Bloomberg 2005

Check out the gallery on the Mayors web site when he was in Boro Park.

http://www.mikebloomberg.com/gallery/index.cfm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Mordy Lichtenstein,
Jewish Liaison
July 22, 2005
646-366-2816


Bloomberg Campaign's
Yiddish Website

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's reelection campaign recently unveiled a Yiddish translation of part of its campaign website for the benefit of New York's substantial Yiddish speaking community. The multi-lingual website, www.bloomberg2005.com, with introduction pages in ten different languages, is part of an effort to get as many New Yorkers involved in the campaign as possible.

The Jewish community has long been a priority for Mike Bloomberg and he has worked hard to keep the community safe during his term. Anti-Semitic crime has dropped an incredible 43% since he took office, and he has provided extra police to protect synagogues and Jewish neighborhoods from the threat of terrorism and anti-Semitism.

Tens of thousands of New Yorkers are Yiddish-speaking and the website is a continuation of the Mayor's efforts throughout his term to keep open the lines of communication with all New Yorkers. One of the city's most popular services is 311, a free service he unveiled in 2003, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in 170 languages, as a way for citizens to access city services. It has received over 20 million calls since its inception.

The Yiddish language website details Mayor Bloomberg's vision for New York City, and cites progress in creating jobs, fighting crime, and building affordable housing. It stresses the improvements in the quality of life enjoyed throughout all the boroughs.

''The Yiddish-speaking community is an integral part of New York City, and is a significant part of the diversity that comprises its Jewish population,'' said Mayor Bloomberg ''We are proud of the work we have done for all New Yorkers, and the Yiddish website is another way to present our efforts and successes to the full spectrum that is New York. We invite all Yiddish-speakers to log-on, take a look, and print out the pages to share with friends and family.''

Mayor Bloomberg has consistently stood by the Jewish community. Whether rezoning land for public housing use in Jewish communities, providing for the sale of land to Hatzolah of Boro Park, or flying to Israel on the spur of the moment to lend support to victims of a bus bombing in Jerusalem at the height of the Intifada, he has addressed the needs and concerns of his Jewish constituents.

Most recently, the Mayor restored funding to Jewish non-profit organizations that had their budgets slashed by the City Council. Included in the beneficiaries is P'TACH, an organization that provides special education services to the Jewish community.

The Yiddish website sums it up: ''Over the past three and a half years, Mike Bloomberg's independence, honesty, and integrity have made our City a better place to live. Now, he needs all those who want to keep our City moving forward to join his campaign and make sure that New York remains the world's greatest city—a City of Opportunity for all.''

Bloomberg Notches Highest Ever Approval Rating In Marist Poll

July 23, 2005
NY1

A new poll shows Mayor Michael Bloomberg's job approval rating is on the rise.

The newest Marist College survey released on Friday shows 58 percent of those polled approve of the mayor's job performance. That number is the highest ever for Bloomberg in the Marist poll, and it's up nearly 10 points from last month, when his approval rating plummeted after the failed West Side stadium bid.

The mayor is also gaining on his leading Democratic rival, beating former Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer by 16 points. Just last month the two were running nearly even.

But the news isn't all bad for Ferrer. He continues to maintain his lead over his Democratic challengers with 36 percent , although he's still short of the magical 40 percent he would need to avoid a primary runoff.

Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields is second at 19 percent, with Representative Anthony Weiner and City Council Speaker Gifford Miller tied for last at 14 percent.

Some 755 voters were surveyed for the poll between July 14th and 19th. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

Got a question for Mike? You've come to the right place!

http://mikebloomberg.com/askmike/index.cfm

Mike Bloomberg has brought accountability and responsiveness to City Hall. Mike created 311 so that all New Yorkers would be just one quick, easy phone call away from their government. Here on mikebloomberg.com, Mayor Mike is available to answer your questions.

To 'Ask Mike,' please fill out the form below. Each week we will select a few questions and publish them along with Mike's responses. Check back often for new updates!

