Exception Made for Mayor "Lanski" Bloomberg to "Run For" Third Term

Who knows *what* this has more to do with--9/11 or our global "economic ailment". Speaking of ailments, what ever happened to West Nileâ„¢ Virus, SARS, and Bird Flu? Did the germs responsible for them decide to stop bothering humans (and birds) and go after investments instead? Is the world in the grips of an economic plague???

This is no time to switch horses in midstream. New Yorkers should Stay the Course™ and not let bureaucratic red tape like term limits or democracy prevent their Mayor from continuing to ♥ them.

New York council extends term limit so Bloomberg can run

Edith Honan
Reuters
Thu, 23 Oct 2008 21:45 UTC

New York - The New York City Council voted on Thursday to extend the two-term limit for mayor and other elected officials, allowing Mayor Michael Bloomberg to seek another term to help the city cope with the deepening global financial crisis.

© REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg attends a meeting with Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit in Berlin, October 5, 2008.
Bloomberg, a former Wall Street trader and self-made billionaire who was elected in 2001 and again in 2005, wants to run again on grounds that his financial experience will be valuable in guiding the city through lean fiscal times ahead.

The 51-member council voted 29 to 22 to approve the measure. About two-thirds of the council would have been forced out of office under the two-term limit, but they can now stand for a third term at the November 2009 election.

"It's a vote and a choice that's a difficult one, but it's one we take at a difficult time," Council Speaker Christine Quinn told reporters before the vote.

"In a time like this what you need is New Yorkers to have the opportunity to have consistent leadership," she said.

In 1993 and 1996, New Yorkers voted to limit the mayor and other city officials to two four-year terms. A Quinnipiac University poll on Tuesday found 89 percent of voters say a referendum, not a council vote, should decide the issue.

Bloomberg and Quinn rejected holding a referendum on the issue. A court challenge by two council members to stop the vote failed on Wednesday.

"Democracy will be forever tainted," Council Member Charles Barron said as he voted against extending the term limit.

Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani sought to stay on when his second term was ending in 2001 after the September 11 attacks. But his proposal proved unpopular, and he backed down.