Courage and Moral Leadership 1

Courage and Moral Leadership

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November 6, 2011

Courage and Moral Leadership

Michael R. Bloomberg who is The City of New York 108th Mayor has been in office for eight years. Bloomberg is the first Mayor to amend to New York City’s term limit law, in order to allow him to run for a third term in 2009. Since 2002, he has been the Mayor of New York City and, with a net worth of $18.1 billion in 2011, he is also the 13th-richest person in the United States. As Mayor of New York, Bloomberg declines to receive a city salary, accepting remuneration of $1.00 annually. He is the founder and eighty-eight percent owner of Bloomberg L.P., a financial news and information services media company.
Once a lifelong Democratic before seeking office he later switched to the Republican Party and now he is an Independent. Bloomberg despite his followers and outpour for his continued leadership abilities he represents the Independent Party. As the Mayor, he has taken on some of the toughest issues facing millions of New Yorkers. Budget cuts, smoke free zone and gay marriage just to name a few has brought him less support. However, with the courage of a lion and the moral leadership of a beast Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has prevailed in his leadership role. (Purnick 2009)
While The City of New York projected budget for fiscal year 2012 may reach $9.3 billion Bloomberg finds ways to cut some of his expenditures. Unfortunately, public safety, sanitation, and education are amongst some of the agencies that are going to receive some of the bigger cuts. New Yorkers including myself thought that perhaps they can cut other agencies that were “less important” but after my research I clearly understand why.
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Most monies are section off by the larger and smaller cuts. There are agencies as I mentioned earlier that requires more funding in order to be operable. The City considered a 5 percent revenue increase but later found that this will do little justice in closing the gap. New York City soon began to cut over 10,000 jobs and ask that employee contribute to their medical benefit. Other factors were went into consideration for instance decreasing the amount of funding that goes into supplies by more than half, color printing machines that cost $20,000 per month on a rental basis, computer services and little to no upgrading. These were on the big ticket items so we got rid of those things all in effort to save jobs.
Although, this did little to help the budget and other agencies were severely affected such as The Fire Department, Teachers Federation, Hospitals, and Workers. People knew that the cuts were in the work but they still rallied and protest against Bloomberg. What’s interesting about him as the Mayor he publicly address issues that arise give his public justification and move on, he has a big enough task ahead to stay on one issue he is a take control type of person.
Bloomberg also took the initiative in signing into law the banning of NYC smoking. This ban affects smoking in City parks, restaurants, beaches, bars, public plazas, and boardwalks. The ban has reduced the toll of strokes, heart attacks, lung disease, and cancers. Bloomberg took a courageous step in writing the ban into law despite millions of New Yorkers protesting (Bloomberg & Winkler 1997, 2001, p 18).

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Bloomberg also known as a rebel has petitioned for gay marriage allowing same sex couples able to wed in New York City. The New York Times reported that Bloomberg has struggled repeatedly to gain influence and popularity as a leader with law makers in the state. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, citing the riot at the city's Stonewall Inn in 1969 that led to the gay-rights movement, called for state lawmakers to approve a bill allowing same-sex marriage.
“The time has come for us to fulfill the dreams that exploded into Sheridan Square 42 years ago: to allow thousands of men and women to become full members of the American family, and to take the next step on the inspiring journey our founding fathers first began,” Bloomberg said on 5/26/11at 4:50 PM; in a speech at Manhattan’s Cooper Union college (Barbaro, 2011, p A21) After a singular victory early on in his Mayoral career that won him control of Albany school system Bloomberg has met with one defeat after another when put against the states legislature however he prevailed.
Michael R. Bloomberg has held his mayoral position for many years. He had done quite a remarkable job in providing for millions of New Yorkers in reference to housing issues and providing voucher programs to needy families, employment opportunities and having the workforce program in effect for welfare reform, budget deficit trying to tackle the budget crisis reasonably, and several other issues. Noticeably when one is doing a great job they will always get some resistance from the people who oppose. Bloomberg
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has tackle social issues, domestic issues as well as economic issues despite the adversities that he still continues to face.
His background and status to date lets us know that he is a great leader who is willing to go against the gain for what he believes is right. Recently he donated $50 million to The Sierra Club in its effort to shut down coal-fired power plants (Broder, 2011, p A17). These plants produce almost half the nation's electricity. They also pump out lots of pollution, make people sick, and cause premature deaths. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is giving the Sierra Club $50 million to fight them. What a phenomenal man we have not only as The Mayor of New York City but a person who we will never forget. Thank you Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.

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References
Bloomberg, M & Winkler, M. (1997, 2001). Bloomberg by Bloomberg. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.,
Broder, John M. (2011, July 21). Mayor gives $50 million t Anti-Coal Campaign. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com
Barbaro, M. (2011, May 27). Bloomberg states case, emphatically and personally for same-sex marriage. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com
Purnick, J. (2009). Michael Bloomberg: Money, Power, Politics. New York: Public Affairs