NY mayor donates $100 mln to stem cell research

[shugah]

NY mayor donates $100 mln to stem cell research

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York's Republican Mayor Michael Bloomberg has made a $100 million donation toward stem cell research in the latest quiet move against his own party's policies.

The self-made billionaire made the anonymous donation to his old school, Johns Hopkins University, where he is a former board chairman. A substantial part of the donation will be used to fund stem cell research, a source with knowledge of the gift said.

Bloomberg, a philanthropist and life-long Democrat who became a Republican for the 2001 mayoral election, has walked a political tightrope, remaining loyal to some liberal policies while courting Republican powerbrokers, even hosting the 2004Republican National Convention.

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID=2006-02-03T071335Z_01_N03322726_RTRUKOC_0_US-STEMCELL.xml

[stray cat]

1. Wow - I'm impressed

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. Bloomberg has proven himself

to be a very generous man.

He's also been a pretty decent mayor.

[stray cat]

10. I'm new to the area - but he seems to be a good guy

Thanks for the information.

[lapfog_1]

2. I wonder if he has had an annual checkup recently???

Maybe they found something.

Maybe I'm just cynical.

[Missy M]

3. I guess his anonymous donation was not so anonymous...

but it is wonderful for stem cell research. I don't understand how a life long Democrat could become a republican.

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. He publicly stated

that he did it just to get on the ticket. The Dems didn't want to support him and picked a real loser instead. Go figure.

[Punkingal]

14. The dems need to stop hand-picking candidates for us...

That's just ridiculous.

[shugah]

6. i noticed that glaring contradiction too

i wonder if there is a new definition of 'anonymous.' :shrug:

[dogfacedboy]

7. He probably became 'Republican' so he could play 'em. n/t

[DanCa]

8. A thought and a thank you.

First Mr Bloomberg, as someone who needs this research, a million thank yous. Now here a thought. How can people that have never been inside of a stem cell lab object to the research? That's what really, really burns me.

[Bridget Burke]

9. Good for him.

Although the Institute works with different types of stem cells--not just embryonic & fetal. Other types of stem cell might be as useful for certain applications, but we won't know without research.

www.hopkinsmedicine.org/ice/faqs/index.html

[skiddlybop]

11. Please.

He bought the New York mayoralty (a) so that he could break the unions and benefit his own business and (b) to cover up all of the sweetheart contracts and deals made by Giuliani, especially the one that provided non-working radios to all the firemen and police who died in the World Trade Center.

His contribution is a drop in the bucket for him, and just like the lobbyists he stands to get a refund back tenfold once he busts every union. Excuse me, he spent the same amount to buy off the media in the election and didn't even feel it.

God, I guess none of the other posters see that he's trying to kill pensions just like every corporate mogul.

[Missy M]

13. I'm sure he has an ulterior motive because his so called...

anonymous donation wasn't anonymous. I think he may be looking at running for president. I don't doubt that he is trying to break the unions.

[Bridget Burke]

15. Sorry, I'm not up on NYC politics.

I trust you'll take care of him.

But it's good that some of his money went to a good cause.

[jumptheshadow]

18. Ummmm....

Didn't Bloomberg just put $2 billion aside to stabilize the pensions of city employees in the years ahead? That's more leadership than I've seen from 99.9 percent of Republicans and most Democrats, as well, and on an immensely important issue.

And how many other politicians, Republican or Democrat, have stood up to the NRA like he has?

How many administrators actually have improved their cities in day-to-day ways, like Bloomberg did with his 311 telephone line, which is a direct, and very effective, conduit to NY agencies? I guess you'd have had to live here, and share the frustration of the city's bureaucracy, to realize what a difference it has made.

I am a lifelong Democrat, and a New Yorker for 30 years, and I think he had done a very good job of leading our city during an extremely difficult time.

[abluelady]

12. Thanks for Clearing Something Up For Me

In so many ways, he seemed like a Dem to me. Glad to know he was one once. Thought I might be nuts! Definitely makes his being elected in NY understandable. Too bad he had to be a turncoat, though. Wonder why he didn't run as an Independent? Certainly didn't need money backing from anyone.

[DeepModem Mom]

16. Too bad he became a Republican just to run for NYC mayor.

How does he stand to associate himself with today's Republicans; how does he speak at their Convention?

[KamaAina]

17. How does he donate big buck$$$ to the RNC?

How does he bring the repuke convention to NYC?

The world may never know...