Would you like to be Mayor of New York City?
       |           

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?
March 29, 2024, 02:28:20 AM
News: Election Simulator 2.0 Released. Senate/Gubernatorial maps, proportional electoral votes, and more - Read more

  Talk Elections
  General Politics
  U.S. General Discussion (Moderators: The Dowager Mod, Chancellor Tanterterg)
  Would you like to be Mayor of New York City?
« previous next »
Pages: [1] 2
Author Topic: Would you like to be Mayor of New York City?  (Read 1732 times)
Lincoln Republican
Winfield
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 14,348


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« on: July 01, 2014, 11:26:49 AM »

Being Mayor of New York City has been called the second toughest job in the U.S. next to being President.

Would you like to be Mayor of New York City?

Why or why not?
Logged
windjammer
Atlas Politician
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 15,512
France


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #1 on: July 01, 2014, 11:27:36 AM »

Yes,
In order to troll Cuomo
Logged
ElectionsGuy
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 21,107
United States


Political Matrix
E: 7.10, S: -7.65

P P
Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #2 on: July 01, 2014, 11:28:05 AM »

No, because I never want to be a politician.
Logged
Antonio the Sixth
Antonio V
Atlas Institution
*****
Posts: 57,964
United States


Political Matrix
E: -7.87, S: -3.83

P P
Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #3 on: July 01, 2014, 11:42:59 AM »

No, because I never want to be a politician.
Logged
Maistre
Jr. Member
***
Posts: 407
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #4 on: July 01, 2014, 11:49:04 AM »

Logged
Snowstalker Mk. II
Snowstalker
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 20,414
Palestinian Territory, Occupied


Political Matrix
E: -7.10, S: -4.35

P P P
Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #5 on: July 01, 2014, 12:10:34 PM »

Yes--redirect the NYPD from harassing minorities to roughing up the real criminals on Wall Street.
Logged
The world will shine with light in our nightmare
Just Passion Through
Atlas Legend
*****
Posts: 45,175
Norway


Political Matrix
E: -6.32, S: -7.48

P P P

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #6 on: July 01, 2014, 12:14:54 PM »

Yes--redirect the NYPD from harassing minorities to roughing up the real criminals on Wall Street.

Sage aside, how is a citywide police department qualified to prosecute white collar crimes?
Logged
bedstuy
YaBB God
*****
Posts: 4,526


Political Matrix
E: -1.16, S: -4.35

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #7 on: July 01, 2014, 12:19:49 PM »

Yes--redirect the NYPD from harassing minorities to roughing up the real criminals on Wall Street.

Sage aside, how is a citywide police department qualified to prosecute white collar crimes?

"Sir, roll down your widow, License and SEC filings.  Do you know how materially misleading your financial disclosures were under SEC rule 10b-5?"
Logged
Atlas Has Shrugged
ChairmanSanchez
Atlas Superstar
*****
Posts: 38,096
United States


Political Matrix
E: 5.29, S: -5.04


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #8 on: July 01, 2014, 12:21:32 PM »

I'd decentralize the city and place as much power into the hands of the Burroughs as possible.
Logged
DINGO Joe
dingojoe
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 11,700
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #9 on: July 01, 2014, 12:26:16 PM »

I'd decentralize the city and place as much power into the hands of the Burroughs as possible.

Edgar Rice and William?  That's a very ambitious alternate history.
Logged
DINGO Joe
dingojoe
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 11,700
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #10 on: July 01, 2014, 12:27:59 PM »

DeBlasio yes, Bloomberg not so much.
Logged
Atlas Has Shrugged
ChairmanSanchez
Atlas Superstar
*****
Posts: 38,096
United States


Political Matrix
E: 5.29, S: -5.04


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #11 on: July 01, 2014, 12:28:31 PM »

I'd decentralize the city and place as much power into the hands of the Burroughs as possible.

Edgar Rice and William?  That's a very ambitious alternate history.
William, with Alan Ginsberg as Vice Mayor.
Logged
DINGO Joe
dingojoe
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 11,700
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #12 on: July 01, 2014, 12:36:29 PM »

I'd decentralize the city and place as much power into the hands of the Burroughs as possible.

Edgar Rice and William?  That's a very ambitious alternate history.
William, with Alan Ginsberg as Vice Mayor.

