EIGHT IS ENOUGH!!

EIGHT REAL REASONS WHY BILL THOMPSON MUST BE ELECTED MAYOR TO SAVE THE SOUL OF NEW YORK AND WHY WE CANNOT AFFORD BLOOMBERG EVER AGAIN

By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Given Bloomberg’s blatant failures over the past 8 years, it is clear that New Yorkers cannot afford one more day, let alone 4 more years of this mayor. The cost of housing has quadrupled, New York is facing the highest percentage of unemployment ever since the great depression. Water and utility bills have increased 98% since Bloomberg’s assuming office in 2002. And one wonders why is it that the founder of Bloomberg LP, which is reputed with being in the forefront of information re Wall Street, Stock Exchange, and investments completely and totally slept the impending and subsequent collapse of Wall Street to the detriment of mainstreet.

Bloomberg, who crossed party lines to run as a Republican against other fellow Democrat contenders to become Mayor of New York in 2001, has obviously found that he can keep New Yorkers confused and off balance if he keeps switching parties. First he’s a Democrat, then he’s Republican, then he’s an “Independent.” (???!!) If he could get away with it he’d be all three. If he can’t even chose which party he represents (Republican), how can he be trusted to truly represent the interests of New York?

BILL THOMPSON HAS ALWAYS BEEN A NEW YORK DEMOCRAT. HAS BEEN LOYAL TO HIS PARTY, BUT EVEN MORE IMPORTANT, LOYAL TO HIS CONSTITUENTS.

In a recent article appearing in the Village Voice entitled Bloomberg III, Wayne Barrett has correctly pointed up some of the inequities New Yorkers have suffered under the Bloomberg Administration. The scrapping of term limits and total disregard for the wishes of the New York Voters is a glaring one. States Barrett: “I believe that the self-serving reversal of term limits was the greatest abuse of power I have covered in more than three decades on this beat.”

Over the past eight years building permits were granted to Bloomberg cronies, changing the New York cityscape - not necessarily always for the better. Though two deadly crane accidents forced buildings commissioner Patricia Lancaster to step down, no one audited previous building permits she signed off on to determine whether they were equitably granted. So hundreds of buildings torn down unnecessarily, replaced by buildings we did not need. The New York skyline is losing buildings of class, being replace by building of glass that have no artistry, personality, and most likely will not last as long as the buildings they replaced.

In fact, whole neighborhoods have been uprooted and destroyed by buildings for the rich, while families are being uprooted -- destroying the quality and personality of the community. These buildings now sit empty forming a new blight of dark canyons where viable communities once stood. Brooklyn has one of the largest gluts of unfinished construction, with at least 66 of them in Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries area.

By the way, exactly how long is a building supposed to be surrounded by scaffolding before the repairs are made? I’ve seen some buildings where the scaffolding has been there as long as six or seven years. With nothing being done to improve the property, leaving dark, unsafe areas to walk through.

Bill Thompson the right choice for Mayor of New York City.

Stay Tune For More 'Eight Is Enough'

Stay Blessed and Eclectically Black,

Gloria Dulan-Wilson