In 2002, Bloomberg said when he vetoed a piece of legislation that would extend, slightly, the terms of a few members of the city council...
''At a time of excessive cynicism about so many of our institutions, I believe that elected officials should seek at every opportunity to maintain and enhance the trust of the citizens,'' Mr. Bloomberg wrote in his formal veto letter to Victor L. Robles, the city clerk and himself a former councilman ousted last year by term limits. ''This bill would send an unfortunate message about the impact and importance of their votes and set a perilous precedent for future leaders of this city.''
http://query.ny
Now that HIS term is ending, unlike 2002 when his 8 years was just beginning, he has changed his mind? How can we believe such a change of heart at such an critical time?
he went on to say...
''I believe it is simply inappropriate for those members elected in 1997, who were aware of the rules under which they were elected, to seek to change those rules in a manner that may work to their own advantage.''
Well, that settles it. If somehow Mr. Bloomberg changes his mind, he will have violated, in every "manner," the rules he "was aware of."
That is why I believe that this story has little to do with Mr. Bloomberg. This issue is really about the members of the city council - speaker Quinn most of all who have NO PLACE to work going forward. Bloomberg, in his effort to become the next Governor of the state, will allow the city council and speaker Quinn to do this with the quid-pro-quo that they will help him, or at least not work "against" him, to become the next governor of NY. Actually, the Council may do better with him as governor when it comes to patronage then they might from Patterson at this point, who is at odds with his own party in the Assembly and elsewhere right now, especially in NYC.
Bloomberg more than likely would sign an extension of a city council passed bill to extend terms without running for re-election. He will pass on the run for Mayor in 2009, for a chance to run in 2010 for governor with the non-publicly committed, yet clearly understood support for the Mayor as Governor, from the most powerful representatives
As well, after a few hundred grand in contributions, the Mayor will have solidified GOP support in the State Senate. The GOP may lose full control of the Senate in 2008, yet with Patterson and the Democrats in the Senate not on the same page, Bloomberg's influence could grow with commonly rank-and-file Democrats in both bodies and keep a strong enough coalition in the NY State Senate to get it's collective support.
Kevin Sheaky, Bloomberg's key aide, is smart. He's postured Bloomberg as a Presidental, VP, Treasury Secretary candidate and now as a Third term Mayoral candidate, all with the real goal of making him the next Governor of NY - presumably under the guise of finishing" all the work he started as Mayor.
In my mind, the people spoke on this issue. Although term limits are the "poor man's version" of clean electoral politics, they have some beneficial effect at the NYC, local level. The goal of those to overturn it has NOTHING to do with ideology and clean elections/gover
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