Council members Letitia James, Bill de Blasio, and Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum held a community meeting in Fort Greene yesterday to allow voters to express their opinion on Mayor Bloomberg’s proposal to repeal term limits so he (and others) can run for another term. This meeting was meant to lend a voice to the citizens of the outer boroughs. Betsy Gotbaum put across the clear message that “this is not about term limits, it’s not about the job the mayor has done, and it’s also not about continuity during a financial crisis. It’s about whether or not, in a democracy, it is okay to disregard people’s votes. While I can only support extending or changing term limits through a public vote, at the very least, the Council must prolong any vote until public hearings can be held in all five boroughs. That’s why we’re here today, to give as many New Yorkers as possible an opportunity to have their voices heard.” City Council Member Bill de Blasio, who is running for Borough President and would be unhappy with a re-election bid by Marty Markowitz slammed “the Mayor’s blatant attempts to circumvent democracy and keep voters out of the process.”
—E.C. Stephens