Michael Bloomberg's Real Record as NYC Mayor

This Contains the Part of Bloomberg's Record You Won't See in His Ad Campaign

December 16, 2019 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC.

I started reporting for Queens Buzz in the second half of 2007, in anticipation of the website opening in 2008. At the time, politics wasn't in the docket. But over time, as I watched government and political events unfold, I couldn't ignore the huge gap between what was happening - versus what was reported to be happening.

Thus over time I began reporting on NYC, NYS and eventually national politics, doing in-depth research along the way, so that I could provide our readers with a fresh point of view, based on facts and knowledge, with scant pandering to the politicial spin.

While I only began tuning into NYC politics as a reporter during Michael Bloomberg's third term, I had picked up information about him prior to that as an aware NYC resident / voter. My first glimpse into Republican Mayor Michael Bloomberg's anti-democratic tendencies came about in 2004, during the Republican Presidential Convention, when Bloomberg appeared to illegally lock up people protesting the wars and policies of then president George W. Bush. But before I delve into that aspect of Bloomberg's performance, I want to highlight a few others.

Disdains Democracy: Overturns Mayoral Term Limits

In 2008, just a year before former Mayor Michael Bloomberg was about to be term limited out of the Mayor's Office, he convinced the NYC City Council to override the plebiscite that term limited his time in office as the Mayor.

Thus Michael Bloomberg sought and won a third term - which he essentially bought - by funding his campaign with nearly $100 million of his own money, to defeat an relatively unknown candidate, retiring City Comptroller Bill Thompson.

Thompson was not given much support by the Democratic Party in that election, likely because they didn't believe he would do anywhere near as well as he did, and they were competing with a billionaire who could / would and did greatly outspend the competition. The final vote was 50.7% for Bloomberg and 46.3% for Thompson.

Did Former Mayor Bloomberg Override Term Limits in Order to Cash In NYC's Municipal Real Estate Holdings?

The deals on the Bronx Terminal Market, Hudson Yard, Hunters Point South & Flushing Meadow Corona Park were all begun in 2007. So were the two multi-billion dollar [each] subway line extension projects - the Q and the #7.

All of the real estate developments and the two major subway infrastructure projects seemed to greatly benefit one person - Stephen Ross and his privately held Related Companies. Stephen Ross went from not being counted as a billionaire at the beginning of Bloomberg's Mayoralty, to becoming the richest real estate developer in New York City within a couple of years after he took office.

It's worth noting that Bloomberg's net worth during this period shot up too. And that Bloomberg LLP, the company he founded, also operates in NYC and is also privately held.

Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Real Record as Mayor

The Real Record of Mike Bloomberg's Accomplishments as Mayor - Doubling of Homelessnes, Taxpayer Funded but Privately Owned Luxury Apartments, Massive Public Land Giveaways to Friendly Developer, Massive Public Transit Spending Benefitting Same Developer, Privatization / Profitization of Many Public Schools, Failure to Negotiate with Unions, City Time Scandal & Racist Stop N' Frisk Policing Program

The report includes:

1) HOMELESSNESS: Bloomberg had a horrendous record on homelessness which broke all records & doubled during his Mayoralty.

2) AFFORDABLE HOUSING: Bloomberg sold the public on funding 'affordable' apartments that rented for $48,000 per year. These were publicly funded but privately owned apartment units that Bloomberg sold to the public as 'affordable' in order to gain passage of the bills authorizing them.

3) PUBLIC LAND GRAB. Four huge real estate developments appeared to be given to Stephen Ross & Related Companies which are now worth billions. The public lands reportedly sold for $1 apiece include Hudson Yard, Hunters Point South and the still pending Flushing Meadows Corona Park development. I'm not sure but Bronx Terminal was also transferred in a sweet deal to the real estate developer Stephen Ross & Related Companies.

4) PUBLIC SPENDING BENEFITTING FRIENDLY DEVELOPER. Bloomberg pushed two subway line extensions that seemed to disproportionately benefit Stephen Ross & Related Companies. The subway line extensions were 1) the #7 subway line extension that supported Stephen Ross & Related Companies Hudson Yard development and 2) the Q subway line extension which greatly enhanced the value of Stephen Ross and Related Companies Upper East Side properties.

