Vote For Thompson ! Dump Bloomberg !

I picked up The New York Post today. There was not one article about the mayoral race between Mike Bloomberg and Bill Thompson. There was about four pages bealing with the conviction of Brooks Astor's son for cheating her out of millions while she was suffering from Alzheimers. But not one word about the mayoral race.

Every little local paper is getting big ads from the Bloomberg campaign, which has so far spent $65 million on TV and newspaper ads. Times are tough for the newspapers. Advertising revenue can make a big difference. Who wants to antagonise a client who is giving you so much business?

Any silence about the mayoral race favours Mike Bloomberg, who does not have to compete with straight news stories. Days are going by and little is written by the papers about the ongoing campaign. Bill Thompson has a lot of support among fed up New Yorkers living in the boroughs outside Manhattan.

The flow of information about the candidates and the issues has been seriously disrupted by the silent treatment of the mainstream media. There is no doubt that the Bloomberg campaign has obeyed every single law dealing with campaign finance. Mike Bloomberg can donate as much money as he wants to his own campaign, so it's all legal.

Despite the complete respect for legalities, this election campaign is being run like it would be in a communist country. A lot of New Yorkers are mad that the term limits which were approved in a referendum were overturned in the City Council. Fines ant ticketing have skyrocketed, and nanny state legislation continues to be crammed down our throats. Most people I know are voting for Thompson, and doing so with enthusiasm, but you won't read about that in the papers. At the one time when the man on the street really matters, no one is listening to him.

Even with Bloomberg's obscene spending, Thompson's percentage gap has shrunk to 8%, according to a Survey USA poll. People do not like being talked down to and manipulated by an egotistical billionaire.

Those who so love lofty ideas such as campaign finance reform should really come to New York and see how you can obey all the laws and still do whatever you want if you have enough money.

I have nothing against big business. But small businesses and the middle class are a critical component of this city's success. Under Bloomberg, they are being ignored. Whatever respect I had for New York City's newspapers has been shredded during this election campaign. The New York papers have been AWOL during this campaign. It's completely legal. But it stinks. If I had no other reason to support Thompson, it would be because of my profound disgust with the flagrant attempt of Mike Bloomberg to buy this election. New Yorkers have a choice on November 3. I have a feeling that Mike Bloomberg will look a lot less smug on November 4.