giuliani top fundraiser in texas/he is not electable

Not to derail the thread, but what is the big stuff has Bloomberg done? It seems his tenure has been very quiet compared to Rudy's (the good and bad).

I always liked the Rudy with a Hitler stache T-Shirts that were sold on just about every street circa 1999-2000. Liked as in they were silly/funny, not because I think he is just like Hitler.

 

I'll bank on my opinion that you're an idiot. If bush can get elected two terms in a row, you can "bank it" that America "ain't going to elect a woman or a black man".

 

Well he's kept the city in good financial shape and from backsliding after september 11 and the market downturn - something Rudy never really had to deal with - and managed to not only keep crime low but continue the downward trend. The city budget was in serious danger of going into the red in 2002 but he had the sack to raise taxes - which he was roasted for at the the time, but it ended up leading to record surpluses in 2005.

And the taxes didn't hurt the city economically at all - he's presided over record levels of tourism, jobs, GDP, and taken a very active role in business promotion and development. The Financial district, e.g., due to tax breaks, is now undergoing unprecedented residential and retail development from about the last 5 years.- it's literally like a whole city sprng up overnight down there which is good because that neighborhood was previously underutilized IMO.

He implemented the smoke-free air act, along with a lot of other low profile but important public health initiatives. He set up the 311 program which has been pretty successful. His set of Green initiatives that he came out with last week is nothing short of revolutionary, hopefully Albany doesn't **** it up because Congestion pricing has been very successful in other places it's been implemented. The city got through the transit strike, avoided the a teachers strike, got through the blackout with no rioting etc etc etc. He's got a major anti-poverty initiative form last year but I admit I haven't followed it much.

None of this stuff is really sexy or flashy - but quite simply he gets things done- without the petty grandstanding of Rudy (Brooklyn Art Museum?) (he can be jerky, but in a more indifferent way than Rudy- who seems to take a sadistic pleasure in being publicly vindictive). The only major failure (which I'm happy about) has been the west side stadium.

Influential conservative thinkers like William Buckley and George Will are saying the same thing. I guess you think they're idiots. Oh, and we are exprssly referring to a post-Bush universe here.

 

Addendum: A small headline in the Times this morning announce that Bloomberg is going to overhaul the city's antiquated construction code.

Another example of a much needed, low profile and publicly boring reform that the Mayor is going to undertake for the good of the city, whereas Giuliani spent his time and capital picking fights with Al Sharpton and worrying about dirty statues.

 

i'm with you sam. the wife and i have been trying to hate bloomberg but damn, he's doing a great job.

 

I hated him at first too and couldn't believe he was Mayor but he just happens to be really awesome at it.