OMG - DID HE REALLY SAY THAT?

Emperor Bloomberg is sounding more and more like W every day:

from the New York Daily News:

Mayor Bloomberg was asked today to comment on the criticism President Obama is receiving for killing a fly during a recent interview, and his resulting response was such a quintessential example of Bloombergese that it simply cried out for posting.

And so, here it is, compliments of the DN's Erin Einhorn:

“I don’t know why he did it. I had pickets outside my house for geese last night. We are sending some of these geese for well-deserved rest up in the sky, wherever geese go.

"But the bottom line is, we can make fun of the geese but they’re a danger to human beings flying. And we’re doing what's appropriate, and I’m sure what the president thought about was that particular fly might be spreading something like the H1N1 flu and he was going to risk his own life with hands - bare hands, without Purell - and he protected the public by hitting that fly, and we owe him a great debt of gratitude. I'm sure he’s laughing about it right now."

This is our mayor? How embarrasing!

I am sorry President Obama killed a fly on national TV - it became a press diversion. But "risk his own life?" What was Bloomberg thinking?

And as for making fun of the geese. This is just a stupid and insensitive comment. The plane that landed in the Hudson River was hit by Canada geese - i.e. migratory geese. Killing the geese who live around the airports will not make a difference to the safety of air travel. Finding ways to protect the planes and an understanding of the bird's migratory patterns will.

Do we really want this dope as mayor again. I don't.

Vote for Tony Avella for mayor.

image from Emperor Bloomberg.

NOT MY MAYOR

or BLOOMBERG TO NEW YORKERS (EXCEPT THE WEALTHY): DROP DEAD

There were two interesting pieces about Mayor Bloomberg in the papers today. Metro ran an excellent op ed piece by Richard Kim, an associate editor of the Nation, which is reproduced below. And the NY Times ran an editorial "Food Stamps in Hard Times", which was critical of Bloomberg blocking an extension of food stamps for able-bodied adults without dependents.

Kim talks about how NYC has not been spared the ravages of the recession – unemployment at 7.4 percent and growing; record homeless rates and the already beleaguered middle class is in full flight from NYC, being driven away by the highest rent, food, child care and utilities bills in the country.

Kim goes on to criticize Mayor Bloomberg’s new $45 million program that would use taxpayer money to retrain “investment bankers, traders and others who have lost jobs on Wall Street.” He intends to set them up with “seed capital and office space.” This from the same man who has refused to accept extra food stamp money from Obama’s stimulus plan.

Bloomberg has never had an ounce of empathy for any living thing – human or animal - and in these dire times, New Yorkers should think twice before giving him a third term. Bloomberg is on a power trip, defying two previous ballot initiatives in which the public had overwhelmingly voted for term limits.

NYC used to be a welcoming city for the middle class – now it is just a bastion for the wealthy.

As Kim says below, New York City "needs a mayor for all of us — for the boroughs, for the poor, for the working class and the laborers and artists, musicians and writers who have made this the best place on earth."

We believe Council Member Tony Avella is the man for the job. He is smart, honest, ethical, cares about people and animals and has some great ideas. He was outstanding at the mayoral forum at Three Parks Independent Democratic club on February 11th. This man needs to have his voice heard!

WRONG MAYOR, WRONG CITY

By Richard Kim

Any erstwhile liberal New Yorkers thinking of supporting Mike Bloomberg’s bid for a third term should do so with their eyes wide open. The city hasn’t been spared the ravages of the recession. As of December, unemployment stood at 7.4 percent, and experts predict almost 300,000 more jobs will be gone by the summer of 2010. Homeless rates are at record highs; the city’s overstretched shelters now take in an average of 36,000 people each night.

The city’s already-beleaguered middle class is in full flight. A recent study by the Center for an Urban Future shows more than 150,000 middle income residents left New York City in 2006, driven away by the highest rent, food, child care and utilities bills in the country. Meanwhile, Manhattan has been rezoned as the almost exclusive playground of the rich.

If Mayor Mike gets re-elected, it will stay this way — or get worse. As the New York Times reported last week, Bloomberg is refusing to accept extra food stamp money from Obama’s stimulus.

In this climate, Bloomberg’s decision is an act of cruel sadism, withholding food (food!) from thousands of hungry mouths to make an ideological point about work. It’s also straight from the playbook of the most reactionary Republican governors, who are threatening to return stimulus money to prove just how much better free markets are than government.

But here’s the really unbelievable part: The next day, Mayor Mike announced a $45 million program that would use taxpayer money to retrain “investment bankers, traders and others who have lost jobs on Wall Street.” Bloomberg intends to set them up with “seed capital and office space” so that they can “promote innovation” and “capture growth.”

There you have a succinct encapsulation of Mike Bloomberg’s priorities. Poor, hungry New Yorkers will be stripped of food stamps that the federal government says is both necessary and good stimulus, while the bollocks-for-brains bankers who got us into this mess will get office space and taxpayer moolah to restart the cycle of speculation.

I love NYC. Right now, NYC needs a mayor for all of us — for the boroughs, for the poor, for the working class and the laborers and artists, musicians and writers who have made this the best place on earth.

AVELLA RANKED BEST IN QUEENS ON HUMAN RIGHTS

On December 10, 2008, the Urban Justice Center released its report card for the Human Rights Project, which rated NYC Council Members on their human rights record based on key legislation before the City Council in the past year. The Human Rights Project works to hold city government accountable to human rights laws and standards. Click here to see the New York City Council Watch report card.



Council Member Tony Avella, candidate for mayor of NYC in 2009, ranked third on the list. Leticia James ranked first, followed by Charles Barron who ranked second. The issues covered included term limits, voter registration, elder abuse, immigration services, tenant protection, paid family leave and child-health plus - just to name a few.



Read the article in the Queens Ledger by Nathan Duke.



This should answer all those animal haters who think that compassion is a finite quality - that to give any to animals - as Council Member Avella has consistently done - means that you have less for people. Those of us who disagree with this miserly approach know that compassion for animals or humans only generates more compassion. It is an infinite quality and only grows with use.



We are proud of Council Member Tony Avella's achievements and wish him the best in his race for Mayor of NYC. Wouldn't it be great to have a mayor who cares about people and animals?



See his web site - www.tonyavellaformayor.com