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Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born 14 February 1942 ) is an American Businessman , Philanthropist , 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;http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/06/19/bloomberg-leaving-republican-party/ however, he has denied any plans to run. PERSONAL LIFE AND BUSINESS CAREER Bloomberg was born to a , in the Boston neighborhood of Brighton on 14 February 1942 . His parents were Charlotte Rubens, living in 2006 , and William Henry Bloomberg, who was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts , the son of Elick Bloomberg, a Russian Jew ish immigrant and a real-estate agent. Bloomberg married Yorkshire -born Susan Brown. After 19 years of marriage, they divorced in 1993. They had two daughters, Georgina Bloomberg (who has been featured on '' Born Rich '', a Documentary Film about the children of the extremely wealthy) and Emma Bloomberg. Georgina was romantically linked in 2007 with Cian O'Connor , the Irish showjumper whose 2004 Olympic gold medal was withdrawn.Irish Mail on Sunday, 12 August 2007 His current Girlfriend is former New York state banking Superintendent Diana Taylor . His younger sister, Marjorie Tiven, is Commissioner of the New York City Commission for the United Nations , Consular Corps and Protocol. His mother, Charlotte Bloomberg (born 3 January 1909 ), is reported to be in very good health for her age. Bloomberg was a general partner at Salomon Brothers , where he headed Equity Trading , sales and, later, Systems Development . He made his fortune with his own company, Bloomberg L.P. , selling financial Information Terminals to Wall Street firms; the company also began a radio network (the flagship station is 1130 WBBR -AM in New York City ). Bloomberg is among the World's Richest People . He was ranked 34th by '' Forbes Magazine '' in its list of 400 Richest Americans in September 2006. He was ranked 142nd in its list of the The World's Billionaires in March 2007. Bloomberg has written an Autobiography , ''Bloomberg by Bloomberg'' (1997, ISBN 0-471-15545-4). 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 a home in the British territory of Bermuda . Bloomberg currently serves as an ex-officio Trustee of the Museum Of Modern Art . Philanthropy 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 . ranging from the Dance Theater of Harlem to Gilda’s Club, a not-for-profit organization that provides support to people and families living with Cancer . In 1996, Bloomberg endowed the William Henry Bloomberg Professorship at Harvard with a $3 million gift in honor of his father, who died in 1963, saying, "throughout his life, he recognized the importance of reaching out to the nonprofit sector to help better the welfare of the entire community." Bloomberg Endows Professorship For Five Faculties at Harvard University He also endowed his hometown synagogue, which was renamed for his parents, Temple Shalom, the William and Charlotte Bloomberg Jewish Community Center of Medford. Could Bloomberg, not known in NYC as the Jewish mayor, be America's first Jewish president? His charitable contributions were such that he was ranked seventh in the United States in philanthropic endeavors. Harassment controversies Bloomberg has been sued over allegations about Sexual Harassment and Discrimination at his companies. http://www.ksmlaw.com/CM/InTheNews/ny-observer-deposing-bloomberg.asp Allegedly, he said "I'd do her" in reference to a female employee, and complained when one woman became pregnant.http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0544,barrett1,69548,5.html He was also accused of failing to investigate a sexual assault alleged to have been perpetrated by one of his company's executives. All lawsuits over these issues were withdrawn or settled outside of the courts.http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0544,barrett1,69548,5.html Awards and honors In February 2003, Bloomberg received the "Award for Distinguished Leadership in Global Capital Markets" from the , 2007 At the 2007 Commencement exercises for Tufts University , Mayor Bloomberg, a native of Medford, Massachusetts, delivered the commencement address at graduation. He was also awarded an Honorary Degree in Public Service from the university. POLITICAL CAREER 2001 election In 2001 , the Incumbent mayor, Rudy Giuliani , was ineligible for re-election, as New York limits the mayoralty to two terms. Several well-known New York City politicians aspired to succeed him. Bloomberg, a lifelong member of the Democratic Party , decided to run for mayor as a member of the Republican Party . 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 . In the general election, Bloomberg had Giuliani's endorsement. He also enjoyed a huge spending advantage. New York City's '', op-ed by Gene Russianoff , 9 December 2003 One of the major themes of his campaign was that, with the city's economy suffering from the effects of the attacks, it needed a mayor with business experience. In addition to being the Republican nominee, Bloomberg had the ballot line of the controversial Independence Party , in which "Social Therapy" leaders Fred Newman and Lenora Fulani exert strong influence. The latter proved important, as Bloomberg's votes on that line exceeded his margin of victory over Green. (Under New York 's Fusion rules, a candidate can run on more than one party's line and combine all the votes received on all lines. Green, the Democrat, also had the ballot line of the Working Families Party .) Another factor was the vote on Staten Island , which has traditionally been far friendlier to Republicans than the rest of the city. Bloomberg crushed Green in that borough, taking 75% of the vote there. Overall, Bloomberg Won 50% To 48% . 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 Republicans had been elected mayor consecutively. 2005 election Bloomberg was Re-elected mayor in November 2005 by a margin of 20%, the widest margin ever for a Republican mayor of New York. {Link without Title} Bloomberg had spent over $66 million on his campaign by late October 2005, and was projected to exceed the record of $74 million he spent on the previous election. He chose not to use public campaign funds and therefore his campaign was not subject to the restrictions imposed on candidates who accept such funding. 