Fidler Wants His Cake, Tries To Eat It Too

When it comes to having an abundance of emotion, Lew Fidler can be counted among those that have it in City Hall. He can talk up a storm and pound his fist on the table for good measure. Fidler certainly did that in the wake of the property tax hike initiated by Bloomberg and shortly after the Mayor's "gutless" comment for all those that didn't vote his way. Lew was outraged, outraged I tell ya!

Check out this sternly-worded statement:

I just wanted to tell each of you that the Mayor has some frickin' nerve calling the CMs who voted no on the property tax increase "gutless". I wanted to remind all of you---or tell you if you had not heard this before---that this is the same Mayor who told me that it would be better politically to do it sooner rather than closer to the election. So who is gutless? The people who stood up and said "this is not necessary now. If we have to do it later because it becomes necessary then we will,", or the guy who says let's do it sooner so the voters might not be as mad when the election comes around.

When he called me in his round of phone calls to thank members who supported the term limits extension, he immediately went to the property tax and said---and I quote---"It would probably be better politically if we did this now rather than later anyway."

I would not share a private conversation this way if he had not made such an outrageous public comment. I guess when you have been a business executive and did not need the cooperation of democratically elected co-workers, you could function this way. After 7 years, its hard to believe that he doesn't recognize the world he works in.

Lew Fidler

Aww Lew, after seven years, it is unbelievable that you do not recognize that very same world. For the sake of your own self-interest, you voted for the term limit extension that is meant to help you and the Mayor in power. Sure, I heard your excuses before about why you oppose term limits and that this is just an opportune time to get it done. Nevermind of course that your actions helped to see an undemocratic means get to its end.

Basically, Lew stuck with the Mayor when it was advantageous to him, and now that the CM wants to be seen as fighting for the people who own homes in his district, he is a screamin' and a shoutin'. I have to admit, even though Bloomberg is a gutless wonder himself, he is right that there are gutless Councilmembers out there, like Lew Fidler.