A LOSING PROPOSITION FOR MAYOR BLOOMBERG

After they are inaugurated, New York City officials have to sign an official register, so their signatures on documents can be verified. The signatures are attested to by the City Clerk, who collects a fee (which goes to the City) for this service. Four years ago, the fee was fifteen cents, which Mayor Bloomberg could afford, even on the one dollar a year salary he is taking.

But the fee has gone up. It is now nine dollars. Mayor Bloomberg will have to dip into his billions to cover this one--like he dipped in for the $79 million he spent to get re-elected.