Billionaires for Billionaires

by: Living Liberally

Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 18:00

Drinking Liberally Shot of Truth by Justin Krebs

Imagine if affairs in Iraq took a negative turn, or -- the worst case scenario -- there was a threat, or even attack, here at home, and President Bush announced that since he's the best "War President" we've got, he thought we should postpone the elections until things got better.

What would we do? We'd laugh him out of office faster than New Yorkers turned on "America's Mayor" Rudy Giuliani, when he suggested delaying the '01 elections shortly after the 9/11 attacks.

Why then are so many New Yorkers cool with Billionaire Bloomberg's current power grab?

Living Liberally :: Billionaires for Billionaires

Defying a twice-passed popular referendum establishing term limits; buying off the past chief supporter of term limits by offering him a seat on the reform committee; co-opting legislative support from a City Council that wants to keep their own jobs; and, oh yeah, claiming that it's because in these economic times, he is who we need.

If Bloomberg and his allies made an honest argument against term limits, that would be one thing; but to claim that this crisis compels them to serve is absurd. And...it required an absurd response.

That's why we're glad to see the Billionaires for Bush (and creators of Lobbyists for McCain) getting into the action: Billionaires for Bloomberg. They joined Council Speaker Christine Quinn (at a press conference her own Democratic colleagues didn't attend) to remind the world that billionaires are in favor of giving Bloomberg what he wants...and, through the laughter, challenging us to realize maybe it's not in all of our best interests.

Bloomberg is popular and many people may want him to keep serving; but City Council overturning a popular referendum, based on pretty thin, disingenuous arguments, isn't the way to do it. And sometimes it takes humor to cut through the groupthink.

Tags: Billionaires for Bush, Lobbyists for McCain, Michael Bloomberg, New York City, Term limits, democracy, (All Tags)

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Billionaires for Billionaires | 4 comments

My Councilwoman's position (0.00 / 0)

Dear Ms. Madeson:

Rosie Mendez asked me to respond to your email regarding term limits. First, she wanted me to thank you for expressing your opinion on this important subject. She really appreciates constituents contacting us about all matters and especially one of such consequence for the city.

Rosie agrees with you and would not support a bill in the City Council to overturn term limits. Rosie is against a last minute action by the current City Council which would change a determination made by the voters.

However, Rosie is against term limits for members of the legislative body (Councilmembers), but agrees that there should be limits on the executive branch (Mayor). Rosie would like to see another referendum go before the voters to eliminate term limits only for members of the City Council.

Rosie thinks that because executive positions such as the Mayor and possibly even the Speaker of the City Council have considerably more power, there is reason to limit their tenure. With regard to the Mayor, this is analogous to the system at the federal level where the President but not the members of Congress are term limited. Rosie's position has been clear and expressly stated since she originally ran for Council in 2005. (At this time, Rosie is one of only 16 members of the City Council who may run again under the current law.)

Rosie worked for the prior Councilwoman in this district, and she is particularly aware of the down side of limiting Councilmembers' terms to only 8 years. She is convinced that legislators need some time to learn the process, become accustomed to the issues and do the most effective job working within the body. Term limits give a great deal of power to the unelected staff members at the Council who hold the institutional memory and are left virtually running the council when the elected officials cycle out. In 2009 if the law remains, more than two thirds of the Council will be new members. This will make continuity and smooth transition very difficult.

Again Rosie thanks you for taking the time to contact her. I can assure you that she will keep monitoring the emails, letters, calls, etc. that she receives on all sides of this question.

Lisa Kaplan
Chief of Staff
Office of Rosie Mendez

by: Frances Madeson @ Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 17:08:39 PM CDT

Hmm, maybe.. (0.00 / 0)

it's just the absence of a convincing alternative and of a more popular program on the Dem side???

by: Gray @ Mon Oct 13, 2008 at 17:08:44 PM CDT

Tonight! (0.00 / 0)

Citizens Union, Common Cause/NY, and the New York Public Interest Research Group present

A Panel Discussion and Public Forum:
Term Limits: Their Impact and Who Decides

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2008
6:00 - 9:00 PM

Baruch College
The William and Anita Newman Vertical Campus
55 Lexington Avenue at 24th Street
14th Floor

Please RSVP at 212.227.0342 ext.39 or events@citizensunion.org

(Panel in Formation)

Richard Briffault
Joseph P. Chamberlain Professor of Legislation, Columbia Law School; Vice Chair, Citizens Union

The Honorable Lew Fidler
Assistant Majority Leader and Member, New York City Council

Randy M. Mastro
Attorney, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher; Deputy Mayor, New York City, 1996 - 1998

Esmeralda Simmons
Executive Director, Center for Law and Social Justice, Medgar Evers College; former member of the NYC Redistricting Commission

by: Frances Madeson @ Tue Oct 14, 2008 at 06:44:12 AM CDT

NYC Council hearings Thursday and Brooklyn Meeting this Sunday, October 19th (0.00 / 0)

At the Citizens Union, Common Cause/NY, and New York Public Interest Research Group meeting held at Baruch College last night, I learned of another public meeting to be held this Sunday, October 19, 2:30-4:30 at the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, 85 South Oxford St. between Lafayette and Fulton. Sponosored by Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum and Council Members Letitia James and Bill de Blasio, the meeting is titled: Does Your Vote Matter?

Also, Governmental Operations of the NYC Council begins its public hearings tomorrow, Thursday, October 16, 1:00 PM
Council Chambers - City Hall

Details are here:
http://www.nyccouncil.info/htm...

by: Frances Madeson @ Wed Oct 15, 2008 at 10:46:56 AM CDT