He wants your vote, he wants your taxes and now he wants you to volunteer.
Once again hitching his administration to President Obama, Mayor Bloomberg yesterday announced plans to help nonprofits absorb thousands of new volunteers so they can undertake a wide array of projects ranging from painting rooftops to providing free legal services for struggling homeowners.
“We have a chance to change the world,” Bloomberg declared, following a pep rally at the Washington Heights armory attended by about 1,000 volunteers, hosted by MTV’s Sway Callaway, and featuring Caroline Kennedy and the wives of two former Democratic governors, Matilda Cuomo and Silda Wall Spitzer.
Part of the hourlong ceremony featured Bloomberg standing in for Uncle Sam (left) on the armory’s JumboTron when the iconic World War II “I Want You!” poster appeared on the big screen. There was no mistaking the event’s connection to Obama, which will prove useful to the mayor in a year when he’s facing an African-American challenger, Comptroller Bill Thompson.
Obama is signing a bill to expand volunteerism today at the White House.