Gotham Gazette

The Place for New York Policy and politics

Michael Bloomberg

Michael Bloomberg

  • After Another Low-Turnout, Uncompetitive Mayoral Election, Renewed Calls for Nonpartisan Elections that Eric Adams Once Supported

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    Mayor-Elect Eric Adams (photo: @ericadamsfornyc2021)


    When Mayor Michael Bloomberg put the prospect of nonpartisan or "open" primary elections before voters in 2003, Eric Adams was a vocal supporter of the shift. This year, when Adams narrowly won the Democratic primary and, in part thanks to Democrats' overwhelming voter enrollment advantage, sailed to victory in the general election to become the next mayor himself, he's been much quieter on the topic. That's because he no longer supports it.

    When asked in a questionnaire from good

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  • Max & Murphy Podcast: Supporters of Democratic Presidential Candidates Make Their Case

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    (l-r) Henry Munoz, Chris Coffey, Aaron Mendelsohn, Tristian Thomas-Allen, Antonio Reynoso, Ana Maria Archila, Ben Max, Jarrett Murphy


    February 26, 2020 - Max & Murphy Podcast: Supporters of Democratic Presidential Candidates Make Their Case

    It was a very lively discussion as the presidential primary heats up. Max & Murphy hosted a special live show panel discussion with supporters of six major Democratic presidential candidates: Antonio Reynoso for Warren; Ana Maria Archila for Sanders; Aaron Mendelsohn for Klobuchar; Chris Coffey

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  • Max & Murphy Podcast: Michael Bloomberg Runs for President

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    (photo: Edward Reed/City Council)


    February 19, 2020 - Max & Murphy Podcast: Reckoning with Bloomberg's Record

    bob hardt ny1 eleanor randolph mike bloombergWith former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg cannonballing into the presidential race, two veteran journalists and experts on Bloomberg -- Bob Hardt of NY1 and Eleanor Randolph, author of The Many Lives of

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  • Christine Quinn on Solving Homelessness: 'This is Not Brain Surgery'

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    Christine Quinn (photo: William Alatriste/City Council)


    Christine Quinn is frustrated. Quinn, formerly the Speaker of the New York City Council and currently the CEO of Win, a nonprofit that is the largest provider of shelter and permanent supportive housing to families in New York, believes much more can be done to support homeless New Yorkers.

    The city continues to grapple with an immense homelessness crisis, with more than 60,000 people in city shelters each night, roughly 3,000 people living on the streets or in the subways, and several

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  • 7 Years After Sandy - Part I: Pieces In Place That Worked, Rebuilding Efforts That Failed

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    Brooklyn Bridge Park (photo: mayor's office)


    This is part one of a three-part series on '7 Years After Sandy.' Part two -- on the city’s stalled and advancing resiliency measures -- can be found hereThis series is part of Gotham Gazette's work in participation with the Covering Climate Now project, which includes over 250 media outlets focusing on

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  • What's The [Data] Point? $1 Billion, with Linda Gibbs

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    What's The [Data] Point? Episode 53 -- $1 billion, with Linda Gibbs [You can download What's The [Data] Point? wherever you get your podcasts, including on iTunes]

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    Linda Gibbs is a former Deputy Mayor under Mayor Michael Bloomberg and now a principal with Bloomberg Associates, the philanthropic consulting firm that Bloomberg launched just

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  • Across the Country, Bloomberg’s Election Investments Largely Successful

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    Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Election Day in New York (via @MikeBloomberg)


    Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg made national headlines when the Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-independent gave a primetime speech at this summer’s Democratic National Convention, during which he excoriated Donald Trump, then the Republican nominee for President and now president-elect, and outlined his support for Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee.

    While Bloomberg’s choice at the top of the ballot did not go the way he

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  • A New Challenge for De Blasio: Balancing Re-election Campaign and Governing

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    De Blasio at NAN (photo: Ed Reed/Mayor's Office)


    New York City’s municipal party primary elections are ten months away, and though he does not yet have a formidable challenger in the race, Mayor Bill de Blasio is not sitting back unprepared. De Blasio, a first-term Democrat, has kickstarted his reelection campaign, raising funds and formulating a campaign message around his achievements. In part, he is trying to preempt a significant challenger from entering the fray. But, as de Blasio himself has said, being Mayor is a 24/7

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  • Council to Examine Young Men’s Initiative, a Bloomberg Program & National Model

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    YMI's Cyrus Garrett (photo: @NYCyoungmen)


    In August of 2011, then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg addressed a group of nonprofit and community leaders as he announced the launch of a landmark approach to tackling persistent problems facing young black and Latino men. The Young Men’s Initiative, ...

  • Touted Bloomberg Anti-Poverty Incubator Sees New Life in De Blasio Era

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    Above: Mayor Bloomberg speaks (Ed Reed). Below: Gibbs & Doar on panel


    Data-driven Center for Economic Opportunity paves way for workforce development vision in Career Pathways

    On July 14, former Bloomberg Deputy Mayor Linda Gibbs and Robert Doar, former commissioner of anti-poverty efforts, participated in a panel discussion in Washington, D.C., fielding questions

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  • In the Age of De Blasio, A Bloomberg Era Small School Reunion

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    reunion photo by Chrystina Russell, former principal of Global Tech


    In July, I found myself back in the East Harlem cafeteria shared by Global Technology Preparatory and P.S. 7. The occasion for my visit was a reunion of Global Tech’s first class of eighth-graders, who were now, four years after their middle-school commencement, graduating from high school.

