New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg (L), listens to Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty (R) answer questions regarding the city's response to a winter snow storm in New York December 29, 2010. [Photo/Agencies]

NEW YORK - New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a political independent whose reputation was built on competence, may have been defeated this time by a blizzard.

Many New Yorkers, especially from the boroughs outside Manhattan, are outraged that their neighborhoods remain buried under snow two days after the storm dumped 20 inches (50 cm) on the city. Bloomberg, who has consistently ruled out running for the US presidency despite frequent speculation about his political aspirations, is getting hit with the blame.

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"This is a mayor who prided himself on his ability as a manager. If we were grading him on his response to the snowstorm, he would get an 'F,'" Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. said on Wednesday.

"Bloomberg wants to run for president, yet he can't even handle getting the streets of the Bronx plowed? That is unacceptable."

The loudest complaints came from the outer boroughs - the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island - which were once again reminded they are secondary to Manhattan.

"This is crazy. I wasn't able to get to work for two days. My street is still unplowed today. I don't know what the deal is, but they messed up," said Matthew Limongi, a delivery driver from Queens.

Even Bloomberg's allies are critical.

"I've never seen such gross mismanagement and lack of leadership in my lifetime. People are furious," said City Councilman David Greenfield, a longtime supporter.

The clogged streets have impeded emergency response vehicles. A baby died after being delivered in the lobby of a Brooklyn apartment building when paramedics took nine hours to reach the mother.

Bloomberg, a self-made billionaire who finances his own campaigns, rarely admits mistakes but told a news conference on Wednesday that "we didn't do as good a job as we wanted to do."

The city had built a reputation for efficient snow cleanup with its fleet of trash-removal trucks fitted with snow plows that spread salt on the city's 6,000 miles (9,600 km) of roads.

But this storm came with 65 mph (105 kph) winds and dumped more than an inch of snow per hour, forcing plows to repeatedly clear the major avenues before they could work on side streets.

"The storm just got ahead of us and we couldn't keep up," Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty told NY1 television.

Sheldon Drake helps to push a car on a street still yet to be plowed in the East New York section of the Brooklyn borough of New York, December 29, 2010. The snowstorm shut roads and canceled flights in New York City and created havoc across the Northeast. [Photo/Agencies]