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Michael Bloomberg
Bloomberg: 9/11 Families Don’t Need ‘Political Lectures’
Sep 7th - 5:19 pm
In an interview with my downstate counterpart, Errol Louis, Mayor Bloomberg defended his decision not to let elected officials deliver extended remarks at the 10th anniversary commemoration of 9/11 Sunday, insisting families of the victims “don’t need political lectures.”
“I think no matter what an elected official says, it’s going to be viewed in the context of politics, particularly if they are going to run for office again or in the middle of a campaign,” Bloomberg said.
Govs. Andrew Cuomo and Chris Christie reportedly both pushed for a larger role in the ceremony, which will also be attended by President Obama, former President George W. Bush, former Gov. George Pataki and former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Bloomberg has refused to budge on the line-up for Sunday’s event – a position that has also angered members of the clergy, who were left off the program.
Louis’ full interview with Bloomberg, which is something of a rarity – the mayor hasn’t been on “Inside City Hall” in years (since 2009, as it turns out), although his commissioners regularly appear – will air tonight at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.
The mayor will also discuss his legacy and where he was on that fateful day when two planes hit the Twin Towers and changed NYC – and the world – forever.
de Blasio Calls For Bloomberg To Apologize
Sep 2nd - 3:54 pm
New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio sent a harsh letter to Mayor Michael Bloomberg today calling on him to apologize for failing to disclose his former deputy mayor’s domestic-violence arrest.
He notes that the arrest, which occurred several days before Goldsmith resigned — ostensibly for mishandling the city’s response to the blizzard and not the July incident — was even kept from Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.
And de Blasio notes that if a city official is arrested in the five boroughs, the case is forwarded to the Department of Investigation. Goldsmith’s arrest, which occurred in Washington DC, reveals a hole in the law, he says.
I am introducing legislation requiring that the arrests of City officials in jurisdictions outside New York City be immediately reported to the NYPD and the DOI, so that incidents can be properly reviewed and investigated. I urge you to support this measure.
Other elected officials, many who have designs on succeeding Bloomberg in 2013, have stepped up their criticism of the mayor after the Post reported this week of Goldsmith’s arrest.
Full letter after the jump. More >
Kellner Raises Concerns With Roosevelt Island
Aug 30th - 10:29 am
While Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s response to the storm was more or less praised (as opposed to his Bermuda blizzard vacation), Assemblyman Micah Kellner is raising issues with the preparations taken by the city for Roosevelet Island.
In a letter sent to Bloomberg, the Democratic lawmaker who represents the island writes that the island could have fared much worse if the storm were stronger.
And he points out that there’s no practical evaucation plan on the books for the island’s 14,000 residents.
From his letter:
While many of the evacuations throughout the City were smoothly executed, I fear that if the storm had been stronger we would be facing an extremely different and deadly outcome on Roosevelt Island. Despite being a Class “B” Flood Zone, Roosevelt Island was not immune to flooding. During this storm, there was severe flooding in Lighthouse Park, which is located at the northern tip of the Island and adjacent to the Coler Hospital campus. The eastern seawall which runs along to the Goldwater Hospital campus, the future site of the applied sciences center at the southern end of the Island, also flooded. In light of Irene being downgraded to a tropical storm before reaching New York and still causing flooding in close proximity to these to these two acute care hospitals on separate ends of the Island, it is safe to say the situation would have been
much more dire should a Class 1 or Class 2 hurricane have touched ground.
Praise For Bloomberg From Unlikely Source
Aug 29th - 11:34 am
Amid a lot of Monday morning (literally) quarterbacking about whether NY elected officials – particularly Mayor Bloomberg – overreacted in preparing for what turned out to be tropical storm, not Huricane, Irene, comes a statement commending the mayor from a frequent opponent: NYC Comptroller John Liu.
“Now that Hurricane Irene has come and gone, New Yorkers should take a moment to recognize that the storm’s effects would have been much worse if Mayor Bloomberg had not taken steps to properly prepare the City for the worst storm to hit the East Coast in decades,” Liu said.
