ACORN Opens Branch in New York's City Hall

The goons are coming and once Michael Bloomberg is gone they'll probably have full control of New York City. Five years from now people will probably look back fondly on the "glory days" of David Dinkins.

The Constitution's framers held as inviolable citizens' right to petition government for a redress of grievances. So what does it say about rookie Public Advocate Bill de Blasio's opinion of himself that he thinks New Yorkers need his help to wave placards on City Hall steps?

De Blasio yesterday announced the creation of a new "community-organizing" department within his office -- purportedly to "help neighborhood activists build grass-roots coalitions."

Funny: We thought that "grass-roots" spring up naturally as concerned citizens exercise their First Amendment rights.

But perhaps the wheels of democracy turn too slowly for de Blasio. He plans:

* Workshops with favored activist groups to teach "organizing strategies."

* "Organizing toolkits" and a new Web site to teach New Yorkers how to conduct petition drives and "civic actions."

* A reworking of the public advocate's telephone hot line to tell callers how they can help change city policies.

Not that New Yorkers in search of, say, tax relief will get much help, of course: De Blasio's community "partners" are the same lefty grabbers who've been picking the city dry in the first place.

And, indeed, who put de Blasio -- a client of the far-left Working Families Party -- in office. This move only formalizes and consolidates their power.