By Erik Engquist, November 23, 2008 - 2:46 pm
LINK
Predictions that diminished stature and a hostile environment awaited Mayor Michael Bloomberg on the other side of his term-limits fight have come true—and earlier than expected.
In the month since he signed the bill that allows him to run for a third term, hardly a day has gone by without a major city employer announcing layoffs, or another dismal economic indicator making headlines. With tax revenues dropping, he has proposed $2.5 billion in tax increases and service cuts, sparking anger and fear among special-interest groups. He has been challenged by an emboldened City Council, and his approval rating has fallen 9 points, to 59%—its lowest point in three years.
“The term-limits fight did significant damage to his image as someone who was above the normal political fray,” says lobbyist Richard Lipsky, a frequent critic of the mayor's. “It's not so much that he's having more missteps than before; it's that people are willing to challenge him because they don't see him as sacrosanct.”
The mayor hasn't made life any easier for himself by withholding the $400 tax-rebate checks he had promised to homeowners, and advancing a plan that could close some senior centers.
“People are literally scared in New York, and no group more than seniors,” says Councilman Eric Gioia, D-Queens.
After teaming up to pass the term-limits extension, the council and the mayor have been at odds. Council members have filed a lawsuit to save the rebate checks and blasted the changes to senior services. Brooklyn Councilman Lew Fidler said that the mayor's responses portrayed a “let them eat cake” attitude toward struggling New Yorkers.
“The honeymoon didn't last very long,” says Doug Muzzio, a public affairs professor at Baruch, noting the irony that a month ago, council members—most of whom benefited from the extension of term limits—were praising the mayor's fiscal acumen.
Council members and the mayor often see the city differently. Members, who get more direct feedback from constituents, tend to take a more parochial view, while the mayor takes a broader view and at times can seem insensitive to individual concerns.
The council has perhaps become more aggressive in opposing the mayor's service cuts and tax increases now that most of them will be running for re-election next year. They're especially sensitive to seniors.
“This is not only the most vulnerable of populations, but this is also the most politically active community in our city,” says Councilman James Vacca, D-Bronx. “Seniors vote.”
In some cases, the prospect of a third term has helped the mayor. He was able to get council approval for a controversial rezoning of Willets Point in Queens, and he reached an agreement to buy Coney Island land from a developer whose plan for the amusement area differed greatly from Mr. Bloomberg's.
Before term limits were extended, the developer appeared content to wait for another mayor to take the reins in 2010. On Willets Point, 31 council members had signed a letter opposing the threat of eminent domain by the mayor, who was then a lame duck.
But given the economy, it will be years before anything is built.
“All of these dreams are confronting a harsh reality,” says Baruch's Mr. Muzzio. “It's just obvious that they can't happen.”
The mayor is even catching grief for projects that are happening, namely stadiums for the Mets and the Yankees, which are being financed by tax-free bonds while the city is starving for tax revenue.
“The teams are getting a subsidy from the public,” Mr. Muzzio says. “The stadiums may be physical legacies, but they're real problematic from a policy point of view.”
Mayoral aides dismiss the notion that Mr. Bloomberg is particularly embattled.
He faced a large budget deficit early in his mayoralty and raised property taxes, then watched his approval rating plunge. He endured withering condemnation during his bid to implement congestion pricing, which was shot down by the state Legislature in April. And there has never been a shortage of critics hectoring him at City Hall press conferences.
Weiner Takes The High Road
The Daily Politics, November 21, 2008
LINK
Rep. Anthony Weiner just released a decidedly low-key response to today's Marist poll that found Mayor Bloomberg's popularity is waning while the Brooklyn/Queens congressman's position in the 2009 race has strengthened.
It's a marked departure from Weiner's rhetoric at the height of the term limits extension battle, during which he led the charge for a public referendum and sought to strengthen his position as the champion of the middle class by railing against how a privileged few (Bloomberg, Ron Lauder, newspaper publishers) were doing an end run around the public.
Back then, Weiner was organizing the public to come and testify in opposition to the term limits bill. But now, he's talking about the need to "help the mayor be successful in New York" at a time when the city is facing a serious fiscial crisis.
(This isn't the first time the congressman has changed his tune on the mayor. After attacking Bloomberg as an out-of-touch billionaire back in 2005, Weiner sang the mayor's praises this past July at a Crain's New York Business forum).
Here's Weiner's statement on the Marist poll.