I'm thinking something along the lines of a portal opens from Mars to NYC and the Junkies do battle with Martians.  Practically writes itself.
Logged
TDAS04
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 23,475
Bhutan


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #13 on: July 01, 2014, 01:25:38 PM »

Logged
PiMp DaDdy FitzGerald
Mr. Pollo
Jr. Member
***
Posts: 788


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #14 on: July 01, 2014, 03:43:28 PM »

Logged
Chancellor Tanterterg
Mr. X
Moderator
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 26,203
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #15 on: July 01, 2014, 04:23:57 PM »

Logged
Simfan34
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 15,744
United States


Political Matrix
E: 0.90, S: 4.17

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #16 on: July 02, 2014, 05:27:53 AM »

Only if I got to govern it in my typical style, that is, autocratically. More specifally I would have to govern for multiple decades, have complete control over all branches of government, a centralised party machine, influence throughout the metropolitan area, an ability to implement policies and projects without substantial opposition, and a mild personality cult.

In short, that is why I'd never be a politician.

But I've given it a bit of thought, and I'd imagine serving for 24-28 years, building a strong "Metropolitan Republican League" as the electoral vehicle, and playing the borough Democrats and WFP against each other to achieve electoral domination. (Something that Guilani could have done-if not so dramatically-but failed to). 

Term limits would obviously be abolished. I'd do the same for the Public Advocate office. Community boards would be greatly weakened if not eventually abolished. Gradually, the citywide elected officials would be appointed. I might try to tack on some functional constituencies on the city council.

In terms of policy, a strong anti-union element would initially dominate. Teachers' unions, transit unions, construction unions, all would have to be taken on in order to reduce costs (I mean, NYC wastes over $1 billion annually on yellow school buses). Perhaps, as the crowning achievement in that push, a Scott Walker-esque repeal of public collective bargaining rights.

Following this, with NIMBYs and unions neutered, a massive construction spree would commence. I'm envisioning plain old cut-and-cover construction of 10 new subway lines. A comprehensive reorganisation of sub-street utility lines. Something like 1,000,000 new apartment units, concentrated on the Far West Side, Astoria, Mott Haven, and Downtown Brooklyn. A Cross-Manhattan Midtown Tunnel connecting the Lincoln Tunnel and the Queens Tunnel. A bridge over the Raritan Bay. A tunneled Cross Brooklyn expressway, Gowanus, and BQE. A new (if not rebuilt) Penn Station is obviously a given.

A direct link between the WTC and JFK and Grand Central (utilising East Side Access) with LGA and JFK. Or, perhaps, a brand new airport dreged from the Raritan Bay south of Staten Island accompanied by an Incheon-style development of the area.

Downtown Brooklyn would be further developed as a commercial centre with the intention of getting it to be in the top 10 CBDs in the country. Long Island City would be completely built over with the goal of getting it in the top 15-20, centred around the Citibank Building there. Regional clout would be leveraged to develop tristate regulations and tax codes that effectively punish suburb-based corporations.

I would take personal control over the Landmarks Office. I would also impose a form-based code that emphasises not only transit-oriented development but somehow manages to engender traditionalist architecture (as part of the code). I would impose congestion pricing, and I would keep most of Bloomberg's programs, although I might ease the smoking ban in bars and in some restaurants (or just make an exception for Keens Chophouse), and throw in a pipe loophole.

The drinking and smoking age would be set at 18- and I dare the Feds to take 10% of our highway money. The NYPD has better things to do, like get all the homeless with the anti-loitering laws and off the subways and streets and into shelters, as conduct the occasional raid for drug users to put them into rehab.

My greatest task would be to smash the cycle of poverty, and that would be achived by reinforcing community institutions, empowering local leaders, creating support for education, denigrating and ostracising negative influences,  supporting two-parent households, fostering engagement between those in the community who have been successful in business and the community, and supporting entrepreneurship and business ownership. Let me hasten to add that last one is not an empty plaudit- have you ever been to a black neighbourhood and looked at who owns the businesses. More often than not, it's not black people. This is very gradualist, but it is made possible by the generation-spanning length of the term.

I think that's most of it.
Logged
Atlas Has Shrugged
ChairmanSanchez
Atlas Superstar
*****
Posts: 38,096
United States


Political Matrix
E: 5.29, S: -5.04


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #17 on: July 02, 2014, 09:11:31 AM »

Only if I got to govern it in my typical style, that is, autocratically. More specifally I would have to govern for multiple decades, have complete control over all branches of government, a centralised party machine, influence throughout the metropolitan area, an ability to implement policies and projects without substantial opposition, and a mild personality cult.

