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Infrastructure is Sexy to Mayor Bloomberg
By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 20, 2008
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 20, 2008
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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Photograph of Mayor Bloomberg speaking, with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Governor Ed Rendell (not pictured), under Los Angeles freeways by Ann Johansson/AP
It's Mike and Arnie, together again! The Time magazine co-cover pols, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, made a Los Angeles appearance with Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell to announce the creation of a "nonpartisan organization that will advocate for more, and smarter, federal spending on infrastructure." The Mayor and maybe presidential candidate slammed the government, referenced the New Deal and more. Some of his statements:
In politics, winning elections and protecting a party majority is more important than solving problems and so short-term pork invariably wins over long-term investing and special interests win over the rest of us...
Washington, as you know, spends money to win votes and collect cash no matter what the needs are and that's why they fund roads to nowhere and bridges to nowhere and highways that states don't even want...
Infrastructure isn’t sexy or glamorous, and it doesn’t make for great headlines. But it is one of the most important issues facing our country. And make no mistake about it, we have an infrastructure crisis...
The public works projects of the New Deal didn't just create jobs, it built the foundation for ... unprecedented growth. If we continue to ignore these problems, we are going to suffer more collapses, more human tragedies and more economic pain - and that's just in the short term. In the long term, we will lose our position as the world's leading super power."
So, for the millionth time, Bloomberg isn't Washington insider and he can help solve all problems - did you hear that, California and American voters at large?
The organization will be called Building America's Future and funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, but Newsday points out that the press conference is held in a state with 55 electoral votes - and this is the third time in six months that Bloomberg has been in the Golden State. On Friday, the Mayor was in Texas, press conferencing with Lance Armstrong (cancer initiatives) and privately meeting with Ross Perot's campaign manager.
Back in 2006, Bloomberg donated $44,600 to Schwarzenegger's reelection campaign, saying, "I think that Schwarzenegger - while I probably don't agree with him on a lot of things - he's trying new things. He's got a pizazz about him and I think that's something different."
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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