LETTER: Take it from former Ozaukeean, Bloomberg should be president

To Ozaukee Press:

Although a resident of New York City for the past 26 years, my roots are in

Mequon, where I grew up and still have strong personal connections to friends and colleagues. I moved to the East Coast at age 18; however, I realize it is the core Midwestern values of honesty, hard work and giving back which have allowed me to survive and thrive in NYC all these years.

Over the course of my career, I have been very fortunate to meet and work with some truly incredible people, one of whom is Mike Bloomberg. While not necessarily a household name in Wisconsin, Mike is legendary as a former mayor, businessman and philanthropist in New York.

I first met Mike while working on Wall Street, and found him to  be a smart businessman and tough negotiator who had built one of the key companies that helped make the global economy tick.

When 9/11 happened, my neighbors and I watched as Mayor Mike led the city back from almost unimaginable destruction and loss to emerge a stronger, cleaner, greener, safer, more equitable and exciting city for millions of residents and visitors.             

Following his term as mayor, I watched Mike direct his energies and resources to help solve some of the biggest national and international issues, including climate, gun legislation, education and housing.

Mike was a strong advocate for my own philanthropic efforts to help revitalize the west side of Manhattan as vice-chair of Hudson River Park Friends, supporting the development of waterfront park space enjoyed by over 17 million people annually.

It is through these interactions as a citizen of New York City that I feel so strongly compelled to lend my support to Mike’s presidential campaign. At a time when our politics are so divided, electing a sensible, experienced leader and job creator with international stature, a track record of success and a demonstrated ability to tackle our biggest societal issues feels like a national imperative.

While Mike’s company bears his name, one of the hallmarks of his success has been his ability to attract the best people. Regardless of whether the issue is business, government or non-profit related, Mike and his team have gotten the job done, and have used data and evidence to make sure those actions had the greatest possible benefit to all involved.

Mike has made mistakes along the way, but as a true leader does, he owns his missteps and implements changes to make them right. In the coming weeks, the media will relentlessly focus on errors that Mike and other candidates have made in their careers. Each candidate must be held accountable, and I believe Mike is the one leader who takes accountability for his missteps and strives to learn from them and improve. He is a doer, not a talker, and his track record speaks volumes about his ability to bring people together to make our country a better place.

Wisconsin played a critical role in the last presidential election, and as the site of the Democratic National Convention it will be ground zero in framing the upcoming race. Mike Bloomberg may still be a long-shot in today’s polarized political climate, but I am confident that if he is entrusted with the White House, he will represent the values I believe in and we will become a safer, more equitable, prosperous and respected nation for all citizens—Democrat, Republican or Independent—during his presidency.

Scott Lawin
New York