THE = FOR MORE, SEE BLOOMBERGFILES.ORG = INDYPENDENT #255: MARCH 2020 • INDYPENDENT.ORG BAIL REFORM PANIC P6 MEXICO’S BERNIE P20 ROB LA QUINTA OUTSIDER ART P22 MIKE CHECK IN HIS PRESIDENTIAL BID, FORMER NYC MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG IS RUNNING FROM HIS RECORD NOT ON IT. BUT WE’VE GOT THE RECEIPTS. P11–19 2 EDITOR’S NOTE THE INDYPENDENT smoking, the first bike A TALE OF TWO lanes and the advent of Three of our BLOOMBERGVILLES the 311 help line — but Bloomberg-era covers. THE INDYPENDENT, INC. being ruled by the rich- 388 Atlantic Avenue, 2nd Floor est man in town mostly Brooklyn, NY 11217 t’s 7 a.m. on a Saturday morning and a row sucked. It was gentrification and displacement on 212-904-1282 of sleeping bags wraps around the base of steroids. Forty percent of the city was rezoned for www.indypendent.org the Woolworth Building from Park Place the benefit of real estate speculators. A brutal po- Twitter: @TheIndypendent onto Broadway. Covered from the elements lice force terrorized neighborhoods consisting pre- facebook.com/TheIndypendent by scaffolding, two dozen bleary-eyed dominantly of people of color and wielded an iron Icampers (including this reporter) slowly wake up fist against any public displays of dissent. BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Ellen Davidson, Anna Gold, amid stacks of empty pizza boxes and a scattering For most of his time in office, most of the New Alina Mogilyanskaya, Ann of homemade protest signs. York City media gave Bloomberg uncritical, often Schneider, John Tarleton Welcome to Bloombergville. It’s June 2011 adoring coverage. The Times, the Daily News and and this motley collection of protesters is trying the Post might as well have been working out of EXECUTIVE EDITOR: to call attention to then-Mayor Michael Bloom- his press office. When Bloomberg decided to seek John Tarleton berg’s push to cut hundreds of millions of dollars the repeal of term limits so he could run for a from vital government programs and services and third term, he met first with the owners of those MANAGING EDITOR: layoff thousands of city workers. Living across esteemed publications and received their promise Peter Rugh the street from the south end of City Hall Park, of support. Bloombergville’s inhabitants share a sense of out- The wheels came off the wagon in Bloomberg’s CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: rage about the mayor’s proposed cuts and a de- third term. The $600 million CityTime scandal, Ellen Davidson, Alina termination to do something more than hold the the botched response to a blizzard that dumped Mogilyanskaya, Nicholas usual protest rally. 26 inches of snow on the city while the mayor va- Powers, Steven Wishnia “If you are a Wall Street banker, you have access cationed in Bermuda and a fumbling response to to Bloomberg whenever you need it,” one protest- Hurricane Sandy finally called his reputation for ILLUSTRATION DIRECTOR: er tells me. “But if you are from the boroughs and managerial expertise into question while the un- Frank Reynoso are a worker or a student or a teacher, you can’t ceasing expansion of racist stop-and-frisk policing even get to the steps of City Hall.” sparked a backlash that could not be ignored. DESIGN DIRECTOR: Bloombergville would disperse after three Now Bloomberg is at it again, using his great Mikael Tarkela weeks. Many of its participants would go on to wealth to rebrand himself to the rest of the coun- play key roles several months later at Occupy Wall try as a pragmatic leader who “gets things done” DESIGNERS: Street — the protest movement that would put while receiving endorsements from scores of Leia Doran, Anna Gold, Evan class at the center of American politics for the first prominent Democrats who are past beneficiaries Sult time in decades, before the police swept it away at of his largesse. For them, living in Bloombergville Bloomberg’s command. means something very different. ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER: Nine years later, the same forces are arrayed As we go to press a few days before Super Tues- Dean Patterson against each other. This time Bloomberg is run- day, it’s unclear how Bloomberg’s gambit will pan ning for president with billions of dollars of his out. He’s proven to be a terrible debater, but his GENERAL INQUIRIES: [email protected] own money to throw around while the movement wealth may well keep him at the center of the race of the 99 percent has coalesced around Bernie through the spring and summer. SUBMISSIONS & NEWS TIPS: Sanders and, to a lesser extent, Elizabeth Warren. Here at The Indypendent, we covered the grass- [email protected] In corporate speak, think of the Democratic roots movements that resisted Bloomberg’s pluto- Party as a “distressed asset” — a legacy brand cratic regime and fought for a more just city that ADVERTISING & PROMOTION: poorly run for years by senior management and could make room for all of us. We haven’t for- [email protected] now facing a hostile takeover by angry sharehold- gotten what he got done. This issue is dedicated ers who think they can do a better job running to the people who fought those struggles, often VOLUNTEER CONTRIBUTORS: things. The company’s board is desperate to find a against great odds. What we can fit in the pages Linda Martín Alcoff, Charlyne white knight investor who will buy them out while of this newspaper is only the tip of the iceberg. We Alexis, Eleanor Bader, Bennett allowing them to keep all their perks and privi- have also launched a website, bloombergfiles.org, Baumer, Jenny Blair, Sue Brisk, leges. Enter Michael Bloomberg. where we will share more New Yorkers’ stories of Valerio Ciriaci, Rico Cleffi, We’ve seen this movie before. life under Bloomberg. If you would like to share Renée Feltz, Lynne Foster, As with Trump, New York City was the petri your story or just leave a comment, you can reach Emma Gaffney, Esteban dish where Bloomberg’s public career came to life. us at [email protected] or 212-904-1282. Guerra, Theodore Hamm, Where Trump honed his brash outer-borough David Hollenbach, Manvi tabloid persona and built gold-plated monuments Jalan, Carrie Klein, Derek to himself, Bloomberg, the Upper East Side pa- — John Tarleton Ludovici, Martin Mahoney, trician, systematically bought off everyone in his Leonardo March, Gary path. He spent $268 million in his three mayoral Martin, Farid Nassif, Tiffany campaigns, overwhelming his opponents. His phil- Pai, Donald Paneth, Libby anthropic arm injected over half a billion dollars Rainey, Mark Read, Reverend into local arts and nonprofit groups, buying their Billy, Olivia Riggio, Chelsey gratitude and silence in equal measure. Sanchez, Steven Sherman, Julia Bloomberg’s mayoral reign was not without Thomas, Tyrone Wallace, and its technocratic achievements — a ban on indoor Chris Wright. VOLUNTEER DISTRIBUTORS: Erik Anders-Nilssen, Eric Brelsford, Chris & Pam Brown, Hank Dombrowski, Joseph Epstein, Kim Frazcek, Lew Friedman, Mindy March 2020 Gershon, Tami Gold, Priscilla Grim, Laura Kaplan, Michael Korn, Jane LaTour, Dave ADVERTISE IN THE INDY Lippman, Ashley Marinaccio, UNIQUE AUDIENCE • AFFORDABLE RATES • PERSONAL ATTENTION Christine Miller, Saul Nieves, FOR MORE INFORMATION, EMAIL [email protected] OR CALL 212-904-1282 Caroline Rath, Liam Reilly, Norm Scott, Carol Smith, and THE INDYPENDENT Becky Vaughan. THE INDYPENDENT 3 COMMUNITY IN THIS CALENDAR ISSUE LEGALIZE IT, P5 Decrim NY is fighting to lift stat- utes used to target trans individuals for sex crimes. CAMPAIGN OF FEAR, P6 NY police and prosecutors are pushing lawmakers to restore an unjust cash bail system. THE NEWS IN BRIEF, P8 Broker fee ban halted, NYC sea- wall blocked, Revolting Lesbians BEAVER ON THE BEATS drive climate denier off museum board, plus more. WHO PAYS FOR FOSSIL FUELS?, TRUTH SAYER: P9 Rapper and activ- With Nat Grid seeking a rate hike ist Yasiin Bey/Mos for its latest pipeline, you do. MARCH Def marks the 20th anniversary of his HACKING THE PARTY, P10 FRI MARCH 6 MON MARCH 9 breakout album. Can the Sanders movement take 8PM–3AM • FREE 6:30PM–8PM • FREE over the formless blob that is the PARTY: VERSO RED PARTY TALK: RACE FOR PROFIT: A LEC- Democratic Party? Featuring DJ Mom It’s Goth. Cheap TURE BY KEEANGA-YAMAHTTA NEW YEAR PARTY drinks. Dancing till late. TAYLOR A dance party in observance of the FIGHTING FOR SANDERS, Verso Books Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor dis- vernal equinox and Iranian New TAKING ON TRUMP, P11 20 Jay St., Suite 1010, Bklyn cusses her new book, Race for Year. Iranian tea and sweets, zines Longtime Muslim rights activist Profit: How Banks and the Real and prints by Iranian artists and and Women’s March organizer SAT MARCH 7 Estate Industry Undermined Black more. Linda Sarsour talks with The Indy. 6PM–11PM • $15–$18 Homeownership, which uncovers Market Hotel MUSIC: JOHNNY CASH BIRTHDAY how exploitative real estate prac- 1140 Myrtle Ave., Bklyn IF YOU BUILD IT, THE RICH WILL BASH tices continued well after housing COME, P12 C’mon and get rhythm at the an- discrimination was banned. MON MARCH 23 Our Bloomberg coverage begins nual Johnny Cash birthday bash Diana Center, Barnard College 7PM–9PM • $30 with a look at how he gentrified with Linda Hill and special guests 3009 Broadway, Mnhtn BOOK LAUNCH: FIGHT OF THE the city. Monica Passin, David Haught, CENTURY Cliff Wesfall and others to be an- THURS MARCH 12 To mark the ACLU’s centennial, WHAT WAS HIS CRIME?, P13 nounced. WFMU’s DJ Radio Honky 5PM–9PM • FREE authors Michael Chabon and Bloomberg’s NYPD stopped-and- Tonk Girl will be spinning top-flight LIT: JUST POETS Aeyet Waldman have collaborated frisked my father, then arrested him 45s before and after the show.