Mayor Bloomberg is usually pretty calm and confident, one of the many qualities that has given him impressive approval numbers among New Yorkers.
So why has he been snapping at reporters? He lost his cool as a reporter asked about the pressure he and Speaker Christine Quinn were putting on Council Members to rush through their proposal to extend their own term limits.
Look I am not here to debate you; ask your question and I'll answer it...When you get done with your speech, let us know. You can write it out. Whenever you have a question, I'll be happy to answer it.
This is all part of a NY-centric debate, but the implications are bigger: can the rich, the powerful, the elite and the class of incumbents write their own rules?
In NYC, the public twice voted to pass term limits. I don't know if it's a great idea; I know it's not the worst idea; and mostly, I know it shouldn't be overturned in a hasty moment of ill-considered rationale.
But Bloomberg wants a third term. He's popular; he has credibility; and he has money to run a campaign. So why not put it to a popular vote, put his credibility on the line, and let the public into the process?
Well, maybe it's because last time the Mayor tried to self-fund a self-serving referendum, in 2003, the public told him that they didn't want non-partisan local elections. So he's hesitant to be rebuked again.
Or maybe it's because he doesn't particularly like convincing people. Congestion pricing may have had a chance of passing if the Mayor had proactively lobbied Albany, which all the time had the power to kill it. It's no secret that it was cowardly of Albany Dems to remain in the pocket of Big Traffic. But it's also no secret that Mayor Mike didn't particularly try to convince them.
So maybe it's just that Daddy Knows Best. Bloomberg knows what's right for his city; it's not important that the city knows too.
In fact, that's his entire rationale for remaining Mayor: in the tough economic times, he's the only one who can take care of the family.
Which makes the most memorable testimony from last week's hearings all the more entertaining:
"I think Mayor Bloomberg is the worst mayor ever. He gave tons of money to the Bush family and the Republicans so he deserves some blame for Iraq and the other problems in NYC and the whole country," said 14-year-old Rachel Trachtenburg. "Also our taxes, rent and bills have gone way up since Bloomberg became mayor. Any monkey can raise taxes - no offense to monkeys, but that doesn't make you a great mayor."
Update: A few folks have asked me what they can do. Visit It's Our Decision to email and call Council Members -- the site was created by the Working Families Party, which also produced this video:
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