Don't fear...Ed Koch is here!

Ed Koch summed it up best when he said of Albany lawmakers that “…the good ones are [not] good enough…and the bad ones are evil”.


Koch, a former New York City mayor, is bringing together a coalition of groups in an effort to remove the bad apples from Albany. The group will meet next week, and sets to take their aim not only at the mismanagement of government, but also incumbents up for election. These incumbents, who Koch describes as being impediments to change, are traditionally overlooked during campaign season. The simple fact is that incumbent candidates, on the whole, are quite difficult to unseat. This Herculean task has taken many by surprise, not least of which the incumbents themselves.

Although the tide is certainly turning towards a more productive, efficient Albany, would Koch’s efforts be better spent elsewhere? Instead of trying to unseat politicians, perhaps grooming better candidates is the answer. In truth, the Albany spectacle is simply a microcosm of the problems inherent in most legislatures including the Congress of the United States. This would support the notion that the system itself is flawed, perpetuating the types of leaders who are more self-serving than self-sacrificing.

With the continual circus mentality in the state capital, and public trust in elected officials in Albany low, now is the best time to try to make positive change. While substantial, the task is fit for a man of Koch’s stature and demeanor. Incumbents, especially the corrupt ones, should not rest comfortably in their posts.