Embattled mayor Bill de Blasio
Following a series of expose’s in articles and investigations currently ongoing in a conduct by several politicians that has now raised the issue of “BUNDLING” as a political crime in New York State, I thought the practice could rightfully place any candidate seeking elective office in the State of New York and across the United States as “guilty” or in violation of campaign finance laws. Assuming my observation is correct, then it is prudent to also observe that Mayor Bill De Blasio is on point in stating that he should not be held to a “different standard” than any other politician seeking to be elected to public office.
The last time I looked up the definition and practice of the term “BUNDLING” from the “INVESTOPEDIA”, bundling is defined as a marketing strategy that joins products or services together in order to sell them as a single combined unit. This practice allows the convenient purchase of several products and or services from one company. The products and services are usually related but they can also consist of dissimilar products which appeal to one group of customers. The tradition of bundling is thought to have originated either in Netherlands or the British Isles and later became common in Colonial America, especially in Pennsylvania Dutch County.
Having said that, kindly allow me to pose a simple question to all the candidates seeking political office in these United States of America. Can all those candidates seeking elective office in these United States of America tell me if they have ever solicited campaign contributions from organizations, groups, unions, fraternal organizations and even families in support of their campaign? If the answer is “yes”, then the appropriate investigatory agencies should consider auditing the campaign of every elected official presently holding office not only Mayor Bill de Blasio as he is now alleging.
Let me make it abundantly clear that I am not defending “BUNDLING” nor am I supporting whatever mistakes the Mayor’s campaign may have made. I am purely and strictly supporting the fact that justice should be color blind and must never be motivated by scoring or settling political points.
As we approach an imminent campaign in 2017, many interest groups or individuals will be fighting hard to position themselves to replace candidates they do not like. That is their right. It is good for our democracy. What is definitely not acceptable is to replace others by public manipulation as we see much of it in New York City politics.