"Our economy is in trouble and we're feeling it in New York City more and more every day. We have to be honest and straightforward about the challenges we face: real people are hurting and tough choices lie ahead."
"My focus is doing the job I was elected to do and working in Washington trying to help get a recovery going, and help middle class people and those struggling to make it find some relief. I want to help the Mayor be successful in New York. I don't believe this is a time for reading polls, it's a time solving the problems our City and country faces."
New poll shows mayor’s popularity dropping
By Matthew Sollars, Crain's NY Business, November 21, 2008 - 3:25 pm
LINK
A new poll shows that Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s popularity dropped as the economy nosedived and the term limits controversy turned some New Yorkers against him.
According to the poll conducted by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, 59% of New Yorkers say the mayor is doing a good job, compared with 68% in in October.
In that time, Mr. Bloomberg pushed through controversial legislation to extend term limits for himself and other city officials and proposed cuts to the city’s budget in response to the financial crisis. As a part of those budget cuts, the mayor threatened to rescind the popular $400 property tax rebate, which was approved last summer.
“The political climate is tainted by the economy right now,” says Gerry O’Brien, a political consultant. “These days, the mayor’s primary job is finding stuff to cut, and that never makes anyone happy.”
The mayor’s office says the dip in popularity is a result of the financial crisis and Mayor Bloomberg’s efforts to lead the city out of it.
“Mayor Bloomberg has never been afraid to make the kind of tough decisions needed to get the city through these tough times and back on steady footing again,” said Stu Loeser, the mayor’s spokesman.
The poll also shows New Yorkers are divided over the direction of the city and whether the extension of term limits was good or bad. New Yorkers have soured on the city’s prospects, with 45% saying the city is on the right track, while 47% think it’s heading in the wrong direction. In 2006, the last time Marist asked about the direction of the city, 64% said the city was on the right track, while 30% said the wrong track.
On term limits, 43% of New Yorkers believe the extension bill that was passed last month is a bad thing. Just 30% say it was a good thing. Significantly, 40% say the term limits extension makes it less likely they will support his bid for a third term. Mr. O’Brien says term limits will have an impact on the mayor’s race in 2009.
“He’s always had a reputation as a non-politician and I think he has less of that aura about him now,” says Mr. O’Brien.
When matched up against his likely Democratic opponents in the 2009 mayoral race, the mayor still holds a healthy lead. Rep. Anthony Weiner trails Mr. Bloomberg by 14 points. Last month, the difference was 26 points. Mr. Bloomberg’s lead over city Comptroller William Thompson has narrowed to 20 points from 25 last month.
“Clearly, there was some fallout,” said Lee Miringhoff, the director of the Marist Institute. He said declines in the mayor’s approval ratings were evenly distributed along economic and racial lines.
“The results show a shrinking of his numbers across the board,” said Mr. Miringhoff. He says the next snapshot of public opinion, due at the beginning of next year, will help clarify whether the decline is “a trend or short-term dissatisfaction over the state of the economy.”
For this poll, Marist interviewed 696 registered voters in New York City from Nov. 17-19.
Reader Comments:
On 2008.11.21 04:24 pm, Ernesto said:
Pehaps the mayor will someday understand his "eat cake" and in your face policies are growing tiresome.
On 2008.11.21 05:47 pm, ROSEMARY said:
Mayor Bloomberg has earned his “can do, above-the-politics” reputation while presiding over the greatest expansion of profits in financial services in history, which has had the salutary effect of filling the city’s coffers with piles of tax dollars. Frankly, it’s not that difficult to lead successfully when all one has to do is cut taxes, send out property tax rebates and pat one’s self on the back now and again.
What this “can do” mayor could not do was those very things that were not a singular benefit of free-flowing tax revenues: he could not win approval to build his stadium, he could not win approval for congestion pricing, he could not force the TLC to demand owners to purchase hybrid cars and he could not attract the Olympics; and he could not diversify the industrial base of this one-industry town, which was never more apparent a critical need than in the seven years since September 11th.