In short, that is why I'd never be a politician.

But I've given it a bit of thought, and I'd imagine serving for 24-28 years, building a strong "Metropolitan Republican League" as the electoral vehicle, and playing the borough Democrats and WFP against each other to achieve electoral domination. (Something that Guilani could have done-if not so dramatically-but failed to). 

Term limits would obviously be abolished. I'd do the same for the Public Advocate office. Community boards would be greatly weakened if not eventually abolished. Gradually, the citywide elected officials would be appointed. I might try to tack on some functional constituencies on the city council.

In terms of policy, a strong anti-union element would initially dominate. Teachers' unions, transit unions, construction unions, all would have to be taken on in order to reduce costs (I mean, NYC wastes over $1 billion annually on yellow school buses). Perhaps, as the crowning achievement in that push, a Scott Walker-esque repeal of public collective bargaining rights.

Following this, with NIMBYs and unions neutered, a massive construction spree would commence. I'm envisioning plain old cut-and-cover construction of 10 new subway lines. A comprehensive reorganisation of sub-street utility lines. Something like 1,000,000 new apartment units, concentrated on the Far West Side, Astoria, Mott Haven, and Downtown Brooklyn. A Cross-Manhattan Midtown Tunnel connecting the Lincoln Tunnel and the Queens Tunnel. A bridge over the Raritan Bay. A tunneled Cross Brooklyn expressway, Gowanus, and BQE. A new (if not rebuilt) Penn Station is obviously a given.

A direct link between the WTC and JFK and Grand Central (utilising East Side Access) with LGA and JFK. Or, perhaps, a brand new airport dreged from the Raritan Bay south of Staten Island accompanied by an Incheon-style development of the area.

Downtown Brooklyn would be further developed as a commercial centre with the intention of getting it to be in the top 10 CBDs in the country. Long Island City would be completely built over with the goal of getting it in the top 15-20, centred around the Citibank Building there. Regional clout would be leveraged to develop tristate regulations and tax codes that effectively punish suburb-based corporations.

I would take personal control over the Landmarks Office. I would also impose a form-based code that emphasises not only transit-oriented development but somehow manages to engender traditionalist architecture (as part of the code). I would impose congestion pricing, and I would keep most of Bloomberg's programs, although I might ease the smoking ban in bars and in some restaurants (or just make an exception for Keens Chophouse), and throw in a pipe loophole.

The drinking and smoking age would be set at 18- and I dare the Feds to take 10% of our highway money. The NYPD has better things to do, like get all the homeless with the anti-loitering laws and off the subways and streets and into shelters, as conduct the occasional raid for drug users to put them into rehab.

My greatest task would be to smash the cycle of poverty, and that would be achived by reinforcing community institutions, empowering local leaders, creating support for education, denigrating and ostracising negative influences,  supporting two-parent households, fostering engagement between those in the community who have been successful in business and the community, and supporting entrepreneurship and business ownership. Let me hasten to add that last one is not an empty plaudit- have you ever been to a black neighbourhood and looked at who owns the businesses. More often than not, it's not black people. This is very gradualist, but it is made possible by the generation-spanning length of the term.

I think that's most of it.
Bob Mosses is alive!

(Also, please don't have the homeless people put on buses and sent down here. The last time that happened the buses stopped a mile away from my house.)
Logged
Simfan34
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 15,744
United States


Political Matrix
E: 0.90, S: 4.17

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #18 on: July 02, 2014, 09:13:13 AM »
« Edited: July 02, 2014, 09:26:49 AM by Simfan34 »

Yes, we need another Robert Moses, but one who can drive and therefore know how suboptimal it is as far as the city is concerned. But seriously, someone with his ambition, drive, and disregard for criticism is needed if we want any real change for mass transit.

