Editorial: Plans and Politicking
December 10th, 2007
The presidential candidates spent their 2007 summers issuing massive policy proposals for restructuring health care and addressing the mounting problems in Iraq. By next summer, since we all already know that they will be campaigning early for 2009, the would-be mayors, public advocates, comptrollers and borough presidents should follow their lead, issuing specific plans to address the affordable housing crisis and other aspects related to New York’s long-term growth, among other issues.
In a city where almost every election is certain to be determined by a primary between like-minded candidates with almost identical voting records, this is especially important.
There is something in it for the candidates, certainly. In the midst of his 2005 nine-way primary race for Manhattan borough president, Scott Stringer issued his “Vision for the Office of Manhattan Borough President” to set him apart from the rest of the nearly ideologically indistinguishable field. His five-part, 117-page researched mission statement won him much praise and helped woo several major newspaper endorsements.
Most importantly, though, it served as an actual blueprint for his time in office, especially on community board reform. That is just one of the high profile successes which have some people thinking that he will have the substance to make a citywide run in 2009, after just one term as borough president.
But the best example of a candidate with specific and practical proposals for what to do once elected is, not surprisingly, the technocrat executive, Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Not only did he spell out precisely what he would do if elected and then if re-elected, but he has periodically issued report cards on how well his administration has done delivering on them. He is noticeably frustrated that this aspect of his administration does not get more attention, and rightfully so. (And he has let his promises guide, but not restrict him—neither the tax hike nor the smoking ban were much discussed in his 2001 campaign, and PlaNYC was not a factor of his 2005 campaign.)
New Yorkers should be paying more attention to a politician who keeps his promises and hope that those angling to follow him in office will pick up this part of his legacy.
In a city where almost every election is certain to be determined by a primary between like-minded candidates with almost identical voting records, this is especially important.
There is something in it for the candidates, certainly. In the midst of his 2005 nine-way primary race for Manhattan borough president, Scott Stringer issued his “Vision for the Office of Manhattan Borough President” to set him apart from the rest of the nearly ideologically indistinguishable field. His five-part, 117-page researched mission statement won him much praise and helped woo several major newspaper endorsements.
Most importantly, though, it served as an actual blueprint for his time in office, especially on community board reform. That is just one of the high profile successes which have some people thinking that he will have the substance to make a citywide run in 2009, after just one term as borough president.
But the best example of a candidate with specific and practical proposals for what to do once elected is, not surprisingly, the technocrat executive, Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Not only did he spell out precisely what he would do if elected and then if re-elected, but he has periodically issued report cards on how well his administration has done delivering on them. He is noticeably frustrated that this aspect of his administration does not get more attention, and rightfully so. (And he has let his promises guide, but not restrict him—neither the tax hike nor the smoking ban were much discussed in his 2001 campaign, and PlaNYC was not a factor of his 2005 campaign.)
New Yorkers should be paying more attention to a politician who keeps his promises and hope that those angling to follow him in office will pick up this part of his legacy.
