Robert Hornak
There have been 110 mayors of New York City since it was founded in1665. IN all that time NYC has never had a mayor been indicted. Until now.
Since the consolidation of the five boroughs only one mayor, Jimmy Walker, a very flamboyant man from the powerful Tammany Hall machine, has had the dubious distinction of being forced to resign due to accusations of corruption. It appears the current mayor, Eric Adams, is about to follow in Jimmy Walkers footsteps.
If Adams is forced to resign or is removed by Governor Hochul, depending on the timing, will likely trigger a non-partisan special election that will dramatically change the political landscape heading into the 2025 citywide elections. But more critically, it will cast a very dark shadow over our political system, with too many people believing that all politicians are corrupt.
Today’s candidates often come from local Democratic political organizations, not as powerful as Tammany Hall was, but just as politically entrenched. These future candidates often come out of school and their first job is working for some elected official, holding a government job, or working in a politically connected non-profit.
They wait for their turn, then with the support of their boss or mentor, they run for local office and spend the rest of their career moving up the ladder to higher office. But they lack what most of the people they want to govern have, and what our founders hoped-for, real-world professional experience outside of government.
All too often a lifetime spent only working for government can lead to a distorted sense of judgment on the use of the power we give our public officials, and getting ahead justifies the means by which they get there.
Term limits were intended to help address that, but ultimately, it comes down to the people to decide to run. The best way to combat public corruption is for people from outside the world of politics and government to run for public office.
There is no school or hotline for people who consider running for office. Nevertheless, the public will be better served by average people willing to put their lives on hold to run for the City Council or the State Assembly and bring an outsider’s viewpoint and experience to the job of governing. Anyone looking for more information can contact me at rahornak@gmail.com.
Robert Hornak is a professional political consultant who has previously served as the Deputy Director of the Republican Assembly Leader’s NYC office and as Executive Director of the Queens Republican Party.
