Bloomberg’s Mental Rolodex Bigger Than Once Believed And Perhaps Even Includes Superman

I don’t know where this is coming from or if it’s supposed to make everyone feel better or what:

In defending his selection for schools chancellor, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has called Cathleen P. Black, a publishing executive with no education experience, “exactly the right person for the job” and suggested that her skills as a manager were unrivaled.

Ms. Black, however, was not the first person the mayor asked to take the position. Mr. Bloomberg tried to persuade Geoffrey Canada, the prominent Harlem education leader and a friend of the mayor, to be chancellor, but Mr. Canada turned it down, according to two people with direct knowledge of the discussions.

The two people did not want to be identified because Mr. Bloomberg has sought to keep the process private.

If Bloomberg didn’t tell anyone about the search and “the two people did not want to be identified because Mr. Bloomberg has sought to keep the process private” then wouldn’t “two people with direct knowledge of the discussions” be Canada and Bloomberg?

Earlier: Maybe She Really Will Shake Up The Schools? After All, She Does Come From An Industry Where They Seem To Excel At Laying Off People, And If You Choose Not To Receive An Education, 75 Cents Will Be Credited To Your Hotel Bill, If By “Story Line” They Mean Unilaterally Appointing Someone Without Any Discernable Qualifications To Run The Largest School System In The Country And Not Bothering To Talk It Over With Anyone At All, Much Less The Key Stakeholders And Much Much Less The Constituents He Serves, Then I Think That Story Line Is Clear, I Don’t Understand, Gossip Girl Makes Manhattan And Dumbo Look So Appealing, When In Doubt, You Can Always Beat Up On High Fructose Corn Syrup, Wow, Is That Toby Keith Or Tom Jones?, It’s Actually Worse Than The Worst Cover Letter You Ever Wrote For A Job That You Were In No Way Qualified For, Except That You Were 22 And Just Out Of School And This Guy Wants This Person To Lead The Largest School System In The Country, As That Great Educational Mind Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi Once Said, “This Is The Democracy, We Will Have No Pretext”, What Has Bloomberg Learned From This Rebuke?, Now That That’s Over, You Can “Get To Know” Cathie Black.

While The Mayor Is Busy Grandstanding On A National Stage, Here At Home He Shows How He Can Flex His Muscle

I don’t want to hector you and say “here’s a disturbing story that should bother anyone who cares about how government abuses its power” but here’s a disturbing story that should bother anyone who cares about how government abuses its power:

The raid, conducted by government agencies including the NYPD and the Buildings and Housing Preservation and Development departments, began about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, when an estimated 200 law enforcement officers in more than 50 vehicles arrived at the Iron Triangle, blocking several entrances and exits and stopping anyone from coming or going for more than six hours, [Willets Point Defense Committee president Marco] Neira said. [Councilwoman Julia] Ferreras said “dozens” of officers participated.

“I tried to drive up the street [into Willets Point] and the police said, ‘This is a secured area, you can’t come in.’ I said, ‘What do you mean? I live here,'” the Iron Triangle’s only resident, Joseph Ardizzone, recounted Thursday. “I was running up and down the streets telling everyone to close up since they were coming through to ticket everyone.”

. . .

Many workers and local landlords believe the raid was directly related to the fact that the city plans to build a multibillion-dollar development project at Willets Point. The city wants to relocate existing businesses and maybe even use eminent domain to clear the land in pursuit of its development goals, which area tenants and landlords say leaves them up against a wall.

“They were harassing us. I have no intention of selling or giving anything to Economic Development [Corporation],” Ardizonne said. “I think it’s wrong. I don’t think this is a democracy anymore, I think it’s a dictatorship.”

Location Scout: Iron Triangle.

Thinking Too Much Can Ruin A Good Time!

It’s not just the cops or even the Health Department — the Department of Sanitation knows how to raise money, too:

An elderly Manhattan woman living on Social Security was slapped with a $100 ticket — just for throwing away a newspaper in a city trash can.

Bloomberg Legacy: Renaming Critical Infrastructure

For over 100 years the only other name the Queensboro Bridge had was the Manhattan-centric “59th Street Bridge” — that is about to change:

The Bloomberg administration is set to announce plans on Wednesday to rename the Queensboro Bridge, the Midtown muse of Simon and Garfunkel and a steel signature of the city’s skyline, after former Mayor Edward I. Koch, who turns 86 this month.

Why Koch? Mayor Koch was the last third term mayor the city had, third terms being notoriously lame. Maybe Bloomberg is telegraphing something . . . I’m just not sure what. Maybe this means that in twenty years Cathie Black will rename the Manhattan Bridge for him?

Location Scout: Queensboro Bridge.

Heiling Cabs Has Never Been Easier

I imagine this comment won’t be ignored any time soon:

“I don’t care about racial profiling. You know, sometimes it is good we are racially profiled, because the God’s honest truth is that 99 percent of the people that are robbing, stealing, killing these drivers are blacks and Hispanics.”

See also: Taxi.