New York And Me

„The disposition of the 9-11 site has been handled inexplicably by city, state and federal officials. A ten-year anniversary looms, and nothing has materialized, other than plans for another White Elephant office tower in an area that was already overdeveloped at the time of the attacks. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in New York in February of 2002, outgoing Mayor Rudy Giuliani told a small crowd that none of the square footage lost in the attack needed to be replaced in order to protect the City's inventory of commercial office space. I recall that event vividly because I was there.

Ten years of real estate titans and politicians »negotiating« to what end? What role has the mayor's office, or the entire City government for that matter, played in bringing about the best result on behalf of all New Yorkers? The term limits issue is another matter. Bloomberg's detonation of a voter approved referendum seemed odd. What did he or the City stand to gain? Bloomberg leaves office as he entered it. A colossus in the world of finance with a deep, seemingly unsatisfied hunger for popular approval. It is Quinn, however, who has her work cut out for her. Quinn, a tough, dedicated and once principled city council official with cred piled high - both as a woman and an advocate for the LGBT community - is Bloomberg's handmaiden. I believe unconscionably so.

Perhaps voters and media alike will forget Quinn's poor judgment, the way they often do when the beneficiary of that action (Bloomberg) fades from view. But when Bloomberg is gone, New Yorker's will have the chance to elect someone who is not incessantly and metronomically invoking the business model of governance. There are some out there who offer a possible return to a New York where the interests of its residents don't come last, behind utilities, corporations, unions, developers and authorities like the MTA.”