By The Editors 7/24/12 6:39pm

opinion

Leadership from Quinn

There are many ways for a politician to prove his or her leadership skills. One of them, surely, is to put the common good (and common sense) ahead of the narrow interests of supporters. Especially well-known supporters.

Council Speaker Christine Quinn passed that crucial test recently when she refused to back down on an ill-advised bill despite intense public pressure from high-profile supporters, especially feminist Gloria Steinem.

We’ve been critical of Ms. Quinn in the past because she seemed to take positions based not on principle but on political calculation. She is, of course, one of the leading candidates to succeed Michael Bloomberg as mayor next year. As Speaker of the Council, Ms. Quinn is the second most-powerful elected official in municipal politics, so her performance in the role should offer some insight into the kind of mayor she would be. Read More

By The Editors 4/17/12 8:03pm

opinion

Kelly for Mayor?

The Republican Party has been on the winning side of the past five mayoral races, which means that a generation of New Yorkers has come of age without realizing that there was a time not so long ago when Republicans routinely nominated sacrificial lambs for the city’s highest elective office.

As the mayoral campaign of 2013 approaches, there are signs that the Republican Party has no desire to return to the old days, when it was a nonplayer in municipal affairs. That no doubt explains the recent chatter concerning the party’s admiration of Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.

News reports indicate that the GOP would be more than happy to have Mr. Kelly’s name on the top of its ticket next year. And why not? Read More

By The Editors 4/04/12 10:38am

opinion

A Bad Bill Becomes Law

The City Council’s approval of the so-called “prevailing wage” bill was not a surprise. The Council remains a bastion of the old politics of government grandstanding and job-killing mandates, and the “prevailing wage” bill gave members the opportunity to pander to unions and other special interests.

So it wasn’t the vote itself that was interesting. But a maneuver that took place before the vote spoke volumes about the bill’s recklessness. Read More

By The Editors 3/27/12 6:59pm

opinion

A Step Back in the City

It is unrealistic to expect that the march of reform will proceed without incident. Yes, both the state and the city have come a long way in recent years on a host of issues, ranging from tax policy to education reform. Mayors and governors understand that it is no longer acceptable to rely on tax hikes to pay for wasteful spending practices. That’s all good.

Every now and again, though, we’re reminded of the kinds of policies that earned the city and state a deserved reputation as a difficult place to do business.

The City Council this week is expected to pass a bill that will require developers to pay higher labor costs on projects that receive more than $1 million in subsidies. Read More