A Golden Revolving Door
<br>
New York City's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, has an ongoing problem
confusing his job as mayor, his ownership of a big media company, and
his philanthropic activities. One of the symptoms of this problem is
the unusual revolving door he provides for some of his closest advisers.<br>
<br>
According to <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/03/nyregion/03bloomberg.html" target="”_blank”">an
article in today's New York <i>Times</i></a>, his deputy mayor for governmental affairs, who worked for
Bloomberg the company from 1997 to 2001, is going back to work for
Bloomberg the company after being Bloomberg the candidate's campaign
adviser and lobbyist to the state and federal governments. The deputy
mayor will be using what he learned working for Bloomberg the mayor to
further Bloomberg the company's prospects as its government relations
and communications director. He'll also be advising Bloomberg the
philanthropist.<br>
<br>
Of course, not many mayors are billionaires, but this sort of confusion
of the governmental, the political, and the personal is very common.
Mayoral advisers are often personal advisers, not government advisers.
In other words, they advise the individual, not the office, and they
equally advise the individual as candidate and as businessperson. It's
the personal interest that matters, not the public interest.<br>
<br>
A trusted adviser is great for personal loyalty, but personal loyalty
is often not great for the public.<br>
<br>
Robert Wechsler<br>
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics<br>
<br>
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