THOMAS V. OGNIBENE for our next NYC Mayor Gotham's Viable Alternative - Our REAL Choice

Here's where I get upfront and personal -- because for me it is very personal. I'm addressing the re-election of NYC Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg ("R") whom I do NOT support. As a priest, I've been loath to express my own political views here, but this is one of those rare times where I will indulge myself that right. Otherwise, why post a personal blog site? Besides, I'm not breaking any pertinent laws. These views are my own and do not necessarily express those of my denomination and/or those I serve within it, but for the most part they do.

First, let's chuck the antiseptic, ambiguous terms of "pro choice" and "pro life" for what this political issue really is. If you don't oppose Roe vs. Wade then you are an ACCESSORY to baby killing. Democrat Michael R. Bloomberg fits that bill. (He openly confessed to switching political parties at the last minute only to win his last election.) Therefore, Catholics -- and all Christians and peoples of faith for that matter -- cannot in good conscience vote for or support him. Bloomberg has suddenly turned on and opposed those political parties (GOP and Conservative) which sponsored his first election four years ago. Therefore he does not deserve our further support.

Furthermore, not that it's a factor in this municipal race, he has opposed both of the President's Supreme Court nominations on the grounds that they have not stated unequivable that either of them would vote to overturn that Supreme Court decision. After he becomes term limited, or hopefully even before that, he should then be drummed out of the GOP. (For this same reason -- and even though I was one of his most ardent supporters before and after he ran for Mayor -- I would now also oppose the Presidential candidacy of former NYC Mayor Rudi Giuliani who also refuses to oppose abortion. ....Which is also why I did not support his aborted bid for Senator of NY.)

As a life-long Republican (ever since my sharing the GOP election tickets of Presidents Richard M. Nixon at age 18 & Ronald Reagan, etc. in my youth), I'm qualified to state that Bloomberg is NOT really a Republican. Rather, for the sake of convenience he has co-opted and contravened our GOP to further his own agenda and ambitions and presents himself as one IN NAME ONLY. Actually, he does NOT share our philosophy or ideals. The guy is a shameless fraud and disgrace in that regard. If he has any integrity then he should fall in with those other phony "New Yorkers", Bill Clinton & his carpet-bagger senatorial wife, whom ideologically he has more in common with.

Although he is a shrewd, successful businessman who has brought NYC through our recent fiscal crises; is tuff on crime and quality of life issues; is a great funds raiser and puts on a good front at our partisan conclaves -- he is not really for the average New Yorker. He has repeatedly shown that he does not have our community interests at heart. Time after time he has vetoed local community legislation that we worked hard to achieve. And each time I publicly warned him that we would actively oppose him if he continued to stymie us.

Instead he has put his exclusive cronies first and sold out large parts of our communities to his wealthy developer colleagues. Witness his recent attempts to ram a Jets Football stadium into the center of Manhattan. When that white elephant was blocked from stampeding us, he tried to plant it in one of our largest Queens parklands, the World's Fair grounds of Flushing Meadow Park, instead of the nearby industrial Willets Point zone which is better suited. And last month he successfully accomplished the selling out of the Brooklyn MTA rail yards to one of his bigger supporters, another real estate tycoon. Poor and average folks will lose their long established homes through "public domain" when this area is over developed and gentrified. The guy thinks nothing of trying to spoil and rob Gotham just to advance his own aggressive business initiatives. Watch him suddenly pretend to be concerned about the average little guy as this contest comes down to the wire...

Although I have blessed holy unions -- and even though I've been partnered 25 years myself (and 10 years previous before my late partner predeceased me) -- it's no big secret that this openly gay priest opposes sacramental "gay marriage" on theological grounds. (However, our covenant community continues to advocate for the legal entitlements of civil unions.) And neither do we support "gay adoption rights" since, although they might have the desire, NOBODY has the automatic "right" to adopt. Rather, everyone must first prove their worthiness and ability because parenthood is a privilege. In those regards, and contrary to some wrong assumptions, Mike Bloomberg also does not support the liberal homophile agenda which runs rampant and contrary to our moderate gay interests. So, in fairness, let our mission clients be aware that just because he marched with our gay Log Cabin Republicans on Gay Pride Day does not indicate that Bloomberg supports those radical causes either.

It's a crying shame that he will most likely win re-election. The way this tycoon is blowing his heavy Five Billion dollars around makes it a probable likelihood. DON'T LET HIM BUY YOUR VOTE! Show him that NYC and your principles are NOT FOR SALE.

I am not suggesting who you should vote for this November 8th -- only for whom you shouldn't. So let me remind you that there is a viable alternative to Mayor Bloomberg:

Thomas V. Ognibene was born and raised in the heart of Manhattan and is a U.S. Army Veteran. He is an attorney advocate for our community of Queens who was elected to the NYC Council in 1991 and twice re-elected. As the former GOP Minority Leader of the NYC Council he helped spearhead our great Rudy Giuliani inspired Republican revolution of the 1990's by promoting his fiscal, social and crime-fighting agendas within the heavily Democrat-controlled City Council. Tom is the REAL REPUBLICAN who is running on the Conservative Row D. We don't agree with him on everything, but he is the best candidate on Catholic core issues and the only representative of the middle class citizens who pay Gotham's bills and subsidize the needy.

This is the same principled and fearless warrior who was unfairly kicked off the GOP Primary ballot by Billionaire Bloomberg who fears any real opposition in the elections. Likewise, he unsuccessfully tried to oust our local GOP State committee candidates off the ballot. However, as we promised the Mayor here months ago, our grass-roots candidates gave his propped up pawns (one of them his City Hall hirelings) a run for his money. (We FORCED him to contend with the first local GOP Primary Election in almost two decades by successfully petitioning for their candidacy -- and also that of Tom Ognibene.) However, it was impossible to beat the orchestrations of million bucks campaign so our GOP State Committee candidates were defeated only by the skin of their teeth.

Even though realistically he doesn't stand a chance, Tom deserves an equally good showing at the polls. This is a proven street scrapper who fights for you! If nothing more then let your vote be one of protest against a megalomaniac mogul who shamelessly takes you for granted. I'm not inferring that Tom Ognibene " is the lesser of two evils" but vouching that he is the BEST we already have. At the very least you know where you stand with him. And he won't steer you by your nose. I say go for this proven leader who is the real deal.