EVERYONE is wondering about Michael Bloomberg‘s plans after leaving office. He won’t run for prez, but what about veep? Gov? Or Hillary Clinton’s Senate seat, should she (somehow) become president? Last Sunday’s Post suggested he’s weighing a bid to end term limits so he can run for mayor again.
The better question: What will he do with his remaining 20 months in office?
After all, if Mike can pull off some last-minute, earth-shattering achievement, he might rack up a truly stand-out legacy – and eliminate the need to stick around electoral politics. In the process, the city might benefit (or suffer) from whatever he achieves.
But what’s left to do?
Bloomberg had the misfortune of taking office after Rudy Giuliani had already reversed the city’s decline. He’d either preserve Rudy’s gains or allow the city to backslide. Lots of downside, that is – little up.
Yet treading water was not why the billionaire businessman spent millions of his own money to become mayor. It’s not likely to make Mike’s mom kvell.
Bloomberg needs a legacy.
As for the people he serves, well . . . legacy, shmegacy – New Yorkers just want to get to their jobs in one piece, preferably without having to step over too many foaming sidewalk squatters.
So far, Mike’s held the line – and then some: He led the city back from 9/11. Further cut crime. Won control of the schools (even if lawmakers set him back last week in barring the use of student scores in tenure decisions). Rezoned scores of neighborhoods, spurring development. Tamed racial tensions (though a key test comes next week with the Sean Bell verdict).
And, indeed, New Yorkers are content: A Quinnipiac University poll last month showed three out of four like the job Mike’s doing – a trend that’s essentially held steady for years. When his term ends, folks want him to stay in politics, possibly as part of the next president’s team.
So what if Mike’s wacky legacy-builder – car tolls for Manhattan – went down in flames? So what if he’s yet to wipe out homelessness (as he virtually promised)? By no means does any of that make his tenure a dud. Progress is marked in increments: Bloomberg put tolls on the map, much as Rudy paved the way for Mike’s schools takeover. He crafted a plan (however flawed) for city growth. He brought some sanity to city “homeless” policy.
Hizzoner needn’t be ashamed of being seen as a caretaker, given that he – and the city – had so much to lose when he took office. When things are good, you want someone to keep them that way.
And, yes, there is more to do – like tending to the one festering sore that New York pols consistently ignore: exorbitant taxes.
New Yorkers pay more than almost any other urbanites in America. Alas, Hizzoner just raised the city sales taxes again – this time, by a whopping 33 percent, from 3 to 4 cents on a dollar. (It’s been four cents, but was scheduled to drop to 3 by summer – until Mike jacked it back up.)
He’s also talking about boosting property taxes as much as 7 percentage points, even though he already raised them once during his first term.
Bloomberg can also pull rabbits from a hat and save the city’s infrastructure – particularly transit, which desperately aches for repairs and upgrades. With the death of his Manhattan toll, which would have sprouted $500 million a year for buses and subways, Mike will need all his renowned financial (and sales) acumen to concoct – and sell – a meaningful capital plan.
Finally, he can help steer the city through the turbulent economic weather ahead.
All these challenges give him a chance to boost his mayoralty from merely good – to truly transformative.
But if he doesn’t, so what?
If Mayor Mike keeps the city from backsliding – on crime, schools, the economy – for just 20 more months, he’ll have done more than sufficient, caretaker or not, to earn New Yorkers’ respect and gratitude.
That should be enough to make a mother proud.
abrodsky@nypost.com