Ed Koch

Ed Koch
File:EdKoch.jpg
105th Mayor of New York City
In office January 1, 1978 – December 31, 1989
Preceded by	Abraham D. Beame
Succeeded by	David N. Dinkins
Personal details
Born	(1924-12-12) December 12, 1924 Bronx, New York, USA
Political party	Democratic

Edward Irving Koch (born December 12, 1924; pronounced to rhyme with Scotch) was a United States Congressman from 1969 to 1977 and the Mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989.

Early life

Ed Koch was born to a Jewish family in Morrisania in the Bronx. His father worked as a furrier. During the Great Depression, sales of fur coats and other luxury goods sharply declined, and the family moved from New York City to Newark, New Jersey He graduated from Newark's South Side High School in 1941. (The school is now called Malcolm X Shabazz High School). His mother, Joyce, died of cancer at a relatively young age. Koch attended City College of New York from 1941 to 1943.

He was drafted into the United States Army where he served as an infantryman with the 104th Infantry Division, landing in Cherbourg, France in September 1944. He was honorably discharged with the rank of sergeant in 1946.

In that year, Koch began attending the New York University School of Law; that summer he also worked as a busboy in a hotel in the upstate New York spa town of Sharon Springs. He received his LL.B degree in 1948, was admitted to the bar in 1949, and began to practice law.

Lawyer, party official, and Councilman

Koch was elected Democratic Party district leader of Greenwich Village, holding that office from 1963 to 1965, was a delegate to the State convention in 1964, and was elected to the New York City Council in 1966. In 1965 he made headlines for endorsing Republican John Lindsay for mayor, while still serving as a Democratic district leader.

U.S. Congressman

Koch was the Democratic U.S. Representative from New York's 17th congressional district from January 3, 1969 until January 3, 1973, when after a redistricting he represented New York's 18th congressional district until December 31, 1977, when he resigned to become Mayor of New York City.

Koch has said he began his political career as "just a plain liberal." He has traced the beginning of his rightward shift towards being a "liberal with sanity" to the controversy in 1973 around then-New York City Mayor John Lindsay's attempt to place a 3,000-person housing project in the middle of a middle-class community in Forest Hills, Queens. Congressman Koch met with residents of the community, most of whom were against the proposal. He was convinced by their arguments, and spoke out against the plan; this decision, he has said, shocked many of his political associates.

In mid-1976, he was threatened with murder by Uruguayan secret police. He would learn about those threats only after Orlando Letelier's carbombing in Washington D.C., September 1976, by Michael Townley, an American agent for DINA, the Chilean secret police, working for Operation Condor. However, Koch only discovered the relationship between those threats on his life and Operation Condor in 2001.

Mayor of New York City

1977 election and first term

Mayor Ed Koch in 1978.

In 1977, Koch ran in the Democratic primary of the New York mayoral election against incumbent Abe Beame, Bella Abzug and Mario Cuomo, among others. Koch ran to the right of the other candidates, on a "law and order" platform. According to historian Jonathan Mahler, the blackout that happened in July of that year, and the subsequent rioting, helped catapult Koch and his message of restoring public safety to front-runner status. Koch also attributes some measure of credit for his victory to Rupert Murdoch's decision to have the New York Post endorse him in both the primary and the general election. Koch won the initial vote in the Democratic primary, as well as a runoff vote held between him and Cuomo. In the general election, also held in 1977, Koch beat Cuomo, who ran on the Liberal Party ticket, and Roy M. Goodman, running on the Republican ticket.

After winning the election, Koch resigned from Congress to become the 105th Mayor of New York City.

His catch-phrase as Mayor was "How'm I doing?" When walking down the street, he would often use that question as a greeting to the people he talked to.

As Mayor, Ed Koch is credited with restoring fiscal stability to the City of New York, and placing the City on a budget balanced according to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). He also established a merit selection system for Criminal and Family Court judges, and established extensive housing programs. He issued an executive order prohibiting all discrimination against homosexuals by City employees. A second executive order binding suppliers of the City to the same standards was eventually struck down by court order insofar as it applied to religious organizations, which were exempted from civil rights legislation by State law. John Cardinal O'Connor and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York were participants in the lawsuit against the executive order.

In April 1980, he successfully broke a strike by the city's subway and bus operators, invoking the state's Taylor Law, which prohibits strikes by state or local government employees and imposes fines on any union authorizing such a strike which steadily escalate each day the strike continues. On one morning he famously walked to City Hall across the Brooklyn Bridge, in solidarity with the many commuters who had chosen to walk to work. The strikers returned to work after eleven days.

He was a delegate to the 1980 Democratic National Convention from the city. However, he invited Ronald Reagan to Gracie Mansion shortly before that year's Presidential election, in which Reagan defeated Democratic incumbent Jimmy Carter — a move widely seen as a tacit endorsement of Reagan on the part of Koch.

