NYC-WTC_000230638

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

daily NEW'S, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2001

Next mayor can pick up without a lapse on Jan. 1 rx^he arguments for Rudy Giuliani re- I maining mayor beyond Dec. 31 -1_ don’t hold water. First, there is the "Rudy is indispens­ able’ argument. Yes, the mayor has been like the Energizer-Bunny: He’s al the site o ’ what was the World Trade Center, he’s at funerals and memorial services, he’s at ballgames and w^dings, he was at the L nited Nations yesterday, _ BuUruth be toldf he is the front man for an operation that would work well no mat- ter-who holds theritle of mayor. Firefight­ ers, medical technicians, cops, volunteers — they would be gt that site doing what they--are doing so heroically no matter adj'-.essed as “Mr. Mayor.” jTnere’s this argurnent; An extraordi- naS jiine calls-for extraordinary mea- MICHAEL APPLETON surj^But thisYity.'and nation have experi- encea”^at cnseh^before and didn’t can­ Giuliani is frontman for an operation that would go on no matter who's mayor. cel Sections or jgnore laws, such as the ' one th^t.bars ci^ officeholders from serv- dates.” If he is, then he’ll begin from leaving office, with the ing’more’than tw3 consecutive terms. including the mayor-elect in briefings from the moment a vic­ E.R. permanent government of se­ nior public officials — some Mark Green, Democrat, and Mike Bloomberg, Republican, are playing to tor is announced. He might SHIPP elected, some not — financiers, poll numbers showing Giuliani is enor­ even start now with all three media moguls. Realtors, aca­ mously popular now. Bloomberg doesn’t candidates. demics, socialites, fixers, etc., surprise'when he says he’d step aside for There is the argument that there’ll be no gap in the run­ Giuliani; he is, after all, an acolyte. Green says we can’t afford novices. ning of city government or has shown himself more of a chameleon Well, think about it. The only even in the management of this than even I thought possible by going novice is Bloomberg, and if he’s crisis. along with extending Giuliani's term. the victor, you can bet your bot­ By the way, no one is banish­ Only Fernando Ferrer, who competes tom dollar he’ll retain much of ing Giuliani from the city after with Green for the Democratic nomina­ the Giuliani team, at least until Dec. 31. If. he wants to help, he tion, seems sure he could do the job from he learns his way to the bath­ can. There is no dearth of sug­ Day One, which, by the way. is not Jan. 1, room. gestions of what role he might but Nov, 7 — the day after the general elec­ But Green has been around City Hall for play — everything from security chief to i 1 years, first as consumer affairs commis­ head of a commission to plan and oversee tion. “If I cannot address a crisis, and if 1 the rebuilding of lower Manhattan. need to be an apprentice for Rudy," Ferrer sioner, then as public advocate. Ferrer is no stranger to City Hall, either. He was on At the UN, the mayor asserted: “We do ' said, “then why am I wasting the people’s not let fear make our decisions for us.” If 1 time.with my candidacy? I am ready now.” the City Council and for the last 14 years we heed his words, then we shouldn’t fear \ Giuliani, in trying to make the case for has been the Bronx borough president. the transition from one elected mayor to * an extension, has said; "J am concerned With their experience, with nothing another elected one. Nor should he. about the learning curve for these candi- keeping the police and fire commissioners E-mail; eshipp@edit. nydailynews.com __ t .

CITY_21MC100_011830512

NYC-WTC_000230638