    I was eager to return and see how the students had fared. I knew from my ongoing contacts with the school and its students that several had endured more

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  • With De Blasio Appearing Vulnerable, Heightened Examination of Paths to Defeat Him

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    Mayor Bill de Blasio (photo: Ed Reed, Mayor's Office)


    Mayor Bill de Blasio often says he doesn’t put much stock in public opinion polls; he believes they’re about as accurate as weather predictions. When asked, he didn’t express much concern after a Quinnipiac University poll released August 1 showed that 51 percent of New York City voters don’t think he deserves to be re-elected in

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  • New York Primaries are Closed, Repetitive and Costly

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    Gov. Cuomo votes in 2015 (photo via Governor's Office)


    In April, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump won the Democratic and Republican New York presidential primaries, respectively. New York has a well-publicized and worsening voter turnout problem, and approximately one in four registered New York voters could have no say in the presidential primary outcomes even if they wanted to - other than by changing their party affiliation more than a year prior.

    New York is one of only ...

  • Addressing NYC's School Overcrowding Crisis

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    Protesting school overcrowding in Queens


    All parents in New York City deserve the peace of mind that their children will be able to attend a school where they can thrive and grow. Unfortunately, following years of neglect from the Bloomberg administration, our city's school system is plagued by school overcrowding and excessive class sizes, where hundreds of thousands of our children simply don't have adequate space to learn.

    With education a top priority for the city, it's critical that our leaders take strong action to address the chronic underfunding of our city's school

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  • Is Mayor De Blasio Putting Students First?

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    Mayor de Blasio (photo via The Mayor's Office)


    Mayor de Blasio's annual State of the City address is a natural time to take a step back and review his performance running the largest school system in the United States. For StudentsFirstNY, our most basic litmus test for policymakers is a simple question – are they putting the interests of students first? After two full years with Mayor de Blasio, we can definitively say that the answer is "no."

    In analyzing Mayor de Blasio's stewardship of city schools, there are several themes that

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  • Give New York Manufacturers the Space They Need

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    photo: William Alatriste


    In November, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito released a manufacturing policy that makes a strong commitment to the city’s Industrial Business Zones (IBZs). This is the culmination of a growing consensus among certain sectors of the city, from the Progressive Caucus of the City Council to the ...

  • The Week That Was in New York Politics, November 16-20

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    photo: Stanley Kubrick via Museum of the City of New York


    Gotham Gazette's Week in Review, Friday November 20, 2015

    PHOTO OF THE WEEK: Mayor de Blasio, former Mayor Bloomberg, Council Speaker Mark-Viverito and others at Friday's tree-planting ceremony, via @NYCCouncil; former

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  • De Blasio Attempts to Undo Negative First Impressions

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    De Blasio at a press conference (Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)


    It's hard to go a few hours in New York political circles without hearing a joke about the mayor being late. Mayor de Blasio earned the taunts, having had a punctuality problem, which offended many New Yorkers. These days, de Blasio is almost never late for public events, though, seeming to have corrected what should have been an avoidable mistake of his early tenure.

    Still, nearly two years into his term, de Blasio is dogged by a reputation for tardiness, as well as other

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  • Do New York Elected Officials Deserve A Raise?

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    Mayor de Blasio along the parade route (photo: @BilldeBlasio)


    What should the mayor of New York City be paid each year? How much should City Council members be paid? Do elected officials deserve incremental raises each year?

    Or, maybe elected officials are overpaid as it is?

    Some, like New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, think higher government salaries would entice “better” people into public service, meaning smarter and more honest officials.

    A host of questions have

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  • The Week Ahead in New York Politics, September 14

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    New York City Hall


    What to watch for this week in New York politics:

    • Where will the heated discussion over MTA funding go?
    • What's next in the James Blake-NYPD saga?
    • Is there any sense that Mayor de Blasio and Governor Cuomo may figure out a truce and work together instead of being antagonists?
    • What bills will be introduced and passed at the City Council's first (of two) full-body Stated Meeting of the month, set for Thursday?

    These

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  • Suing the Hand That Feeds You

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    Public Advocate Letitia James


    Capitalizing on a boost to a historically anemic budget, Public Advocate Letitia James has emphasized the use of litigation in her capacity as the city’s elected gadfly, often suing the city that funds her.

     

    James is utilizing her office’s limited funds in accordance with her

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  • What is Flanagan Looking for From De Blasio on Mayoral Control?

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    Sen. Flanagan, right, celebrates with the governor (Governor's Office via flickr)


    Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan has made it no secret that he lacks confidence in Mayor Bill de Blasio's handling of the New York City schools. Made clear when the state recently extended de Blasio's control of city schools for just one year, on Monday in a New York Post op-ed Flanagan

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  • Under-reported Abuse Given Higher Priority in New City Budget

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    Rally for senior funding (photo via Council Member Chin)


    After more than a decade of abuse, she finally called for help. Dialing 311, the 80-year-old widow - who had remained silent for years as the granddaughter she had raised yelled and cursed at her, slapped her, and stole from her - reached out for help after the younger woman threatened to seriously injure her.

    She was referred by 311 to JASA, a non-profit serving seniors

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  • City Fights to Stem Annual Tide of Summer Family Homelessness

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    Mayor de Blasio, at podium, & DHS Commissioner Taylor, left (photo: @NYCDHS)


    New York City is home to about 10 percent of the homeless population in the United States. By the end of 2014, the number of homeless in the city's shelters reached a historic high of nearly 60,000 that included 25,849 children. But since the start of this year, there has been an 11 percent decrease in homeless children. As of July 10, the figure stood at 22,864 homeless children according to ...

  • 7 Points of Contention as City Budget Deal Finalized

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    Mayor de Blasio & Speaker Mark-Viverito talk (photo: William Alatriste)


    “This year we're fighting for much-needed funds that will get #NYC 6-day library service citywide, more police, better parks & much more,” tweeted City Council Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer on Monday morning.

    Van Bramer, who chairs the Council’s cultural affairs committee, where the debate over library funding has largely been

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