Mayor Bloomberg has made it his mission to rid his city of junk food, smokers, and bad vending machines. But right now -- and I just slogged my way from Penn Station to Soho, so I'm an eyewitness with two very wet shoes -- what New Yorkers really want is for the snowplows to get moving.
And they're letting him know. From the NYObserver:
As snow drifts remain piled high in most of the city, Mayor Michael Bloomberg is receiving harsh criticism from one time allies who are dismayed at the city's clean-up efforts after the blizzard.
Yesterday, Brooklyn City Councilman David Greenfield, who Bloomberg endorsed in his election bid last year, even sending some of his political troops to help with get-out-the-vote efforts, appeared on a Jewish radio show and blasted the snow-removal.
"This could easily be the beginning of the end of Mayor Bloomberg's political career. It's such a big deal. And I am telling this as somebody who has always had a good relationship with the mayor and who has always worked well with him," Greenfield said. "This is a mayor who prides himself on saying the buck stops by him. And at the end of the day the buck does stop by him. We are going to hold him responsible. He is on notice. He better fix this or we are going to hold him personally accountable."
Queens councilman Eric Ulrich, who helped the mayor secure the backing of the Queens Republican Party and who was sworn in by Bloomberg when he won his seat in 2009, said the Mayor telling New Yorkers to go see a Broadway show was "like Marie Antoinette saying, 'Let the people eat cake.'
"I supported the mayor for a third term because I thought he was the best choice. I thought he was a good manager. Now I am starting to have doubts. You can't manage a snowstorm after Christmas? I think people are starting to question his leadership ability," Ulrich added.
There's a lesson in this, isn't there, for all of those politicians who just can't stop themselves from getting all up in our business? Make sure you fill the potholes and clear the streets first. Make sure the borders are secure and the post office delivers letters on time and kids know how to spell English words. When you've accomplished all of that, then maybe we can talk about French fries and smoking and free health care and every other crackpot, invasive, nanny-state scheme you've been cooking up.
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Comments :
Jul '10
Re: Mayor Bloomberg to NY: "Don't Smoke or Eat Junk Food"; NY to Mayor Bloomberg: "Just Plow the Damn Snow!"
"Make sure you fill the potholes and clear the streets first. Make sure the borders are secure and the post office delivers letters on time and kids know how to spell English words. When you've accomplished all of that, then maybe we can talk about French fries and smoking and free health care and every other crackpot, invasive, nanny-state scheme you've been cooking up."
Now, there's Yer bumper sticker.
Aug '10
Re: Mayor Bloomberg to NY: "Don't Smoke or Eat Junk Food"; NY to Mayor Bloomberg: "Just Plow the Damn Snow!"
Rob I have to ask what god you displeased to put you in the frozen level of Dante's Winterferno ? Then I wonder where a guy in L A buys galoshes ? Never lose the snark . Is this a rehearsal dinner at the Kabbalah House for the Furnish-John bris Stay warm, A vast number of people not living in New Yawk !
Sep '10
Re: Mayor Bloomberg to NY: "Don't Smoke or Eat Junk Food"; NY to Mayor Bloomberg: "Just Plow the Damn Snow!"
Bloomberg is to great mayors as Al Hunt is to great reporters.
Dec '10
Re: Mayor Bloomberg to NY: "Don't Smoke or Eat Junk Food"; NY to Mayor Bloomberg: "Just Plow the Damn Snow!"
Wow! Great point here, Rob. (May I call you Rob?) Why let the messy details get in the way of your grand scheme of social engineering? He means well, so why get bogged down in his incompetency in the daily, practical matters (i.e. being able to walk to work)?
May '10
Re: Mayor Bloomberg to NY: "Don't Smoke or Eat Junk Food"; NY to Mayor Bloomberg: "Just Plow the Damn Snow!"
I'm picturing Jimmy McMillan:
"The snow is too damn high!"
Re: Mayor Bloomberg to NY: "Don't Smoke or Eat Junk Food"; NY to Mayor Bloomberg: "Just Plow the Damn Snow!"
As somebody on Twitter pointed out earlier today, Mayor Bloomberg doesn't want salt on the food or the roads in New York City.
Jul '10
Re: Mayor Bloomberg to NY: "Don't Smoke or Eat Junk Food"; NY to Mayor Bloomberg: "Just Plow the Damn Snow!"
Meanwhile, in Outstripp's part of the world:
http://tywkiwdbi.blogspot.com/2010/12/deep-snow-really-deep-snow.html
Oct '10
Re: Mayor Bloomberg to NY: "Don't Smoke or Eat Junk Food"; NY to Mayor Bloomberg: "Just Plow the Damn Snow!"
Did they try MSG instead of salt?
Dec '10
Re: Mayor Bloomberg to NY: "Don't Smoke or Eat Junk Food"; NY to Mayor Bloomberg: "Just Plow the Damn Snow!"
