"At the first mayoral debate earlier this week, Mayor Bloomberg was booed when he said that Rudy Giuliani would be a good governor of New York. That's because when he swung hard to the right in the presidential election, he alienated the liberal city-dwellers who had generally positive feelings for him as he left office after September 11. But Hizzoner is banking that there are still parts of the city that have good feelings about his predecessor, so he's asked Giuliani to help his mayoral campaign. It's a gamble — it may energize some voters, certainly. But as Bill Thompson is running ads that repeat the word "Democrat," is it really the best idea to keep reminding this blue-dyed city that you're running as a Republican?" -- Chris Rovzar, New York magazine
The mayor doesn't like discussing the subject of the class action sexual harassment case against him and his company.
In addition to the pattern of sexual harassment and discrimination at Bloomberg L.P., look at how Mayor Michael Bloomberg has treated New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.
Quinn's power base is now in question -- following her close association with Mayor Bloomberg> and his controversial push for third term extensions.
Bloomberg tricked Quinn into doing his dirty work on extending term limits, and then left her out to fend herself against voter anger. More evidence of his bias against women.
Q. Are the sexual harassment issues that are being brought against Bloomberg L.P. recent, or were they prior to his terms as mayor? If they are later than 2002 hasn’t he divested himself from any active role in the company and should it not be a relevant issue? If events occurred during his company stewardship, that is a different matter and should be brought to bear in the current campaign. Would you comment on this subject? — Posted by Ned Brody
A. A complicated subject. Mr. Bloomberg and his company faced three sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuits when he was still in charge of Bloomberg L.P. One suit, by a woman who charged Mr. Bloomberg with snapping “Kill it!” when she told him she was pregnant, claimed that he and other company executives subjected women to “repeated and unwelcome” sexual comments and overtures. That suit was settled the year before Mr. Bloomberg became a mayoral candidate. He did not admit guilt, and the plaintiff accepted an undisclosed sum and agreed to remain forever silent. A second harassment suit was dropped because of legal blunders by the woman’s lawyer, and a third was withdrawn after the plaintiff’s husband, another Bloomberg employee, pleaded guilty to stealing from the company.
We need to liberate the women who work around Mayor Bloomberg.
"Mr. Bloomberg knows that his reputation has taken hard blows in the fight over term limits. But he is apparently betting that the passage of time will restore whatever he may have lost in respectability." -- Clyde Haberman, The New York Times, October 27, 2008.
"Mr. Bloomberg's popularity is high, but his handling of protesters to the 2004 Republican National Convention, when thousands of demonstrators were swept off the streets and detained, is a black mark on his record for many New Yorkers and civil libertarians." -- The New York Times
"For more than a year before the convention, the Police Department monitored Web sites and sent undercover detectives around the nation to collect information on Bush opponents planning to demonstrate in New York. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has said the operation helped keep order. " The New York Times, April 3, 2007
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