Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Hypocrite in Chief: Or the Boy from Ipanema

We have been absolutely thrilled to learn that Mike Bloomberg is down in Brazil to attend a climate change conference. According to his own website, Kermit the Mayor gave a speech about the environmental responsibility of cities. Here's a fascinating excerpt:

"That’s especially true in meeting all the ominous challenges arising from global climate change. Our actions – our policies and practices – are pivotally important. Steps that we’ve already taken are making our cities, healthier, more energy-efficient, and more environmentally responsible. Mayor Kassab’s strong leadership has put São Paulo in the front ranks in this worldwide urban sustainability movement. And around the globe, the people of our cities are already reaping the benefits of cleaner air, lower energy costs, and longer and healthier lives."

Ho, ho, ho! Meanwhile, back in the real world, Bloomberg is busy despoiling the environment of not only Queens County, but the entire city. This comes as a result of his comprehensive five borough economic development plan to make the city safe for more and more auto dependent malls-brought to us by his billionaire buddy Steve Ross.

This is rampant hypocrisy that a somnolent press corps can't keep its eyes open long enough to see. Here we are preparing for an EDC hearing next week that will examine how the agency is going to divert 80,000 daily car and truck trips from Willets Point off into urban sustainability universe-and are fudging the numbers in order to minimize the damage it is doing.

Where you might ask is the League of Conservation Voters on all this? Well LCV is protecting its own bottom line that is dependent on the mayor's generosity. The League joins with Bloomberg, Commissioner Tricycle-Khan, and the entire Queens political structure in playing hide the traffic afikomen.

All of this rank hypocrisy is summed up today by the NY Post's Michael Goodwin who rightfully describes our great leader in this way: "Mayor Moneybags, having solved all of New York's problems, is off in Rio, lecturing on climate change. I assume he traveled on his carbon-spewing private jet, the standard ride for a Gulfstream Liberal."