01 August 2007

The Times must be bored

Before Bloomberg became Mayor, he said that he would take the subway to work everyday. Bloomberg is often photographed and videotaped riding the subway like most city residents.

So The Times, for some reason suspicious, stalked Mayor Bloomberg over a five week period and saw his morning commute as such: he exits his townhouse, ducks into one of two Chevrolet Suburbans waiting for him, and is dropped off at the 59th Street and Lexington line - 22 blocks away from his apartment. OH MY GOD! THE HORROR! THEY DROP HIM AT AN EXPRESS STOP!!!!!!!?!

"The reporters also observed that the Mayor's use of the subway has declined since he first took office. During their five weeks of following him, Bloomberg took the SUVs all the way to City Hall about twice a week." WHY THAT NO GOOD BASTARD!

What the F do you want? Bloomberg and his secret service army to pack on a crowded train everyday during rush hour? You think the Mayor is gonna stand with his nose in some Albanian guys armpit for six stops? You expect him to stand and wait for transfers and walk up 700 flights of stairs to switch from the N to F at Smith & 9th? I mean, c'mon! and not only c'mon, but who cares?! It was Bloombergs idea to take the train everyday so if he wants to welsh once and a while let him welsh.

Isn't he forfeiting his salary as Mayor anyway? The guy is allowed to take an SUV here and there and stamp his carbon footprint all over New York. This is silly.

Not to mention I'm sure there are a million security risks. I bet the secret service just LOVES when Bloomberg decides to take the train. There are too many variables and things to go wrong. Did The Times take that into consideration? How do all The Times reporters get to work? Maybe we should stalk them.

Shame on you, Times! Send your reporters to hide in the bushes to investigate something relevant!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sorry, GCI, but in NYC's new media saturated political environment this is a very valid story and more relevant than the current Theresa Duncan fixation which, while very interesting, is much less relevant to life in Gotham..Somebody needs to hold the Mayor's PR - Marketing Team product up for scrutiny and verification. Why are you so down on this as a valid subject for scrutiny? .....btw, I don't work for the NY Times...

Gotham City Insider said...

The mysterious death of those two is just as relevant to life in Gotham as whether or not the Mayor really rides the subway when he says he does. Is your somehow affected by this revelation, Anonymous? In fact, I had all but forgtten about Bloombergs everyman promise about taking the subway to work everyday until I read that Times article. Why don't you explain to me how or why it matters, don't just tell me it does!

Anonymous said...

I saw this Times article as well and I also thought it was a bit odd. I don't see how it matters or what they are trying to prove with their "investigation". Fill me in!

Anonymous said...

Woh -- hold on there pardners--nothing personal here --

1) Obviously GCI isn't interested in real politics, which in this case is about what is projected/presented in the media by the mayor's PR-marketing-media machine ("the mayor takes the train to work every day") vs. the truth of the matter (in short, he doesn't and he isn't "a regular working guy")..

...since you don't even recognize that this is part of the mayor's jive, it sounds that you like many folks are already hypnotized by the spin...

2) While I can emotionally and/or intellectually respond to the tragic deaths of these two talented people, thinking that questions that may have no answers (that is, what happened to this couple) is more important than the simple truth (the subway is one exagerration/untruth, what others has he spun?) is not good journalism or political analysis..it may not be more important but if you understand politics, it is at least as important, and here is why--

The mayor has such a strong marketing -media machine, it is through these little lapses that we can see a little (just a little) behind the diktat and pronouncements...

Did you also forget about the mayors sexual harassment lawsuits from his corporate days? There also was an AP report this week about the Mayor's lawsuits; it was a pretty weird situation one that he has thus far managed to stay ahead of and pay off into quietude..did you forget about that too ? do the research...

Just because you forgot about something doesn't mean it is irrelevant. It's politics and it sounds like, while you write really well, politics is one area that you do not understand very well..

Thanks for listening ! keep up the (otherwise) interesting blog !

