Bloomberg To Seek Third Term As NYC Mayor

soupsoup passed on news of Bloomberg’s plans to reshape term-limits and pursue a third mayoral term. A related NY Times article notes even senior aides advised him “at times forcefully — that any campaign to challenge the term limits law would look like an end run around voters, and could sully his strong legacy.”

A NY Sun article, coincidentally tittled: An End-Run Around Term Limits Is Eyed, appeared last year. It focused on the arguably more term-limit-roiled Council, where several former two-termers, copying Thomas White Jr., who reclaimed his old seat after a one-term breather, may run for their old seats.

The limit is two consecutive terms, with no clause to thwart reflux. While the spirit of the ‘93 referendum funded by Estee’s heir and Giuliani’s ‘89 Republican primary foe - Ronald Lauder - probably had in mind two terms total, it didn’t capture that in writing!

Though three-term-mayors are precedented (recently: Ed Koch) with no Chicago-type dynasty complications, the public supports limits - out of general frustration with incumbent pols, usually legislative, tending toward regressive do-nothingism. Giuliani and Koch both argued, 15 years ago, that limits would “break the cycle of incumbency, replacing career politicians with fresh faces and new ideas for the city’s problems.”

But then again, today Lauder himself has come out in favor of Bloomberg for 4 more noting his “brilliance in the financial sector” amidst “what’s happening today in the world, particularly Wall Street.” If nothing else, Mayor Mike is a master of keeping himself relevant beyond when other ducks would have gone lame…

3 years ago  /  4 notes  /  Source: soupsoup