Ed Koch, Former Mayor of NYC Dead at the Age of 88, December 12, 1924 – February 1, 2013 … Rest in Peace

Ed Koch, the former New York City mayor from January 1, 1978 to December 31, 1989 died Friday morning at the ager of 88. Koch died at 2 a.m. from congestive heart failure at the New York-Presbyterian Columbia Hospital. What a tremendous loss, Ed Koch was one in a million. For anyone who followed politics and lived in the NYC area at the time, you knew Koch for his huge personality, tenacity, humor, ability to take on the tough issues and get them done. Koch is forever known for asking the public with his trademark saying, “How’m I doin?” Maybe today’s politicians should take the time and care enough today to do the same. Koch was a liberal Democrat, but he was never afraid to speak his mind and let people how he felt, right or wrong. His unbridled candor was stuff that today’s 24-7-365 news and social media would have loved to have been a part of. For that, I may not have always agreed to his policies or his politics, but I did respect him. Koch was a politician who did not hide behind lies, spin or political correctness, how refreshing.

December 12, 1924 – February 1, 2013

Edward I. Koch, the master showman of City Hall, who parlayed shrewd political instincts and plenty of chutzpah into three tumultuous terms as mayor of New York with all the tenacity, zest and combativeness that personified his city of golden dreams, died Friday morning at age 88.

Mr. Koch’s spokesman, George Arzt, said the former mayor died at 2 a.m. from congestive heart failure. He was being treated at New York-Presbyterian Columbia Hospital.

Mr. Koch had experienced coronary and other medical problems since leaving office in 1989. But he had been in relatively good health despite — or perhaps because of — his whirlwind life as a television judge, radio talk-show host, author, law partner, newspaper columnist, movie reviewer, professor, commercial pitchman and political gadfly.

Barack Obama could learn a lot from Democrat Ed Koch’s handling of the economy. It is too bad that Ed Koch was not the president today, unlike Bill Clinton who said at the 2012 Democrat that even he could not have turned around the US economy, which paved the way for Obama’s reelection. Back in his day, Koch turned around NYC’s economy and brought it back from the brink of bankruptcy. However, one of NY City’s biggest mistakes was in 1989 when Koch ran for a fourth term as Mayor but lost the Democratic primary to David Dinkins, who was an epic one term failure.

Most important, he is credited with leading the city government back from near bankruptcy in the 1970s to prosperity in the 1980s. He also began one of the city’s most ambitious housing programs, which continued after he left office and eventually built or rehabilitated more than 200,000 housing units, revitalizing once-forlorn neighborhoods.

 NYC Mayor Bloomberg released the following statement:

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who released a statement this morning, said, ” He was a great mayor, a great man, and a great friend. In elected office and as a private citizen, he was our most tireless, fearless, and guileless civic crusader. Through his tough, determined leadership and responsible fiscal stewardship, Ed helped lift the city out of its darkest days and set it on course for an incredible comeback. We will miss him dearly.”

Ed Koch, Rest in Peace.