Mike Bloomberg in Giuliani: Flawed or Flawless?

On Education: Debated against eliminating social promotion

Herman Badillo: We had some serious problems with [schools chancellor Rudy] Crew, because I was--and have always been--in favor of eliminating "social promotion" and of having policemen in the schools, because there are two things that are necessary to have an educational system: standards and discipline.

It took us years of pushing him to eliminate "social promotion." He just didn't want to do it. Crew agreed with me and he said, "Well, I'll get around to it." But he never got around to it.

Source: Giuliani: Flawed or Flawless, by D. & G. Strober, p.161 Jan 16, 2007

On Government Reform: 2001: opposed Giuliani extending NYC term limit

On the eve of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year for people of the Jewish faith--a day of fasting, prayer, introspection, and atonement--Bloomberg floated a trial balloon in a clumsy attempt to override the city's term limits legislation and extend his final term in office for at least three months.

Everybody was terrified and nobody knew what was going to happen. And the thought of changing mayors at that time made a lot of people very, very, very scared. When he came up with that idea, Giuliani's advisors wanted to do what was right for the city. Interestingly, Bloomberg didn't think so. The only thing I can think of is that Bloomberg was being very closely advised by Koch, who probably understood the dynamics of politics better than anyone, and might have said to him, "It's a mistake; you can't change constitutional terms."

Source: Giuliani: Flawed or Flawless, by D. & G. Strober, p.285-286 Jan 16, 2007

On Homeland Security: 9/11 FYPD were heroes because they chose to stay behind

Giuliani basically said, "These guys [the firefighters who died on 9/11] were heroes; they chose to stay behind." Bloomberg said the same thing in a letter he sent to the 9/11 Commission, and that is what the commissioners put in their report because after going to great pains to describe--in chapter 9--the communications problems, the commissioners concluded in a footnote that all on-duty members of 15 to 20 fire companies knew there was an order to evacuate, but, for whatever reason, didn't get out. What Giuliani, Bloomberg, and the 9/11 commissioners are basically saying is that these firefighters chose to die in the building. That drives the families nuts. Source: Giuliani: Flawed or Flawless, by D. & G. Strober, p.291 Jan 16, 2007

The above quotations are from Giuliani: Flawed or Flawless? The Oral Biography by Deborah & Gerald Strober. Click here for main summary page. Click here for a profile of Mike Bloomberg. Click here for Mike Bloomberg on all issues.
*Mike Bloomberg on other issues:*
Abortion Budget/Economy Civil Rights Corporations Crime Drugs Education Energy/Oil Environment Families Foreign Policy Free Trade	Govt. Reform Gun Control Health Care Homeland Security Immigration Jobs Principles/Values Social Security Tax Reform Technology/Infrastructure War/Iraq/Mideast Welfare/Poverty
Please consider a donation to OnTheIssues.org! Click for details -- or send donations to: 1770 Mass Ave. #630, Cambridge MA 02140 E-mail: submit@OnTheIssues.org (We rely on your support!)

Page last updated: Nov 09, 2019