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Mike Bloomberg on Civil RightsMayor of New York City (Independent) |
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings is still refusing to sign onto the pledge, despite a petition with 253 signatures and promises of protests at his upcoming public events.
The group has also added two new co-chairs, San Diego's Jerry Sanders and Boston's Thomas Menino; with New York's Michael
Bloomberg, L.A.'s Antonio Villaraigosa and Houston's own Annise Parker. The five-co-chairs issued the following statement: Before Bloomberg announced his candidacy, he disclosed that a polygraph test, administered by an expert he had hired, proved he had
been truthful when denying the sexual harassment allegations of a former employee. The contents of the test were never made available, just the expert's conclusions. One suit was settled a year before he became a candidate; he did not admit guilt, and
she was paid an undisclosed sum and legally bound to remain forever silent. A 2nd suit was dismissed. A 3rd was withdrawn. A large class-action suit charging discrimination against pregnant employees was filed after Bloomberg had left.
Never forgotten is William Bloomberg's response when his son asked him why he gave donations to the National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People. "He said, 'Because if there's discrimination against blacks, there'll be discrimination against Jews, and everyone else. We're all in this together.'" Mike was 10 or 12 years old but the message resonated.
Bloomberg's vulnerabilities as a candidate could well have doomed his campaign in normal times. The largest of those vulnerabilities turned on the complaints of women about sexual harassment and discrimination at Bloomberg L.P. While preparing to run,
Bloomberg had told his advisers about the cases and they tried preemptively to bury the subject--by airing it in public.
Bloomberg supports gun control, has raised taxes, backs same-sex marriage and signed a law banning the use of trans fats in fast-food restaurants.
The mayor once filed suit on behalf of the city against two dozen gun dealers.
Page last updated: Mar 15, 2019