Friday, October 24, 2008

Thompson: "Democracy has been suspended"


New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. issued the following statement today following a vote by the New York City Council on term limits:

"Today's vote is an affront to New Yorkers. It says that their votes and their voice do not matter, that bullying and heavy-handed threats are more powerful than democratic ideals. I am saddened that our Mayor and majority of City Council members have put individuals before principles. Today our government chose to empower itself rather than the people it serves. Despite the rising tide of opposition to a Council vote, and in the face of a public poll that showed nearly 90 percent of New Yorkers wanting the issue put to a voter referendum, our City Council decided to turn its back and close its mind. This is a sad day for New York."

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thompson is 100% correct.

Bloomie, you are disgrace. You are an arrogant, conniving, bully. I hope God punishes you. And Quinn for that matter.

Anonymous said...

Thompson is just pissed he can't get Bloomie out of the way for a 2009 run now.


Hey Billy, if you have any balls run against him and see how you do.

Anonymous said...

Time to ditch this Bermuda millionaire, eh Wade?

Anonymous said...

This is caused by the developers, pure and simple.

The money is going to vanish unless 'their boy' is in power.

Now lets get rid of him and take back our communties and city.

Anonymous said...

There won't be much developing going on if there's few buyers. The party's over for developers. As Wall Street keeps bleeding jobs, you'll see vacancies everywhere. Real estate will become toxic. No one will want to invest.

Anonymous said...

Italian girl:

They are talking as if this downturn will only be one or two years.

With Bumberg in, this will bridge that period.

With him out, it will take them 20 years to get going again.

Anonymous said...

Won't they be surprised when it's actually 5 years or more. And there's little Bloomie can do to help them.

Anonymous said...

"There won't be much developing going on if there's few buyers. The party's over for developers. As Wall Street keeps bleeding jobs, you'll see vacancies everywhere. Real estate will become toxic. No one will want to invest"

I agree, but Bloomberg has demonstrated a willingness not only to build, but to throw our tax dollars at developers to do so for projects that aren't needed or wanted. No condo buyers? No problem, I'm mayor Mike will grant tax breaks or tax free financing to bail out his develper butt-buddies.

Anonymous said...

Italian Girl is 100% correct in saying that Thompson is 100% correct.

It's just that Thompson is far too much the cultivated gentleman to say what we all know: The Commissar, the Queen and the lickspittle lackey council members (with some admirable exceptions) formed a sloppy seconds daisy chain (that's where, when the music stops, they each turn around to the partner who was previously at their butt) and do it again.

Unlike musical chairs, nobody drops off the daisy chain. The trick is to switch partners, then orifices, and keep switching and pulsating until they vote correctly.

Then, they all swallow. Then they come out with the spin.

Let's get these perverts off our payroll. No survivors for any elective or appointed office - ever. We don't need defective representation. We are better than that. Aren't we? Why should any of us accept this contempt from our servants?

No civil service jobs either.

We have the power. Do we have the will?

Anonymous said...

Former NYC Parks Commissioner had this to say about the issue in a column this week in the Queens Tribune:

"SECTION 38

It may also be argued that Section 38 of the City Charter prevents the Council from extending eligibility for re-election without a public referendum.

We cite subsection 4. A referendum is required if a law “abolishes an elective office, or changes the method of nominating, electing or removing an elective officer, or changes the term of an elective office.” It seems to us that this language applies with regard to a law changing the eligibility of a candidate for public office, especially if a previous referendum had been held on precisely that point.

The entire thrust of Section 38 is to prevent the Council from tampering with the system of elections for its own benefit. Although no one can predict the action of the Court of Appeals if this case arrives there, it is clear that the intention of the section was to prevent monkeying with an election to suit the personal ambitions of candidates, including those who would otherwise be ineligible to seek office."

Thank you Henry! I checked the NYC charter http://www.nyc.gov/html/charter/downloads/pdf/citycharter2004.pdf and it is there on page 24 for all to see! (Page 29 of the pdf). An interesting point of view from a legal perspective. Does it hold water?

Anonymous said...

Sorry but I meant to attribute the quote to Former Parks Commissioner Henry Stern, for those of you who may not have known.

Anonymous said...

Bloomie is on a mission to get his Congestion Pricing Tax put through so he will have his precious Manhattan for the rich.

He doesn't like to lose.....believe me when I tell you that! He is on a mission and if he wins the election, he will have four years to push it through. It will be on his tops on his agenda.

Anonymous said...

I once suggested hanging "hizzoner"
in my (by now) "infamous" political cartoon.

H-m-m-m...
what's the penalty for treason
these days (ha, ha) ?

That statue of patriot Nathan Hale
who was hanged by the British as a spy at the foot of City Hall gives me some pause!