5) PRIVATIZATION OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Bloomberg's privatization of a significant portion of the NYC public school system which appeared to tear apart the NYC public school system by enabling for profit private charter schools, disproportionately favoring Eva Moskowitz and Success Academy, to recruit the best students of the NYC public school system, while leaving the rest behind in the hands of the public and unions;

6) UNION BUSTER? Bloomberg's failure to sign a single major union contract during his 12 year administration and the

7) GIULIANI / BLOOMBERG CORRUPTION. City Time corruption scandal.

8) RACIST POLICING POLICY. Presided over racist Stop N' Frisk policing policy.

CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the part of the Mike Bloomberg's record of Mayor. The part of the Bloomberg record you won't see in his $33 million ad campaign to convince Democrats to vote for him. Billionaire Bloomberg, like the billionaire President, seems to have an inclination to distort the truth.

Michael Bloomberg's Real Record as NYC Mayor

Why Did Bloomberg Help a Select Few Become Fabulously Rich by Privatizing Public Assets?

This Report Contains the Part of Bloomberg's Record that You Won't See in His Campaign Ads

December 16, 2019 / NYC Neighborhoods / NYC Politics & Government / News Analysis & Opinion / Gotham Buzz NYC. Continued.

1. Homelessness: Republican Bloomberg's Push in NYC for 'Family Values'

NYC Homelessness Doubles to 54,000 including 23,000 School Age Children

Another 'accomplishment' of former Mayor Michael Bloomberg was his unmitigated failure in addressing the rising causes of homelessness in New York City. During his administration New York City homelessness rose from about 27,000 to about 54,000 - of which about 23,000 were believed to be school age children - according to the NYC Department of Homeless Services.

Here's an excerpt from an OpEd published in the Gotham Gazette, a non-profit website run by the Citizens Union Foundation. There's no date on it, but it references the 2012 Census, so I'm guessing that it was published in 2013, the last year of former Mayor Bloomberg's third and final term.

"At the beginning of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's second term, homelessness in his city was at an all-time high: Nearly 40,000 New Yorkers were without homes, which was astronomical considering the city's homeless population had never reached 30,000 before Bloomberg took office ... Eight years later, 48,694 people were homeless, according to the New York City Department of Homeless Services ... What went wrong? ... The administration's critics might say that the mayor's housing policies failed because he's out of touch with most New Yorkers."

America Pay Heed, Free Marketeer Bloomberg Seems to Say

"Let the Gods of Market Capitalism Decide How Many are Homeless"

Part of the cause for the rapid rise in NYC homelessness, was the passage of steep increases in rent stabilized housing rates at the state level. Bloomberg's successor, Mayor Bill de Blasio, successfully fought to limit the increases, which during the Bloomberg Administration rose faster than wages. Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg's failure was that he didn't fight to limit the rent stabilized rent increases, which affect about two of the eight million residents of New York City at the time. It's worth noting that about half of the NYS legislators represent New York City.

And former Mayor Mike Bloomberg seemed to turn a blind eye to wealthy landlords converting government funded rent stabilized housing to free market housing, which involved evicting NYC residents out of their homes. Conversely, not only has Mayor Bill de Blasio held landlords accountable, but he has also established funding and a unit of lawyers who will aid NYC residents being harrassed out of their rent stabilized apartments by landlords.

An October, 14, 2009 report in the New York Times said,

"Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg is closing in on a milestone: building or preserving 165,000 city-financed apartments and houses for low-, moderate- and middle-income families, the goal of a $7.5 billion housing plan he announced in 2002 and expanded in 2005. It has already financed the creation or preservation of 94,000 units, including 72,000 for low-income households, city officials say. But those efforts have been overwhelmed by a far larger number -- the 200,000 apartments affordable to low-income renters that New York City has lost over all, because of market forces, during the mayor's tenure."

2. Affordable Housing: Republican Posing as Democrat - The 1% Mayor

Bloomberg Funded Housing Categoried as 'Affordable' w/ Annual Rents of $48,000

I'm not entirely sure that Michael Bloomberg invented the dishonest label that categorized nearly $50,000 per year rental apartments as affordable, but he certainly seemed to embrace it. I discovered this Bloomberg public scam [a scam is a dishonest scheme], a year after former Mayor Bloomberg left office. In September 2014, I went to cover the unveiling of the spanking new 'affordable housing' units at Hunters Point in Long Island City - for which former Mayor Mike Bloomberg had given public land, given tax breaks, supported with public infrastructure spending and low interest government backed loans - only to find out that many of the apartments were anything but affordable to well over the median income [$55,000 at the time] NYC resident.