Vaad Harabbonim of Flatbush Endorses Mike

Members of Brooklyn's largest Board of Rabbis serve 250,000 New Yorkers in Synagogues, Yeshivas, and Social Service Organizations

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has been endorsed for re-election by the Vaad Harabbonim of Flatbush. The Vaad Harabbonim is a rabbinical board of over ninety rabbis in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn. Serving 250,000 Jews (including 75,000 in Synagogue congregations), the Vaad is one of the most influential Orthodox rabbinical boards in New York City, and is considered the largest local Orthodox rabbinic body in the world today. The Vaad's rabbis serve as the spiritual leaders and teachers in synagogues, yeshivas, and Jewish institutions throughout the Greater Flatbush area.

"The Vaad Harabbonim of Flatbush is proud to endorse Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg in his reelection campaign for Mayor of the City of New York. Mayor Bloomberg has consistently worked for the needs of New Yorkers and we applaud his success in further reducing crime significantly since taking office, boosting the city's economy, creating jobs and growth, and helping to keep New York City safe. In addition, we appreciate the Mayor's work on behalf and in support of the Jewish community in general, and of Flatbush in particular. Through his trips to Israel, charitable contributions, public safety initiatives, and overall outreach, he has strengthened our community and earned our respect," said Rabbi Herbert Bomzer, President of the Vaad and Rabbi Melvin Burg, Executive Vice President of the Vaad, in their endorsement statement.


"I am honored to receive the endorsement of the Vaad Harabbonim of Flatbush, and organization that plays a critically important role providing thousands of New Yorkers with spiritual guidance and essential services," Mayor Bloomberg said. "The Vaad shares my vision of lowering crime, growing the economy, and standing up against intolerance. They understand the need to protect our City from the ever present threat of terrorism through vigilance and community cooperation, and appreciate the tremendous work that the city and its emergency response organizations have done in this area."

Speaking to members of the Vaad at the Avenue N Jewish Center on Thursday night, Mayor Bloomberg noted that crime is down 20% citywide compared to four years ago, and in the local 70th Pct. Police district, burglary and auto theft are both down more than 40%. Murder and rape are both down 50% in the High Impact Zone that was created within that district.

The Mayor highlighted the growth of the Jewish community in the Flatbush area over the past number of years, and the vitality of New York in general: "You can see this growth in the small businesses that are thriving here in Flatbush- including an ever-growing number of Kosher restaurants- and you can see it in the growing number of Shuls and the expanding Jewish community."

The Vaad Harabbonim of Flatbush's endorsement tops off a week in which Mayor Bloomberg was endorsed by the NYPD Hispanic Officers Association, the Log Cabin Republicans, and the Spanish-language newspaper EcuaTimes.

wassa_dif
Don't Double park, Park by a pump or a bus stop you won't receive a ticket.

Assemblyman Dov Hikind indorsed Mayor Bloomberg for his reelection today in Boro Park, 13th Avenue in front of Amnon's Pizza Store. After the speech the Mayor & Dov had pizza together.

The Mayors press release that Dov Hikind is supporting him.



Democratic Assemblyman Dov Hikind Backs Mike Bloomberg for Re-election

Prominent Democrat cites Mayor's focus on crime, neighborhoods, strong anti-discrimination stance, support for Israel as major reasons for endorsement


Mayor Mike Bloomberg was endorsed for re-election by Assemblyman Dov Hikind, a Democrat who has represented the communities of Borough Park, Dyker Heights, Kensington and sections of Flatbush for 22 years.
"I'm a proud Democrat, but as we get closer to November, more and more Democrats are saying that the future of New York City is more important than party labels. I'm supporting the best candidate, period, and the best candidate is clearly Mike Bloomberg. He has kept us safe, created new jobs, and is building new housing - and will do even more in his second term" Assemblyman Hikind said.

