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As commentator # 2 above said, no matter how much money a politician spends (whether their own or others), thinking people will be able to decide for themselves whether they favor that candidate over the alternative(s) or not - as nearly all of the subsequent commentators above appear to confirm! The whole issue of 'money in politics' is a canard raised by elitists who have no trouble deciding for themselves their own political preferences but who seem afraid that maybe 'the ignorant, easyily influenced masses' will be manipulated or swayed by such spending.

Re comment above by Michael D. D. White:
1. How is Michael Bloomberg's generous contributions to Johns Hopkins being used for political purposes?
2. Yes, Bloomberg LLP does business with which the city was "regularly interacting". That would be Wall Street firms. Bloomberg LLP's main business is providing financial information, news, and analytics, especially in fixed-income markets. However, Bloomberg LLP has a "natural monopoly", so it's not as though a customer could influence the mayor by threatening to use another service.

The last caller who raised the question about the value of Bloomberg LLP doesn't understand what happened. You can't easily place a value on a private company, and the guesstimates of Bloomberg LLP's value had been low for years. When Merrill Lynch sold its minority stake, that selling price was used to re-calculate the value of the company to a much higher number. That explains the "increase" in the firm's value while he has been mayor.
Michael Bloomberg has not used his office to enrich himself, as the caller implied. Some people just have trouble accepting that he is the best candidate; even David Dinkins spoke well of him and said that the only reason he endorsed Thompson is that Thompson is a Democrat.

The caller you had on your show raises an important point Brain: You asked her what specifically she didn't like and immediately the caller raised Mike's cash balance. This is implicit anti-semitism, and I can't tell you how many times people who've expressed unfavorable opinions about the mayor went straight to his riches. Many people I've known went straight to money when speaking of Jews.

I will be voting for the Dems not Mike, I only voted for him once in 01 and once was enough! However - I would've loved to hear you probe your caller's ignorance, bias, prejudice and anti-semitism further.
Yes, on intellectual WNYC radio - a probe into the ignorance of people, because it's real Brain - it's part of this city and two weeks ago a young woman was gunned down by a Jew hating monster with a gun.

Let's not shy away from callers who reveal a less than stellar image of you listenership demographic - they are real, they are out there living among us in this city - I wish you has engaged this woman and brought that out of her, by her own words/admission.

tony 46
the elitists are the ones in the cars everyone else is on the subway

Not only has the mayor recently spent more than $18 million in direct campaign spending which probably means that he is well on his way t spending more than $100 million that way, during the campaign he is also spending upwards of $235 million PER YEAR on charities which he is using for political purposes. In addition, he is spending city money, like using school money to plaster the city subways with the message that under Bloomberg NYC city schools are “improved” and trucks with “Bloomberg” signs paid for with city money are roaming around the city to plant trees.

Not only is Bloomberg the city’s richest individual, he became the richest man while in office as mayor when his company, in conflict of interest situations, was doing business with the same firms with which the city was regularly interacting.

For more, see:
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Noticing New York posts ANOTHER comprehensive update up about the Bloomberg administration!
http://nopowergrab.blogspot.com/2009/04/noticing-new-york-posts-another.html

Michael D. D. White
Noticing New York

Bloomberg is the epitome of "entitlement", and why, because he can buy the voters. $18 mil buys a lot of people--the City Council to vote changes to the election rules to run for a third term--and many supporters,who NEVER would be supporting him otherwise.

How can we trust anything that comes out of this city's news when Bloomberg is also able to buy up and then control exactly what we read and hear. Please someone credible run against this man!!!!

After the fascistic climate he created during the 2004 Republlican Convention I'll certainly never ever support Mayor Bloomberg. I'm also angry about the trip he took to Israel, encouraging Israel to continue the barbarous attack on Gaza. Thanks for your provocative programming. Love and Blessings always, Judith Ackerman

$4.00

When the mayor lost his elitist congestion pricing proposal, he peevishly showed his true colors saying that New Yorkers should pay the full cost of bus and subway rides: four dollars.

Fuh.

Brian, you JUST HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD!!.
Bloomberg is saturating the media and the media is head over heals for Bloomberg and you only talk about Bloomberg. I even see the Spanish TV Stations basically providing free commercials (disguised as reports) in favor of the mayor. This is not a democracy when the media in this City is beholden to the mayor.
WNYC and PBS depend on his donations, and the other media conglomerates are owned by his neighbors and friends!

Oh yeah. More to question on the mayor's education record:

How many reorganizations of the Department of Education would a credible leader roll out in 8 years?

Of course, the problem is that many of these issues with his education record require reading the second and third paragraphs of a story -- at least!

If Bloomy wants to waste a small portion of his riches campaigning when he is up over 10 points that's fine with me. A small economic stimulus package of his own!

Don't people remember that the National Socialists were popularly elected in Germany giving us Hitler, the Holocaust and World War II.

