Calling Bloomberg Loyalists!
Neil Giacobbi, who ran the volunteer operation for Michael Bloomberg's 2005 campaign, is urging Bloomberg supporters to testify at the term limits hearing later this week.
In a brief conversation with me, Giacobbi confirmed he wrote an email, first posted on Queens Crap, but declined to comment on it.
Here's the email:
From: Neil Giacobbi
Subject: Tell the City Council: Give Us a Choice
Reply-To: ####[@]####.comHi,
I'm writing this morning to ask for your help in urging the City Council to give Mayor Mike Bloomberg the opportunity to lead New York through the tough times ahead.
You'll remember me as the volunteer coordinator for the Mayor's re- election campaign in 2005. Today, I need your help again.
With a financial and economic crisis threatening our city and our nation, we need an independent, experienced leader like Mike Bloomberg to protect city services, keep our streets safe and clean, and continue important long-term projects like improving our schools, building affordable housing, and making New York the most environmentally sustainable city in the world.
The City Council is currently considering a bill that would extend term limits from two to three terms. There are two things you can do to help make sure that voters have more choices, including the option of keeping Mayor Bloomberg, the City Council and other City elected officials in office:
1. Come to City Hall this Thursday and Friday and testify before the City Council. The Council will be holding public hearings on the term limits bill on Thursday 10/16 at 1 PM and on Friday 10/17 at 10 AM. Anyone can testify; if you're interested in learning more, please call me at the number below or reply to this email.
2. Contact your Councilmember and urge them to give Mike Bloomberg an opportunity to continue serving New York. You can find the name of your representative and their phone number here: http://council.nyc.gov/html/members/members.shtml
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions. In this challenging time, we need to make sure that New Yorkers have the opportunity to have their voices heard. I hope you'll help lead the way.
Best,
Neil
###-###-####P.S.: Here's more information on the hearings at City Hall: http://council.nyc.gov/html/action_center/term_limits.shtml
I don't think many of us Bloomberg loyalists are interested in keeping the City Council. Can we get rid of them somehow?
Why do I have the feeling these public hearings are going to be a shitshow? Shouldn't they have public hearings in each of the five boroughs?
One of the blogs (The New York Crank) has Bloomberg crowning himself as emperor. An apt metaphor, I think.
Is that Guardian Angel founder Curtis Sliwa in the background of the photo?
He's not supporting the Mayor on term limits! See his NY1 video op ed at: http://www.ny1.com/content/your_2_cents_on_term_limits/87116/-i-your-2-c...
I received this email and promptly told Neil that even though I supported the mayor in the last election, there was no way I could support his efforts to change the law for his own benefit. Bloomberg claims he wants to give us more choices in the next election, but refuses to give us the choice to revise our position on term limits through a referendum. It greatly saddens me, but with this move, I've lost all respect for Bloomberg as mayor.
Why would anyone in their right mind ask a New Yorker to overturn the will of the voting public? It is simply wrong to eliminate the voting public from a full conversation on term limits. The only right way to respect voters is to have a referendum. What is Bloomberg afraid of? My guess is that he can't make back room deals with the voting public.
Again, the "choice" argument, which really cracks me up. Cloaking the power grab in a consumerist pitch: "Isn't choice better?" No. Not when the only person given the "choice" was billionaire Ron Lauder.
I think term limits stink because they give inordinate power to the mayor's office. But if Bloomberg really believes that term limits should be changed -- on principle and not for his own personal gain -- then let the public vote on them in the 2009 city elections.
Why do I get the chilly feeling that Sarah Palin is more pro-choice than Michael Bloomberg?
Simcha Felder, who will be running the hearings is a good guy and can be counted on to keep order. I also think its notable that they are giving this bill two hearings instead of one. This bill may be controversial to some, but it is not undemocratic, either in its content or its consideration.