A Third Term For Bloomberg?

As Michael Bloomberg heads towards his final year as Gotham's mayor, speculation is growing that that an effort to rescind mayoral term limits may be launched. According to the NY Post, major big business players are quietly supporting a movement for a third term for Bloomberg.

The two-term limit can be lifted by a charter referendum, by state legislation, or by the city council. Since City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is expected to run for mayor herself in 2009 (despite her recent slush fund scandal), few expect her to support a change in term limits and she has stated in the past that she opposes such a change. Bloomberg himself has said that he has no interest in a third term, but in typical fashion he recently commissioned a poll of New Yorkers to assess their feelings on the issue.

Were limits to be lifted, Bloomberg's third term would be all but guaranteed. However, you may recall that when Rudy Giuliani tried to finagle himself a third term (9/11 happened on NYC's mayoral primary day), even "America's Mayor" (ugh) was shot down. Still, with the economy where it is and where it seems to be headed, it does make good sense to have a billionaire businessman with eight years experience at the helm of the world's most important city during what may be its most difficult times in many years. I've had a few issues with Bloomberg over the last seven years, but I'd vote for his third term in a New York Minute.