Indeed, one of the few things he could do – in addition to subordinating the will of the people to his own desire for a third term -- was to win the City Council’s approval to build an over-sized, over-budget 3-district consolidated garbage truck facility with a 75’ companion salt shed in Hudson Square, a project that will destroy this emerging neighborhood and bring to a screeching halt the achievement of a 25 year old dream: a continuous belt of residential community stretching from Battery Park to Chelsea along the low-rise, lower west side, all well positioned to enjoy the vibrancy of Hudson River Park –which, presumably, was designed for the enjoyment of these west side residents, just as the East Side enjoys its waterside life. In the process, he will spend $200 million more for this facility than for the one already approved through ULURP to serve the same communities – but which was tabled as the Mayor envisioned a legacy of mixed use development built over Hudson Yards – or when Joe Rose expressed an interest in building a hotel in the same area (Lot 675 at 10th Avenue and 30th Street), depending on just how jaded one’s point of view may be.
As the global financial sector struggles against wholesale collapse, no city will suffer more than New York, and we are already seeing Mr. Bloomberg’s weakness is the art of politics: he has unilaterally announced he won’t send out promised property tax rebates (though he could pay for them by opting to build the first Sanitation project instead of the second since Joe Rose is not likely to be adding a hotel to the area anytime soon, given national vacancy rates in hotels from coast to coast right now). He can’t get along with the City Council, now that they can’t just happily join him on the financial industry tax revenue express. He is churlish at meetings and press conferences, and unwilling to acknowledge that his plans should also change, as circumstances (and tax revenues) change. He is a wealthy executive accustomed to having things his way. Now that he has the right to run for a third term, let’s see if his executive “can do” in the face of many, many factors well beyond his control, earn him the same high marks from the rising number of unemployed citizens, from property owners who do not get their tax rebate, from communities that are crushed under his uncompromising will, and from anyone who suffers at the receiving end of his more frequent snappish remarks.
On 2008.11.21 06:16 pm, TIM said:
The Mayor has shown his true colors by providing the will of the people with a rousing Bronx Cheer.
Not a man “above politics” but a conceited thug who won’t step aside gracefully, rather he has shown that he will take any steps to enforce his will regardless what the electorate has voted for via referendum.
Yet like his West Side Stadium or the Atlantic Yards (the Mayor has been extremely beneficial to developers, the Middle Class, not so much), Michael Bloomberg’s dream of a third term will fade to black.
He has shown that he does not deserve a third term and should leave office the minute his term ends. He should take the Gang of 29 with him, they deserve nothing but our scorn.
On 2008.11.21 08:23 pm, lisamarie said:
Thank you three above for saving me the effort of spewing my outrage towards Czar Bloomy! Let me just add to his Highness’ failure to use his financial acumen for NYC’s future well being during the boom years; he did not save, he did not pay down our debt he increased it, he did not do much for infrastructure, but it can be born out no better than by remembering his opposition earlier this year to raising income taxes .83% on any resident who made more than 1 million per year for two years running – that’s $8,300 per million. But now he seems to have no problem suggesting income taxes should be raised up to 15% on us all as well as reneging on the $400 property tax rebate which he has no legal authority to do. If the press could muster the testosterone to remind the majority of Bloomberg’s opposition to the millionaire’s tax in light of all the tax increases for everyone he now seems to wholly endorse I think he would find his approval rating slipping into the toilet, rather than a slipping mere 9%.
On 2008.11.21 11:43 pm, Lawrence said:
Yes, thank you all above. I can not parse it better. Two terms and look at us, yet with temerity and indefatigable arrogance he pushes and convinces a limp $@^@&# council to follow suit and vote for this most infuriating measure. Lets all blindly give this man a third term just like we allow congress to give billions, BILLIONS of tax dollars to bail out failed banks, billions to auto makers who have no concept of change with the times thinking while the rest of the world blows right by them, the very same people who can't run a business or a monetary system and caused this ruination. yes, lets just bend over and yell, "Please sir, may I have another?" If this man gets elected, we will rue the day. Crisis struck with him in office, he can not fix this, he does not deserve reward for kicking his constituency in the ass and NY will role back to 1974. ea, but its not his fault he will tell you. Only the wealthy can afford basic, reasonable housing. This is ridiculous. I just can't regain composure. crew Bloomberg.
On 2008.11.22 01:21 pm, Denise said:
In response to Rosemary's comment:
I couldn't agree more. The Mayor has been a big disappointment. His decision to fund a half- billion $ garage to replace three existing garages, when the City is in a fiscal crisis and is cutting services to all communities, both rich and poor, is unconscionable.
Also, his talk of environmental stewardship is just that -- talk. The City intends to provide free parking at the garage for employees; District 5, located midtown, would travel 4,200 extra miles/year; and the airborne salt from the salt shed would cause health, infrastructure, and environmental impacts.