Were was the poplar demand for the these bike lanes going up around the city? Is there an environmental impact statement. Does anyone remember the bike lanes of Mayor Koch? And what about the West Side Stadium?

If Mayor Putinburg died of a heart attack tomorrow, what would the leadership of the New York look like?

For all the good he's done, and it's considerable, he's shown little regard for the democratic principals that are to basis of our republic. That makes him exceedingly dangerous. Mussolini made the trains run on time.

just sell him the city!

If it is possible to buy an election, Bloomberg is in the perfect position. His repeal, without public vote, of term limits, combined with his advantage as an incumbent and virtually unlimited ability to spend, is nearly a perversion of democracy.

Furthermore, his handling of the school system has been an unmitigated disaster. My wife has been an NYC school teacher for six years, and based on her experiences in the last year, she will not return to teaching in the city, and may even leave teaching - and she is an excellent, dedicated teacher who works 70-80 hour a week. Morale among all her friend is at an all-time low. "Managing with data" sounds good, but it translates into more work for teachers that has little or nothing to do with actual teaching and much more to do with administrators reducing their possible exposure to criticism.

Bloomberg's record on the schools *is* questionable.

He cites test scores, but only does so selectively. The more people know about testing, the less seriously they take his claims about how scores have improved. (e.g. because of lack of improvement on the big respected national test, statewide increases in scores, etc..)

His reliance on test scores displays a limited view of education. That's certainly questionable.

His support for charter schools -- which enroll proportionately fewer of the cities neediest students -- is morally questionable.

His shutting out parents from their legally mandates role is questionable.

There is quite a lot to question.

The caller whose daughter is at home with a mild case of "swine flu" said she was tested and told she had Influenza A. That's not H1N1, is it?

It's not his record that's keeping him untouchable. His money means power and that scares off any opposition; that includes the City Council on the term limits issue and potential opponents for the Mayoral campaign. Whatever happened to Anthony Weiner? Why did he drop out of the race????

It's not his record that's keeping him untouchable. His money means power and that scares off any opposition; that includes the City Council on the term limits issue and potential opponents for the Mayoral campaign. Whatever happened to Anthony Weiner? Why did he drop out of the race????

It's not his record that's keeping him untouchable. His money means power and that scares off any opposition; that includes the City Council on the term limits issue and potential opponents for the Mayoral campaign. Whatever happened to Anthony Weiner? Why did he drop out of the race????

Education:

I was born, raised and currently live in NYC. I am a product of the NYC public school system. Does anyone remember the former board of ed? The board of ed before Bloombeg? It was Horrible! HORRIBLE! Thank you Bloomberg for stopping that mess and please help to avoid repeating that mess!!!

cg/31 well stated

I've also received too much Bloomberg crap in my mailbox. Make it stop!! Yes, we are aware he exists.

Once in a while I'll support one of his policies (like the ill-fated congestion pricing), but then he will make a completely insensitive public statement that shows he's truly oblivious to the plight of many. He just looked like an ass when he recently came out in favor of forcing the homeless to pay for their shelter.

Many people argue that spending so much of his own fortune on his campaign, the mayor is buying the election. But in suggesting that she would support the mayor if he devoted his $18 million to public functions or to philanthropy, isn't Helen really just selling her vote?

If Boss Bloomberg were really interested first in the well-being of the people, he could step down as mayor and do a Warren Buffet.

Buffet freely admitted, when he donated $30 billion to the Gates Foundation, that he wasn't that good at philanthropic management.

Bloomberg could do something similar.

But he is really not interested in doing good, he is a fundamentally insecure personality who wants to win endless approval to assuage his feelings of guilt and inadequacy.

If he can't win that approval, he will buy it. And if he can't buy it, he'll force it.

Bob Hennelly Rules!!!!

Bloomberg is hardly original in his attempt to hitch his wagon to the "new administration."
Even hardcore Republicans have been claiming that they've been bringing home the stimulus money to their constituents.

"That $18 million could be better spent on..."

THANKS!

I've been called ("polled") by Bloomberg's campaign twice. and I told them that I was not interested. YET, I have received 3 separate mailings in the past couple of weeks promoting things which he has never cared for in the past 7 years. Also, for an environmental emperor, he could cut down on the mailings in order to save a million trees!.
In one of his mailings he claims he is working against mortgage fraud - NONE of the City agencies have ever done anything to control it!.

It seriously angers me that Bloomberg tries to make claims about "greening" NYC. If he really believed that, I wouldn't have received tons and tons of junk mail from his campaign in the last few months. C'mon, guy! That's so hypocritical!

Campaigning now will save Bloomberg and NYC money in the long run.

$18 million now will possibly save Bloomber $80 million later, which is what he spent in his last election.

Also, $18 million now will deter others to run against them and therefore stop them from spending what they would have in trying to beat Bloomberg in that election.

