Swim Mikey! Swim for Your Life!

2012 November 4
by Roman Stoad

Bloomberg Backstrokes Through Floodwaters of Opinion and Hypocrisy

There's something happening here. What it is ain't exactly clear.

Well it was a shock to hear Mayor Mike endorse Obama, especially when it is well known he is donating to various right wing republican candidates in other parts of the country. The transparent interpretation is that Hizzoner didn’t want to ruffle any democratic feathers, and he wants that federal money. Yes sir, suddenly the feds aren’t so evil after all. Especially coming from someone who could with a single check finance most of the clean-up the city needs.

Christy to Obama: Shut up and just send us the money...

Similar behavior can be seen in that other GOP pol, and possible presidential contender, Chris Christie, who spend a couple days toadying up to the enemy when his own state-wallet is at stake.

Interesting how the anti-fed Republican party can turn into brown-nosing, flatterers when they want the federal money, money they otherwise claim all people should be able to do without.

Wasn’t it Romney who has been calling for the demise of FEMA—that the agency should be made a private corporation? Romney is shutting up for the time being on that topic. He’s another one who could finance a good part of the clean-up himself, but of course he prefers not to. Another Romney flip-flop? Or mere opportunism?

So Bloomberg’s last minute endorsement, and I emphasize “last minute,” shows itself for what it is, pandering cowardice. But New Yorkers will refuse to notice this because they like to think of themselves as liberal rather than merely wealthy.

Perhaps Bloomberg feels that his endorsement has some kind of ringing importance throughout the country. But the Northeast would have gone for Obama anyway, so the voice of the billionaire mayor has no effect at the booth. And, contrary to what he thinks, no one outside of the area cares about Bloomberg’s opinions. There may even by some people who will vote for Romney if only to spite the uppity New Yorkers who think their opinions should matter.

"While discussing how restaurants that he frequents were just as full as ever and selling even more wine, he insisted that the race would 'give people something to cheer about.'"

I have an image of the man looking at himself in the mirror and thinking by God my opinion is important and many people are wondering what I think.

Speaking of wealth vs. poverty (read here working/middle class) what about the second major back pedaling: Mayor Mike’s cancelling of the Marathon, something that should have been done the day after the storm.

You 3rd world people sure can run .... Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â What's your name again?Â

Citing financial gains (money posing as city love fest) Bloomberg was adamant until Friday that the race should go on, not even realizing that he was thumbing his nose and insulting his own citizens. This is how connected the Mayor is to his own citizens. Bloomberg might take a trip to Staten Island or outer Brooklyn, places he probably has never been. It took the overwhelming condemnation of numerous groups and neighborhoods to wake up the sleeping rich man. As Fred Mazelis writes at WSWS.org:

“Discontent among residents of the city’s predominantly working class outer boroughs as well as of those in public housing developments in lower Manhattan has grown daily, with many charging that those who run the city were concerned only with the needs of Manhattan’s stock brokers and multi-millionaires and had no problem seeing working class and poor people living in hunger, cold and darkness for days on end.”

“Outrage had quickly built amid news reports that generators were being set up in Central Park to power media tents and other amenities for the runners, while food and water was being trucked in for them as well. Meanwhile, in the city’s public housing, residents were forced to fill jugs and buckets from fire hydrants and lug them up as many as 17 floors.”

“No such resources as those made available for the Marathon were provided to city hospitals forced to shut down and evacuate their patients under dangerous conditions for lack of generators, or to the many thousands of residents of devastated neighborhoods in Staten Island, the Rockaway section of Queens, Coney Island in Brooklyn and elsewhere. In these areas, people have been left stranded amid devastation, without means of transportation or communication.”


Remember that election day is nigh. It’s illegal to take up guns, but you can try voting, for all its worth.

So get out there and vote.

Vote for Roman Stoad.  Write him in.

Write the bozos out!

Remember, someday you will all look like him.

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