EDWARD I. KOCH 1924-2013

EDWARD I. KOCH 1924-2013

MAYOR EDWARD IRVING KOCH DIED RECENTLY AT THE AGE OF 88. HE WAS THE 105TH MAYOR OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK TO THOSE OF US WHO SERVED UNDER HIM, HE WAS A LARGER THAN LIFE INSPIRATION WHO TAUGHT US TO ENGAGE THE WORLDS OF POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT WITH GUSTO AND MORAL COURAGE. TRAITS THAT HE DEMONSTRATED DAILY PERFORMING THE SECOND HARDEST JOB IN AMERICA.

AFTER HE LEFT OFFICE I SENT A NOTE TO HIM WHICH SIMPLY SAID “YOU HAD LAGUARDIA …ALL OF THOSE WHO COME AFTER YOU, WILL HAVE HAD KOCH”. HE WAS A TRANSFORMATIVE MAYOR WHO SAVED THE CITY FROM FISCAL RUIN AND MADE IT BETTER FOR EVERYONE DURING THE TUMULTUOUS 70s AND 80s. HE LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR HIS SUCCESSORS TO MAKE THE CITY PROSPEROUS, SAFE AND LIVABLE ON A LONG TERM BASIS.

MY JOB IN ALL THREE OF HIS TERMS FOCUSED ON THE NEEDS AND RIGHTS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. ED KOCH PIONEERED NUMEROUS PROGRAMS IN THIS ARENA AND NEVER TOOK PUBLIC CREDIT FOR THEM.

NEW YORK CITY UNDER HIS WATCH PUT 1500 DISABLED YOUTH TO WORK EVERY SUMMER AND SET UP JOB TRAINING AND PLACEMENT PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS USING FEDERAL MONIES IN NOVEL WAYS NOT FOUND ANYWHERE IN THE REST OF THE NATION. HE MADE APRTMENTS FOR DISABLED PEOPLE AND STARTED NYC ON THE PATH TO ALMOST 100% ACCESSIBILITY FOR VOTING SITES, UNIVERSAL CURB CUTS AND ACCESSIBLE MASS TRANSIT. HE PASSED LANDMARK HUMAN RIGHTS LEGISLATION AND INITIATED THE FIRST PROGRAMS FOR ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN DISASTER SITUATIONS. HE DID ALL OF THIS AND MORE AND AGAIN HE NEVER TOOK ANY CREDIT.

 

THERE WAS A SIDE TO THE MAYOR THAT I BELIEVE HE HID FROM PUBLIC VIEW. THE MAYOR BELIEVED IT TOOK A TOUGH GUY TO TAME A TOUGH CITY AND HID A KIND AND SENSITIVE SIDE OF HIS NATURE. ONE DAY IN CITY HALL SOME DISABLED ACTIVISTS IN WHEELCHAIRS DECIDED TO SIT IN IN A PROTEST. THEY WERE ALL IN A ROOM ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF CITY HALL AND HE IMMEDIATELY CAME IN TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THEM. AS HE APPROACHED A LADY IN A WHEEL CHAIR TO SPEAK TO HER, HE KNELT DOWN SO THAT HIS FACE WOULD BE AT THE SAME LEVEL AS HERS AND SHE WOULD NOT HAVE TO LOOK UP AT HIM. THIS SIMPLE INSTINCTUAL ACT OF INNATE HUMAN DECENCY WAS ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE SCOPE AND SENSITIVITY OF KOCH THE MAN AS WELL AS KOCH THE MAYOR. I NEVER FORGOT THAT MOMENT AND I HAVE RARELY SEEN ANY OTHER POLITICIAN DEMONSTRATE THAT KIND OF BASIC RESPECT.

ON ANOTHER OCCASION, WE HAD A CEREMONY IN CITY HALL FOR GRADUATES OF ONE OF THE JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR DISABLED PEOPLE THAT HE HAD INITIATED. ONE OF THE GRADUATES WAS A YOUNG MAN WITH DOWN’S SYNDROME WHO GOT A JOB THROUGH THE PROGRAM.. WHEN HE GOT HIS CERTIFICATE HE ASKED FOR A MOMENT TO SPEAK TO THANK THE MAYOR. HE SAID SIMPLY “YOU GAVE ME A CHANCE TO HAVE A NORMAL LIFE AND I CAN NEVER REPAY YOU ENOUGH“. NEEDLESS TO SAY THERE WASN’T A DRY EYE IN THE ROOM. IT TAKES A SMART,TOUGH MAN WITH A TENDER HEART TO USE GOVERNMENT TO MAKE COUNTLESS REAL MITZVAHS FOR COUNTLESS REAL PEOPLE.

EDWARD IRVING KOCH WAS THE QUINTESSENTIAL NEW YORKER. HE WAS A GREAT SOUL AND I WILL BE FOREVER PROUD TO SAY I SERVED UNDER HIM.
HE IN TURN SERVED ALL OF US WELL AND DID IT HIS WAY…. AND MAYOR YOU DID IT MAGNIFICENTLY!!! NYC WITHOUT YOU WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.

ERLANDSSON