The Empire Page

Mayor Mike Bloomberg has contiuously represented himself as being independent from the”special interests.” Because the Mayor works for a dollar a year and can self- finance his own campaign that he is completely independent and immune to the political pressures of different interest groups. However, if you think about how he got to this point you can see what a misconception this independence is and how he really represents this City’s most powerful interest group.

The Mayor can work for $1 a year and not take campaign contributions because he is the richest person in New York City and where do his riches come from, Wall Street.  There is no group more invested in City government than the financial industry.  These are the Mayor’s colleagues friends and confidates, so it would be natural that he would consistently act in their interest. This would explain giveaways to companies like Goldman Sachs. Years on Wall Street shaped how the Mayor sees the world. Wall Streeters believe in the infallibility of the marker and feel the market can be a solution to any problem. This clouds even good policies in the shadow of needing an expanding market and economy to succeed. This market-based philosophy can preclude bold actions in times like these.  President Obama has seen the light on this for the country by instituting measures to make up for market failures.

Bloomberg’s philosophy also favors high level managers and consultants over rank and file workers. His agencies, particularly the Department of Education, are loaded with high level managers  and consultants. More and more work is contracted out to private contractors while employees basic human needs get squeezed. This bias shows that computer consultants making more than the Chancellor, while Pre-school kindergartens get closed and massive overcrowding in schools continues. He lacks the common touch to understand how some of his policies affect everyday New Yorkers. Bloomberg’s style is top down government and while we need strong leaders, people need to know that they too can participate in their government.

And the “special” interests Bloomberg claims that he, among all politicians, is immune from because of his money. Well they are unions representing working New Yorkers and groups representing parents and the poor and others in deep need of City services. Billionaires representing the special interest of Wall Street are disconnected from these people and see them mostly as impediments to functioning markets. New York needs someone who is connected to the New Yorkers who need the City government most, this is the special interest that really matters.