Ed Koch: In His Own Words

Ed Koch, the legendary three-term mayor of New York City between 1978 and 1989, discusses signature moments from his long political career and city life in an interview recorded in 2012. He died on Friday morning in Manhattan at 88 years old. Photo: AP
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[@wisemanwalkingdowntheroad4275]

Yes I remember the over two thousand murders a year and the out of control crime, the crime filled welfare hotels where the city was paying five luxury rates, real estate developers using thugs to drive people out of buildings so they they can be torn down or rebuilt for gentrification, the massive welfare fraud, police corruption, out of control overtime fraud committed city workers, how the city's transit system was allowed to deteriorate to a level of criminal negligence that resulted in many unnecessary injuries and deaths, the streets in the outer boroughs that had so many potholes and poorly done repairs that it felt like you were driving over a bombed out battlefield, children being massively socially promoted with high school diplomas that were functionally illiterate, the public parks filled with drug dealers and mentally deranged homeless people. I lived in New York through the Ed Koch Years and they were some the worst in the city's history bar none.

[@davidmason6395]

Boohoo

[@johmcg64]

Ed is nice!

[@mattdon2164]

Thank you, Mayor Koch, for everything.

[@thereddoors]

One less great man in this world...