I can’t believe I’m posting twice in one afternoon. But this is quietly extraordinary: the famously pro-privatization mayor of my city realizing that for-profit health care may not be the best idea.

Bloomberg noted the city had gotten its health insurance from the two companies — Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York and Group Health Incorporated — for more than 60 years, adding: “We don’t need city dollars intended to protect hard-working city employees and retirees used instead to pad the compensation of healthcare executives.”

The state stands to reap nearly $1.8 billion over several years from the conversion as it would be the biggest shareholder in the new combination, but Bloomberg fears the city won’t be able to afford the higher insurance premiums for public employees and retirees that he said will result.

Maybe the city employees live in the few remaining Mitchell-Lama apartments can next persuade Bloomberg that development deals cannot be the solution to he city’s 50-year-old housing crisis.