ALBANY, N.Y. — Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch said Wednesday that fellow Democrats should dump powerful Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Koch’s friend of 40 years. But, Koch added, “it’s not possible. I know his district.” Silver represents a heavily Democratic section of lower Manhattan. The only way he can be replaced is in the Democratic caucus, and I...
ALBANY, N.Y. — Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch said Wednesday that fellow Democrats should dump powerful Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Koch’s friend of 40 years.
But, Koch added, “it’s not possible. I know his district.” Silver represents a heavily Democratic section of lower Manhattan. The only way he can be replaced is in the Democratic caucus, and I hope he will be replaced unless he signs on to reform,” Koch said.
Few have dared cross Silver who has become the most powerful figure in Albany since he became speaker in 1994. Governors George Pataki, Eliot Spitzer and David Paterson and former Republican Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno can chalk up big losses to Silver over the years.
“Shelly Silver is a good friend of mine, I’ve known him for 40 years,” said the 85-year-old Koch. “I’m doing this because I honestly believe in good government. ... I’m a dedicated Democrat, but in this area — good government — party means nothing.”
Silver spokeswoman Sisa Moyo noted the Assembly has passed a budget reform measure among other reforms, some of which failed to pass in the Senate. The Assembly “remains committed to passing comprehensive ethics and campaign finance reform and continues to remain open to exploring ways of improving redistricting,” she said.
Koch’s New York Uprising movement seeks to change the traditional redrawing of election district maps for the Legislature and Congress. The redistricting process every 10 years has long been done by the majority parties of the Assembly and Senate, which redraw lines to protect incumbents and majority power.
Koch invites incumbents and challengers to sign onto the reform plan. If they do, he trumpets them as heroes of reform; if they don’t, he goes public calling them enemies of reform. Koch has signed up 300 incumbents and challengers.
Koch was a quintessential New Yorker in his three terms as mayor beginning in the late 1970s, but the dysfunction and corruption in Albany drew him back from commentator to player in politics.
In the past two years, the state Senate was mired in gridlock over power struggles, fiscal crises were met with some of the largest increases in spending and taxes in history, and this year’s budget was passed almost four months late.