NEW YORK (AP) — New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he has no plans to seek office again. But he still spent millions of dollars of his own money this year on political advertising.
Financial disclosures released Friday show that Bloomberg spent $5.6 million on television ads, polling and direct mail in the weeks surrounding the passage of a state budget that met few of the mayor's demands.
His administration said in March that the campaign-style TV ads touting his budget plan were meant to rebut critical advertising funded by unions representing teachers and municipal workers.
The ads also coincided with a decline in approval ratings as voters expressed their dissatisfaction with his handling of the budget and his administration's clean-up following a December blizzard that shut down much of the city.
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