And another goal: establishing City College as a centre of excellence, or regaining the stature it held back in the 1930s at its peak as the "Poor Man's Harvard". Deepen its collaboration with Stanford, get them to build their proposed science campus adjacent to the present one up town, and funnel the best applicants of CUNY towards there. Centralise CUNY's professional schools there and spin off the remainder of the system as some "Free University of New York" or something like that with a heavy focus on the breaking of the cycle of poverty, admitting those with a clear desire for upward mobility.
Logged
Grumpier Than Uncle Joe
GM3PRP
Atlas Legend
*****
Posts: 45,081
Greece
Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #19 on: July 02, 2014, 10:30:04 AM »

Logged
AggregateDemand
Jr. Member
***
Posts: 1,873
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #20 on: July 02, 2014, 11:34:39 AM »

No. The mayor's primary job is to save a city obsessed with economic suicide, corruption and decay. No thanks.
Logged
🦀🎂🦀🎂
CrabCake
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 19,192
Kiribati


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #21 on: July 02, 2014, 01:33:39 PM »

No, I never would want executive power. Then you get the blame.
Logged
Joe Republic
Atlas Legend
*****
Posts: 40,044
Ukraine


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #22 on: July 02, 2014, 01:52:33 PM »

Sure, I can give it a shot.  When do I start?

Question - do I need to know anything about civic administration?  Or ever been to New York?  *fingers crossed it's "no"*
Logged
Simfan34
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 15,744
United States


Political Matrix
E: 0.90, S: 4.17

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #23 on: July 02, 2014, 06:11:56 PM »
« Edited: July 02, 2014, 08:02:36 PM by Simfan34 »

Here's what I'd envision for this "reorganisation":

City University of New York - to be branded as "the City University"

City College (Undergraduate):
  • Undergraduate School of Arts, Humanities, and Sciences (Undergrad. arm of SAHS)
    • John Jay School for Criminal Justice (supercedes John Jay College- something of a demotion)
  • Undergraduate School of Applied Sciences and Engineering (Undergrad. arm of SEAS)
    • Stanford-City University Center (partnership with joint faculty)
    • Undergraduate Faculty of Applied Sciences and Engineering(non-Stanford)

Graduate Schools:
  • Graduate School of Arts, Humanities, and Sciences (grad. arm of SAHS, supercedes some functions of Grad. Center)
    • [insert donor/alum here] Graduate School of Education
    • Spitzer Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Planning
  • Graduate School of Applied Sciences and Engineering (grad. arm of SASE , supercedes some functions of Grad. Center)
    • Stanford-City University Graduate Center (partnership with joint faculty)
    • Graduate Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences of the City University (non-Stanford)
  • [insert donor/alum here] Graduate School of Business (supersedes some functions of Baruch's Zicklin Business School)
  • [insert donor/alum here] School of Law (supersedes CUNY School of Law)
  • [insert donor/alum here] School of Journalism (supersedes CUNY Graduate School of Journalism)
  • Kissinger School of Public Affairs and Administration (takes on some programs from John Jay College)
    • Program in Criminal Justice (supercedes John Jay College)
  • City University Medical School (based around Harlem Hospital, possible collab. with Rockefeller Univ.)

The long term plan would be to consolidate the City University's facilities in Hamilton Heights where the City College campus presently is, with growth also being concentrated on 135th street as to link the future medical center with the rest of campus. The large Stanford Campus will also be built adjacent to the present campus. Academically, undergraduate students would all fall under the "City College" label and would therefore be integrated across the various undergraduate schools, living in the same dormitories, sharing facilities, and forming a cohesive group (with the exception of John Jay because they have a brand new campus on the West Side- that will take time). The organisation is confusing, but there is a single School of Arts, Humanities, and Sciences with an undergraduate and graduate divisions, and the same for the School of Applied Sciences and Engineering.

The Stanford thing is rather complex and derived from the little concrete information I found about the failed proposal, which called for 200 faculty in NYC (on Roosevelt Island) and some 2000 graduate students. Under this scheme, the Stanford faculty would also be appointed to the faculty of the City University, and the joint faculty would teach at City College, therefore enabling an undergraduate expansion as well. There would be a greater segregation at the graduate level, however- advisors and doctoral programs would be separated.

There would have to be a bottom-up construction of the Medical School, Public Affairs School, and Business School, and while they could utilise some faculty from the Davis School of Biomedical Education, John Jay College, and Baruch College, respectively, it would bear little resemblance to those organisations.

The Medical School would get Harlem Hospital as its teaching college and could poach faculty and resources from the Yeshiva's recently-sold Einstein School of Medicine, but a substantial effort would have to be made to have them be competitive. Alternatively, the City University could revive the affiliation it had with the Mount Sinai School of Medicine from 1963 to 1999, if that was possible- utilising mayoral pressure if need be. It's a top-rate medical school (ranked 19th) and so that would be an easy shortcut. simply forming the rather wordy Icahn School of Medicine of the City University of New York at Mount Sinai. Over time, as the University's reputation increased, "at Mount Sinai" would be dropped, and the accompanying health system could be known as the "City University Health System.