Gotham City Insider said...

Are you writing under the pretense that I think the Mayor is Der Mann? Because I don't.

He is certainly no working man or everyman and I never bought that line.

Bloomberg getting on the subway isn't going to cloud my vision or make me believe anything. I think the entire charade is just silly. I doubt Bloomberg took the train back even when he really was a "working man". I don't think his rise from "working man" to philanthropist allowed him anytime to wait for the D train really.

I doubt he was switching trains back in the days at Salomon Brothers, either.

He is full of ish, just like every other politician out there. The only thing I liked about him was that he came at it from a different angle with less bullshit than a typical politician because he has always been very honest about wanting to make the city money and I respect that. I respect him as a business man in that sense. He doesn't duck and hide behind BS; he just comes out and says it.

I do in fact know about the story with Diane Winger. And let's not forget about Feltoon.

I applaud Bloomberg for his shameless (read: honest) obsession with money and capitalism and whatever schemes he has for bringing more $ into New York.

I applauded Bloomberg loudly for turning in his Republican card for an unaffiliated one. http://www.gothamcityinsider.com/2007/06/bloomberg-is-tops.html

I think the fact that he volunteers to waive his salary betrays any attempt to convince Die Leute that he's an everyman or a workingman.

I didn't think ANYONE believed that BS for a second. The man is a billionaire. We all know him riding the train is him grandstanding.

Anonymous said...

While I am not sure that you are using the word "pretense" correctly, I guess I am saying just that -- that your initial item did in fact make you sound like you "think the Mayor is Der Mann?"

Cmon, in your first item you hit the NYT hard for that article. If no one believes the subway BS, why does he take it at all? Obviously it is to promote his image in some way, that's all... why change from the SUV to the train?

No one thinks he carries his lunch to work, but the subway gambit gives him the image of being more in touch...

But listen to yourself, in your last comment, it still sounds like you are suggesting 'because he brings a lot of money in and seems to use less BS than other politicans' (although frankly I am not sure about that) that he is above criticism or investigation. He is not. You seem to be suggesting that this is beneath him, or it is too small a topic for him to be bothered with..It is not...

If all politicians are full of BS, then they all should be scrutinized, held accountable for their image and claims. If this is one way for the NYT to approach it, then why the heck not..

It's just that Bloomy has the money to shield himself from scrutiny since he is not a politican who really depends on the support of the people, he can buy the media and people to attain and hold onto office..

As a proud capitalist you should believe in "caveat emptor" and the investigative press - - it is an essential part of democratic government.

Gotham City Insider said...

"It's just that Bloomy has the money to shield himself from scrutiny since he is not a politican who really depends on the support of the people, he can buy the media and people to attain and hold onto office..."

Right, just like every other politican does under the table or wishes they could afford.

Please go back and read that article I wrote when Bloomberg announced his non-affiliated rebirth.

I see politics like sports. It's a hobby for most people to follow. No one wants to admit it, because it sounds naive, but really, I doubt most people could give one instance where politics somehow affected their lives.

Like Chaz Palmeteri's speech in Bronx Tale about Mickey Mantle. I feel the same way about politicians and can't help but see them through that lens.

My rent is still due on the first of the month no matter who the president is and whether or not Bloomberg rides the train or not. It doesn't matter to me. When an issue comes along that does matter to me, trust I'll be in the streets with a molotov cocktail like my friends in Germany.

But here, let's face it. People follow politics like sports, like a hobby. Shit sucks and Monday morning they get on the train and go back to work and complain about it.

I'm sure theres typo's and whatever all over this thing but I'm too lazy to edit right now

Anonymous said...

What I dont understand is one minute you sound like you are critical of politicans but then when there is a specific reason to be critical of Bloomy you give him a pass -- "they all do it"

I think this has reached the outer limit of this thread.

Thanks for the debate

Gotham City Insider said...

See: Carl Jung / The Duality of Man