Why fault Bloomberg? The science was settled, after all: global warming meant that deep snowfalls were a thing of the past. London had the same issue this year with a Tory mayor who, like the Tory Prime Minister, also bought into the settled science. Why worry about preparedness for snow emergencies that could never materialize, never, not ever? And Bloomberg's Office of Emergency Management refused to declare a snow emergency, so by definition, there is no snow emergency. After all, Rob, who you gonna believe: billionaire Bloomberg or your own waterlogged moccasins?
Jul '10
Re: Mayor Bloomberg to NY: "Don't Smoke or Eat Junk Food"; NY to Mayor Bloomberg: "Just Plow the Damn Snow!"
The nannyism is always to cover for the gross incompetence. And beside, Rob, don't you understand that it's for the children.
May '10
Re: Mayor Bloomberg to NY: "Don't Smoke or Eat Junk Food"; NY to Mayor Bloomberg: "Just Plow the Damn Snow!"
Rob Long: Breaking the Ricochet Code of Conduct before he even exits the headline.
But sometimes you have to swear before you kill someone.
Dec '10
Re: Mayor Bloomberg to NY: "Don't Smoke or Eat Junk Food"; NY to Mayor Bloomberg: "Just Plow the Damn Snow!"
Hey, ain't Bloomberg one of that No Labels crowd? Well, I got yer label right here, Mr. Mayor: 'INCOMPETENT' Try that on for size!
Nov '10
Re: Mayor Bloomberg to NY: "Don't Smoke or Eat Junk Food"; NY to Mayor Bloomberg: "Just Plow the Damn Snow!"
"You can't manage a snowstorm after Christmas?"
Wouldn't have been an issue on Giuliani's watch.
Dec '10
Re: Mayor Bloomberg to NY: "Don't Smoke or Eat Junk Food"; NY to Mayor Bloomberg: "Just Plow the Damn Snow!"
I'm planning on taking a short vacation in NYC in March with the missus... well, I was going to grouse about being snowed in at the hotel, but we're staying at a really nice place, and "baby, it's cold outside", so... maybe it's a feature, not a bug.
May '10
Re: Mayor Bloomberg to NY: "Don't Smoke or Eat Junk Food"; NY to Mayor Bloomberg: "Just Plow the Damn Snow!"
Too bad the snow starts melting really fast in nyc. That was just a major storm . I want a three foot blizzard so that the new cross-country polls and wax I ordered from Wisconsin can get some use!
Sep '10
Re: Mayor Bloomberg to NY: "Don't Smoke or Eat Junk Food"; NY to Mayor Bloomberg: "Just Plow the Damn Snow!"
Finalizing plans for a New Years Eve party in Chelsea. The host says it is absolute bedlam there.
Sometimes it is best to use language the person is likely to understand. Here is my attempt to frame the issue...
Dear Mr Bloomberg,
Snow is a public health menace. Imagine snow is like fat and cholesterol, clogging up the arteries, veins and capillaries of New York. If this happens people who are sick can't get to hospitals. Stores run out of milk and mothers can't get nutrition for their babies. Trash piles up and breeds disease. Many residents have to dig themselves out, risking heart attacks. Your first instincts to deal with this may not be wise, unlike other health menaces and vices, we can't tax snow, whoever or whatever generates snow is not a NYC resident.
Bold solutions are in order. Let's open this up for discussion and listen to some proposals no matter how outlandish, let's just get creative.. Plows? Salt? How are European cities handling this type of thing?
Edited on Dec 29, 2010 at 6:53amJul '10
Re: Mayor Bloomberg to NY: "Don't Smoke or Eat Junk Food"; NY to Mayor Bloomberg: "Just Plow the Damn Snow!"
Everybody relax. According to Drudge, Bloomberg says he's "mad," too. Watch the snow hit the fan now.
Jul '10
Re: Mayor Bloomberg to NY: "Don't Smoke or Eat Junk Food"; NY to Mayor Bloomberg: "Just Plow the Damn Snow!"
I'm really disappointed in how both Bloomberg AND Christie have handled this situation. I'm an enormous Chris Christie fan, but I spent 8 hours stuck on the NJ Turnpike the other day and saw first-hand how unprepared the state's agencies were for the blizzard. The streets in my neighborhood are much cleaner than the ones downtown, though, thanks to the local deli owners--not to the city.
Re: Mayor Bloomberg to NY: "Don't Smoke or Eat Junk Food"; NY to Mayor Bloomberg: "Just Plow the Damn Snow!"
You may, RJ. And I have to say that Jonathan is correct -- local business owners in Manhattan are doing most of the work clearing sidewalks and curbs, and in general making the city manageable.
I actually agree, basically, with Bloomberg's peevish response to his critics: there was an awful lot of snow; there's no way to make it magically disappear; it's going to take a few days no matter what. But what irritates me is when nanny-state politicians, who always wants government to do more and regulate more, suddenly (when convenient) want to remind is all to be realistic, to be rational, to recognize the limitations of government.