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. {Link without Title} of the Munkacs Hasidic sect in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 2004]] Former Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer won the Democratic nomination to oppose Bloomberg in the general election; there was no opposition in the Republican primary, as Bloomberg's campaign successfully sued to keep Thomas Ognibene off the ballot. Ognibene, who ultimately ran on the Conservative Party ticket, accused Bloomberg of betraying Republican Party ideals. Bloomberg was the most prominent Republican to oppose the confirmation of and did not believe that Roberts was committed to maintaining Roe V. Wade . In addition to receiving Republican support, Bloomberg obtained the endorsements of several prominent Democrats: former Democratic Mayor Ed Koch , former Democratic governor Hugh Carey , former Democratic City Council Speaker Peter Vallone , his son, Councilman Peter Vallone, Jr. , former Democratic Congressman Floyd Flake (who had previously endorsed Bloomberg in 2001), and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz . {Link without Title} MAYORALTY See Also: Mayoralty of Michael Bloomberg Bloomberg assumed office as the 108th Mayor Of New York City on January 1 , 2002 . He won reelection in 2005 . Bloomberg has maintained high levels of approval through his tenure as Mayor. Bloomberg has said he wants reforming '', September 2006. He is known as a political Pragmatist and for a managerial style that reflects his experience in the Private Sector . Bloomberg has chosen to apply a statistical, results-based approach to city management, appointing city commissioners based on their expertise and granting them wide autonomy in their decision-making. Breaking with 190 years of tradition, Bloomberg implemented a " Bullpen " open office plan, reminiscent of a Wall Street trading floor, in which dozens of aides and managerial staff are seated together in a large chamber. The design is intended to promote accountability and accessibility. POST-MAYORAL PLANS Bloomberg's term as mayor ends on December 31 , 2009 . He is prohibited by Term Limits from being re-elected in November 2009, however, he can be elected mayor again after a four-year wait. The election means that the Republicans have won the previous four mayoral elections (although Bloomberg's decision to leave the Republican Party and be declared an independent on June 19, 2007 resulted in the Republican Party losing the mayor's seat prior to the expiration of his second term). Bloomberg joins Rudy Giuliani and Fiorello LaGuardia as re-elected Republican mayors in this mostly Democratic city. ( John Lindsay was also elected mayor of New York twice while a registered Republican; however, Lindsay did not receive the Republican Party nomination during his campaign for re-election, and he switched to the Democratic Party during his second term.) Mayor Bloomberg has repeatedly stated his intention to return to a life of Philanthropy once his eight-year tenure in office expires. In pursuit of this goal, he has purchased a prospective headquarters for his planned foundation on the Upper East Side , originally built by Stuyvesant Fish , for $45 million. Possible 2008 Presidential campaign Despite public statements by Bloomberg denying plans for a Presidential run in 2008Diane Cardwell and Jennifer Steinhauer. Bloomberg Insists He Will Not Be Running New York Times, June 20, 2007., many pundits have cited events that lead them to believe that Bloomberg will announce a campaign at a later date. These include several attempts by political leaders and organizers to bring him into the race:
On August 2, 2007 Draft Michael Bloomberg Director Gail Parkerhttp://draftmichael.com/ 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, Arkansans, 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 an August 9, 2007 interview with former CBS anchor Dan Rather that aired on August 21, Bloomberg categorically stated that he was not running for President, that he would not be running, and that there were no circumstances in which he would, saying, "If somebody asks me where I stand, I tell them. And that’s not a way to get elected, generally. Nobody’s going to elect me President of the United States. What I’d like to do is to be able to influence the dialogue. I’m a citizen." Rather Says Bloomberg Ruled Out White House Bid - New York Times Blog Possible Vice Presidential campaign While Bloomberg has stated that he will not run for President of the United States, there is some speculation that he would be a candidate for the Vice President. In a blog posting of June 21, 2007 , a Democrat. {Link without Title} Nunn expressed his interest in running for president in 2008 and that if he runs, he would do so as an independent. POLITICAL POSITIONS Bloomberg holds a variety of different politicial positions which are generally Centrist , drawing from both Democratic Party and Republican Party positions on different key American issues. Social issues Bloomberg tends to be Liberal about his policies towards many social issues; for instance, Bloomberg supports governmental funding for Stem Cell research, calling the Republican position on the issue "insanity,"10 while also supporting Same-sex Marriage with the rationale that “I think anybody should be allowed to marry anybody" 11 However, he continues to support the strict drug laws that have been established in New York City and enforced by the New York Police Department (NYPD), despite having admitted to smoking Marijuana in the past and " {Link without Title} it." 12 Domestic issues On crime, the decline in New York criminal activity that occurred throughout Rudy Giuliani's tenure has continued. Bloomberg however is against the Death Penalty , stating, "I'd rather lock somebody up and throw away the key and put them in hard labor, the ultimate penalty that the law will allow, but I'm opposed to the death penalty." 13 Bloomberg has also shown involvement in education reform as the mayor, replacing the school board set up by the state with direct mayoral control over Public Education . He raised the salaries of teachers by 15% while the test scores of students in the city and the graduation rate rose as well. Bloomberg is opposed to the promotion of students to the next grade level for strictly social reasons citing that students should only be promoted when they are adequately prepared for the next grade level. He favors after school programs to help students that are behind. As mayor, Bloomberg strengthened the Cell-phone ban in schools. 15 In dealing with the and prepare New York for the projected 1 million more people expected to be living in the city by the year 2030 . 16 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, " {Link without Title} 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 . 17 Economic issues Foreign policy REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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