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| Birth Name(s) : Michael Bloomberg |
Date of Birth: N/A |
| Status:
Single
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Partner:
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| Profession:
Public Figure |
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Full Michael Bloomberg Biography
Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born 14 February 1942) is an American businessman, and the founder of Bloomberg L.P., currently serving as the Mayor of New York City. He was a general partner at Salomon Brothers before founding the financial software service company in 1981. Although a lifelong Democrat, he ran on the Republican ballot and was elected mayor in 2001, and was reelected to a second term in 2005. He is frequently mentioned as a possible independent candidate for the 2008 presidential election and fueled that speculation when he left the Republican Party in June 2007; however, he has denied having any plans to run and says the news media had concocted his possible presidential run.
Bloomberg does not reside in Gracie Mansion, the official mayor's mansion, but at his own home elsewhere on the Upper East Side (17 East 79th Street between Madison and Fifth Avenues). He maintains his home address in the white pages and often rides the subway to City Hall. Bloomberg also owns homes in Britain and in the British territory of Bermuda.
Forbes and other sources report his net worth at US$11.5 billion as of 2007, which, in addition to aiding his political career, has allowed him to engage in substantial philanthropy, including the donation of over US$300 million to Johns Hopkins University, where he served as the chairman of the board from 1996 to 2002.
According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Mr. Bloomberg donated and or pledged $138 million in 2004, $144 million in 2005 and $165 million in 2006. 2006 recipients include the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School for Public Health; World Lung Foundation and the World Health Organization.
Voting in the primary began on the morning of 11 September 2001. Later that day, however, because of the World Trade Center September 11, 2001 attacks, the primary was postponed. In the rescheduled primary, Bloomberg defeated Herman Badillo, a former Congressman, to become the Republican nominee. The Democratic primary did not produce a first-round winner. There was a runoff, in which the nomination went to New York City Public Advocate Mark J. Green.
Bloomberg declined the mayor's salary, accepting remuneration of $1.00 annually. He is considered a social-liberal, who is pro-choice, in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage and an advocate for stricter gun control laws.
Bloomberg's election marked the first time in New York City history that two different Republicans had been elected mayor consecutively.
In late 2004 or early 2005, he gave the Independence Party $250,000 to fund a phone bank seeking to recruit volunteers for his re-election campaign. Bloomberg visiting with Grand Rabbi Moshe Leib Rabinovich of the Munkacs Hasidic sect in Brooklyn, 2004
Several independent efforts, including a New York City based one and a Washington DC based one, are attempting to run a "Draft Michael Bloomberg" campaign.
Since the beginning of June 2007 a small group of dedicated New Yorkers have been working on a local Draft Bloomberg campaign (bloomberg08nyc.com)
On August 2, 2007 Draft Michael Bloomberg Director Gail Parker launched a "Heartland of the Homeland tour to Draft Michael Bloomberg for President". Through August 18th Parker visited with media, and Draft Bloomberg state chairs in North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska. Parker collected petition signatures in Arkansas. She focused on organizing petition drives in two of the nation's most difficult states (Oklahoma, and North Carolina).
In dealing with the global warming debate, and New York's role in it, he has enacted a plan called "PlaNYC: A Greener, Greater New York" to fight global warming, protect the environment and prepare New York for the projected 1 million more people expected to be living in the city by the year 2030. Bloomberg has also been involved in motivating other cities to make changes, delivering the keynote address at the C40 Large Cities Climate Summit and stating, "e now know beyond a doubt that global warming is a reality. And the question we must all answer is, “What are we going to do about it?" Bloomberg also talked about how he would go about fighting climate change by reducing carbon dioxide emissions, using cleaner and more efficient fuels, and encouraging public transportation.
Economically, Bloomberg tends to be conservative, expressing a distaste of taxes stating, "Taxes are not good things, but if you want services, somebody's got to pay for them so they're a necessary evil." As mayor he did raise property taxes to fund budget projects, however in January 2007 he proposed cuts in property taxes by 5% and cuts in sales taxes including the elimination of taxes on clothing and footware. Bloomberg pointed to the Wall Street profits, and real estate market as evidence that the city's economy is booming and could handle a tax break. These policies reflect the perception of Bloomberg as a fiscal conservative.
He has had a less cordial relationship with unions as mayor; in 2002, when New York City's transit workers threatened to strike, Bloomberg responded by riding a mountain bike through the city to show how the city could deal with the transit strike finding alternate means of transportation and not pandering to the unions. |
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