The Avalon Theater in Washington DC (a non-profit,
continuing operations for a facility dating bac to 1923) is showing the chatty
biographical documentary “Koch” (by Niels Barsky) in its big auditorium, with fair attendance
today (Sunday afternoon). This has
nothing to do with the controversial oil company (Friday’s pot), but, rather,
New York City’s feisty mayor Ed Koch, who held office from 1978-1989 and
recently passed away at 88.
I lived in New York City in the 1970s, and remember his New
Year’s Day inauguration to start 1978, when he said ‘Come East”. The City had fallen into despair with the
financial crisis of 1957m and the famous New York Daily News headline “Ford to
City: Drop Dead” (link) .
)
New York did get better quickly in the 1980s. A friend, on my visit back from Texas in
1982, said, “actually New York is booming.”
Koch kept himself personally
above the corruption of others, or he at least tried to.
He calls himself a "fiscal conservative" and a "social liberal". The film says little about his terms in Congress from 1969-1977. Koch actually wrote one time that he supported the idea of filial responsibility, that adult children should be held responsible for their parents. (New York State, however, does not have a filial support law.)
He calls himself a "fiscal conservative" and a "social liberal". The film says little about his terms in Congress from 1969-1977. Koch actually wrote one time that he supported the idea of filial responsibility, that adult children should be held responsible for their parents. (New York State, however, does not have a filial support law.)
Koch was a bachelor all his life, and actually teamed up
with Bess Meyerson in the 1977 campaign to deflect “homo” character
assassination from political opponents.
He refused to answer questions about sexual orientation, and said that
politicians shouldn’t have to. On the
other hand, many feel that a politician’s “coming out” would help less fortunate
LGBT people. Some felt that his response
to AIDS in New York City was underwhelming.
Late in the film, there is some graphic footage of PWA’s and ACT-UP
demonstrations. (See review of “How to
Survie a Plague, June 24, 2012).
Koch was felt to have an uneven record with African-Americans. He first supported and then tried to close a hospital in Harlem as part of New York's financial restructuring. He does refer to himself as "white" and his Jewish background, while shown (in extended family events) doesn't seem to put him in a a "minority".
I believe Koch was still in office when the police scandal associated with the Central Park Five occurred in 1989 (see Dec. 15, 2012 posting).
Koch was felt to have an uneven record with African-Americans. He first supported and then tried to close a hospital in Harlem as part of New York's financial restructuring. He does refer to himself as "white" and his Jewish background, while shown (in extended family events) doesn't seem to put him in a a "minority".
I believe Koch was still in office when the police scandal associated with the Central Park Five occurred in 1989 (see Dec. 15, 2012 posting).
The official site for the film (Zeitgeist) is here.
It is said that Ed Koch leaves behind the entire City of New
York as his lineage. Whenever he was in
a plane landing back home, he felt like he owned the City as if it were “the Ring” (that is, Frodo's).
By the way, I do remember those old subway tokens of the 1970s. I was living in Dallas for most of the time if Koch's mayoralty; I left NYC in early 1979, when things were still not good.
By the way, I do remember those old subway tokens of the 1970s. I was living in Dallas for most of the time if Koch's mayoralty; I left NYC in early 1979, when things were still not good.
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