Former Mayor Bloomberg had indexed to income what they labeled 'affordable housing'. In this manner Bloomberg claimed $48,000 per year rentals were 'affordable housing', because the units would be affordable to someone earning $193,000 per year. People who earn an income of $193,000 are in the top 4% of income earners in the U.S.

Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg had given publicly owned NYC waterfront properties, valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, to NYC real estate developer Stephen Ross & Related Companies. In addition to the NYC land which was sold to Ross & Related and partners for $1, they also received government tax breaks, government backed financing and some infrastructure investments. Stephen Ross and Michael Bloomberg appear to be friends.

The Bloomberg Administration giveaways reported above, cost taxpayers billions primarily to Stephen Ross and Related Companies to create housing - much of which was luxury and NOT affordable to the majority of NYC residents [rent being about 25% - 30% of income].

Click here to read the full story - Mayor Bloomberg's Affordable Housing at Hunters Point Queens.

3. Public Land Grab. Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg Enabled Stephen Ross to Become Super Wealthy at the Public's Expense

Why did Bloomberg Give Away Huge Parcels of Choice NYC Owned Real Estate to One Developer?

Why did Bloomberg Use Public Funds to Build Two New MTA Subway Line Extensions that Disproportionately Benefitted One Developer, While Other Areas of the City Suffered?

Michael Bloomberg seemed to fight very hard for NYC real estate developer Stephen Ross. Ross went from not being listed as a billionaire at the start of Bloomberg's Mayoralty in the early 2000's, to being listed as the wealthiest NYC real estate developer billionaire, only a couple of years after Michael Bloomberg left office.

Is there a connection, or there is a very clear connection?

Count 'em - Bloomberg's Giveaways to Stephen Ross & Related Cos

1) Hudson Yard in Manhattan Midtown West, 2) Hunters Point South along the East River in LIC Queens, 3) Terminal Market in the Bronx & 4) Work in Process with Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens

HUDSON YARD MANHATTAN - 26 - 28 Acres Near the Javits Center in West Midtown Manhattan

It seems there is as Stephen Ross's Related Companies was a HUGE recipient of incredible choice pieces of NYC owned land for $1 in the case of Hudson Yard and Hunters Point South. The Hudson Yard is literally acres of land in midtown Manhattan - for $1.

On top of that, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg helped secure government loans for Stephen Ross & Related Companies projects, accessing NYC and NYS backed financing and possibly even federal loans [not sure of this last one]. And then there were tax breaks and abatements galore given to Stephen Ross and Related Companies - compliments of the hard working NYC and NYS taxpayers.

HUNTERS POINT SOUTH QUEENS - 30 Acres of Prime Watefront in LIC Queens Across from the United Nations

The Hunters Point South real estate development in Long Island City, Queens was acres of waterfront property with Manhattan views which Bloomberg reportedly gave to Stephen Ross's Related Companies and their partners for $1.

This development also included tax breaks and / or abatements, government backed financing and whatnot.

BRONX TERMINAL MARKET - 17 Acres near Yankee Stadium Along the Major Deegan Across from the Harlem River

According to a October 24, 2005 report in the New York Times,

" ... critics say the administration may have gone too far this time, that the market's potential as a retail center is so promising that the city did not need to provide the deep subsidies it did. Similar malls in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx have been booming successes without them, according to the critics, who include real estate executives, urban planners and the current tenants of the market. Representative Anthony D. Weiner has described the project's level of tax breaks, cash grants and city guarantees as a sweetheart deal. The developer, Stephen M. Ross, chairman of Related Companies and the city's busiest developer, is a close friend and a former business partner of Daniel L. Doctoroff, the city's [Bloomberg's] deputy mayor for economic development."

It's worth noting that the former owner of a lot of the land for this development - David Buntzman - was engaged in numerous legal battles with NYC, the city over which former Mayor Bloomberg presided. Did Bloomberg use government power to help his friend Stephen Ross secure the land?

