In the past Mayor Bloomberg has tried dolling out campaign cash to politicians who support his hot button issues, especially gun control, in hopes of advancing his political agenda. He’s had limited success going this route. Next he formed Mayors Against Illegal Guns, which is essentially just a front for Bloomberg himself and is designed to give the impression of widespread political support for his agenda. MAIG too has met with limited success.
Now it seems he’s come up with a new way of spreading money around through his charity Bloomberg Philanthropies. A story at the Ledger-Enquirer has some details, “Bloomberg gives mayors $24M grants for innovation“:
“… mayors in Chicago, Louisville, Ky.; Memphis, Tenn.; and New Orleans will split $24 million in grants to fund programs addressing what they have identified as priorities in their cities, from energy efficiency to handgun violence. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the grants Thursday as part of the Mayors Project, a new government innovation program at Bloomberg Philanthropies … Memphis Mayor A.C. Wharton Jr. … will tackle two priorities: revive areas of Memphis cut off by highway construction and approach handgun violence as a public health crisis …”
Impressive. He’s figured out a new tax deductible way to try and screw us. Wonder if he’s trying to set this up as a money funnel similar to what the Joyce Foundation does in bankrolling all sorts of gun control groups?