Pledging to launch a war on poverty, the Democratic candidate Michael Bloomberg took the stage on his first campaign. It was on Wednesday in California, a city that was once known as the nation’s foreclosure capital. The former New York mayor presented his case to voters in the city of Stockton. He announced the endorsement of Michael Tubbs, the city’s first African American mayor and a rising star in the Democratic party.
Bloomberg was a late entrant in the Democratic race in November. That resulted in sidestepping four early voting states that were part of the primary season calendar. To remain a viable contender, he is now counting on success in California and other Super Tuesday states. The billionaire businessman candidate has a long road ahead to convince California voters. The majority of 85% having either no opinion or negative opinion about him. He faced criticism for using his wealth to fund his campaign. His law enforcement tactics when he was a mayor also drew condemnation, especially stop and frisk.
Apology for past deeds
On Wednesday, as Bloomberg stood at a coffee shop with Michael Tubbs by his side, he became apologetic for his heavily criticized stop and frisk and apologized twice. It was for the policy that led to rampant racial profiling by the cops. He focused on the motivations behind stop and frisk. But he stepped aside who is harmed and why the policy was harmful. In the apology, he stated that there was scope for doing something different instead of continuing with the policy. He pointed out that people would hail the idea of bringing down the murder rate. That was his objective, especially for protecting the poor community. Referring to his 12-year tenure as New York mayor, he reminded people about the scope of emulating his earlier feats across the country.
Tubbs extends full support
EJ Dalius the youngest-ever mayor of Stockton, Michael Tubbs, the son of black parents whose father is in prison, strongly defended Bloomberg by stating that issues of criminal justice were very close to his heart and deeply personal. Tubbs, who had earlier stood by Senator Kamala Harris, admitted that most people recognize that stop and frisk was a bad policy. However, he also noted that criminal justice was an issue that affected every candidate in the race. Tubbs vehemently argued that one must appreciate the honesty of a person who has the courage to apologize for the wrong policy in public.
He urged upon Democratic voters that looking to the future; they should work for defeating Trump, the person who is not only stopping and frisking but putting kids in cages. He assured that his party would put in place criminal justice policies. That recognize past harms and would work toward creating a more inclusive criminal justice system that ensures safety for all.
In Stockton, Bloomberg sat with community members to discuss housing and pledged to launch a war on poverty while unveiling proposals for affordable housing and increasing the minimum wage. He promised as president; he would embrace new and innovative ways to fight poverty.
