Mayor (CEO) Michael Bloomberg is a smart man. He took his plunge into the political ring in a time of need for guidance. After 9/11, NY needed a man like Bloomberg. Charismatic, smart, and a symbol of success and perseverance, Bloomberg was easily the man/leader the city needed.. Bloomberg played off his campaign as a man for the city. He paid for his entire campaign and even refused payment for his service as mayor (neglecting the dollar that cant even buy you a bottle of coke these days). As the business capitol of the world, Bloomberg’s experience and vision seemed apropos for the financial capitol.
The government is a complex organism. Supposedly encompassing all that it represents, its difficult to form a government that properly represents every facets of its parts. It is difficult to critique Bloomberg for wanting to treat the government like a business. In some aspects, Bloomberg, I believe was correct. The government needed transparency and autonomy. The transparency allows the government to be seen for what it is. The autonomy allows it to do the (what should be) best for the city. Sometimes, decisions have to be made that are best for the government, while the people may not understand it. Sometimes, in business crucial decisions must be made that do not please everyone. Yet, like a business, there can be plenty of favoritism. Certain classes can be treated better than others, and certain people can be appointed to higher positions because of their connections and not necessarily credentials; It’s wrong. Bloomberg has been known to hire his cronies, and to favor a certain elitist group.
Though look at the opposite. If the government wasn’t run like a business, how much different would it be? Politics will always, sadly, have corruption and favoritism. Do you think someone who opposed Bloomberg’s beliefs would appoint one of Bloomberg’s appointees? No matter who’s in power, it will be difficult to separate out biases from the needs of the people. While talking about the people, the people do include those that may be considered part of the “Elite” group. If the government didn’t have a watchful economic eye, then how can we have so much certainty in the government’s financials? An issue we hear about almost every day. There needs to be a balance between the business and the people.
The city is extremely complicated. Filled with different classes and people,; its very difficult to balance a perfect government that represents everything. I think Bloomberg has been doing a good job far (although he is the only mayor I can remember since he was elected when I was 9). Its very complicated to get it all right. No matter how much we complain, how much is going wrong that we feel every day? We’ll never be happy, though I think right now, were pretty content.
