John Catsimatidis Announces Mayoral Run: "We Are Not Going Back."

Surrounded by family members, supporters and City hall reporters on the steps of Cuity Hall, Billionaire John Catsimatidis announced his candidacy for Mayor of New York City. Praising Mayor Bloomberg's 12 years in office, Catsimatidis explained why New Yorkers must elect yet another Republican as mayor over any Democratic opponent. "New Yorkers, we are not going back. We are not giving the streets back to the criminals. We have to maintain the World's confidence in New York," he said. 

Instead of attacking the Mayor and his policies, which he praised, and despite of the various similarities between him and Bloomberg, Catsimatidis chose to personally differentiated himself from Mike Bloomberg “I am not a Michael Bloomberg billionaire,” he said. “I’m not wearing $5,000 suits.” He didn't even shy away from showing it off, when Hunter Walker from Politicker came close to see what make the suit was. He also took note of Mr. Bloomberg $1 yearly paycheck, saying he would work for even less than that., but Mr. Catsimatidis said he would work for less than that.“I was a grocer,“I’ll work for 99 cents," he said.

Touting his experience as a store keeper and credentials in creating jobs as someone who grew up in the city, Catsimatidis sought to appeal to voters not from his pocket but from his glens as a caring ,non arrogant, New Yorker. "I feel the people's pain. I feel the Store owners pain in this City, " adding "I feel the pain of the neighborhoods where people are afraid to go out at night." 

Catsimatidis brushed off the party line name calling. "Its about being a New Yorker who cares, he said, "I am a common sense New Yorker that cares about the people." Echoing the famous Romney Line, Catsimatidis added: "I Love People." 

And then came the fun part, which the press loved: The Zingers. From supporting gay marriage ("This is America. You do whatever the hell you want") to 'I don't give a damn about the money', Catsimatidis also gave some insights of why he supported Mitt Romney over Barack Obama, in spite of his admiration of MLK, thanking God for his dream come true of America electing a Black Presidnet. "Every morning I woke up I was being attacked for being a successful American," he said of President Obama. "If somebody did something wrong in the banks—listen to me carefully—prosecute that somebody. Don't prosecute 280,000 employees in the whole bank. That's wrong. Prosecute individuals, not companies."