Dear Editor (of the Times Ledger):I think I have finally figured out what the connection is between Mayor Bloomberg and the fact that the quality of life has actually worsened in this city for ordinary working people, especially those of us living in the outer boroughs.
It's not anything in particular that the Mayor has done or hasn't done; it's not about specific policies or even his philosophy of government. Rather, it is his style of governing and the tone in which he carries out the duties of his office that is helping to make the city unlivable for everyone who isn't rich and must depend on government services.
His style is to remain aloof and emotionally detached, to evoke a blithe indifference to the suffering of others, and to trivialize major failures, to wit, the blackout in Western Queens that went on for days on end last summer. While others would be called arrogant for evoking such a stance, the Mayor seems to be able to get away with it, in part because the media establishment has given him a free ride, and in part because people tend to admire billionaires.
His tone is that of the corporate CEO. He chooses false collegiality over the kind of bare-knuckled advocacy that puts people in fear, and as his predecessor Giuliani proved, gets things moving. Besides refusing to criticize the CON-ED CEO during the blackout, after the latest debacle where the entire subway system failed because of a rain storm, Bloomberg refused to turn the spotlight on the the MTA Chairman and publicly rebuke him for the sufferings of millions of New Yorkers who only wanted to get to work.
If the Mayor were less of a businessman and more of a public leader, people in high places would take his position more seriously; if they were more fearful that they would be held accountable to the public, they would have an incentive to do their jobs more effectively. In Bloomberg's privileged world, the higher up you go, the more removed you are from public scrutiny. Why fear the wrath of the masses when they have no one to speak for them? So the reasoning goes, and where there should be positive change, there is only chaos and decay.
John Borrillo
Astoria, NY
Great letter, John. Apparently, the folks at New York Magazine feel more strongly about him than you do, though:
Can somebody please punch this man?
Parsing Bloomberg's Latest Mindf*ck
22 comments:
Brilliant analysis of our "let them eat cake" mayor !
Bravo !
He's a pompous little bean town prune.
They're always smugging and shrugging everybody.
It's that whining little voice of his that gets me !
I'm sorry, what happened to all the rest of city government, you know, the courts, city council, the community boards?
All passing the buck the mayor?
Its as much as their fault, if not more.
I guess one of the reasons that we go through this ritual is that everyone knows that the city is going downhill for those not in the wealthier communities.
The rest of the city is under the boot of the democratic clubhouse, who knows what is going on, and not doing anything about it.
So what is the recourse? There is none. As long you mechanically vote for the machine, there is not the slightest hope that anything will change?
Grumbling is an escape valve for people, but the bottom line is as long as they are not willing to do anything, nothing will happen.
Very simple. Accept it.
Someone has to explain why the average outer borough resident is well aware of this, yet in spite of this, Bloomberg's approval ratings remain high.
The city council no longer butts heads with the mayor because Christine Quinn decided she would rather get Bloomberg's endorsement when she runs for his seat than challenge him, and her flunkies on the council need to make nice to the speaker in order to get their ice cream money for their community organizations to keep them quiet. The whole damn system is corrupt and should be dismantled.
Guiliani managed the city agencies and employees. The Commissar prefers to let the agencies and employees operate as rogues. He tries to manage and rule the citizens (except the wealthy, "precious People")
Examine all his major "accomplishments" and proposals. He is utterly and irreversibly anti little people.
The Commissar is in this for the money and the narcissistic joy of "ruling".
Yea, Go Crappie.
You Rock!
the mayor is an expert at handling people. When he does stuff like not getting on Con Ed's case about the blackout he knows that this is the best way to assure their cooperation and compliance in the future.
Due to tactful strategms like this he's got everybody eating out of the palms of his hands and answering to his beck and call including politicians and possibly even the federal government in light of Fema assistance and Conjestion funding.
The guy is a truly remarkable businessman, and given time I'm sure he could turn NYC into the wealthiest and most prosperous place on the planet. Unfortunately many of us want more than this.