“Many of us are still coping with flooding or other problems brought on by Irene, but there is no doubt that the early and successful coordination of City agencies, led by the Office of Emergency Management, mitigated the storm’s impact in the City.”
“The Mayor, his staff, agency commissioners and most importantly, our first responders, are to be commended for their extraordinary efforts to keep New Yorkers safe.”
This is notable for several reasons.
These two have been warring on and off, with the most verbal recent tussle over the city’s pension costs. During a meeting with the DN editorial board, Bloomberg called Liu someone who “doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” adding: “I don’t know where some of this stuff comes from.”
Liu, of course, is one of a handful of Democrats expected to run for mayor in 2013 when Bloomberg’s third term ends.
The NYTimes reports today that one of the worst-kept secrets at City Hall is that the mayor is all-but certain to endorse NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who has had a very good run of things over the past several months. That includes two rather flattering Times stories, including today’s piece.
It’s questionable how much pull Bloomberg’s backing will provide to the speaker. His poll numbers remain low and third term fatigue will likely have set in quite deeply by the time 2013 rolls around. Still, he’s still well-regarded in the business community, and those folks have cash – something very helpful to Quinn, who is not, unlike Bloomberg, independently wealthy.
Bloomberg had a lot of making up to do with Big Apple residents following last year’s Christmas blizzard disaster. He was not only in the city during the storm, but highly visible, too. The Daily Beast, which graded Irene performances of Northeastern elected officials, gave Bloomberg a B-, suggesting he overreacted a bit to compensate for the snowstorm debacle.
The Beast gave Gov. Andrew Cuomo and A, praising his “citizen journalism” in particular. But it also noted that the bulk of the damage and flooding occurred outside NYC, which is where the governor deployed most of the state’s resources – like the National Guard. So, the jury is still out to a certain degree on how Cuomo will handle his first big natural disaster clean-up.
Bloomberg On The Quake, Officially
Aug 23rd - 3:10 pm
Mayor Bloomberg was evacuated from City Hall in Lower Manhattan along with the rest of the building’s denizens.
I believe Room 9, which houses the press corps, is still under construction, which means the reporters were already outside. DN City Hall Bureau Chief Erin Einhorn reports (on Twitter) that the City Hall reporters rushed out of the trailer that is serving of their temporary quarters.
Also according to Twitter, Bloomberg said he “did feel a little bit of shake; and then it got greater.” That’s compliments of @mikiebarb, AKA NYT scribe Michael Barbaro, who also Tweeted: “At 1:55, Mayor Bloomberg was at desk in City Hall. Floor and chandeliers shook. Police ran in and shouted ‘everybody out.’”
According to Einhorn (@erinleinhorn) Bloomberg quipped: “It could have been an exploding story in a tabloid for all I know.”
The mayor is going to update NYers about the quake at a 4 p.m. press conference at City Hall. He’ll be joined by the commissioners of the FDNY, NYPD, Emergency Management and Buildings Department. The event will be carried live on nyc.gov.
So far, no word from Gov. Andrew Cuomo other than his official statement. No response from the press shop as to where the governor is and whether he’ll be addressing the state at some point. In the meantime, Here’s Bloomberg’s statement:
“Like people up and down the East Coast, New Yorkers across the five boroughs felt the effect of this afternoon’s earthquake in Virginia.”
“I’ve spoken with our Police and Fire Commissioners, and we’ve activated the Office of Emergency Management’s Situation Room and spoken to other city agencies, including the Department of Buildings.”
“Thankfully, there are no reports of significant damage or injuries in New York City at this time. As ever, we urge New Yorkers to call 911 only in cases of actual emergencies.”
“Shortly before 2:00 PM, we evacuated City Hall briefly, but quickly returned to work. As we await more news from Virginia and elsewhere, our thoughts in New York are with those who were more directly affected by this natural disaster.”
