Sunday about New York possible going into Detroit-like decline.

I'm waiting to hear back from the mayor's...

On Bloomberg's Campaign Site, No Giuliani

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:24:17 -0400

When Rudy Giuliani endorsed Michael Bloomberg is 2001, he was everywhere. This year, he's pretty much nowhere.

He's not listed on the campaign web site's roster of supporters. Nor is there a video or image of Giuliani anywhere on campaign site.

Giuliani is mentioned prominently in the boilerplate section of press releases the campaign sends to reporters when announcing an endorsement. But his absence elsewhere is notable, considering the emphasis the Bloomberg campaign has placed on...