NY Times: Bloomberg Hates Liu

Interesting article about the relationship between the Mayor of Money and Comptroller John Liu.

Bloomberg doesn't like Liu because Liu, unlike most of the other major politicians in this city, doesn't roll over for Bloomberg:

Within minutes of boarding his private jet last November, destined for Hong Kong, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg dispensed with the pleasantries and confronted his main guest, John C. Liu, the city comptroller: Why are you blocking a crucial city contract?

The two barely talked afterward, according to people briefed on the trip: not on the 21-hour journey, not during a conference on climate change, and not during a tour of a factory. (Mr. Liu returned on a commercial flight, which he had planned to do all along.)

Sixteen months into their concurrent terms as New York City’s top two elected officials, Mr. Bloomberg and Mr. Liu have made it clear that they do not care much for each other.

They rarely appear at the same events, much less announce joint initiatives. They have dined together only once or twice. And they have clashed so often, whether over multimillion-dollar contracts, teacher layoffs or pension costs, that some political insiders view anything Mr. Liu does as a personal attack against Mr. Bloomberg.

To the mayor, Mr. Liu has become a union mouthpiece intent on using him as a foil for a campaign for the mayor’s office in 2013.

After one recent report by the comptroller’s office, one senior administration official said: “It’s fair to say the mayor is not particularly pleased. From the mayor’s perspective, there is plenty of taunting and jabbing going on. You cannot partner with John. We understand that we’re being used as a platform in his mayoral campaign.”

To Mr. Liu, Mr. Bloomberg, who is in his third term, is simply unaccustomed to aggressive scrutiny. The comptroller is just doing his job, his allies say, by exposing questionable contracts and insisting on transparency from City Hall.

“If the mayor is saying that we need to tighten our belts and we all have to be accountable, then what John is doing is, ‘I’m trying to make sure the city is being held accountable,’ ” said Michael Mulgrew, the president of the United Federation of Teachers, who has clashed with Mr. Bloomberg over plans for teacher layoffs. “Why the mayor would have a problem with that is beyond me.”

Of course the mayor has a problem with that.

In Bloomberg's worldview, accountability is for other people, not for himself.

And politicians in this city, if they want to work with the mayor (and be on the end of his largesse) need to have the same world view as Bloomberg dies - accountability is for other people, not for the mayor.

Liu doesn't cow-tow to the mayor or the mayor's worldview, so Bloomberg doesn't like him.

Yes, Liu has made a political calculation that there is gold in them there anti-Bloomberg hills after two and a half terms of Bloomberg.

He is promoting his own political career by posing as the anti-Bloomberg, the man willing to call Bloomberg on his shit.

That was the signal Liu sent right after he was elected Comptroller when he declined to meet the mayor for lunch after the mayor called him and proposed a meeting.

Public Advocate de Blasio very publicly broke bread with the mayor, signaling that he was willing to work with the mayor (which in the mayor's world, means do what the mayor wants.)

I think given the hatred many on the union side have for Bloomberg, Liu has made a pretty shrewd political calculation.

But beyond the politics of this for second, let's be honest here - who the hell has called Bloomberg on his shit the last ten years other than John Liu?

I can't think of a major political player who has.

So Bloomberg is not used to this, not in politics, not in business, and he doesn't like it.

I say, good for Liu and good for the city.

Exactly what this city needs is somebody holding Herr Bloomberg accountable for the no bid contracts, the outside consultants, the tech boondoggles, and the cronyism.

For too long, Bloomberg has had HIS way on EVERYTHING, with all the major politicians either on his payroll - like Sharpton, Quinn and the Borough Presidents - or ready to roll over when Bloomberg says "Roll!" - Like Thompson.

It's good to see the Little Dictator not get his way on everything, not be able to buy everybody off.