Bloomberg's speech
has national focus
In a speech that highlighted national issues nearly as prominently as local ones, Mayor Michael Bloomberg Thursday afternoon promised to hold the line on taxes, promoted tough new DNA and gun-tracking technology and announced major new initiatives to revise the city charter.
He also pledged to end social promotion to high school and make information about city government, such as fire response times, available online to the public.
Bloomberg, who has deflected speculation that he is considering a run for president, focused on immigration and gun control at the top of his sixth annual State of the City Address, celebrating the city's diversity and taking a shot at some White House candidates' position on immigration.
"Their presence is a two-way street," Bloomberg said of four Queens families, all of different ethnic and racial backgrounds, who shared the stage with him at the new ice-skating rink and pool at Flushing Meadow Corona Park. "New York gives them unlimited opportunities and these families make New York the nation's economic engine, its financial hub, its fashion center, its media mecca and it's cultural capital. And that's one of the messges I've been speaking out on, to those who are wailing against immigration, to those politicians who, all of a sudden, have embraced xenophobia, I say: Open your eyes. Take a look behind me. This is what makes America great."
The mayor who might want to be president, who is term-limited out of office in 2009, also made an oblique reference to the White Housel buzz with a quip at the start of his speech designed to suggest he would be sticking around after the 2008 presidential election.
"I don't remember if I looked forward to the first one of these," the mayor said, "but I'm particularly looking forward to the next one."
The mayor warned of tough economic times ahead in his hour-long speech, but said he was "more optimistic about our future than ever" and promised to extend a property tax rebate and rate cut when he unveils his preliminary budget proposal for 2009 next week.
Yet, Bloomberg's vow came with a big caveat: "It will depend on a variety of factors unknown today -- from the health of our economy to the continued help we get from our partners in state government to the outlo9ok for furture years after our administration has come to an end."
Among the new initiatives the mayor proposed was a contest with a six-figure prize for the design of a hand-held DNA analysis device that police officers can take to crime scenes, speeding up the identification of suspects. He also called for the state Legislature to allow DNA testing upon arrest, and to require gun manufacturers to use microstamping technology that allow authorities to connect bullets to individual weapons. Right now, the state does DNA testing upon conviction for all felonies and some misdemeanor crimes.
Bloomberg also announced the formation of a new Charter Revision Commission, as well as a task force to develop a new vocational-technical education program that would directly link city high schools with community colleges.
"There weren't huge new projects, but there is a continuation and, if you will, a fine tuning of a lot of things," said City Comptroller William Thompson of the mayor's speech. He said he thought holding the line on property taxes is "still realistic, but I think he was honest in saying we'll have to see before we make that final decision."
The mayor asked all city agencies to come up with 2.5 percent mid year budget cuts and reduce their budgets for next year by another 5 percent.
City Councilman Peter Vallone, Jr., a Democrat from Queens, said it was clear Bloomberg was speaking to the national electorate.
"He opened up with on immigration, which is a national issue so I think it's pretty obvious he intended this speech to play to a nationwide audience," Vallone said, "because he's clearly examining a run for president."
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