Jerry Kremer in his column dated Jan. 24, praises Mike Bloomberg for “taking on the fight of your life and standing up for your principles.” I have difficulty seeing what were his principles. Bloomberg, a Democrat for most of his life has also run for reelection as a Republican and under the Independence line. He even created an Independent line called “Students First”.
During his tenure as New York City Mayor, he used his fortune to overturn the “term-limits” law that was enacted through public referendums in 1993 and 1996. During his tenure class sizes had been the largest in the state and continue to be so in 2020. Mike Bloomberg was a staunch defender of the police department’s “stop and frisk” tactic. Last year, during an interview, he criticized politicians for apologizing for their decisions. Subsequently, in Nov. 2019, while speaking at the non-denominational Christian Cultural Center, Bloomberg renounced his previous support for “stop and frisk” and issued an apology. After leaving office as Mayor of New York City, he stated he would not again seek public office, and in March 2019, Bloomberg announced that he would not run for president in 2020.
However, Bloomberg officially started his campaign in Nov. 2019. The one principle clear from Bloomberg’s political life has been the use of his fortune as a political game-changer, as he used it to reward allies, silence foes, and support needy institutions. Bloomberg fought with unions, frequently griped at reporters and often displayed little patience for those whom he disagreed. While as Mayor he tried, at times, to connect with New Yorkers, sometimes riding the subway and speaking with grace at the funerals of fallen city workers. He largely succeeded in doing what he pleased and he didn’t particularly care what you thought of it. Mike Bloomberg is currently running for president as a Democrat after serving many years as a Republican Mayor. What are presidential candidate Bloomberg’s principles???
Joseph Campbell
Port Washington
