Mike Bloomberg is the All-Business, All-the-Time Guy who DOES "GET IT"

A Quinnipiac Poll released yesterday said that New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg gets high marks for job performance but is personally viewed by city residents as unable relate to their everyday struggles because he is "cold and business-like".

To which Bloomberg replied: "I am what I am."

To which we comment: "Thank goodness!"

Just think of the alternative during a current governmental and political landscape that is a complete mess. Start at the top with "Governor Grease Fire" who plans to hike taxes into the stratosphere on 80-hour work week people doing OK-enough to create jobs while giving 35-hour work week public employee unions huge raises; next is our Assembly speaker who loaded countless special interest pay-to-play pet projects in the proposed budget; then there is the MTA, which is about to raise fares by 25% and drastically cut service on subways that are already dirty and rarely run on-time; and most unsettling of all, there is a new report out stating that the portion of New York City's entire operating budget spent only on paying out retirement benefits to former city employees will cross the 50% mark at some point in 2009. And by the way, Mike wasn't in City Hall when these employees were hired.

That's why the last thing New York needs right now is a soft, fuzzy, back-slapping "leader" who is obsessed with people "liking him."

All-business, all-the-time is exactly the right approach and as always, Mike Bloomberg appears up for the job.

The pitchfork mentality groups that are bashing anyone in this country who is making money won't like to hear this, but it is people like Mike Bloomberg who are going to ultimately get this economy rolling again...

..and not necessarily the politician Bloomberg; instead, the all-business, all-the-time Bloomberg who built a media empire from scratch that now employs thousands of men and women at all levels. New York desperately needs more people like Bloomberg who always problem-solves in an entrepreneurial manner, knows how to create jobs, sees the big picture, and isn't afraid to take on entrenched money-sucking special interests.

In fact, any organization could use Bloomberg right now. I nominate Conde Nast as Exhibit A. The New York Post today reported that some of the publishing giant's chauffeured execs and top editors were finally about to ditch the limo rides to and from work in favor of subways...not including Anna Wintour of course, and only when it is not raining.

Conversely, Bloomberg has been a strap-hanger for years and is famous for plopping his own desk into a bullpen-style office environment next to the entry-level assistants and secretaries.
If you don't think "business-culture" stuff like that matters then consider that Conde Nast has been forced to shut down multiple publications and is considering corporate-wide furloughs come June. Mayor Bloomberg? He's about to win a third term going away.

At its best, New York is a no-nonsense, get-it-done, results-driven town. A place where a "Grinder" can work hard and become successful. Walk around the streets of New York and you'll meet these folks everywhere. The corner food-truck guys who set-up shop at 5:30AM Monday through Saturday. The restaurant-owner who double-shifts every day without second thought to survive and grow. The truck-driver who battles endless congestion to get the deliveries into all five boroughs by noon. The responsible financial workers who drive themselves so much into the ground, that even on weekends, they eat, drink and sleep economic growth. And let's not forget the writer, typing like crazy in a Starbucks window near you and multi-tasking complex articles into 25 deadlines per week.

Ironically, it also sounds exactly like the guy in charge of the whole plave 8 million people call home.

This recession - when all said and done - will be remembered for ending the "Era of Entitlement." The era people like David Patterson, Sheldon Silver, and Anna Wintour are still desperately clinging to.

But whether he gets elected or not, a "Grinder" like Mike Bloomberg is too smart and too hard-working - like the rest of us - not to be doing just fine and creating opportunity for others while he's at it.

All-business, all-the-time. New York shouldn't have it any other way.