In 1981, City College of New York awarded Koch a B.A. degree.

1981 election and second term; run for Governor

In 1981 ran for re-election as mayor, running on both the Democratic and Republican Party lines; in November he won, defeating his main opponent, Unity Party candidate Frank J. Barbaro, with 75% of the vote.

In 1982, Koch ran unsuccessfully for Governor of New York, losing the Democratic primary to Cuomo, who was then lieutenant governor. Many say the deciding factor in his loss was an interview with Playboy magazine in which he described the lifestyle of both suburbia and upstate New York as "sterile" and lamented the thought of having to live in "the small town" of Albany as Governor, turning off voters from outside the city.

Koch often deviated from the conventional liberal line, strongly supporting the death penalty and taking a hard line on "quality of life" issues, such as giving police broader powers in dealing with the homeless and favoring (and signing) legislation banning the playing of radios on subways and buses. These positions prompted harsh criticism of him from the local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and many African-American leaders, particularly the Reverend Al Sharpton.

1985 election and third term

In 1985, Koch again ran for re-election, this time on the Democratic and Independent tickets; he defeated Liberal Party candidate Carol Bellamy and Republican candidate Diane McGrath with 78% of the vote.

In 1986, Mayor Koch signed a gay rights ordinance for the city after the City Council passed the measure (on March 20), following several failed attempts by that body to approve such legislation. Despite his overall pro-gay-rights stance, he nonetheless backed up the New York City Health Department's decision to shut down the city's gay bathhouses in 1985 in response to concerns over the spread of AIDS. The enactment of the gay-rights measure the following year placed the city in a dilemma, as it apparently meant that the bathhouses would have to be re-opened because many heterosexual "sex clubs" — most notably Plato's Retreat — were in operation in the city at the time, and allowing them to remain open while keeping the bathhouses shuttered would have been a violation of the newly-adopted anti-discrimination law. The Health Department, with Koch's approval, reacted by ordering the heterosexual clubs, including Plato's Retreat, to close as well (Plato's Retreat then moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where it reopened under the new name Plato's Repeat).

Koch consistently demonstrated a fierce love for New York City, which some observers felt he carried to extremes on occasion: In 1984 he had gone on record as opposing the creation of a second telephone area code for the city, claiming that this would divide the city's population; and when the National Football League's New York Giants won the Super Bowl in January of 1987, he refused to grant a permit for the team to hold their traditional victory parade in the city, quipping famously, "If they want a parade, let them parade in front of the oil drums in Moonachie" (the latter being a town in New Jersey adjacent to East Rutherford, site of the Meadowlands Sports Complex, where the Giants play their home games).

In his third term, his popularity was shaken after the Donald Manes suicide and the PVB scandal, even though Koch himself was not part of the corruption ring, and corruption involving associate Stanley Friedman.

Shortly afterwards the Mayor suffered a stroke in 1987 while in office, but was able to continue with his duties.

In 1989, he ran for a fourth term as Mayor but lost the Democratic primary to David Dinkins, who went on to defeat Rudolph Giuliani in the general election.

Post-mayoralty years

File:Edkoch.jpg

Ed Koch

In the years following his mayoralty, Koch became a partner in the law firm of Robinson, Silverman, Pearce, Aronsohn, and Berman LLP, (now Bryan Cave LLP) and became a commentator on politics, as well reviewing movies and restaurants, for newspapers, radio and television. He also became an adjunct professor at New York University (NYU) and was the judge on the television show The People's Court, for two years, following the retirement of Judge Wapner. In 1999, he was a visiting professor at Brandeis University. Koch regularly appears on the lecture circuit.

Koch had a minor heart attack in March 1999.

In 2004, together with his sister Pat Koch Thaler, Koch wrote a children's book, Eddie, Harold's Little Brother. Koch writes a weekly column for the New York Press, as well as film reviews for the Greenwich Village newspaper The Villager.

The former mayor occasionally appears in television specials and commercials which promote or advertise things about New York, such as commercials for Snapple (with the tagline "the best thing to ever come out of New York") and FreshDirect, a New York-based delivery service. He also made cameo appearances as himself in the movies Up At Lou's Fish (a documentary about the last days of the fulton fish market)The Hebrew Hammer and Eddie, and an episode of HBO's Sex and the City entitled The Real Me.

Since leaving office, he has frequently endorsed prominent Republican candidates, including Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg for Mayor, Al D'Amato for U.S. Senate, George Pataki for Governor, and, in 2004, George W. Bush for President of the United States. Koch has also endorsed Democrats, including Eliot Spitzer for governor in the 2006 election, and Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination for President; for the general election, he has said that he expects "to support whichever Democrat wins the nomination." As current Mayor Michael Bloomberg was discussed as a possible independent candidate, Koch said he would reassess where he stands for the 2008 general election; he is only with Clinton through the primary campaign.

