From the NY Post:New York City's new comptroller, John Liu, has ordered his staff to rise whenever he enters the room and to address him as "Mr. Comptroller."
The new presidential-like formalities were laid out during a series of meetings last week that had veteran denizens of the Municipal Building snickering behind his back, sources said.
"I am making the adjustment myself. I'm used to calling him J.L.," said his press secretary, Sharon Lee. "This is universal, for people who have known him for years or people who are meeting him for the first time."
Staffers are generally complying with the practice, which Lee said is not a formal policy. Liu, she said, typically tells them to retake their seats and to call him John after the first formal greeting each day.
By contrast, Liu's immediate predecessor, William Thompson, had staff call him "Billy," a former aide said.
When we named him the King of Queens Crap for 2008, apparently we created a monster! That Trib cover story only fanned the flames...
