Mayor Michael Bloomberg is so frustrated that the Senate has yet to renew his control over the public school system that he's taking his complaints to the airwaves.
Not surprisingly, the latest ads, which tout the accomplishments city schools have made on his watch, are geared as much to buttress his re-election campaign as they are to put the spot on Albany.
Bloomberg's two new 30-second campaign spots, appearing on broadcast and cable TV, underscore how much he's helped improve student performance since taking office seven years ago, according to The New York Post.
The ads were released just two days after the clownish Senate permitted the law granting the mayor school control to expire. Their internal warring has allowed state politics to collapse into a state of confusion, stalemate and utter inaction the last few weeks.
As the discussion over mayoral control looms unfinished in Albany, Bloomberg's campaign staff figured it was a good time to boast about his achievements in the educational arena, including hikes in math and reading test scores and the high-school graduation rate.
"Mike Bloomberg has transformed our public-schools system into a model for cities across the country," Bloomberg campaign manager Bradley Tusk told the Post. "These new ads are part of a conversation we're having with voters on the positive effects of the mayor's strong, independent leadership."
The ads – titled "Shake Things Up" and "Getting Better" – respectively feature Bloomberg talking how he boosted city test scores and residents offering testimonials about how schools have improved since he took office.
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While Bloomberg touts his educational prowess on the airwaves, the Senate remained deadlocked 31-31 and held yet another fruitless session to bring in the holiday weekend. The mayor wants the Senate to pass a bill OK'd by the Assembly, which grants him control of the schools but provides for more parental involvement and oversight.
Mayoral control isn't the only issue left hanging in the balance by the useless Senate. A city sales tax hike and gay marriage, among other bills, have also been left on the table.
