Monday, July 7, 2008

Fat cats searching for next mayor

At charity balls and board meetings, on putting greens and in telephone conversations, New York’s corporate titans are on the hunt: Michael R. Bloomberg will end his reign as mayor in 18 months, and they are desperate to find someone from their ranks to take his place.

Business Leaders Seek a New C.E.O. for City Hall

The executives searching for Mr. Bloomberg’s replacement are considered some of New York’s most influential business leaders: Martin Lipton, a founding partner of the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz; the financier Steven Rattner; and Jerry I. Speyer, chairman of the developer Tishman Speyer.

They have told colleagues that Mr. Bloomberg’s financial independence, his lack of party affiliation and his corporate, by-the-numbers approach to management have created a golden age of New York City government that none of his would-be successors seem poised to reproduce.

Business leaders, of course, have a vested interested in recruiting one of their own, like Mr. Bloomberg, to run for mayor. The Bloomberg administration is considered an ally to many corporations, especially developers. Rezoning projects under his watch have opened large swaths of the city to new construction. And Mr. Bloomberg travels in the same orbit as many of the city’s elite; he goes to their functions and they to his; he gives to their causes and they reciprocate.


Photo by Laphoto1 on Flickr

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

We should all hope that the most lasting legacy of Commissar Death and Taxes has been to educate New Yorkers that we don't need no stinkin' Commissars.

Anonymous said...

Too bad there wasn't more mentioned about Tony Avella in the article.

Unknown said...

I think the people of NY, outside fat-cat circles, are tired of Bloomberg, especially since his second term. The tantrums and whatnot, silly prissy things like the cell-phone ban, the huge give-away to the Yankees, the pathetic state of WTC site, our schools are no better and now lost a bunch of funding... It don't look good. He is no better of a leader than your average politician.

C said...

Why bother looking for someone within their ranks? It's not helping us terribly now.

How about finding someone to lower crime, fix schools, lower taxes, fix the subway mess, etc etc...

We pay more and more and more... Get less and less.

Worry about finding someone to fix that - not someone that can help you and your buddies out.

Anonymous said...

People get the government they deserve. They voted for this out of touch elitist twice. They got what they deserved. If they vote for another like him, well I already said it.

Anonymous said...

time to get the fuck out of here!