"Whether they are Democrats, Republicans, or independents, more and more New Yorkers agree that our City is headed in the right direction. We've had four consecutive months under 6% unemployment for the first time since before 9/11. We're on course to create 50,000 new private sector jobs this year. We've driven crime down 20% lower than it was four years ago, and incidents of anti-Semitism are down 43% across the City in the same period. Borough Park is the kind of family-oriented neighborhood that is the backbone of our city. I'm proud of the difference we've made in neighborhoods like Borough Park, and I'm proud to have the support of a man who's served this community so passionately for so long," said Mayor Bloomberg.
In April, Mayor Bloomberg announced plans to rezone a six-block area that will allow for the creation of several hundred new units of housing in Borough Park. In addition to the rezoning, the City will sell two blocks to the Southern Brooklyn Community Organization (SBCO) to develop approximately 80 owner-occupied affordable apartments for Borough Park.
Under Mayor Bloomberg, the City also sold 5,000 square foot lot to Hatzolah of Borough Park, an all-volunteer, not-for-profit emergency medical responder with 140 volunteers and five ambulances. The organization will construct a 15,000 square foot building to contain a street-level parking garage for its ambulances, emergency training facilities, and administrative offices. The proposed facility will be Hatzolah of Borough Park's second, allowing the organization to expand training, increase and diversify vehicle dispatch points and improve response times. The project will be funded entirely by private funds raised by Hatzolah of Borough Park.
Mayor Mike Bloomberg has visited Israel four times since taking office. In March 2005, Mayor Bloomberg led the American delegation at the dedication of Yad Vashem's new Holocaust History Museum.
Assemblyman Dov Hikind is currently serving his 10th term as the representative for the 48th Assembly District, an area that encompasses Borough Park, Dyker Heights, Kensington and sections of Flatbush. He was first elected to office in 1982.

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CAMPAIGN '05
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Mayor heading upstate to court Orthodox Jews

BY GLENN THRUSH AND LIAM PLEVEN
STAFF WRITERS

July 28, 2005

Mayor Mike is taking his act to the Borscht Belt.

Michael Bloomberg is making a play for the hotly contested Orthodox Jewish vote over the next few days.

Tomorrow, he snags the endorsement of Brooklyn Assemb. Dov Hikind. On Sunday, he makes a pilgrimage to Yiddish Valhalla - the Sullivan County Catskills.

Hikind, who sat out the 2001 mayoral race, opted to back the mayor this year after being lobbied by his former aide, City Councilman Simcha Felder, a source said.

Bloomberg will then travel to the Catskills, where he'll reportedly drop by a ShopRite, a hotel and at least one of the area's Jewish summer camps, according to people familiar with preliminary plans.

Election-year schmoozing north of the city has been a staple for local politicians, including former City Council Speaker Peter Vallone and Sen. Charles Schumer.

In the run-up to a mayoral debate at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn today, one issue is debating itself.

In a statement about the mayor not taking part, state Democratic Committee chairman Herman Farrell said, "Let's hope New Yorkers will soon get the chance to hear from their mayor in a real forum and not in a paid advertisement."

But Bill Cunningham, a strategist for the Bloomberg campaign, shot back, "It's July, calm down." Cunningham said the mayor will debate his opponent this year.

In 2001, Bloomberg participated in debates with Mark Green, the Democrat he defeated. But in 1994, Gov. Mario Cuomo and George Pataki never debated, and Pataki won the race. Four years later, Pataki and then-City Council Speaker Peter Vallone never debated. Pataki won again.

Referring to past instances of missed debates, Howard Wolfson, a spokesman for the state Democratic Committee, said, "Doesn't make it right."

Bloomberg's campaign could face a tough battle to gain its valuable Independence Party ballot line this November.

Bloomberg, who has endured criticism for allying himself with the party's controversial leader Lenora Fulani, submitted 4,839 Independence Party signatures, or 900 over the minimum.

Securing the party's line is vital. In 2001, Bloomberg bested Green by 68,000 votes: the party delivered 59,000 ballots.

Bloomberg and Fulani are being challenged by party member Michael Zumbluskas, who unsuccessfully challenged Bloomberg's petitions in 2001.

Zumbluskas says he's already found between "300 and 400 forgeries" on this year's batch, an allegation the Bloomberg camp denies.

Copyright (c) 2005, Newsday, Inc.

