Bloomberg for Mayor?

As we are about to endure the most chaotic Presidential election in our lifetime, maybe in history…

The airways are filled with convention news…first the Democrats, then the Republicans. There are concerns about the potential failure of the Post Office system to handle tens of millions of mail-in ballots…and whether the Post Office system is being defunded by an administration appointee so that it simply cannot handle that volume of mail. The President is already claiming the possibility of fraud.

In addition, progressive organizations which have been in the forefront of the millions marching in support of Black lives are gathering to consider moving into the streets of America en masse should Trump lose the election and not leave the White House.

There are images of troops being called to face each other outside the White House as the results show Biden the victor and the President refusing to leave.

As all of this goes on we have decided to look ahead and inward at the state of New York City because we believe the crisis here is staggering on many levels and that the people in charge cannot handle it. We may change national leadership in a few months but NYC is stuck with total incompetence for another year and a half.

THIS TOO SHALL PASS

The words of a President wishing away the ills of a worldwide pandemic which is sickening millions, killing almost 200,000 and damaging his chances of reelection?

Not this time. Instead the words of the Mayor of New York responding to questions about school reopening, the loss of business and jobs, the fears of Covid-19 reigniting and nightly gunfire and murders that have been going on in NYC streets for many months…more it appears each week.

Murderous crime is up 83% over last year. Arrests down 8%.

And the Mayor, as incompetent and ineffective as any in the last 100 years, looks dead-eyed as he says “This too shall pass” as an answer to all of it.

THE CHALLENGES

As we write this, there are now more than 67,000 vacant apartments throughout the city. It appears that people are running from NYC.

Estimates are that one-third of all the small businesses in New York will never reopen. Some say that the shops that line Madison Avenue from 42nd to 92nd Street will reflect this number and more.

Though New York has been “open” for the past several months, the streets remain empty, office buildings have a few hundred people instead of thousands, commuter trains and subways are operating at 10% capacity. Major real estate developers are pleading with corporations to bring their staffs back to the city now because by the time they do that next Spring New York will never be the same.

The opening of public schools is seriously threatened by fear among parents and teachers. The Teacher’s Union says it will call a strike or ‘sick out’ unless every single child, teacher, Principal and administrative staff member receives a Covid-19 test ten days before opening. There are 1.1 million children and approximately 75,000 teachers alone involved.

The need for revenue is so severe that thousands of layoffs are being projected including EMTs and other first responders. The Mayor needs Federal money which the White House has refused to provide or the New York State Legislature to grant the city borrowing power. It doesn’t help to know that De Blasio has hidden a $2 million support staff for his wife in among his bloated administrative budget. Chirlane McCray wants to be the next Borough President of Brooklyn.

Because Broadway is deserted the De Blasio Administration has put thousands of homeless people in the small empty hotels in that area. Now the area in the mid-40’s on 8th and 9th Avenues is full of sick people wandering around, of dope addicts and pushers, of the kind of mess that New York cleaned up but is now in full flower – and with it – crime.

The murderous shooting goes on every night…mostly in NYCHA neighborhoods. The New York City Police Department has experienced defunding activity as well as the curtailment of hiring as a result of Black Lives Matter activities. Morale is low. The Department hates De Blasio and seems to have no confidence in the young Commissioner he has appointed.

No one has investigated whether the Police are looking away from crime as they have done in past years…but the massive jump in violent crime is staggering…and cannot be a coincidence. Yet nothing is done.

A SAVIOR

There are already a number of political figures who have expressed their desire to step up and run for Mayor next year. Most are Democrats; many already hold public office: Comptroller Scott Stringer, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, City Council President Corey Johnston and a fast growing number of others.

Just two weeks before a New York Post editorial seeking a savior for New York, John Catsimatidis had announced in the Post that he is ready to spend $100 million to again seek the Mayoralty.

Several weeks after that story came another: Dan Doctoroff and Steve Ross had raised $100 million to finance a Mayoral campaign. No candidate was mentioned.

But Doctoroff and Ross are two men very close to Michael Bloomberg and we see that announcement as an indication that the three term former Mayor has decided to be that savior.

Initial response to this suggestion has been predictable…why after twelve years of being Mayor would he want to do it again.

The primary response would be that looking at the field of announced candidates he doesn’t see anyone who could do it better.

Another might be that he had made mistakes and overlooked certain areas and wants another chance.

But probably the best answer would be – he has nothing else to do and the idea of saving New York might be as exciting for him now as it was when he first ran for Mayor right in the middle of the 9/11 catastrophe.

As we write this he is busy spending money supporting the Biden-Harris ticket and the candidacies of a number of Democrats running for the Senate. He gave a tough, very New York speech supporting the Biden campaign…looking unusually emotional and sounding it.

Will there be opposition to such an unusual come-back? Of course.

But Bloomberg, who apologized for stop and frisk tactics that went on far too many years after its purpose of finding guns didn’t really work – can make that apology again. He can once again gather a top notch staff around him to bring the community and Police together in very specific ways to not only stop the nightly violence but begin a formidable retraining of the force as community resources and leadership are found, trained and secured in ways never before seen in New York.

During his twelve years as Mayor, Bloomberg tragically ignored the problems of NYCHA. He could redeem that failure by seeing to it that all those leaking roofs are fixed at last and that apartments are brought up to real living standards There are 600,000 New Yorkers in those apartments and this time they could matter to him.

Bloomberg admitted that despite his best efforts, he failed to improve NYC schools. This time he could reach deeper into the national academic community to find the men and women who could bring talent and experience to New York schools that would significantly improve teacher performance and with it student success.

Bloomberg’s financial success came on Wall Street. When he built his own company he found the very best people to run it. While he does not run businesses he knows the elements that make them successful. He certainly can provide the leadership to rebuild the small business economy whose losses now are ravaging New York.

BELIEF SYSTEM

This suggestion that Mike Bloomberg might attempt to be Mayor again comes without any inside information or even the desire that he do so.

It is certainly no endorsement and here is why: In 2013 the Liberal Party met and endorsed John Catsimatidis for Mayor. John’s success was a classic New York and American immigrant’s success story…the kind you can say happens “Only in America”.

John’s primary campaign for the Republican nomination faced the strong opposition of the Real Estate industry which knows one thing about him: He cannot be bought. And unlike Bloomberg he has no ties with major developers that often influence important decisions.

The simple fact is that John would do all of the things we have suggested that Bloomberg might do.

John is admired by the Police Department and his support of the PAL is legendary. He can reach deep into the Department to get the best of them to respond to the crisis.

John has cared about the sad situation at NYCHA for years…and knows much more can be done.

John recognizes the need for a far better public education system in New York – and across the country- and has people close to him who can lead the way towards it.

But most of all John has the heart and soul that seems so often to be missing in public life. Sometimes he wears it on his sleeve and you can hear on his radio shows. But along with a lively mind, genuine common sense and an unparalleled business success, John knows his success has come from focus and hard work, John can be just the leader New York needs in its time of gloom.

We don’t know if he will run or whether Bloomberg will or whether the Doctoroff-Ross $100 million announcement is aimed right at Catsimatidis.

But there is time and time will tell.