Our Voice: Stay home, Bill! Drop out of the White House race
For many New Yorkers, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s delayed response to the Manhattan blackout on July 13 — as he continued his quixotic campaign for president a thousand miles away in Iowa — was the last straw.
Since the days when Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia rode on a police motorcycle sidecar to get to major incidents around town during the Great Depression, New Yorkers have come to expect their mayors to be on the spot for any major crisis that may strike.
But when the lights went out in Manhattan on Saturday night — trapping people in elevators, suspending subway service in Queens and beyond, and bringing the heart of the city to a standstill — de Blasio was nowhere to be found.
While on yet another taxpayer-funded junket in his longshot quest to become president, he phoned in the response, then waited hours before deciding he should get out of Iowa and come back to the city he was elected to serve.
But by the time he showed back up, the crisis was long over. Surrogate leaders stepped up during de Blasio’s absence, including City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and Governor Andrew Cuomo.
The blackout may have happened in Manhattan, but the rage over de Blasio’s no-show can be felt in every corner of the city. New Yorkers know that such a crisis could easily happen to them — and where would they be without the mayor’s leadership?
Some have said it’s time for de Blasio to step aside, but we don’t think that’s required.
Rather, it’s time for de Blasio to live up to the oath that he took to serve the people of New York City. It’s time for him to drop out of the presidential race.
Being mayor of New York City, it has been said, is the second-toughest job in America — second only to the presidency itself. De Blasio may be term-limited in 2021, but there are no limits to the very real challenges this city faces.
Residents are dealing with myriad problems including a higher cost of living, public transportation breakdowns, overcrowded schools, income inequality and more.
Undocumented residents in Queens and the other boroughs also feared the worst when reports surfaced that ICE would conduct a major deportation sweep last weekend. While the raid never materialized in the predicted large scale, the mayor decided to skip town anyway and campaign in Iowa — sending a message that he cares more about his fantastical White House hopes than he does for some of the city’s most vulnerable residents.
Indeed, de Blasio’s blazé handling of this weekend’s crises — not to mention past public policy blunders on everything from public education to public housing — indicate that he’s not ready for the White House at all. The Democratic field, crowded as it is, has far more competent and more qualified candidates for the presidency than the current mayor of New York City.
No one on the campaign trail will miss de Blasio except for the mayor himself. If taking charge of this city and building a lasting legacy isn’t good enough for him, then that’s his problem, not ours.
If anything, de Blasio has proven one thing: You can’t do both jobs well, but you can do both poorly.
What’s your opinion on de Blasio’s presidential campaign? Should he drop out or is he a viable contender for the White House? Drop us a line and let us know what you think! Email editorial[@]qns.com.
Snaps: Photo of the Week
Your Voice: Letters to the Editor
HELP 9/11 FIRST RESPONDERS NOW
The House of Representatives has passed extending the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. This bill will further aid firefighters, police and other first responders sick from working on Ground Zero. Now it is time for the U.S. Senate to step up and do the right thing.
Many first responders have already died and many more are sick due to their service to our nation. It is also time to aid and honor those who have sacrifice for America and given up their health in the process.
I say to the U.S. Senate, “Please don’t let down those who gave their all!”
Frederick R. Bedell Jr., Glen Oaks Village
PREPPING THE NEW MACHINE
It appears as if the heavy handed (submit or you will receive a primary challenge) Justice Democrats are striving to become the new “machine.”
If the most qualified candidate, Greg Lasak, had been endorsed by the Queens County Democrats, Tiffany Caban would already be relegated to the dustbin of history.
A. Hagan, Bayside
LAMENTING THE LOSS OF ‘MAD’
The demise of Mad Magazine is unfortunate. As a teenager growing up in the 1960s, I looked forward to each issue. “Spy vs. Spy” and “The Lighter Side Of” were two of my favorite regular features.
While other magazines included fold-ins, Mad went against the grain with fold-outs. Competitors such as Cracked, Crazy, Sick and others were also funny but not in the same league.
The antics of Alfred E. Neuman was someone everyone could relate to. Who could forget how we all laughed to the free record Mad Magazine added as a bonus to one issue titled “It’s a Gas”? The record predated both Howard Stern’s Fart Man and Mel Brooks “Blazing Saddles” campfire beans and flatulence scene.
Mad Magazine was ahead of its time, not paying attention to political correctness. Their social satire took on all comers, Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, young and old, single or married, gay or straight, religious or atheist, drugs, sex and even the Vietnam War. How refreshing that there was no subject that was taboo in each and every issue.
Mad Magazine was a national treasure that should be remembered for decades to come.
Larry Penner, Great Neck
* * *
Email your letters to editorial@qns.com (Subject: Letter to the Editor) or leave a comment to any of our stories at QNS.com. You can also send a letter by regular mail to Letters to the Editor, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361. All letters are subject to editing. Names will be withheld upon request, but anonymous letters will not be considered for publication. The views expressed in all letters and comments are not necessarily those of this newspaper or its staff.