Furthermore, the whole process lacks transparency. The City received all required approvals to build a two-district garage in Hudson Yards, but abandoned that plan when the Mayor's golf buddies became interested in building there.
On 2008.11.22 02:12 pm, JOE said:
I couldn't agree more with the comments above. The mayor has been a regressive influence on life in the City. An area not covered above regards individual rights. The Mayor seems not to be aware of them at all. For example:
Property rights: The prohibition of smoking in restaurants and bars is a violation of the proprietors rights to determine how he/she wants to use the property.
Another violation of property rights is eminent domain which the Mayor has said he supports its use in Willets Point and Brooklyn (Atlantic Yards). It matters no whether the rightful owner is "justly compensated," eminent domain is theft.
Freedom of speech: Forcing restaurants to post calorie counts violates this right. Just as you have the freedom to speak, you have the freedom not to speak. To force speech is to violate the freedom of speech. If a restaurateur wants to post calorie counts, that's fine. But if not, that's a freedom protected by the US Constitution. And, oh, by the way, a private citizen has not right to information. Rather there is only the right to seek the information.
Right of association: Proprietors of restaurants and bars have the freedom and right to determine who enters their private establishment and under what rules. If the proprietor wants to permit smoking by customers, that is a private agreement, a right of association. If customers don't like it, they can go elsewhere. If there is no elsewhere, then there is no elsewhere. If employees don't like "second-hand smoke," get a job somewhere else. You should have been smart and observant enough to see the smoke before inhaling it.
Taxation: Of course all taxation is theft. But some taxation is gross theft. For example, take the taxation of cigarettes. If it wasn't for cigarette taxes and the looting of tobacco companies in that settlement foisted upon them several years ago, government local, state and federal would have been in a "budget" crisis years ago.
On the one hand the government tells you that smoking is unhealthy. But they need the tobacco tax money. So, you must sacrifice yourself and your life for the sake of the government. You must smoke, smoke, smoke that cigarette so that you will pay, pay, pay the tobacco taxes.
This is just a small list of the atrocities perpetrated on us by the Bloomberg Administration. And he wants a third term? Just how much more mischief will he be able to achieve? Just how more will he violate our individual rights? Just how much closer will he move us to a full-fledged fascist dictatorship?
On 2008.11.22 02:25 pm, JOE said:
Sorry for this duplication, but the Crain's screen apparently timed out before I could do a spell check. Hopefully, the version below contains no spelling or grammatical errors.
I couldn't agree more with the comments above. The mayor has been a regressive influence on life in the City. An area not covered above regards individual rights. The Mayor seems not to be aware of them at all. For example:
Property rights: The prohibition of smoking in restaurants and bars is a violation of the proprietor's right to determine how he/she wants to use the property.
Another violation of property rights is eminent domain which the Mayor has said he supports in Willets Point and Brooklyn (Atlantic Yards). It matters not whether the rightful owner is "justly compensated," eminent domain is theft.
Freedom of speech: Forcing restaurants to post calorie counts violates this right. Just as you have the freedom to speak, you have the freedom not to speak. To force speech is to violate the freedom of speech. If a restaurateur wants to post calorie counts, that's fine. But if not, that's a freedom protected by the US Constitution. And, oh, by the way, a private citizen has no right to information. Rather, there is only the right to seek the information.
Right of association: Proprietors of restaurants and bars have the freedom and right to determine who enters their private establishment and under what rules. If the proprietor wants to permit smoking by customers, that is a private agreement, a right of association. If customers don't like it, they can go elsewhere. If there is no elsewhere, then there is no elsewhere. If employees don't like "second-hand smoke," get a job somewhere else. You should have been smart and observant enough to see the smoke before inhaling it.
Taxation: Of course all taxation is theft. But some taxation is gross theft. For example, take the taxation of cigarettes. If it wasn't for cigarette taxes and the looting of tobacco companies in that settlement foisted upon them several years ago, government local, state and federal would have been in a "budget" crisis years ago.
On the one hand the government tells you that smoking is unhealthy. But they need the tobacco tax money. So, you must sacrifice yourself and your life for the sake of the government. You must smoke, smoke, smoke that cigarette so that you will pay, pay, pay the tobacco taxes.
This is just a small list of the atrocities perpetrated on us by the Bloomberg Administration. And he wants a third term? Just how much more mischief will he be able to achieve? Just how many times more will he violate our individual rights? Just how much closer will he move us to a full-fledged fascist dictatorship?
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