New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com
Hikind ignores party to back Mike

Friday, July 29th, 2005

With campaign signs saying "Mike" in Yiddish, Mayor Bloomberg picked up the endorsement yesterday of Assemblyman Dov Hikind, an influential figure in Brooklyn's Hasidic community.
Hikind, a Democrat from Borough Park, said he had no reservations about supporting the Republican Bloomberg, whom he praised for driving down crime, taking over city schools and improving race relations.

"A no-brainer," said Hikind, who in the past has crossed party lines to endorse Republicans like Gov. Pataki, Sen. Alfonse D'Amato and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Although some experts say Hikind's influence is overrated, he is often courted by politicians, in part because of historic perceptions that the city's Hasidic communities vote as a bloc.

"His political acumen and skills are legendary," said Bloomberg, who is also heading to the Catskills this weekend to court vacationing Hasidim.

Yesterday's endorsement, made outside a favored kosher pizzeria of Hikind's on bustling 13th Ave. in Borough Park, seemed to offer other benefits for the neighborhood.

"It's the first time I have seen 13th Ave. without meter maids," said one resident.

David Saltonstall

This is from the Mayor's web site

CAMPAIGN UPDATE

Over the last three-and-a-half years, Mayor Mike Bloomberg has reduced crime to historic lows, brought standards and accountability to public schools, created jobs across the City with his five-borough plan for economic development, and improved the quality-of-life of all New Yorkers with better hospitals, cleaner streets, and more parks.

And what better recognition of Mike Bloomberg's success than the recently-announced news that June was a record-breaking month for tourism to New York City, with the hotel occupancy rate above 90% for the first time ever. With tourists flocking to New York like never before, we expect to break last year's record of 39.6 million visitors to our City.

Mike has spent nearly four years working hard for us. Now, we have exactly 100 days to work hard for him and make sure that he gets re-elected on November 8.

Each week, our campaign grows stronger. On Thursday, Mike was endorsed for re-election by Democratic Assemblyman Dov Hikind. This morning, Mike was greeted with excitement and enthusiasm by thousands of New Yorkers spending the weekend in the Catskills. Then, later in the day, he marched in the Carnival del Boulevard in Washington Heights, where Bloomberg supporters lined the parade route. Over the next 100 days, our campaign will be in every neighborhood in the City, sharing Mike Bloomberg's record of independent leadership for New York.

25,000 dedicated volunteers have joined Mike's campaign already. Whether making phone calls or sending handwritten notes or speaking to voters on the street, our volunteers are working every day to re-elect Mike Bloomberg. And now that we've opened offices in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island, it's easier than ever for you to get more involved with the campaign in your own community. There are opportunities for you to help the campaign in a number of different ways, so please contact the campaign at (212) 382-4444 to find out what you can do to keep our City moving forward.

Your support has brought Mike this far. Let's keep it up for the next 100 days.


Have a wonderful week,
Kevin Sheekey
Campaign Manager

August 1, 2005
Mayor's Campaign Follows Jewish Voters to the Catskills
By MIKE McINTIRE
Hundreds of Jewish New Yorkers who thought they had escaped city life for the summer found that the city, in the form of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's re-election campaign, had followed them to their Catskill retreat yesterday.

Taking aim at a voting bloc with whom he has had an awkward relationship over the years, the mayor barnstormed the upstate enclaves of the city's Orthodox Jewish community for several hours. He arrived by helicopter, then joined a motorcade that roared off into the sleepy hills in search of summer camps, country clubs and villages populated by Gotham residents on holiday.

"Is that Bloomberg?" a startled woman exclaimed as the mayor, clutching a cinnamon pastry and a can of seltzer, strolled out of a kosher bakery in the tiny village of Woodbourne.

For Mr. Bloomberg, who is Jewish but readily admits that he is not a religious person and rarely goes to temple, courting New York's sizable population of religious Jews has been a complicated affair.