Bloomberg: Haven’t Heard From Cuomo On Speaking Role
Aug 18th - 12:04 pm
Gov. Andrew Cuomo hasn’t reached out personally to Mayor Michael Bloomberg about having a speaking role at the ceremony memorialzing the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that Cuomo’s aides sought a larger role for the governor in this year’s 9/11 memorial and greater control over the event. In the past, governors and other elected officials have kept a low profile on the anniversary of the attacks, usually just reading lines of poetry.
NY1 reports that Bloomberg said during a question-and-answer session that the ceremony will stick to tradition this year and that the schedule has been set in stone.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, meanwhile, did contact Bloomberg about a role for his predecessor, ex-Gov. Donald DiFrancesco. The mayor’s office said yes, but it remains unclear what role the former governor will play at the ceremony.
We’ll update this once we get the video of the Q and A.
Bloomberg Names New DEP Commissioner
Aug 17th - 3:06 pm
Mayor Bloomberg just announced his new head of the Department of Environmental Protection. Carter Strickland Jr. will replace former DEP commissioner Caswell Holloway, who has moved up to be the Deputy mayor for operations.
“Over the last two years, DEP has risen to new heights – cutting costs while becoming a more efficient and effective agency and helping to drive the Administration’s ambitious sustainability agenda,” said Mayor Bloomberg.
“Carter Strickland has been a key part of that success, and has been a highly effective leader in our efforts to create a greener, greater city since he joined our Administration four years ago. He has the right experience and qualities to be an extremely successful commissioner, with great vision and understanding of the challenges of delivering a vital public service to nine million New Yorkers every day, while protecting their environment and quality of life.”
Here’s Strickland’s background – from the press release:
Commissioner Strickland has nearly two decades of experience in environmental policy and law in the New York metropolitan region, most recently serving as Deputy Commissioner for Sustainability at the Department of Environmental Protection and previously as Senior Policy Advisor for Air and Water in the Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability.
In the Mayor’s Office and at the Department of Environmental Protection, Commissioner Strickland has been instrumental in the development and implementation of the water, air and natural resource initiatives in PlaNYC, Mayor Bloomberg’s comprehensive sustainability plan, and was a principal architect of the City’s Green Infrastructure Plan to capture more rain water to reduce combined sewer overflows and flooding through the installation blue roofs and green roofs, permeable concrete, tree pits and other green infrastructure.
He also has served as an Assistant Attorney General in the New York State Attorney General’s Environmental Protection Bureau where he prosecuted violations of Federal and State environmental statutes. Commissioner Strickland’s appointment is effective immediately. The Mayor announced the appointment at the Department of Environmental Protection headquarters in Lefrak City, Queens, where he was joined by Deputy Mayor for Operations and former Environmental Protection Commissioner Cas Holloway.
Koch: Time Never ‘Righter’ For 3rd Party Prez Candidate
Aug 12th - 4:03 pm
In an exclusive interview with the conservative Website Newsmax, former NYC Mayor Ed Koch suggested he might not vote for his fellow Democrat, President Obama, insisting it’s time for an independent candidate to enter the fray.
Koch floated conservative commentator George Will for the job, but said he would be “supportive” if his longtime friend and ally, Mayor Bloomberg, changes his mind about 2012 and decides to run.
” The time has never been righter for a third party candidate,” Koch said. “…Let me be clear, I am a proud Democrat, I believe in Democratic principles, and I would love to vote for the Democratic president, but I can’t unless he establishes some leadership.”
Koch endorsed Obama in 2008, but has since fallen out of love with the president – largely due to his dealings with Israel.
The former mayor is trying to make the NY-9 special election to fill former Rep. Anthony Weiner’s vacant House seat a referendum on Obama and his Israel policy by endorsing Republican Bob Turner over Democratic Assemblyman (and observant Jew) David Weprin.
If the 2012 race comes down to a choice between any of the eight Republicans currently in the field and Obama, Koch said he will likely opt not to vote. He also recently left the door open to potentially endorsing “modern Republican” Rudy Giuliani, apparently having gotten over his belief that his fellow former mayor has a “personality problem.”
As for last night’s GOP debate, Koch said he felt former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney was the winner – basically because he made no missteps and “was not damaged” – while Jon Huntsman lost because he failed to impress anybody.
