February 11, 2005
Mayor Mike's PR Push
With prospects of a tough reelection ahead this fall (hey, when the Queens GOP backs a former City Councilman instead or when SF's punk mayor disses him having a half stance with gay marriage), Mayor Bloomberg made sure to win the hearts of people by posing with a puppy! Mayor B almost looks cute and cuddly enough to reelect, but Gothamist will wait to hear more about what he plans to do in the next four years (we know Mike wants to build lots of sports facilities, make sure it's less noisy and smoke-free, but what about the schools and subways?). The puppy was integral to a press conference earlier this week, when a $15.5 million grant from Maddie's Fund, The Pet Rescue Foundation, was announced, to help the city's shelters increase adoptions and hopefully become a no-kill city. [If you're considering getting a pet, check out Big Apple Pets for Adoption.]
And Mayor Bling issued his preliminary Mayor's Management Report. The NY Times says it's pretty positive (311 calls are up, crime dropped, fire fatalities are down), but there are definitely areas to improve (number of people on foodstamps is up, fire response time in Staten Island increased). If only the Mayor could pin his reelection on public art (this MMR icon at left is from the city website). He's totally psyched - and so is most of the city, for that matter - about The Gates; at his press conference, he proclaimed:
"The Gates - the largest artwork in our City's history - will draw thousands of tourists from around the globe and add immeasurably to New York City's rich history of public art. Innovative works of art provoke debate, spark our imaginations, and help us re-define the space we live in, and The Gates will bring that experience to those who come to see it. I would like to thank Christo and Jeanne-Claude for bringing this magnificent project to our City. I invite all New Yorkers and visitors from around the world to come to Central Park over the next sixteen days to experience this once-in-a-lifetime work of art."And Gothamist finds this picture of the Mayor with Christo and Jeanne-Claude at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (via the AP) is hilarious.
The City has lots of offers for The Gates. Check them out at NYC Visit.
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Heck. I'll still vote for the guy even with that mug.
"i'm not down with this french love action."
Having been to CACC I am glad to hear that they are getting some much needed money. However, a no-kill shelter is just not realistic. Sadly, there are too many animals that are just not adoptable.
I can't stand Mayor Bling. He can take his plans for stadiums & Olympics to another city. Sheesh...I hope I won't have to hear that nasal whine for another four years.
What do you have against the Mayor? Stop whinning and think about your alternatives. Mark Green? Fernando Ferrer? Gifford Miller? YOU?!
Are you faulting him for working hard and making money working on Wall St and Bloomberg? Is he getting rich off of running the city? How many times do you have to make the mistake of faulting the Mayor for the subway problems? Why don't you attack Pataki instead? He controls MTA. And since when did the number of people on foodstamps have to do with the Mayor? Any Mayor for that matter?
What's wrong with a stadium on the west side? What's there right now? Is it bringing revenue to the city? He's trying to create job, increase income and maybe take some people off foodstamps ;-)
Lay off Bloomberg. I enjoy the Gothamist daily but you are an amateur what it comes to politics.
People who are too poor to buy food should be a major concern of the mayor. Isn't trying to address that problem one of the expected duties of a mayor?
I was living in Atlanta during the '96 Olympics and hosting them is an excellent idea for the city. I'm a little reluctant to support the westside stadium. My home back in Atlanta was near Turner Field and construction of the new stadium only proved to further destroy an already blighted neighborhood.
I'm also very suspicious of Bloomburg and a little insulted by him having his party's convention here this last summer. After all, it's the Republican party who is interested in taking benefits from seniors, right from gays, and money out of our cities.