Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, himself a maverick Independent politician and a three-term mayor, urged delegates at the 2016 Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night to join him in voting for a “sane, competent person with international experience” — Hillary Clinton.
The founder of the Bloomberg media enterprise is an ex-Democrat, an ex-Republican, and a mega-businessman who accepted a salary of $1 per year for the 12 years he served as mayor of the Big Apple. Bloomberg is also a generous philanthropist, particularly to Jewish causes in Israel. He is the central donor behind the construction of the emergency medical response center at the entrance to Jerusalem.
A savvy multi-billionaire, Bloomberg knows Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, and on Wednesday night he told DNC delegates he had decided to speak at the convention because the situation was so serious.
“When I enter the voting booth each time, I look at the candidate, not the party label,” he said. “There are times when I disagree with Hillary Clinton. But let me tell you, whatever our disagreements may be, I’ve come here to say: We must put them aside for the good of our country. And we must unite around the candidate who can defeat a dangerous demagogue.”
Bloomberg bluntly warned that Trump would mismanage the country as he has his business affairs. “I’m a New Yorker, and New Yorkers know a con when we see one,” he said. “Trump has left behind a well-documented record of bankruptcies, thousands of lawsuits, angry stockholders and contractors who feel cheated. “Trump says he wants to run the nation like he’s run his business. God help us.
“The richest thing about Donald Trump is his hypocrisy,” he added. “Trump’s business plan is a disaster in the making. He would make it harder for small businesses to compete, do great damage to our economy, threaten the retirement savings of millions of Americans, lead to greater debt and more unemployment, erode our influence around the world and make our communities less safe.”