Allison Would Still Like Bill Thompson

I like Bill Thompson!

No, that’s not an endorsement for mayor — it is exactly how I feel each time I get to spend some time chatting with New York City’s Comptroller.

I have met hundreds of City players throughout the years, and like in any other walk of life, you see a broad spectrum of personalities. In that broad spectrum, Bill Thompson stands out as a guy who I’d like as a friend – as a matter of fact, I consider him one.

Trib Publisher Mike Schenkler and City Comptroller Bill Thompson.

Now, though it’s clearly not an endorsement, folks who I consider friends are usually near the top of my list when I’m making my picks. The qualities that attract you to a person in friendship really should apply when evaluating someone for election.

It’s gut: Are they honest? Straightforward? Compassionate? Intelligent? Do they care for the less fortunate? Communicate well? See the bigger picture? Relate to others? Listen? Speak with authority? Grasp the major issues? Are they analytical? And, are they fun?

Everytime I walk away from a meeting with Bill, I know I’ve been with someone who has a lot to offer. He fits those quickly-rattled-off criteria perfectly. He’s all those things and more.

Bill is a child of this city. His heart and soul are products of the City’s public arena. Bill knows New York and is one hell of a nice guy.

Bill, the 42nd Comptroller of the City of New York, took office on Jan. 1, 2002. He’s a lifelong New Yorker, the son of a judge and public school teacher and is the product of New York City public schools.

Bill attended P.S. 161, Hudde Junior High School and is a graduate of Brooklyn’s Midwood High School. He graduated from Tufts University and, upon his return to New York in 1974, joined the staff of a congressman, whom he eventually served as Chief of Staff.

In 1983, Thompson was appointed Brooklyn’s youngest-ever Deputy Borough President by Brooklyn Beep Howard Golden.

In 1994, Bill was appointed to the New York City Board of Education as its Brooklyn member and, in 1996, began the first of five consecutive terms as its President. He also served as a Senior Vice President for Public Finance at an investment-banking firm in the early 1990s.

Bill lives in Bedford-Stuyvesant with his wife and daughter.

Now I’ve never met Mrs. Bill or his daughter, but I have the solid feeling they’re good people.

I checked back to the first column I wrote about Bill on June 21, 2001 when he was running for Comptroller, and was not surprised with its headline: "Allison Would Like Bill Thompson."

Allison my 14 year-old — back then 12 – is not a bad judge of people. So I guess that was my initial response to my first interview session with Bill — nothing different this time.

I couldn’t resist; Bill sat down and I asked, "So you’re running for Mayor?"

A friend, yes, but a politician most definitely: Bill didn’t reveal much.

He "doesn’t know" if he’s going to run. But, "part of being an elected official is being visible," Bill explained, so he is out there "doing everything he needs to as if he were a candidate."

Bill faces a potential Democratic Mayoral Primary against former Bronx Beep Freddy Ferrer, Council Speaker Giff Miller, Queens-Brooklyn Congressman Anthony Weiner and Queens Assemblyman and labor leader Brian McLaughlin.

With casual confidence, Bill indicates that the primary is the easy race, and perhaps correctly assumes that if he enters the Democratic Mayoral Primary, he will be the winner. The race against the Mayor and his money is another story for Thompson.

Now, we went off and back on the record quite a bit at this point in our chat, but let me comfortably relate some impressions.

Bill likes Mike Bloomberg. He believes him to be smart and honorable.

We have a "good relationship," Bill told us. They meet regularly and even went to the World Series together. "You can talk to Mike. I’ve never had a problem. . .The disagreements that we’ve had have been really substance based."

Since Bloomberg is above the slippery slope of political fundraising, Bill believes he clearly takes his actions by what he thinks is best for the city. But, Bill feels, the Mayor doesn’t listen as well as he should.

I’m sure my friend Bill Thompson will deny it, but I could see this lifelong Democrat in the voting booth pulling the Republican lever for the Mayor — that is, if he isn’t the candidate against him.

Bill says he will make a decision on whether to run for Mayor in October or November.

"You have to [by then] because of the money," Bill explained. "I’ve been visible for the last two years . . . I’ve maintained a campaign schedule, so it won’t be a big adjustment for me." My friend Bill was sounding more and more like a candidate.

"Do you mind the abuse," I asked of the less than gentle treatment elected officials often get while at public meetings or campaigning.

"Abuse is being at the Board of Ed. This is 50 steps up," Bill said of serving as City Comptroller.

He really enjoyed his tenure as President of the BOE because "I really thought I made an impact."

And our discussion quickly left politics and wound up with both our second loves — education. He believes it’s too early to say if the new Bloomberg school system overhaul will work, but expressed concern that "there is no process." The radical changes by the Mayor and Chancellor left little institutional knowledge. There are now young bureaucrats without sufficient background making decisions intead of older bureaucrats.

Bill liked the idea of change but explains, "I still would have maintained a real board that would have been able to deal and vote on policy issues." Citing the new reading curriculum as one such "policy issue," Bill elaborated, "There is not an empirical study that shows that it works. There are studies that show that other things work."

He said, "Right now the DOE is not accountable to anyone." He used the Snapple deal as an example of "no process." A $40 million contract was signed, and Thompson the Comptroller didn’t know about it until it was a done deal. The deal he insists was done by "word of mouth."

In no way suggesting any wrongdoing, Bill maintained, "There has to be a system that allows for process . . . That way, we protect ourselves from corruption."

And if the Mayoral run is not in the cards, Bill sounded comfortable: "I’ve done a good job and I should get re-elected."

Responding to my question about Speaker Miller’s push to modify the campaign finance rules, which will benefit him and the Speaker, Bill said: "It’s hard to change the rules when it appears to benefit you . . . I think that’s not what you want to do. I’m against that. . . You have to be careful of the message you send . . . even if it’s right philosophically."

On the Governor’s race: "Elliot [Spitzer] is an excellent candidate. Chuck [Schumer] has been excellent." He thinks Schumer and Giuliani are both running. He said, "They wouldn’t [want to run against each other] but they both want to be governor."

But the real race on my mind (and I’m sure Bill’s) is his potential Mayoral run.

Bill intends to carefully look at the Mayor’s numbers and if half the people don’t want Mayor Mike back, then Bill intends to be in the race and win. Actually, if the Mayor looks like he won’t win, can Bill Thompson afford to allow another Democrat to come along and claim Gracie Mansion?

Cognizant that he would be term limited out of office four years after the election and lose his shot if another Dem was in, Bill just smiled when I suggested he might not work too hard for a Bloomberg opponent. His words of praise for Freddy Ferrer and others didn’t speak as loudly as the image of the parade potentially passing him by.

Bill Thompson won’t let that happen. His belief that he is the likely winner of the Democratic Primary will have Bill as Mayoral candidate Thompson if Mayor Mike is vulnerable.

Based on today’s numbers, Bill is in training for the marathon.

And from my column of three years ago, I recall: "This guy, Bill Thompson, may just have what it takes to be Mayor eight years from now."

Things move fast in this City. Make that eight a four and get ready for the ride.

--------------------------------------------

Michael Schenkler can be reached at:

Not4Publication.com by Dom Nunziato