FLUSHING MEADOWS CORONA PARK QUEENS - 6 Acres of Prime Waterfront & Park Adjacent Land by CitiField near LaGuardia Airport & Downtown Flushing

For this deal it was clear that Michael Bloomberg used government power via the right of eminent domain to forcibly wrest prime, waterfront and adjacent parkland real estate in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens from the small businesspeople that owned it for a 'fair market price' that was, in my mind, clearly not fair. And Stephen Ross and Related Companies were among the primary recipients of the land - of which two of the acres were again sold for $1.

Former Mayor Bloomberg's Administration Operated Group that Lobbied his Seemingly Corrupt Administration by Using Public Funds

An August 20, 2009 report in the NY Times states,

"... In late 2006, as the Bloomberg administration girded for what promised to be a bruising rezoning fight over the Willets Point section of Queens [Editor's Note: the Flushing Meadows Corona Park development noted above where they used Eminent Domain to seize land from the middle class to give it to the rich], it enlisted the help of Claire Shulman, the former Queens borough president."

"... At a meeting in City Hall that December, Ms. Shulman and Daniel L. Doctoroff, then a deputy mayor, agreed to form a nonprofit group with city and private money. Its primary purpose, Ms. Shulman said, would be to lobby on behalf of the mayor's plan to turn the long-neglected area near the New York Mets stadium into a thriving hub of shops, hotels, condominiums and a convention center."

They go on.

"... The group, the Flushing Willets Point Corona Local Development Corporation, eventually received hundreds of thousands of dollars in public and private money, and spent much of it to help push through the plan through the City Council."

"... But one thing they are not supposed to do is lobby. State law says local development corporations are not permitted to "influence legislation by propaganda or otherwise." Ms. Shulman's group eventually reported spending $450,000, roughly half its total budget, on lobbying, city records show."

Why didn't the NYC corporate media call out former Mayor Mike Bloomberg for seeming to corruptly transfer wealth from the people of New York City to his rich friends, even using taxpayer money to do it?

4. Public Spending / Private Profiteers. How Corrupt Michael Bloomberg? Quid Pro No?

Stephen Ross & Related Companies got Sweetheart NYC Land Deals, Tax Breaks, Financing, & Mass Transit Investments - and NYC got What - Besides Screwed?

Did Michael Bloomberg Prioritize Mass Transit Investments in the #7 Subway & Q Subway Line Extensions to Enrich Stephen Ross & Related Companies?

Bloomberg Appeared to Socialize the Costs by Dumping them on NYC & NYS Taxpayers and then Privatized the Assets & Profits by Selling Super Promising Plots of Land for $1 Apiece to Stephen Ross & Related Companies

Thus Bloomberg Seemed to Make a Friend Very, Very Rich by What Appears to be 'Stealing' Public Assets - in a Manner Not Unlike how the Russian Oligarchs Stole that Nation's Mineral Wealth from its People

At a time when the NYC mass transit system was in dire need of all kinds of investments, how did former Mayor Michael Bloomberg allocate NYC spending and prioritize projects? Editors Note: NYC mass transit is the domain of the Governor, but the NYC Mayor has representation and influence via board representation and NYC budget contributions.

#7 SUBWAY LINE EXTENSION - Creates Tremendous Wealth for Stephen Ross & Related Companies new development Hudson Yard

Former Mayor Bloomberg reportedly allocated $2.5 billion of NYC [and possibly NYS] funds to building the #7 subway extension out to Stephen Ross's Related Companies Hudson Yard development. It's well known that mass transit greatly improves the price for real estate (more details about this below).

Q SUBWAY LINE EXTENSION - Adds Tremendous Value to Stephen Ross & Related Companies Upper East Side Commercial and Residential Properties

Former Mayor Bloomberg also promoted the Q subway line extension along 2nd Avenue. This $4.5 billion project also greatly benefitted Stephen Ross & Related Companies as they have numerous properties that are located near that line extension - see map. In addition to their offices, Stephen Ross & Related Companies also own three buildings around 94th - 96th Street near 2nd and 3rd Avenues on the Upper East side which together comprise nearly 700 units that garner rents from the mid single digit thousands to $20,000 and likely higher. Think what a boon the new Q subway line extension was for Stephen Ross.

