NYC-WTC_000230658

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

THE NEW York. TIMES, THURSDAV’. OCTOBER 4, 2001

The Next Mayor’s Job New York’s next mayor faces one of the most budget, Mr. Ferrer has hewed more closely to his (Tenting challenges in the city's history — rebuild- earlier agenda, saying as recently as Tuesday after­ after the World Trade Center attack last month. noon that “the towers of the World Trade Center ■^e^two remaining Democratic candidates are now have crumbled, but our priorities have not,” His tp/Ung voters how they would tackle the job. It is construction priorities include projects like the iijiporiant to listen. All campaign promises made freight rail tunnel to New Jersey and new subway before Sept, il that involve new spending have lines, which, while desirable, cannot be tackled until become virtually irrelevant. The most important the existing infrastructure is restored. qtfe'fetion in this disrupted but crucial mayoral elec- An example of Mr. Ferrer’s refusal to face” lihn is who has the skills, depth and fortitude to reality was a moment in last night’s debate when he IfflhHle the rebuilding and the enormous budget gap insisted that as mayor he would increase the budget tlQiPthe attack helped create. for parks. "Parks are an important part of the * *®'Public Advocate Mark Green and Bronx Bor- quality of living in our city,” he said. No one would Q\jgji President Fernando Ferrer met in their first argue, but leading the public to believe that the r^^'ff debate last night, and responded to questions parks budget may get bigger in the foreseeable qbput how they would restore Lower Manhattan and future is borderline irresponsible. The next mayor balance the budget. Mr. Ferrer repeated what had will inherit a budget gap of at least $4 billion and originally seemed like an over-hasty promise to use probably much more. He will have to struggle to th®restoration process to decentralize the financial find money for police, firefighters and teachers. dlB'tfict’s businesses throughout the city. Mr. Ferrer Although Mr. Green has been far from eager to , wfMts to build and rehabilitate office space in places deliver any specific bad news, he has been more IBtS’^the Hub in the Bronx and Stapleton in Staten forthright in saying that many of his old goals would iSand to accommodate back-office jobs. That idea have to be deferred. tSjiht make those boroughs happy, but it seems The next mayor needs to hit the ground at a full ] u^^ely to please businesses that located near Wall stride on Jan. 1 with a ready-made staff of experts ^Jjeet because they wanted the advantages of being chosen for experience, not political connections. All ajiOie center of the nation’s financial markets, and the candidates need to give voters a better and more prjesumably wanted their support staffs nearby. detailed idea of whom they will hire and how they jitl Perhaps more important is the danger that Mr. will keep the city afloat while rebuilding after the Ferrer’s plan would reduce the city’s chances of attack. So far, the Democrats’ clearest plans in­ getting needed federal aid. However much New volve the role each envisions for Mayor Rudolph York would benefit from spreading out develop- Giuliani, Mr. Green supports Mr. Giuliani's very mfeht and jobs, Washington and the nation believe bad idea to stay on three months beyond his sched­ are sending aid here to restore the area that uled departure time. Mr. Ferrer opposes that, but wai^ devastated by two hijacked planes. Any sign says he would name Mr. Giuliani as head of the t^af the money might be spread throughout the Lower Manhattan redevelopment project — a situa­ political web would be counterproductive. tion Mr. Green says would create, in effect, two (.prtAt this point, Mr. Green’s proposals provide a mayors at the same time. mpce reasonable focus on restoring the economic Democrats will decide between Mr. Green and vibrancy of Lower Manhattan as a global financial Mr. Ferrer in a runoff next, Thursday. The winner : center. He also puts a great deal of emphasis on will face the Republican nominee, Michael Bloom­ getting more federal aid. His agenda should be berg, in November. Mr. Bloomberg, a businessman, given points for specificity. But Mr. Green also has so far focused more on a general touting of his tends to use the idea of billions in additional federal .own management skills than a specific agenda for aid to dodge questions about difficult budget rebuilding and balancing the budget. That must choices. Both men have made a good beginning in change once the runoff is over. At that point, Mayor working out a way to create a quasi-public corpora­ Giuliani and his team should also be prepared to tion that would lead the rebuilding process. help out by briefing both nominees, bringing them While neither candidate has focused directly on up to speed in order to maintain continuity no how he would manage a newly devastated city matter who wins.

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NYC-WTC_000230658