Who is the real dictator?

Earlier this week, Erin Einhorn, the fearless City Hall reporter for the Daily News, tried to ask Mayor Bloomberg about whether he should have allowed the public to vote on extending term limits, as did Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela. As you can see, the Mayor brushed her aside:

Q: Mayor, it’s hard to compare New York City to Venezuela but as you know, Hugo Chavez did his second effort - this time sucessful - to extend term limits. You chose to go through City Council. Do you have any second thoughts about this? Do you wish you should have had a chance to take to the...

A: I don’t understand your question. What on Earth do we have to do with Hugo Chavez?

Q: Well, like you, he wanted to extend his term.

A: if you wanted to ask Hugo Chavez, call him up! Maybe he’ll take your call. My suspicion is he doesn’t have press conferences and let people ask questions or if they ask questions, he probably throws them, I don’t know he does with them...Who knows? (Laughs). I still fail to see a connection.

While saying that Erin should win an award for her question, the Economist magazine also pointed out that Chavez holds regularly televised press conferences in which ordinary citizens are allowed to query him; one can hardly imagine our petulant Mayor allowing that.

For more on the contrast between Chavez or Bloomberg, and who acted as though he believed in democracy more, see Clyde Haberman's column in today's Times:

The people voted a while back to impose term limits on their political leadership. That was a nuisance for the man in charge. He was in his second term and prohibited by law from running again. But he sorely wanted to try for a third term.

Here’s what he did. He went back to the people to ask if they’d had a change of heart.

Obviously, he was not from New York.

Term limits: the NY Times shows its hypocrisy

The NY Times reveals its double standard when it comes to democracy here in NYC.

Though the editors of the paper now insist that since Venezuelans "believe in their democracy" they should vote against extending term limits for their President, the paper vehemently opposed the same right for New Yorkers less than six months ago.

Indeed, Hugo Chavez has proven himself to be more of a democrat than Bloomberg, who refused to give voters the chance to decide on term limits -- a position that the Times supported. In this case, the ruling class reserved the right to keep one of its own in office -- whatever New Yorkers might prefer.

NY Times Editorial: Venezuelans' Right to Say No
Published: February 13, 2009

Hugo Chávez apparently doesn't believe Venezuelan voters, who just more than a year ago rejected his bid to eliminate the term limits that are blocking his continued rule. On Sunday, he is giving them another chance. For the sake of Venezuela's democracy, they should again vote no on changing the nation's constitution. . . . . Voters should not yield. Mr. Chávez needs to be reminded that Venezuelans believe in their democracy and cherish their right to say no.

NY Times Editorial: Term Limits and the Council
Published: October 22, 2008

The City Council is expected to vote on Thursday on Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposal to revise New York City's term-limits law. The proposal would allow the mayor and most of the city's elected officials to run for a third four-year term. We urge the Council to approve it. . . . We are fully aware that this proposal has stirred great controversy,not least because New York City voters twice voted for term limits, in 1993 and 1996. . . . . .We agree with the mayor that the Council is best positioned to quickly settle the matter. It would be technically difficult and perhaps legally problematic to organize a meaningful citywide referendum before the 2009 elections.

thanks to Mel Meer.