COINCIDENCE - THE SUBWAY LINE EXTENSIONS & REAL ESTATE DEALS ALL HAPPEN BY THE END OF 2007? As did the real estate deals on Bronx Terminal Market, Hudson Yard, Hunters Point South & Flushing Meadow Corona Park.

COINCIDENCE - BLOOMBERG RESCINDS TERM LIMITS JUST OVER A YEAR LATER? Both the Q Subway Line extension and the #7 Subway Line extension were initiated in 2007. The question is did Bloomberg decide to overturn the plebiscite term limiting his administration so that he could complete the two subway projects - which would greatly enrich Stephen Ross?

MASS TRANSIT PROXIMITY ADDS CONSIDERABLE VALUE TO REAL ESTATE

According to the National Association of Realtors, in a June 16, 2014 report,

"Public transit can increase the development potential of real estate near high-capacity transit lines and stations, and thereby increase property values. This "transit premium" can range from as little as a few percent increase to over 150 percent."

I find it hard to believe the premium is capped at 150%. But nonetheless, Hudson Yard added value is a no brainer. And what's the value of the Q Line extension transit premium on Stephen Ross & Related Companies 700 residential units? Let's conservatively hypothesize $1 million apiece, which brings the total to nearly $1 billion base value. Now add 5% or 150% and you see what a windfall this is for them. And this calculation doesn't include the three Stephen Ross & Related Company office buildings on the Upper East Side two of which are in the area of 3rd and 2nd Avenues around 94th to 96th Street.

Bloomberg & Trump and the Emerging American Oligarchs?

How much wealthier can Bloomberg make this man using public funding? It's worth noting that Bloomberg's net worth also rose rapidly during his time as Mayor, which leads one to ask whether former Mayor Mike Bloomberg also enriched himself. That's what billionaires like Bloomberg and Trump seem to do best.

Billionaire businessman Mike Bloomberg seemed to negotiate poor deals for the people, that were great deals for his friends. This is exactly what the Russian Oligarchs did as they too seemed to legally 'steal' the people's wealth with the help of well placed pols.

Bloomberg Campaign Ad Says He Helps Small Businesses

It Should say he Helps Big Businesses Like Donald J. Trump

Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he's a friend to small businesses. But during the Bloomberg Mayoralty, he seemed to use enforcement of city ordinances as a revenue center - not a law enforcement unit. He also substantially increased small businesses water rates, and increased their taxes.

And while a lot of funding, free land and low cost loans were directed toward a few wealthy real estate developers - like Stephen Ross & Related Companies - the small businessmen of NYC were taking an economic beating, just like the residents in the city were taking a beating on affordable housing.

5. Privatization of Public Schools. Michael Bloomberg & the Donald: Equal Opportunity Destroyers?

Bloomberg Accelerated Breaking Up & Privatizing the NYC School System into the Haves & Have Nots

When Republican Michael Bloomberg became Mayor in 2002 there were 22 charter schools in the NYC public education system. By the time Michael Bloomberg left office in 2014, there were 159 charter schools in the NYC public school system. A disproportionate share [47 of the 137 new charters], like the real estate development deals cut by Bloomberg, was given to one person and her corporation - Eva Moskowitz and Success Academy charter schools.

Michael Bloomberg appeared to use the closing of large NYC public schools and the downsizing of them to accomplish two things - 1) to undermine the teachers' unions and 2) to enable private corporations backed by hedge funds like Success Academy to recruit the performing students [privatize the profits] while leaving the rest behind [socialize the costs]. This also had the effect of creating a two-tiered public school system, which in the long term, like allowing the military contractors and oil companies to set foreign policy and spending - undermines the commonwealth.

Mike Bloomberg's Campaign Ads Seem as Deceitful as the Donald's

Michael Bloomberg Spun the Privatization of the NYC Public School System as Children First - which sounds a lot like Donald Trump's America First

Great Slogans are Oftentimes used to Mask Unseemly Realities

A report in the Observer on August 6, 2013 provided the following,

"... Former Congressman Anthony Weiner accused Mayor Michael Bloomberg of using school closures to skirt union rules and fudging test scores ahead of his 2005 re-election bid ... Weiner made the case that schools are being closed, not to improve them, but because it allows the city to skirt union rules that would otherwise bar the changes ... Weiner accused Mr. Bloomberg of messing with test scores ahead of his 2005 re-election bid in order to make it seem as though more progress was being made. "The mayor himself, I think, fudged the scores wildly leading up to his re-election in 2005," said Mr. Weiner, who at the time was also running in the race. "A lot of those early numbers turned out to be discredited.""