The former mayor graded Minnesota Rep. Michelle Bachmann’s performance as “subperb,” adding: “Her presentation, her demeanor, the way she handled herself, were all good.”
Bloomberg Challenges Census, Seconded By Gillibrand
Aug 10th - 2:45 pm
Apparently the federal government didn’t account for all the hipsters moving into Bay Ridge.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg today challenged the Census count for parts of Brooklyn and Queens, including Bay Ridge, Bensonhurts, Astoria and Jackson Heights — “which are among the most vibrant areas in New York City,” the mayor’s office said.
Bloomberg sent a letter to Census Director Robert Groves to challenge the findings.
“It is our expectation that the City’s population could increase by tens of thousands of New Yorkers if the errors from those two Census offices alone were corrected,” he writes.
Bloomberg notes in a news release that the count will not mean the city loses a seat in the House of Representatives. However, it does appear possible New York would lose one upstate district as well as a seat in one of the outerboroughs if the Census numbers hold.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, meanwhile, seconded Bloomberg’s call for a challenge and wrote a letter of her own to Groves.
“While I am aware that extensive measures were taken by the Department to ensure that Census 2010 was the most inclusive in our history, I along with the Mayor, maintain that there is a significant undercount of New York City population growth,” she said.
Asked for his reaction, Gov. Andrew Cuomo earlier today said he was yet to see Bloomberg’s challenge to the Census data.
Goldsmith Departs Bloomberg Admin (Updated)
Aug 4th - 3:37 pm
Former Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith has resigned his post as deputy mayor of operations with the Bloomberg administration, a job he has held for just over a year.
Goldsmith, who replaced former Deputy Mayor Ed Skyler last May, will be replaced by Caswell Holloway, who once served as Skyler’s chief of staff and has been Department of Environmental Protection commissioner since 2010.
According to a press release, Goldsmith – also a Harvard University management guru, is leaving to pursue “private-sector opportunities in infrastructure finance.”
Tapping Goldsmith, who had never before lived in NYC and was not a member of Bloomberg’s inner circle, was an unusual move for the mayor. He liked to promote from within for bullpen jobs – particularly one like this, which basically requires whoever holds it to run the day-to-day operations of the city.
UPDATE: A NYC lawmaker observes that Bloomberg went outside his comfort zone for appointments twice during the third term, and both times he failed: First with ex-NYC Schools Chancellor Cathie Black, replaced by an inner-circle member, former Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott; and now with Goldsmith.
Goldsmith had a major setback early in his tenure during the Christmas blizzard, bearing the brunt of the blame for the botched clean-up operation. (As it turned out, this was not the first time Goldsmith was brought low by a snowstorm).
Below you’ll find Goldsmith’s statement, in which he references the fact that Holloway “has developed a career in New York.” That reads to me like an acknowledgment that he never really got the hang of working in the Big Apple, with all its odd political quirks, tribes, and long-simmering feuds.
“This week, I informed the Mayor of my decision to resign my job as Deputy Mayor of Operations. This job has been a special opportunity to contribute to the City of New York and further the substantial accomplishments of Mayor Bloomberg.”
“I am proud of the work we have done over the last year to pass an aggressive budget, and put in place the foundation and plans for dozens of initiatives and best practices that will dramatically further customer service and cost savings in the City. Over the last month, I received important overtures in an area with which I have long been associated – infrastructure finance.”
“After thirty years of long hours in public service, the change will provide me, at age 64, with more flexibility for me and my family and a secure foundation for our future. In addition, I intend to continue my academic work and the school year is about to start.”
“Now that we have the ball rolling on our initiatives, I am comfortable that the person taking over for me will do an exceptional job moving things forward. Cas is not just a colleague, but a friend and a person who I trust to take over for me, and whose talents are among the most exceptional I have seen in my public career. He has developed a career in New York, and will accelerate the agenda and build on the progress we have made.”
“It has been a unique honor to be part of the high performing Bloomberg team. City Hall and the agencies are truly alive with the spirit of service and innovation.
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