Mayor Bloomberg showered cash on key City Council members with the power to kill a term-limits extension bill in the last year.Members of the council's Government Operations Committee have received millions from Hizzoner's slush fund, a once-secret pot of taxpayer money the mayor doles out to favored lawmakers for their pet causes.
All the members are Democrats who will decide whether the change in term limits - which the mayor needs in order to run for a third term - goes before the council for a full vote.
...the committee members were favored with some of the most generous handouts from Council Speaker Christine Quinn - Bloomberg's closest ally in the fight to extend term limits - in this year's budget.
'3RD TERM' IS $LUSH HOUR
...some speculate it was part of a heavy-handed campaign to entice lawmakers to support a term-limits extension, the aggressiveness of which came to light last week as:
* Union brass have personally lobbied council members to support term limits. According to a source, some unions have met with the mayor's office in hopes of getting perks in exchange for their support.
* City-funded arts groups have also pressed city legislators. One member said she received "dozens" of calls from "groups I really respect."
* Committee chairmanships have been promised by Quinn to several council members - at least two of whom have been offered the finance chair in exchange for a yes vote.
* A councilwoman was "offered the world. . ..rec centers, parks, affordable housing and more discretionary money" in a meeting last week urging her to support term limits.
Political shuffling in the spring also raised eyebrows.
Sears, who has backed Bloomberg on hotbed isSues in the past, was appointed to the Government Operations committee in May, replacing term-extension foe Councilman Joe Addabbo Jr.
There's 2 more in the Mayor's corner now: Term Limits Tally, 16-19-16
Helen Sears' statement:
"I have listened carefully to the arguments presented by those both in favor of the bill to extend term limits and those opposed. It is my sincere belief that it is in the best interest of the city of New York to extend term limits from 2 terms to 3. This decision was not made easily, but it is the right one.”
5 comments:
I think this info speaks volumes:
From uselectionatlas.org
In 2006 Michael R. Bloomber was worth $5.3 billion dollars and placed number 44 on the Forbes 400 Richest Americans List.
Today(2007), Bloomberg is worth $11.5 billion and is placed number 25.
That's and increase of 117%
Rumored to have been wanting to run for president, people said willing to spend 1 billion. I guess if he wanted now, he can spend his old networth.
Forgot to add this tidbit:
Bloomberg made over the past year....
$6.2 bill for the year
$515 mill per month
$17 mill per day
$710,00 per hour
$11,800 per minute
$197 per second
He has also given away $715 mill over the past 5 years.
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From Wikipedia:
Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman and the Mayor of New York City. A lifelong Democrat, he switched his registration in 2001 and ran as a Republican, winning the election that year and a second term in 2005. He is currently listed on the Forbes 400 as the eighth-richest American, with a net worth of US$20 billion.[3][4]
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Therefore...
2006 $ 5.3 billion
2007 $11.5 billion
2008 $20.0 billion
Anyone else notice a trend? And all of that on a $1/year salary from the collective us.
I forgot to add that the $715 million in charitable contributions over a 5 year period, while noteworthy and appreciated, actually represents approximately one week of his net worth earnings.
$715 million divided by 5 = $143 million/year.
$17 million X 8 days = $136 million in 2007 dollar value calculations.
I will admit that all of us combined will never be able to donate a fraction of that amount but the numbers are so huge that they are too difficult to really comprehend for the average "Joe."
What a surprise.The chairman was such a little stooge throwing tantrums for bloomie at those "hearings".This could be called a lot of things but one is extortion, and not democracy thats for sure.I want disclosed where this mayor goes all the time if hes " working" for the taxpayers, not just the blind sheep of many parts of Manhattan.Money buys money and what the little king wants all the time.Move to Italy bloomie with Berlusconi the media billionaire control freak.
Bloomberg, being a spoiled rich brat, is used to buying whatever he wants whether it be imported damask draperies for his drawing room/salon
or a new platinum seat for the upstairs commode!
So now he's buying some (already shifty) council members...so what?
SO WHAT? IT'S WITH OUR TAX MONEY!
It's fucking disgusting.
BTW, I've been reading your excellent blog via Google reader for some time now.
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