"... Weiner doubled down on the accusation, pointing to news reports from the time questioning the scores...There was a spate of press conferences about how amazing the schools were doing that were later on discredited when those numbers came crashing back to earth," he said. "These numbers are getting fudged in hundreds of ways," ... Weiner said he had no intention of jumping on the bandwagon of criticism that is sure to hit the administration tomorrow when the first round of test scores under a new curriculum are announced. The mayor and schools chancellor have been warning for months parents to brace for significant declines."

Closing Good Schools in Astoria Queens in 2013

To Enable a Charter School for Eva Moskowitz and Success Academy which would Recruit the Best Students?

I stumbled across this story as Mayor Bloomberg seemed ready to break apart one of most successful - if not the most successful public school in Queens. As I began to do my research to get up to speed on the issue, it became apparent to me what former Mayor Bloomberg and his investment fund friends were doing was breaking the NYC public school system into two systems - one that RECRUITED the best students into for profit privately managed charter schools, and one that would be run by the public sector that included those left behind.

Nigel McKenna took the photo at right in Astoria in 2013 and granted us permission to use it.

In this manner Bloomberg & the Republicans could create and maintain the MYTH that charter schools perform better than public schools. The reality seems to be that charter schools RECRUIT more motivated families / students out of the public schools - but don't do a better job of educating them.

This seemed near criminal to me that they would privatize the profits, while socializing the costs of the public school system. This also tears away one of the most basic promises in the U.S. Constitution - the right to equal opportunity. Here's a link to the story where I discovered what was REALLY going on.

Bloomberg on education and the NYC Public School System - scroll down to March 2013.

Bloomberg's Claimed Record of Accomplishment in Public Education, Resembles the Donald's Claims of Accomplishment during his Administration ...

In 2009, during Bloomberg's campaign to buy a third term [financed with $100 million of his own money], the Gotham Gazette, a union non-profit, reported the following,

"... Bloomberg has used his vast resources to contrast his record on education with Thompson's -- sometimes distorting the truth in the process ... New York's business community received a glitzy presentation by Klein [former schools chancellor] about how all sections of New York City had registered more improvement on test scores than other counties in the state. Fans of Bloomberg said this offered solid evidence that, under Klein and Bloomberg, students were achieving -- not simply taking easier tests ... Within days, those figures were challenged by results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Those numbers found that while the scores on New York's own tests have climbed steadily, New York State kids had not improved their performance on the national test. Critics of Klein and Bloomberg said this offered solid evidence that students were taking easier state tests -- not necessarily achieving more."

Meanwhile the Donald, our current president, claims he's the greatest president America has ever had. I suspect only dum Fux News viewers believe that one.

Congestion Pricing

This was essentially a tax on many of the working class people who live in transportation deserts. Many of these people are essentially forced to drive into work to avoid spending an incredible number of hours commuting - far more than most of us already spend. See our report on Congestion Pricing in NYC.

Mike Bloomberg is no friend of the working class.

6. Union Buster? Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg Seems no Friend of the Working Class

During his 12 Years in Office he Acted in a Hostile Manner Undermining the Working Class Families & Unions

During former Mayor Michael Bloomberg's three terms in office, Bloomberg didn't sign any contracts with any of the unions.

According to an April 17, 2013 report in the NY Daily News,

"Teachers union president Michael Mulgrew slammed Bloomberg for claiming he wanted to negotiate, calling Hizzoner the "mayor of the 1%."

"I think that what's really going on here is the mayor doesn't like the idea that he'll be the only mayor ever to leave office where every single municipal union is without a contract and he just made this maneuver to try to cover his backside.""