If Yeshiva gets any worse, the City University could pick up the Cardozo Law School, which would be a big step forward. On the upside, the Graduate Center has relatively strong History, English and Sociology programs at present. Selling off property due to consolidation will help this process, but great effort will have to be made in order to transform the City University into a first-tier public university, whose peers would be UMich, UVA, UNC, or USC (and Berkeley, after a while). Certainly, it is going to need Krugman, and having Dr. (yes, Dr.) David Petraeus would not hurt.

Administratively, the City University would remain chartered by the state but the balance would shift in favor of the city rather than the state in terms of governance, and towards more independence generally. The Mayor would serve as Chancellor, albeit in the English (read: ceremonial) manner. The University would be run by the President and Vice-Chancellor, normally. If the Board of Trustees (note: not Regents) were to have 26 members, 4 would be appointed by the governor, 6 would be appointed by the mayor, 10 would be elected amongst the trustees themselves (initially appointed by the Chancellor), 4 would be elected by alumni nominated by other members of the board, and 2 would be held by the mayor- one ex officio as Mayor of New York, and one as Chancellor of the University, which would be usually occupied by the Vice-Chancellor, that is, the President of the University.

The undergraduate population across the combined schools would amount to some 40,000, this would be reduced by 15,000 to a target of around 25,000. At present, there are around 15,500 graduate students, this would be reduced to around 12,000.



Independent University System (of the City of New York)

The constituent universities of the IUSNY would be almost completely autonomous- in any case, completely separate from the City University "above" them and the Community Colleges "below" them. These would be universities at the border of the the first and second rank, which would represent a dramatic increase to where they are now.

Hunter University (fmr. Hunter College, although the present name could work)
Hunter would be developed as a university in the mould of Boston College, Lehigh, or more aspirationally, Tufts, with a heavy liberal arts focus. It would be a rather "progressive" school, ideally maintaining its heritage as a women's college. If possible, the school would relocate to the northern part of Roosevelt Island presently occupied by a disused hospital; this would be funded in part by developing and selling off its whole block on Park Avenue and the surrounding area, which could bring in over $4 billion in profit*. This is conveniently just across the river from its new Medical Center on 74th Street, a connection (Bridge? Tunnel? Ferry? Skyway?) should be contemplated. In that regard, Hunter would also take over the CUNY School of Public Health. The undergraduate population would be halved from about 16,000 to around 8,000, while the graduate population would be kept around 6,000.

*A source I found said that when combined with the Park Avenue Armory's air rights, this amounts to some 2.5 million square feet. Taking out 1.25 million square feet due to common spaces, retail, public uses, schools, utilities, hallways, staircases, and anything that is not an apartment, we are left with 1.25 million square feet, which, developed at a cost of $1,200 per square foot for the apartments (1.25 million square feet), $750 per square foor for the balance (another 1.25 square feet) and priced at an average of $5,000 per square foot, would net Hunter nearly $4.1 billion dollars, by no measure an insubstantial sum.

This of course assumes the city would be developing the project rather than simply selling air rights/land. A municipally-owned (and party controlled) parastatal real estate company would have to be established in order to do this- yes, it's rent seeking, but it allow for substantially increased revenues as opposed to selling the sites- assuming, rather optimistically, that the total rights/site sell for $750/buildable square foot, this would only generate $1.875 billion.


University of Brooklyn (fmr. Brooklyn College, or maybe just Brooklyn University)
The rather pompously named University of Brooklyn would have a somewhat more uphill road to excellence. More on  this later. I'm tired out.
Logged
Badger
badger
Atlas Legend
*****
Posts: 40,258
United States


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #24 on: July 02, 2014, 07:26:41 PM »

No. The mayor's primary job is to save a city obsessed with economic suicide, corruption and decay. No thanks.

Psst. It's not 1975 anymore, you troll.

Oh, and to the OP. F#$k yeah. Always getting reservations at the best restaurants and shows, and having a salary to basically cover it. Grin
Logged
Pages: [1] 2  
« previous next »
Jump to:  


Login with username, password and session length

Terms of Service - DMCA Agent and Policy - Privacy Policy and Cookies

Powered by SMF 1.1.21 | SMF © 2015, Simple Machines

Page created in 0.065 seconds with 12 queries.