Continuing with his recent shift from nice-guy comptroller to mildly indignant populist mayoral candidate, Bill Thompson has sent out an email to supporters hitting Michael Bloomberg for defending A.I.G., whose executive pay and bonuses amid this fiscal crisis have made them into a public piñata.
“The entire country is outraged by AIG's taxpayer-funded bonuses. Everyone, that is, except New York's richest man – Mayor Mike Bloomberg – who defended AIG's top executives,” the email says.
The email links to a campaign page (notice the address: www.thompson2009.com/aig) which includes a story about Bloomberg's comments on the benefits of having rich people live in New York.
This latest salvo was prompted was prompted by the mayor's remarks on A.I.G. and whether or not they ought to be forced by the likes of Andrew Cuomo to reveal the names of employees.
The web page also asks readers to forward an automatic message to friends asking them to join the campaign. The pre-written message to friends contains some pretty strong language.
“New York City's mayor, Mike Bloomberg, cares more about keeping his rich buddies happy than fixing the problems for the rest of us regular New Yorkers.
"Now, things have gotten out of hand. Bloomberg is agreeing with his friends at AIG in support of big bonuses — that are coming straight out of the money taxpayers gave as part of the government bailout.
"New York deserves a mayor like Bill Thompson – someone who understands the problems our city is facing, and can put the needs of our people before his own.”
Bloomberg campaign spokesman Howard Wolfson emailed me this response: “Hard working New Yorkers would be better served if Mr. Thompson spent less time engaged in politics and more time working to restore the falling pension funds under his control."
