I Ain't No Fair Weather Enemy

What do a a progressive third party, a group of satiric political-theater agitators, an increasing number of New York City Council Members and I have in common? We're all a little skeptical of Mayor Michael Bloomberg right about now.

Back in 2004, I wasn't a fan of Mayor Bloomberg. He had invited the GOP to our city for their convention, then handed them ownership over our symbols and tragedy while letting his police department infiltrate peace groups, deny protest permits, and round up and lock up non-violent demonstrators.

Then, over the years, he renounced his Republican partisanship, he announced a forward-thinking vision about urban sustainability and he kept up the fight against illegal guns, the tobacco industry and fast food. And many of my friends came to like him.

I moved from dislike to neutral, but was never really convinced. So I guess what I'm saying is that I'm not a fair-weather enemy...I've opposed him in good times and bad.

Which means I was ahead of the curve as he gave us a new cause for outrage: a ridiculous power grab, to overturn democratically-created term limits, based on the flimsiest of arguments.

You see, Billionaire Bloomberg treats us all like kids (and I don't mean like awesome, empowered Youth who are often featured on this site): he tells us we need him -- and only him -- in these scary economic times.

It's fine to like the guy; it's fine to oppose term limits; but it's not fine to say that tough times should ditch democracy, purge process and rush us towards a precedent of giving a wealthy Daddy-Mayor exactly what he wants.

I'm not alone -- the Working Families Party has launched "It's Our Decision" to remind the City Council Members that overruling a popular referendum might not be that popular...or that legitimate.