Paterson Slams Bloomberg

In this battle, there are no winners. Taxpayers lose no matter what. Gov. Paterson correctly notes that Mayor Bloomberg has no interest in taxpayers, who are getting hit with tax and fee increases at every turn by Bloomberg, who was thwarted in his most aggressive and grandiose plan - to impose congestion pricing taxes on anyone entering Manhattan's central business district.

The spat between Bloomberg and Gov. Paterson erupted over the weekend following the need to work out a plan to bail out the city's OTB operations. Never mind that we're talking about the government failing to turn a profit on a gambling operation.

Mayor Bloomberg is a nasty, untrustworthy, tan trum-prone liar who "has little use" for average New Yorkers - like the 1,500 workers who would have lost their jobs had OTB closed, a furious Gov. Paterson has said privately.

"He appears to be self-destructing," the governor said.

According to a source with firsthand knowledge of Paterson's comments, the governor said that during talks last week on OTB's future, Bloomberg threw the same kind of bizarre tantrums that disgraced former Gov. Eliot Spitzer had been known for.

"He has the same kind of anger that reminds you of Spitzer," Paterson said. "I think he's starting to be concerned that he can't get anything done."

The governor charged that Bloomberg has repeatedly misrepresented the facts to the point that "you can't trust him."

It's surprising to hear this kind of statement from Paterson, since these kinds of comments are usually kept behind closed doors. However, it looks like Paterson is trying to show Bloomberg a lesson in overt power and Paterson is clearly about the only person who can tell Bloomberg to stick it because it's Bloomberg who is in no position to dictate what happens with the OTB deal since the state is bailing out city.

Bloomberg, who has long been used to getting his way as the founder and head of a multibillion dollar corporation, has been beset by several high profile failures during his tenure as Mayor because he simply didn't get the politics - he lost the West Side Yards project, the 2010 Olympics, and most importantly, the congestion pricing tax.

This rift between the mayor and governor may have a lasting effect on other projects, including the ongoing mess at Ground Zero, which has overlapping jurisdictions.