We want liveable communities not cluttered with crappy buildings that take up every square inch of space. The mayor seems oblivious of this, which is his one major flaw.
In every other respect though Mike is okay by me.
fire away...
100 % correst. It is my opinion that our mayor is very much anti catholic/christian.
People may not realize that racism goes both ways. Some Jewish people and our mayor are very much anti "goy", as well as anti working person. And this is from someone who mistakingly voted for him.
For example, his behavior regarding the Astoria Blackout, the fact that he wanted meters to be in use on Sundays (church) the fact that no school bus routes were changed in Williamsburg or Boro park, the fact that he writes off some neighborhoods as to use his words "a minor inconvienience" says it all. He has become very punitive in certain areas of the city, and not others. All I am asking is that you think about it. Racism/hatred goes both ways.
vote the bums out.
any concerned individual would do a better job than these klowns.
start with your community board--fight back. and keep fighting.
put out a call for any retirees,etc.to get on these boards and get after the dopes on our city council.
challenge them.
city council members vote themselves raises and absolutly no one gets after them.
what do they do besides carry on about the law abiding gun owners and law abiding dog owners etc.
51 million bucks operating budget annually for their trouble.
This turtle-faced billionaire bozo is a cold-hearted piece of crap. Need I say more?
"like not getting on Con Ed's case about the blackout he knows that this is the best way to assure their cooperation and compliance in the future."
ummm, mister, I think the pitch about Con Ed is aimed at the gullible. Everyone from urbran planners to Con Ed workers will tell you the Astoria mess is just part of hollowing out that community - look at the flooding, the sewage smells, the sky rocketing noise and dirt on the streets, the collapsing service on the N train, and the refusal of the local precinct to even answer their switchboard.
I do believe the words 'urban deteriation' is on everyone's lips in that community.
Thats what happens when absentee landlords and illegal conversions are the all but official policy in that community.
Everyone knows that Con Ed is a public utility whose rates and programs are all reviewed by the ... drum roll please ... politicians.
Not everyone, if you are an immigrant with grammer education you don't know that - and that the the typical profile the politicians pitch to.
Anyone with an even hint of sophistication knows what a crock it is. Why, even Con Ed is supporting a major machine fund raiser in the community. All good sport, mind you, all for public consumption.
" It is my opinion that our mayor is very much anti catholic/christian.
People may not realize that racism goes both ways. Some Jewish people and our mayor are very much anti "goy", as well as anti working person. And this is from someone who mistakingly voted for him."
Wonder which developer planted that little nugget. Old Crappy can see through that pretty easily, I am certain.
We haven't had a good mayor since La Guardia .
He knew how to kick ass and root out corruption instead of planting its seeds !
(Too bad he couldn't get rid of Robert Moses).
But this cold hearted toad is probably one of the worst
"leaders" our city has yet to see.
Keep on talking....keep on squawking .
Next time you find yourself walking
to the voting booth....do something useful.
Learn to recognize a wolf in sheep's clothing......
and make the right choices and not be duped,
or we'll have a sequel to the Bloomberg bust !
Queens Crap is right - this whole democracy thing is corrupt and should be dismantled! If we were communist, none of this would be happening.
Well Mr. Facetious, this country operates more and more like a communist country every day. Land grabs by the government, special privileges for the ruling class. Soon we'll be standing on line for toilet paper.
"Next time you find yourself walking
to the voting booth....do something useful."
By then its too late. Remember, the machine makes certain that everything is scripted and when the public does have an opportunity, they make it as meanigless as possible.
The first step is election reform. NY has half, yes HALF of all campaign legislation in the country.
"this whole democracy thing is corrupt and should be dismantled!"
If you developers and political hacks were trying to function in a democracy (where the general public has a chance to run, campaigns are short, sweet, and inexpensive, and the media is not controlled by the machine), well you bums would be gone within a few years.
If we had some good referendums on election reform
on the ballot.....we'd see an end to these commissars
having their way with us !
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