Sunday, December 5, 2010

Even Crains Blasts Bloomberg Over Black Debacle


In a stunning burst of friendly fire, the normally fawning paper, Crains New York Business, took the mayor to task for his handling of the Cathie Black spectacle:
The selection of Cathleen Black as schools chancellor—and the way she was chosen—has reinforced the impression that Mr. Bloomberg is an imperial billionaire isolated in the world of the rich and famous.

The mayor's dismissive declaration that a traditional search would have scared away quality candidates is absurd. The chancellorship is one of the top education jobs in the world. Yet there's no indication that anyone besides Ms. Black knew it was available.
The Post is reporting administration sources are saying the mayor has admitted mistakes although his spokesman issues a complete denial. See 'We Screwed Up' for the full story.

City Hall magazine blames senior Bloomberg advisor Howard Wolfson for the handling of the botched appointment. See Losers of the Week.

Finally, the mayor's predicament only seems to get worse. The Brooklyn public school parent who filed suit against State Ed Commissioner Steiner and the Regents appears to have a good case. He simply points out that under a close reading of state education law, the requirement of a masters degree is not subject to a waiver. The Times has the legal documents here. (pdf) NY1 coverage here.

No comments: