It was not quite the victory that some polls were predicting . . . or perhaps imagining. But 20% is pretty substantial and Bloomberg has what can be called a mandate for the next four years. So what policy initiatives are on Bloomy’s mind? He is looking to reinvigorate and take more charge of the redevelopment of lower Manhattan with far more of an emphasis on residential development. He is seeking to develop Governor’s Island. He aims to increase affordable housing. There also appear to be ambitious (and perhaps unrealistic) plans for reconfiguring the power balance between Albany and NYC and for regulating vehicular traffic in Manhattan. These are all positive plans for the city. And on top of that, the transportation bond was approved and that means that the city will likely see the Second Avenue subway line renew construction after a 30-year lay off.
So it was a good day in NYC. Watch for Anthony Weiner in 2009, but until then Bloomberg is far better than Ferrer.
Big downsides to the election? First voter turnout was abyssmal, with only 1.24 million voters casting a ballot. Second, we will all have to endure Republican blather about how they took New York City, again, and what this means for the Republican party nationally. Ferrer was ill-advised, as Weiner stated clearly to Bran Lehrer on WNYC last night, to make so much of Bloomberg’s Republican credentials and supposing that a vote for Bloomberg was a vote for Bush. Nothing could have been further from the truth. But Ferrer said it and so did a whole host of national Democrats from Senator Clinton, to Senator Obama, to Party Chair Dean. The Democrats made the mistake and now we have to hear the Republicans say that while they lost Virginia and New Jersey they took New York City. It is comparing apples and oranges, but so, too, was comparing Bloomberg and Bush.