Mayor Mike

In the wake of the 2004 Presidential defeat, talk among New York Democrats is refocusing on dislodging Republican Mayor Mike Bloomberg. It's a little difficult to partake in this, since I really don't have anything against Bloomberg. In fact, I think his mayoralty, while not sweepingly ambitious, is altogether refreshing when it comes to NYC politics.

To begin with, I'll address the party issue. Bloomberg's a lifelong Democrat, he only switched his registration because billionaire tycoons don't stand much chance in NYC Democratic primaries. And even after switching, he hasn't been the GOP lackey that some make him out to be. Unlike erstwhile New Yorkers like Rudy Giuliani and George Pataki who are nursing presidential ambitions by sucking up to Bush, Bloomberg has been a consistent advocate for the city when it comes to getting our share from a Republican congress whose constituencies lie elsewhere.

Also, Bloomberg's cuts to the city budget have been cited as evidence that he's out of touch. It's not Bloomberg, but the City Charter, that is out of touch with New York's needs. The Charter's balanced budget amendment ties government's hands during a recession. Any mayor, Bloomberg included, is forced during hard times to raise taxes and/or cut programs, the two things you're not supposed to do. To his credit, Bloomberg struck a balance of both.

In general, I think Bloomberg's mayoralty is valuable because of its style. The worst thing about NYC politics is politicians playing constituencies off of each other for their own gain: neighborhoods, races, interest groups, etc. Bloomberg doesn't do this. One gets the impression that he is attempting to serve as everyone's mayor, and this is good to see. Also, Bloomberg exhibits a type of candor and commitment to good government that isn't usually practiced by today's ultra-handled, win-at-all-costs politicians. If he has a tough decision, such as those concerning the budget, he says it was a tough decision and he made his choice for such-and-such reason. No excuses, no spinning, and no blame game.

Oh, and who could forget the smoking ban? You can say all you want about rights, but if you ask me, 20% of the population doesn't have much right to poison the rest. Bloomberg's right to be proud of this measure.

My vote isn't etched in stone, but I'm not going to immediately vote for whomever the Democratic primary produces. Actually, if anyone currently being talked about, other than Ferrer, wins the Dem nomination, Bloomberg has a good chance at being the first time I've ever crossed party lines.