He does not reside in the official residence of the Mayor of New York, Gracie Mansion, but in his own home on the Upper East Side. Some accused Bloomberg of hypocrisy because he was also campaigning to extend the term limit of the New York governor to three consecutive terms at the time. While New York City's campaign finance law restricts the amount of contributions a candidate can accept, Bloomberg decided not to use public funds and, therefore, his campaign was not subject to these restrictions. While he was mayor of New York City, Bloomberg announced PlaNYC 2030, an initiative that would reduce the city's carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2030.
The mayor unsuccessfully tried to replicate the London system and promoted it in the New York state legislature. However, since the resumption of education oversight by the mayor's office in 2000, municipal schools have made little significant progress in test performance, and the results-based funding formula introduced to encourage higher grades has led some to question its effect. As mayor of New York, Bloomberg established autonomous public schools, rebuilt urban infrastructure, and supported gun control, public health initiatives, and environmental protection. Bloomberg is considered to have had a far-reaching influence on politics, the business sector and culture of New York City during his three terms as mayor.
Bloomberg argued that that meant, in effect, that taxpayers would subsidize private sector salaries; or that, or companies would not invest at all in New York City. Mayor Rudy Giuliani highlighted the success of the billionaire businessman in creating the financial news network Bloomberg, and said that the fact that Bloomberg is not a politician with a varied background would help him lead the city. Although he was reticent to his ambitions after mayor's office and shy about saying more than a return to philanthropy once he left the city hall, the permutations of a Bloomberg candidacy included the mayor of Los Angeles, Villaraigosa, a Democrat, as a possible vice president to increase political and geographical balance. The mayor argued that the New York police were keeping the city safe, but the investigation found that the surveillance was carried out even though it was not related to criminal or terrorist activities.
In 2001, New York's Republican mayor, Rudy Giuliani, was unable to be re-elected due to the city's two-term limit. This was factored into his 2001 decision to seek the position of mayor of New York as a Republican, rather than a Democrat, because of his belief that, having no political background to rely on, the city's closely organized factions of the party would opt for a favorite son. Breaking with 190 years of tradition, he implemented what New York Times political reporter Adam Nagourney called a bullpen type open office plan, similar to a Wall Street operating room, in which dozens of aides and management staff are seated together in a large chamber. Giuliani's term as mayor was highlighted by the zero-tolerance policies he had promoted together with New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton, and he made a name for himself as a tough city attorney during the 1980s.