Bloomberg is also alleged to have found ways to skirt hiring union labor in various municipal projects, like his efforts to privatize the NYC school system. And as mentioned above, Bloomberg awarded huge deals to just a couple of people, greatly enriching them. In the case of privatizing NYC Public Schools it was Eva Moskowitz of Success Academy who was the big beneficiary, and in real estate it was Stephen Ross & Related Companies as reported above.

7. Corruption: Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg & City Time Scandal

And who can forget former Mayors Rudy Giuliani's and Michael Bloomberg's $600 million City Time corruption scandal?

A report published on June 29, 2011 on the WNYC website, states the following about the City Time scandal.

"... The irony here is rich. "The massive scheme" started as an outsourced city contract to design a payroll system that would precisely track the hours worked by city employees. After a couple of false starts with other vendors, defense contractor Scientific Applications International Corporation was awarded the job in a no-bid contract by the Giuliani Administration..."

"... Under Mayor Bloomberg, the contract ballooned from $63 million where it had started out in the Giuliani years , to more than $700 million. Federal prosecutors now say at least $600 million of that was "tainted." At every level, federal prosecutors allege grafters had honeycombed CityTime in to a paragon of corruption."Between 2003 and 2010, the CityTime payroll project served as a vehicle for an unprecedented fraud, which appears to have metastasized over time," said [U.S. Attorney Southern District NY - Preet] Baharara..."

"... What prosecutors have yet to publicly discuss is the role played by former city officials from both the Giuliani and Bloomberg administrations that acted as lobbyists on behalf of SAIC and subcontractors such as New Jersey-based Technodyne."

Billionaire Businessman Mike Bloomberg presides over a $600 million corruption scheme that grew 10x while he was Mayor. Are billionaires too interested in money, to be good at a job where you're supposed to be representing the people?

8. Racist Policing. Republican Mayor Michael Bloomberg Implemented a Racist Stop N Frisk Policing Policy

Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg apologized for pursuing an aggressive Stop N Frisk policy in the wake of 911. In 2002, the number of people subject to Stop N Frisk was about 97,000. By former Mayor Bloomberg's third term it had skyrocketed to 685,000 in 2011 with African Americans and Latinos so heavily targeted by Bloomberg's NYPD that the courts in 2013 declared Bloomberg's NYPD was presiding over a racist policing program. Bloomberg had just switched from declaring himself a Republican.

Here are a few of the statistics from the peak year of 2012 according to the American Civil Liberties Union. They reported that an estimated 88% of those stopped and frisked were innocent. During Bloomberg's peak year of Stop N Frisk in 2011, 53% of those stopped were African American, 34% Latino and 9% White. In NYC in 2010 [closest year for NYC population demographics I could find] the racial composition of NYC was 33% White, 26% African American, 26% Hispanic and 13% All Other.

NYC Mayor de Blasio was elected into office promising to discontinue the aggressive Stop N Frisk policy. He proposed that Stop N Frish should only be used as warranted. Stop N Frisk declined by well over 90% in the first couple of years of the de Blasio Administration, while the crime rate continued to decline - in part because Mayor de Blasio had wisely, significantly increased the police presence on the street.

Bloomberg & Trump: Are Two Billionaires Two Bad Choices?

They Both Seem to Take Money & Power Away from the People & Give it to the Super Rich

This is Just the Opposite of What the Founding Fathers Did

In December 2017 President Donald Trump and the Republicans passed a massive tax cut for the wealthy and corporations, by essentially stealing from America's babies and unborn. I say this because they financed the additional budget deficit by borrowing the money on the backs of America's youth to finance one of the biggest tax breaks for the wealthy in history. One should not wonder why Donald Trump has rich people lining up to fund his campaign. Quid Pro Quo?

As you can see by the Bloomberg record I reported above, Michael Bloomberg - like Trump - is no friend of the working and middle classes of America.

If you're super rich like Stephen Ross of Related Companies, then having to choose between two billionaires for president like Mike Bloomberg and Donald Trump is a dream come true. But if you're not in the billionaire class, then voting for Mike Bloomberg or voting for Donald Trump is probably not in your best interest.

So factor in this non-corporate media report about Mike Bloomberg's record into your evaluation. You can verify what I have reported on your own using the search engines.

And I am certain former Mayor Michael Bloomberg's ad campaign won't talk about this part of his record of 'accomplishment'.

12.16.2019

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