New York, New York, New York: Four Decades of Success, Excess, and Transformation

New York has experienced some significant changes in the past four decades. In the 1970s, it was a basket case. The famous headline: "Ford to City: Drop Dead" says it all. I like to put a lot of the blame on the shenanigans of Robert Moses as he bulldozed the city to erect more freeways. However, that was just the beginning of the problems. New York had become a "workers paradise". Alas, this was created by dishing out abundant benefits and not expecting much work in return. (Hmmm... Does seem similar to what the US government is trying to do now.)

New York was a financial basket case. "Machine" mayors had doled out patronage and let infrastructure rot. This left the city in a bad condition. Crime was also escalating. Ed Koch ran to the right of the the establishment candidates and garnered great support, eventually getting Republican and Democratic endorsements. He tried to run a government that got things done without the heavy patronage system and wanted to restore some law and order. Alas, there were still crime issues. 

Koch was followed by David Dinkins, the first black mayor of New York. He was followed by tough-on-crime Republican Rudy Giuliani and then billionaire Republican Michael Bloomberg. Each of these mayors were "outside" the conventional establishment machine. During this time, city finances were brought back in order and crime was brought under control. The wealthy were tapped to helped out by funding things such as parks. Time Square was transformed into the tourist trap it is today and New York became a desirable place to live.

The book does not have much to say about Bill de Blasio. Though what is said is not all that positive. He seems to be a return to the old machine. New York had got itself out of the rut with nonconventional Mayors over the last four decades. Now the city has chosen to go back to the "machine".