In addition to his decidedly secular worldview, he has had to overcome stories, from his days as a private businessman, of his fondness for jokes about kosher food and about being Jewish. On the other hand, he has always been a strong supporter of Israel and has donated millions from his own fortune for Jewish causes; he and his sister endowed a fund, in their mother's name, to send teenagers to an upstate camp that is part of Young Judaea, a Zionist youth movement.

His efforts to win over Jewish voters received a boost last week with the endorsement of Assemblyman Dov Hikind, a Brooklyn Democrat and an influential member of the city's Hasidic community.

Yesterday, Simcha Felder, a Democratic city councilman from Brooklyn and a former aide to Mr. Hikind, accompanied the mayor on his pilgrimage to the Catskills. Mr. Felder said the summertime trip, one that Mr. Bloomberg did not make the first time he ran for office in 2001, was "a tradition for elected officials, both in office and those that want to be in office, to come say hello."

Two of Mr. Bloomberg's stops were at separate religious camps for Jewish boys and girls, where he was swarmed by children excited to have the mayor wandering among their cabins and picnic areas. He was jostled by boys trying to have their pictures taken with him as he walked on their campground in Woodridge, where he met privately with Rabbi Aaron Schechter of Brooklyn.

At the girls camp in Liberty, Rabbi Shlomo Gertzulin, a vice president of Agudath Israel of America, an ultra-Orthodox group, praised Mr. Bloomberg for holding a reception in February for Siyum HaShas, a celebration by Jews who have completed seven and a half years of study of the Babylonian Talmud. He said the mayor had promised Jewish leaders that he would defend their right to religious expression.

"The mayor was very responsive, the mayor was very receptive, he was even proactive and assured us that when it comes to practicing our religion, he will make sure that nothing is done in the city of New York that takes away that absolute freedom that we have to practice our religion," Mr. Gertzulin said.

Of course, by prompting vacationing New Yorkers to think about city politics for a few hours yesterday, the mayor ran the risk of having some of the more unpleasant aspects of city life come to mind. And, indeed, a common complaint among the city residents present for his whirlwind tour was the claim that the Bloomberg administration was conducting a ticket blitz aimed at so-called quality-of-life infractions.

While Mr. Bloomberg met privately with a rabbi at one of the camps, outside residents started trading stories of being ticketed. A 17-year-old boy said he had to go to court after getting a ticket for riding his bicycle on the sidewalk. Phyllis Lander of Queens said she had received a $45 ticket for leaving a scrap of paper in her garbage instead of putting it in with the recyclables.

"I've only been ticketed once, but my neighbor's been ticketed three times," she said. "Now I don't put my garbage out until I see the garbage truck coming."

On Sunday July 31, Mayor Bloomberg Left NYC by Helicoptor to the Catskills.

He landed around 8:45am in Sullivan county airport where his security detail waited to take him on his tour to in the Catskills.

His first stop was at Kutchers. The mayor spoke a few words and then went around greeting the people there. He met there with members from Boro Park Hatzolah, NY State Troopers, Members of Boro Park Shomrim, and George Klein.

His next stop was at Camp Morris in Woodridge, where he met with Rabbi Schechter and the Mayor of Brooklyn.

From there the Mayor traveled to the town of Woodbourne. The Mayor went into most of the stores to greet everyone. In the Bakery the bought a piece of cake and a seltzer, in the pizza store the Mayor ordered a pizza and shared the pizza with a little boy. While eating the pizza the Mayor spoke with Yingerlite about issues they were concerned. The mayor also visited the Supermarket, Book store, and Dougies were he posed for a picture with the staff of Dougies.

The last stop was at Camp Bnos where the Mayor had a very warm reception. The Mayor received 3 standing ovations first when he came in to the packed auditorium with all the Campers (1706 Girls), in middle his speech, and after the speech.

The Mayor piloted the helicopter by himself.

Mayor Bloomberg in Woodbourne's Kosher Bakery during his trip to the Catskills. The Mayor brought his reelection campaign to the summer retreats of New York City's Orthodox Jewish Community. His trip also included breakfast at Kutcher's Country Club and visit to Camp Morris and Camp Bnos.

