beast of the east
Active member
The city that almost crumbled during the Lindsay administration, that had become a cesspool of crime, decay, and smog had its fortune's reversed by Ed Koch who never stopped believing that there was no finer place on earth than NYC.
College aged kids and beyond from all over the country, who flock to NYC to visit and live, could not imagine that for a time, much of the city was a dump, its streets unsafe at night, subways to be ridden at grave personal risk at any time but rush hour. Of course not - now the city sparkles and breathes 24 hours a day. Even on the coldest evenings, city streets are mobbed with people, many who live and work here, many more who visit from all over the world.
Certainly, some of Koch's successors, notably Giuliani and Bloomberg completed and sustained this reversal. Now, not only the city dazzles, but the outlying boros, Brooklyn in particular, are in a renaissance where they are developing a brilliance of their own, and are places to explore and visit in their own right and not just gateways to Manhattan.
What I am impressed with most, is the irony that is was the irrascible Koch, who could be downright unlikeable at times, could cut through the thicket of partisan politics to proclaim the correct position, even when it belonged to the opposition party. All that mattered to Koch was the correct position, the right solution. That characteristic of Koch permeated positions and even affected his endorsements - if you were the right man for the job, it mattered little whether you were Democrat, Republican, Conservative, Liberal, or Independent. He'd cross over and endorse you. This not only was noble, it legitimized his own character as a man of integrity who wanted only the right solutions to our city and nation's problems.
We cannot even have a religion and politics forum on here among intelligent products of the same university - so divisive is our politics that any dialogue quickly degrades into anger and name calling.
Even on the subject of religion, Koch, Jewish of course, forged a great relationship with John Cardinal OConnor. He was so moved by the hymn "Be Not Afraid", sang at so many funerals for police and firemen, that he had a plaque with those words made for his desk. His affinity for the Church was so warm that some even speculated that he contemplated conversion. Of course, Koch remained his own man to the end, and in politics was fiercely loyal to Israel.
Ed Koch managed to cut through all of that, to simply seek the truth. Other politicians have been lionized, some inappropriately and only by members of their own party. Ed Koch was a true lion, who reversed the fortunes of our great city, and made us all proud to call ourselves New Yorkers.
RIP, Mayor Koch. How'd you do? Fuggedaboutit - you were awesome!
College aged kids and beyond from all over the country, who flock to NYC to visit and live, could not imagine that for a time, much of the city was a dump, its streets unsafe at night, subways to be ridden at grave personal risk at any time but rush hour. Of course not - now the city sparkles and breathes 24 hours a day. Even on the coldest evenings, city streets are mobbed with people, many who live and work here, many more who visit from all over the world.
Certainly, some of Koch's successors, notably Giuliani and Bloomberg completed and sustained this reversal. Now, not only the city dazzles, but the outlying boros, Brooklyn in particular, are in a renaissance where they are developing a brilliance of their own, and are places to explore and visit in their own right and not just gateways to Manhattan.
What I am impressed with most, is the irony that is was the irrascible Koch, who could be downright unlikeable at times, could cut through the thicket of partisan politics to proclaim the correct position, even when it belonged to the opposition party. All that mattered to Koch was the correct position, the right solution. That characteristic of Koch permeated positions and even affected his endorsements - if you were the right man for the job, it mattered little whether you were Democrat, Republican, Conservative, Liberal, or Independent. He'd cross over and endorse you. This not only was noble, it legitimized his own character as a man of integrity who wanted only the right solutions to our city and nation's problems.
We cannot even have a religion and politics forum on here among intelligent products of the same university - so divisive is our politics that any dialogue quickly degrades into anger and name calling.
Even on the subject of religion, Koch, Jewish of course, forged a great relationship with John Cardinal OConnor. He was so moved by the hymn "Be Not Afraid", sang at so many funerals for police and firemen, that he had a plaque with those words made for his desk. His affinity for the Church was so warm that some even speculated that he contemplated conversion. Of course, Koch remained his own man to the end, and in politics was fiercely loyal to Israel.
Ed Koch managed to cut through all of that, to simply seek the truth. Other politicians have been lionized, some inappropriately and only by members of their own party. Ed Koch was a true lion, who reversed the fortunes of our great city, and made us all proud to call ourselves New Yorkers.
RIP, Mayor Koch. How'd you do? Fuggedaboutit - you were awesome!