Fiscally sound plan.

The ad blitz seems to be more about intimidating possible candidates than garnering votes. Otherwise, why would there be so many so soon? The overt message is, "no one can raise or spend enough to compete, so why try?" It completely obliterates any choice we might possibly have by scaring away legitimate, strong candidates. I hold city council responsible for even making it possible for Bloomberg to run for a 3rd term.

ENOUGH BLOOMBERG! MAKE IT STOP!

I know he is a rich man but he doesn t spend only his own money. When this much money is being spent you have to ask who else feels that the money spent is worth it? The answer is all of his rich friends, don t forget he is the lackey of the developers, people like Jerry Spyer have lots at stake if a real democrat came in and tried to stop all of these condo construction incentives. So yes it is scary that the rich are so compelled to make sure their man gets reelelected.

I don't mind the blitz of advertising as long as the money he is spending is going to local ad agencies and keeping the money in the hands of working people in the five boroughs. What I belief is unfair to all voters of NYC is that he did not have enough faith in the public to let them decide to change the rules to allow him to run for a third term.

Boss Bloomberg is worth $20 Billion, so as far as he's concerned, he's spent pocket change. (He is the 8th richest person in the US -- and one of the wealthiest people in the world.)

As for his record:

- He has grossly increased police powers (with the willing aid of Ray Kelly). The 2004 Republican National Convention was an excellent case in point.

- He has turned schools into little police states, with some really revolting cases of police excess.

- He has endlessly apologized for police misconduct, with one or two exceptions.

- The claims he makes about school performance are questionable. (There is a researcher at CUNY who has done work on this -- name excapes me.)

- He routinely displays the sheer contempt he has for the common New Yorker.

This $18 million is moreso to deter others to run against him. If enough people now tell pollsters that they will support Bloomberg in the coming election, then others will not run possibly saving Bloomberg the $80 million he spent in his last re-election. Support now will most likely come from Bloomberg's current campaigning/advertising. It's a very economically sound plan.

Bloomberg's marketing campaign is the most obnoxious one I have ever been subjected to, and I don't even have a television.

The amount of his junk mail coming ending up in my mailbox is ridiculous. Personally, I just think it's making him look like an ass.

New Yorkers, wake up and vote him out!

I think he's doing an outstanding job. He runs this city like a billion dollar corporation and I sleep well at night with him at the helm. I don't care how much he spends on his campaign 'cause it's his money. I'm not even aware who's running against him.

It's Colin Powell's "Overwhelming Force" approach. And no, I Don't Care.

With such a diverse City, no one else could bring us together like he has, because he doesn't trash his opponents in public.

When you leave the other side with an opportunity to save face, there's always another day open for compromise.

Even the fights that Bloomberg has lost, he's not let it foul up everything else. Who could do better?

Is the city Safe?
Not if you are black or Latino.
Stop and Frisks were up to over 500,000 in 2008. 82% of those stopped are black and Latino. Thatis a 500% increase under Bloomberg.

Bloomberg is proof-positive we live in a plutocracy, it's that simple. The only person fighting his bid for another term was Lauder, another billionare.

Could be worse than another Bloomberg term. Imagine if he buys "Books On Tape En Espanol LLC" and insists on being the firm's sole reader!

He's a one man NYC stimulas package!

The amount he's spending is obscene. It could feed/save/house so many ... it's bothered me since 2001 and that hasn't changed. He's redesigned the schools to try and produce widgets not thinking people.

Mayor Bloomberg - Yuck! He is clearly out of touch with common people as much as he says he understands them. His campaign is totally over the top and it feels like the public harassment. I hope it backfires!

I am limited to giving a maximum of $5000 to political candidates. Why is Bloomberg allowed to give more than $5000 to himself?

What I care about is that there is no other candidate's voice out there in the media. It feels like we live under a one-party dictatorship.

"Do you care that the Mayor is spending $18 million on his campaign"

YES I CARE!

HE SHOULD BE LEGALLY REQUIRED TO MATCH HIS CAMPAIGN SPENDING, DOLLAR TO DOLLAR, ON CHOCOLATES FOR ALL LISTENERS OF THE BRIAN LEHRER SHOW! Ah, there's the caps lock button

Mayor? Don't you mean Emperor?

Oh, pity his Spanish hasn't improved over the last 8 years.

Maybe I'm being a little naive, but it almost doesn't make a difference to me how much someone spends on a campaign. If I don't like his/her message, stance on the issues, voting record, and experience, it doesn't make a difference if I see their TV ad one time or thirty times. Receiving more mailings from a candidate is not going to make me change my position on abortion, gay marriage, or gun control.

i have been trying to unsubscribe from the mountain of bloomberg snailmail i am receiving weekly. filled out a comment-type form on his campaign web site but i am sure that wont do it. any suggestions??