Mayor Bloomberg surprising a shocked caller to
Woodbourne's Judaica store during his recent trip to the Catskills.

Mayor Bloomberg with the sweatshirt presented to him by Camp Bnos, an all-girls summer camp in the Catskills run by Agudath Israel of America. With the Mayor are Councilman Simcha Felder who accompanied the Mayor during his trip through the Catskills, and Rabbi Shlomo Gertzulin, a vice-President of Agudath Israel of America.

Faith-Based Talk Breaks Into Race For Mayor
Weiner, Miller playing for religious votes in effort to invigorate campaigns.
Adam Dickter - Staff Writer

Hoping for a boost from the city's religious communities in a campaign that has lacked defining issues, two Democratic candidates for mayor are positioning themselves as supporters of social services linked to faith-based groups.

The city would appoint a ''nonprofit czar,'' find housing for large, religious families, work to keep Catholic schools open and devote more police to protecting yeshivas if Rep. Anthony Weiner were elected, he announced last week at NYU's Hillel house.

''Democrats must reclaim our partnership with faith,'' Weiner said, echoing a theme national Democrats have adopted since the November election and its moral values overtones.

A few days later, Council Speaker Gifford Miller surrounded himself with Jewish social-services leaders at a kosher food pantry in Borough Park to highlight the nearly $12 million allocated in the June 30 budget for the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty and its affiliated community councils.

The event apparently was intended to show that Miller already had experience doing what Weiner was proposing.

''Gifford Miller has been a leader for the past 3½ years in partnering with religious groups to provide services,'' said his Jewish liaison, Manny Behar, after the event.

A campaign spokesman for Michael Bloomberg said later that no one trumps the mayor in helping the faithful help the needy.

''Mike Bloomberg has already opened dozens of new partnerships with faith-based groups,'' said Stu Loeser, promising ''many, many more in the second term.''

Weiner's event, however, was intended to portray him as much as a friend of the faith-based community as an iconoclast within his own party, which steadfastly has opposed President Bush's initiatives to fund groups with religious missions to carry out vital social services. Nationally, Democrats have struggled to adopt language that appeals to faith while drawing the line at government funding.

''We can't be a party that walks way from organizations of faith, because they are practicing some of the things we believe very strongly,'' Weiner said Tuesday.

Miller has also been courting religious communities by pushing through legislation to eliminate parking meters on Sundays to make it easier for churchgoers, setting up a battle with Bloomberg, who says the city can't afford the lost quarters. The mayor's veto pen is ready, but an override is likely.

Drawing a few amens from communities of faith could help Weiner and Miller — both of whom have been lagging in Democratic primary polls behind frontrunner Fernando Ferrer — break from the pack.

''When the topic is affordable housing, they all want more,'' said Democratic consultant Norman Adler, who is not involved in the mayoral race. ''When the topic is subways, they all want them safer. Nobody differs on any of that stuff. But communities are saying what about other issues, and these appeals are directed at them.''

As to whether the religion card is effective, Adler said, ''It's never been tested whether that sort of thing plays in New York City. Jews especially have a wariness about government getting involved with religion because it usually works out against us.''

Many national Jewish groups have opposed federal faith-based initiatives because of concerns about opening the door to public funding of religious activity.

But Weiner's local proposal prompted no immediate constitutional unease.

''There is nothing new or novel about a proposal to enhance security for nonprofits,'' said Marc Stern of the American Jewish Congress, a watchdog on issues of church and state. ''And a lot of the city money is federal money, bound by rules. Some of it sounds problematic in the sense that it singles out certain types of institutions for particular types of benefits, but I wouldn't get bent out of shape about it, as long as he is not singling out places of worship in the contracting scheme.''

While generally praising Weiner's proposals, David Zwiebel of Agudath Israel of America said his umbrella group would be wary because of efforts on the federal level to ensure that organizations who partner with the government eschew hiring practices based on religion or sexual orientation. He noted that his organization already sued the Koch administration in the 1980s over such provisions.

''A partnership can only work if a religious organization is allowed to stand on its practices and values,'' he said.

