New York City's voters approved referenda by substantial margins in 1993 and 1996 that limited their elected officials to two terms in office. Today, members of the City Council voted to undo the voters' will, giving Mayor Michael Bloomberg and, for that matter, themselves, the right to seek a third term.Never have so few elected officials done so much for themselves over the expressed will of so many. A poll released earlier this week by Quinnipiac University said that 89 percent of New Yorkers wanted the issue of term limits to be dealt with in a referendum, not in an act of the City Council. And a majority opposed changing the law.Bloomberg and the Council members who went along for the ride (29 of the 51) are banking on one thing to get them through the public's outrage: Bloomberg's billions. Bloomberg has made it clear that he'll go all out to get his way. Word was leaked through The Times that he'll spend $100 million on his re-election campaign, and that $20 million of that would go toward advertising aimed at blackening the reputation of the opponent who has been most outspoken against his attempt to thwart the term-limits referenda.Ironically, Bloomberg is in the process of soiling his own reputation. As The Times reported, even close aides who once admired him are now shocked at how self-serving he is. He has already tarnished his philanthropy by leaning on non-profits he supports through his "charitable" giving to push their local council members to overlook the voters' will. These non-profits have historically been very important in local New York politics, making them an effective avenue to influence the City Council.The stated reason for giving Bloomberg a shot at a third term is that he is needed to get New York through the collapse on Wall Street. But the city won't be saved if its elected officials emulate the arrogance, manipulation and contempt for process that dragged Wall Street down.