New York, NY —

Mayor Bloomberg says the public advocate's office isn't the city's biggest expense, but even so, he says, it may not be worth its cost: "I think a public advocate's office should be looked at by a commission to see whether or not it really provides enough value for the public dollars that we spend," he said.

The mayor's comments come after he told the editorial board of the Staten Island Advance that the office of public advocate should be eliminated. He spoke before marching in today's Columbus Day parade.

Democrat Bill de Blasio and Republican Alex Zablocki have blasted the mayor's comments, saying the public advocate is the only check against mayoral power.