Weiner opposed a faith-based measure in the House because it did not bar religious or sexual discrimination by contracted groups, and said as mayor he would not allow agencies that discriminate to participate in faith-based funding.


Bloomberg has been stepping up his outreach to the Jewish community, particularly the Orthodox.

''The Jewish community has long been a priority for Mike Bloomberg,'' read a press release last week announcing a Yiddish portion of his Web site.

On Sunday, Bloomberg did what thousands of city Jews do on summer weekends — head for the Catskills — although in his case via private helicopter. There the mayor pinned on a kipa and visited summer resorts frequented by the chasidic and fervently Orthodox, as well as shopping centers and Kutsher's Country Club in Monticello. He was joined by Councilman Simcha Felder of Brooklyn.

In Borough Park last week, where he picked up the endorsement of Assemblyman Dov Hikind, Bloomberg was warmly received by local leaders and residents, although one passer-by shouted a complaint about increased fines for parking tickets.

The Hikind endorsement, which Bloomberg did without in 2001, could be useful this year since there is no passionate issue driving voters and they are more likely to look for guidance.

But it probably made Bloomberg uncomfortable when Hikind a few days later called for racial profiling in police searches of subway passengers. Terrorists, Hikind said, ''all look a certain way.'' The outcry from civil libertarians was predictable.

Joel Levy of the Anti-Defamation League disagreed with Hikind.

''The police must operate within the law, in accordance with decisions made in the courts,'' Levy said. ''I think they are treating the problem with complete seriousness and dealing with it very well.''

n

Another candidate seeking the good graces of the religiously observant is George Spitz, who is running for the East Side City Council seat to be vacated by Miller.

Spitz is braving the slings and arrows of the teachers' union and church-state separation purists by calling for aid to parents who pay parochial school tuition.

''I'm concerned about the terrible burden that families have when they want to send their kids to religious schools and then to college,'' said Spitz, a Democrat who has run for mayor, Manhattan borough president and other offices. ''I am supporting not only tuition tax credits for religious schools but any other forms of aid to deal with this problem.''

That includes public vouchers, which have been tried in Wisconsin and Ohio with mixed results, but have been a dead issue here.

Spitz, 82, is running against better-funded and well-supported candidates, and he has no illusions about whethr his tuition plank will help his prospects.

''I'm willing to sink or swim on this,'' he said.

But Spitz said his election would pave the way for others to support public tuition aid, unafraid of consequences.

''If I do well or win, everybody will change their thinking,'' he said.

Spitz said the city could afford to offer the vouchers if it reduced contracting of services to private groups, which he says has ballooned in the past 12 years from $2.8 billion to $7.7 billion.

n

As reported here in April, Bloomberg will seek the Liberal ballot in addition to the Republican and Independence lines this fall, and his campaign recently began gathering the 7,500 signatures to put the moribund party back in action.

It would be useful in the event that Independence members opposed to controversial activist Lenora Fulani's faction, which has endorsed Bloomberg, succeed in challenging Bloomberg petition signatures and knocking him off the ballot. Otherwise state election law only allows two ballot lines per candidate.

If Bloomberg remains on the Independence ballot and gains the Liberal nod, most likely he would appear as a Republican/Liberal on one column and Independence on the other. The word liberal could then mitigate the hesitation many Democrats feel about voting GOP.

Calling Fulani an ''extremist hate-monger,'' the New York Post editorial page on Monday called the Independence signature challenge to Bloomberg ''an opportunity to shed himself of the Fulani taint.'' n

Baal Gaveh!

Don't email or write to the Mayor regarding Mezizah Bepeh, because this problem was taken care by the Mayor's administration.

I was involved in this before the press picked up on this subject. I spoke to a couple of Hiemeshe Mohalim they are all happy with the outcome.

Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zweibel, from Agudath Israel, and Councilman Simcha Felder were working on this day & night and B"H solved the problem, so why bring up this issue again?

If there is a Mohel that is having problems regarding Mezizah Bepeh tell him to contact the Councilman's office and I'm sure the Councilman himself will deal with it.