Most New York voters never thought they would get a third chance to elect Michael Bloomberg as mayor.

Until last year, city law limited a mayor to two terms in office, which Mr. Bloomberg has already served. Other voters assumed that a man of Bloomberg’s accomplishments and resources would be far more interested in pursuing higher political aspirations on the national level.

Instead, Mr. Bloomberg decided to seek a third term as mayor, once the law was changed to permit him to do so, and to set personal ambition aside, at least for now. With the November 3rd elections looming, New Yorkers face a choice between Mr. Bloomberg, and his main challenger, Bill Thompson.

To Mishpacha’s editorial board, the choice is clear-cut.

In his eight years in office, Mr. Bloomberg has taken an energetic and level-headed approach to a wide variety of city problems, including education, poverty, and security.

By establishing a counterterrorism bureau that works alongside the intelligence unit of the city’s police department, the mayor has shown he has internalized the lessons learned from 9/11. At the same time, his position that it would be counterproductive to pursue and deport the nation’s 12 million illegal immigrants shows that the mayor prizes pragmatism over ideology. The mayor also deserves credit for maintaining New York City’s budget in relatively sound condition at a time when cities and states — not to mention the federal government — are facing severe financial crises, and even paralysis. Mr. Bloomberg’s win-win management style, learned from years of success in the financial markets, has resulted in a marked improvement in city labor relations. Police, firefighters and other municipal workers have received what the New York Times labeled as “generous” raises, while at the same time the city has won productivity gains and nonsalary related budget cuts.

Having said this, this is no time for complacency. One of the major challenges facing a third-term Bloomberg administration ill be to keep the city’s projected budget deficit from getting out of hand. The new administration will have to be proactive to stem the tide of the more than 100,000 jobs New York has lost in the past year. While the mayor cannot be faulted for the collapse of the housing and financial markets and the ensuing recession, if the mayor wishes to have a successful third term, he will have to induce employers and employees to return to a city whose high tax burden is a disincentive.

By visiting Israel in January in the middle of Operation Cast Lead and stopping off in Kassam-scarred Sderot at the peak of the battle, Mr. Bloomberg showed his solidarity with Israel. His visit was much appreciated by both Israeli citizens and the Israeli government. The mayor has also demonstrated his concern for New York’s Jewish constituents by his efforts to establish affordable housing and his support for Hatzolah.

Mr. Bloomberg’s main challenger, Bill Thompson, has done a competent job as city comptroller and clearly has a bright future in politics. As comptroller, no one would be in a
better position than he is to spot the financial weak spots of a Bloomberg administration. The fact that Mr. Thompson has, more or less, supported the Bloomberg economic agenda over the years and has been unable to unearth anything damaging even during the heat of a tough political campaign is, in essence, a strong endorsement of the job Michael Bloomberg has done as mayor.

Switching horses in midstream makes little sense at a critical time, as the country and New York City emerge from the ravages of a recession, and need experienced and proven managers to chart a stable new course for the future.

Mr. Bloomberg has shown his ability to lead New York during the most challenging of times and deserves your vote on November 3rd for a third term.

(Source: Mishpacha)