Brace yourself

I argued a few days ago that the investigations around Eric Adams’ people were a big deal, but not THAT much of a big deal. Every mayor has had scandals. And I lived through Koch. You’ve gotta show me more than some campaign finance violations, shake-downs, and small time bribes. Turkey. Ed Caban. Banks, Banks & Banks. Winnie Greco. Lisa Zornberg. I wrote:

That’s a lot. Could be a lot more. Has reached his highest level appointees. Could it reach him personally? Maybe. Could it force him to resign? Probably not, even if we wished it did force him. After all, this is New York.

Since I wrote, Banks resigned as schools commissioner (effective December 31), and Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasain resigned. That’s biggers. But no indictment of Adams himself… until…

Adams is getting indicted tomorrow. Big scandal. New York scale. Up there with Koch – and maybe more than that, since Koch was never touched. This is a big deal, even for jaded New Yorkers. Like me.

Cue the celebrations? Nah. I’m not a fan of Eric Adams. Most of my friends, same. We will cheer for a moment. Or a day. But, two things. First, there’s something weird about a growing scandal, in New York City, but where none of the targets is a white man. (How come the papers aren’t talking about this? Funny, same papers who never mentioned the ethnicity of the targets in the Koch scandals. Two-thirds Jews, one-third Italians. And pretty much no one else. You knew that, right?)

The second reason to delay celebrating… who is now the favorite to be New York City’s next mayor? I mean, after whoever finishes Adams’ term? The answer, brace yourself, is probably…

Andrew Cuomo. Who spread COVID in nursing homes, leading early on to the highest senior citizen COVID death count in the country. Who ordered his staff, on NY State time, to work on producing his book. Who helped the Republicans keep control in the NY State Senate for a decade. Who routinely opposed progressive legislation. Who tried to throw the Working Families Party off the ballot. And who had a dozen women complaining of forcible touching. He put his hands where women did not want them, and used his power to get away with it.

Andrew Cuomo, who only beat ethics charges when the Ethics Board was dismantled.

I bet the Times endorses him (if they still endorse? Do they?) or at least they hit “like.” They do that for candidates who claim to oppose racism, and promise to never do anything to address it. I bet Republicans endorse him. No better chance for them to get one of their own into Gracie Mansion. Cops will support him, and the promise of no increase in oversight. And all the “moderate” Democrats.

So yup, glad Eric’s gone. But it’s not time to cheer. Not yet.