Some New Yorkers are wondering if Mayor Michael Bloomberg has gone crazy. It seems as though Bloomberg is watching over local residents like an overprotective parent. Some are referring to him as a "nanny mayor."
First he tried to regulate how many ounces soft drinks should be. He then announced plans to regulate how loud the volume should be when New Yorkers listen to music through their headphones. Bloomberg also recently went to Congress, urging stricter gun laws and is even investing $12 million for an ad campaign to support his stance. The latest of his proposals includes allowing NYPD drones for increased surveillance over the city.
When Bloomberg suggested that super-sized soft drinks loaded with sugar be banned from restaurants, movie theaters, arenas and stadiums, it was overturned by judges. Bloomberg is not discouraged by the rejection and is moving ahead. As CBS News reported, the city is set to address teens and warn them about the risk of hearing loss due to high volume on their music players. The social media and marketing campaign costs $250,000.
As the Wall Street Journal reported, Bloomberg's "Mayors Against Illegal Guns" gun lobbying group hopes to persuade senators to support legislation that will set stricter rules when it comes to background checks for people buying guns.
"We're trying to do everything we can to impress upon the senators that this is what the survivors want, this is what the public wants," said Bloomberg.
Privacy rights activists are convinced that Bloomberg has adopted a total disregard for individual privacy. Although he acknowledges privacy concerns, his responses suggest that he plans to move forward with his regulating goals by all means.
Domestic drones hovering above the city is next on Bloomberg's agenda and whether New Yorkers like it or not, it's going to happen, according to Bloomberg. Since 1998, New York City already has installed 2,400 cameras all over Manhattan.
"You wait, in five years, the technology is getting better, there'll be cameras everyplace . . . whether you like it or not. The argument against using automation is just this craziness that 'Oh, it's Big Brother,' said Bloomberg during an interview Friday on the John Gambling radio show. "Get used to it!"
The addition of drones is not that much different from stationary cameras, reasons Bloomberg. "It's scary, but what's the difference if a drone is up in the air or on a building. I mean, intellectually, I have trouble making a distinction. And you know you're going to have face recognition software. People are working on that," said Bloomberg about the drones.
Although the mayor seems to have good intentions behind his monitoring motives, some residents may think Bloomberg has gone too far with all these extra rules and regulations.
