Bloomberg’s Initial Moves Look Promising

The first Bloomberg administration is still about six weeks away from being ensconced in City Hall, but we think the surprise winner of the November 6 election, the city’s 108th mayor, is making some good moves as he lays the foundation for running the city over the next four years.

There’s no doubt Michael Bloomberg, the 59-year-old billionaire and successful businessman, faces a daunting task in dealing with billion-dollar deficits, a stalled economy, and the awesome task of rebuilding the city from the ashes of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Whatever his background and qualifications, whatever individual style of governing that he brings to the job, Bloomberg will again be in an underdog role as he deals with these weighty problems. We don’t think too much can be demanded of him in the situation he’s being thrust into.

But in the other role he has to play, dealing with eight million or so constituents, each with their own vastly divergent agendas, we like what we’ve seen so far.

In the days immediately after his stunning victory, Bloomberg got right to work, keeping his promise to touch base with a senior citizen in Brooklyn and visiting with Fernando Ferrer, Al Sharpton and various municipal labor leaders. All had played key roles in the dramatic loss suffered by Mark Green and bore deep scars.

We think it was wise of the incoming mayor to reach out to them, just as important we thought the way Bloomberg did it was worthy of comment.

Bloomberg appears to be a genuinely caring person who approaches people quietly and respectfully, no big, forced smile, no back slapping, but a serious, businesslike approach. He also appears to be independent and not afraid to disagree with people in an honest manner.

Mayor Rudy Giuliani has proven himself to be one of the most popular and effective mayor’s in the city’s history, but his people style at times left something to be desired for a man who was mayor of all the people. We hope Bloomberg continues to exhibit an inclusive spirit. We’re realistic enough to realize he will have his Diallo-type crises and will get caught in the middle of tugs of war involving opposing groups, but he appears to have a personality and manner to deal quietly and effectively with crisis situations.

As for Giuliani, we don’t think we have ever seen a political figure who had as much influence in an election in which he was not a candidate as the present mayor exhibited in the Green–Bloomberg race. Admittedly, Bloomberg’s fortunes were showing some change before the mayor endorsed him. We felt the endorsement might have come too late, but we were obviously wrong. We’re anxious to see where this unusually strong wave of popularity will take the newest mayor of New York City in the future.

DEM DEBACLE: Fittingly the race factor, which caused the Democratic Party debacle in the mayor’s race and in turn brought about Mark Green’s loss to Michael Bloomberg, led last week to state party chairlady Judith Hope’s resignation. She will probably be replaced by Manhattan Dem leader, Assemblymember Herman "Denny" Farrell.

In hopes of short-circuiting a similar racial conflict which could hurt the party’s gubernatorial hopefuls in next year’s election, the two frontrunners, state Comptroller H. Carl McCall and Andrew Cuomo, wasted no time in jointly pledging to avoid racial attacks in the campaign.

Trying to protect the party from the fate which befell Green, Hope had urged, without mentioning names, that "one of them has to get out."

McCall, the first black statewide office holder in history, said "no way" and Cuomo followed suit.

But the refuting of Hope’s request caused her to quit the day after she had issued her proposal.

She had held the post for seven years.

Although McCall and Cuomo both pledged to avoid racial attacks in the primary campaign, a monitoring panel of Democrats will probably be established to ensure that the two abide by their pledges.

Meanwhile, Farrell, one of the state’s leading black Democrats, seems assured of becoming the party’s state leader, among other reasons, because he’s no friend of bombastic black leader Al Sharpton.

One of Farrell’s first and most important projects, if he gets to succeed Hope, will be to unify the fractured New York City Democratic establishment. If this can’t be achieved, neither McCall nor Cuomo will stand a chance against Governor George Pataki’s effort to win a third term.

While all of the hoopla over Hope’s remark was going on, Cuomo took a trip to Harlem to pick up several endorsements from black leaders. At the rally at the famous Sylvia’s soul food restaurant, Adam Clayton Powell IV reportedly waxed effusive over Cuomo, the former federal Housing and Urban Development head: "He is unequivocally one of us, he is the best suited to take on Pataki, and he is the best person to bring the statehouse back to the people of New York." Other endorsements came from three local Democratic Party district leaders.

MARKEY’S NIGHT: Queens Democratic leader Thomas Manton and Congressmember Joseph Crowley are hosting a fundraiser–cocktail party tomorrow night, November 15, for Assemblymember Margaret Markey (D–Maspeth) from 6 to 8 p.m. at Matchmaker’s, 71-15 Grand Ave., Maspeth. Markey and Crowley are Democratic co-leaders in Maspeth– Elmhurst.

HISTORIC FOOTNOTES: Two new Queens Councilmembers, Hiram Monserrate (Corona/East Elmhurst) and John Liu (Flushing), the first Hispanic and Asian, respectively, to serve in the Council from this borough, view their elections as a major change in the city’s political landscape.

Liu, a 34-year-old Taiwan-born immigrant, commented: "We are in a new era where all the people of New York City will finally have equal representation. I do realize that I am breaking a barrier and there will be lots of responsibilities to fulfill."

Liu emigrated to Queens at age five, studied physics at SUNY/Binghamton, and works as a manager at the prestigious Price Waterhouse Coopers accounting giant. He celebrated his 34th birthday on Election Day. He succeeds Julia Harrison in the Council.

Monserrate said he looks forward to representing all the diverse communities in his 21st Council District and expects his presence in the council "will forever change the political landscape in Queens." He said he looks forward to working with Mayor-elect Michael Bloomberg.

Monserrate, who succeeds Queens Borough President-elect Helen Marshall in the Council, is former Marine and city police officer, a past officer of the Latino Officers Association and the first police officer ever elected to the board of the New York Civil Liberties Union. Last year he was elected a Democratic district leader in Corona.

BROKEN VOTING MACHINE: Astoria attorney John Ciafone, who lost to Peter Vallone Jr. in the 22nd District (Astoria/Long Island City) primary and general election Council races, writes to complain that his name was omitted from a voting machine at P.S. 85 in Astoria in the November 6 election. Ciafone said the machine was located near his home and the omission "was a devastating blow," although he lost to Vallone by several thousand votes as the Liberal Party candidate. A Board of Elections official reported that the number of voting machine errors throughout the city was "no terrible crisis."

‘WEINERMOBILE’ IN F.H.: To meet with constituents who don’t get a chance to visit his district offices, Congressmember Anthony Weiner (D-Queens/Brooklyn) loaded himself and his staff onto his mobile office and visited Forest Hills and Rockaway. He also planned to have newly elected Councilmember Melinda Katz (D-Forest Hills) and Anthony Addabbo Jr. (D-Ozone Park) in tow. Weiner, of Brooklyn, said a congressmember cannot "fully" do his job unless he stays "in close contact" with his constituents.

STAVISKY SETS EXAMPLE: State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky (D-Flushing), setting an example for constituents while protecting her own health, got a flu shot last Friday at the North Flushing Senior Center.

Stavisky urged local residents to call 1-866-FLU Line (866-358-5463) for information and locations where to get the flu shot.

NEW COMPUTER LAB: Councilmember John Sabini (D-Jackson Heights) cut the ribbon yesterday on a new computer lab in Clement C. Moore/P.S. 13 at 55-01 94 St., Elmhurst. The equipment in the lab—Apple Computers, educational software, printers, and furniture—was purchased with a $150,000 capital grant secured by Sabini, one of many he got for schools in his district.