Though Koch supported Giuliani's mayoral bid, he became opposed to him in January, 1996, and began writing a series of columns in the New York Daily News criticizing Giuliani, most frequently accusing him of being authoritarian and insensitive. In 1999, the columns were compiled into the book Guiliani: Nasty Man. He resumed his attacks, and had the book re-published, in 2007, after Giuliani announced his candidacy for President. In May 2007, Koch called Giuliani "a control freak" and said that he "wouldn't meet with people he didn't agree with... That's pretty crazy." He also said that Giuliani "was imbued with the thought that if he was right, it was like a God-given right. That's not what we need in a president."

A practicing Jew, Koch writes defending Israel and combating anti-Semitism. He is a contributor to Newsmax, a conservative magazine.[1] He also appeared in the documentary Fahrenhype 9/11 defending President Bush and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and blasting Michael Moore. Koch was quoted in the film saying of Moore's film, Fahrenheit 9/11, "It's not a documentary, it's a lie."

Personal life

Koch is a lifelong bachelor, and his sexuality became an issue in the 1977 mayoral election with the appearance of placards and posters (disavowed by the Cuomo campaign) with the slogan "Vote for Cuomo, not the homo." Koch denounced the attack, later saying "No, I am not a homosexual. If I were a homosexual, I would hope I would have the courage to say so. What's cruel is that you are forcing me to say I am not a homosexual. This means you are putting homosexuals down. I don't want to do that." After becoming mayor, Koch began attending public events with former Miss America, well-known television game show panelist and consumer advocate Bess Myerson. The strategy made Myerson, who had political ambitions of her own (she later ran for senator), seem like a "First Lady of New York" of sorts. Still, not everyone was convinced.

Koch has generally been less explicit in his denials in later life, and refused comment on his actual sexual experiences, writing "What do I care? I'm 73 years old. I find it fascinating that people are interested in my sex life at age 73. It's rather complimentary! But as I say in my book, my answer to questions on this subject is simply 'Fuck off.' There have to be some private matters left." Randy Shilts, in And The Band Played On, his influential history of the early AIDS epidemic in America, discusses the possibility that Koch ignored the developing epidemic in New York City in 1982-1983 because he was afraid of lending credence to rumors of his homosexuality. Author and Activist Larry Kramer has been more pointed in his criticism of what he percieves as Koch's "closetedness" [2].

Cultural references

• During his time as a New York Jets wide receiver, Jericho Cotchery had the nickname "Mayor Cotch"

• The mayor of New York in Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters II, and The Real Ghostbusters was supposed to resembled Koch in both appearance and attitude, and is even given the first name "Ed" (instead of Lenny as in the movie) in the film novelization by Richard Mueller. The novelization of Ghostbusters II by Ed Naha gives him the surname "Clotch" to further support the resemblance

• In the 2006 movie Shortbus, an openly gay character resembling Koch (played by Alan Mandell) claims to be an ex-Mayor of New York City

• In a book called The Bad Guys Won about the 1986 New York Mets it is mentioned that when he threw out the first pitch during the season opener of the Mets he was announced as "the Mets biggest fan". Koch left in the first inning and at many points in the book is portrayed as a man who had no interest in sports.

• In the television show Family Guy (Season 3, Episode 7 "Lethal Weapons"), Ed Koch was feigned to have been eaten by Peter Griffin posing as a man-eating tree.

Books

Books by Ed Koch

• Koch, Edward I. (1980). The Mandate Millstone. U.S. Conference of Mayors. ISBN B00072XPA8.
• Koch, Edward I. (1981). How'm I doing? The Wit and Wisdom of Ed Koch. Lion Books. ISBN 0-87460-362-5.
• Koch, Edward I.; Rauch, William (1984). Mayor. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-49536-4.
• Koch, Edward I. & Rauch, William (1989). Politics. Horizon Book Promotions. ISBN 0-671-53296-0.
• Koch, Edward I. & O'Connor, John Cardinal (1989). His Eminence and Hizzoner: A Candid Exchange : Mayor Edward Koch and John Cardinal O'Connor. William Morrow & Company. ISBN 0-688-07928-8.
• Koch, Edward I. & Jones, Leland T. (1990) All The Best: Letters from a Feisty Mayor Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-69365-4.
• Koch, Edward I. & Paisner, Daniel. (1992). Citizen Koch: An Autobiography St Martins Printing. ISBN 0-312-08161-8.
• Koch, Edward I. (1994). Ed Koch on Everything: Movies, Politics, Personalities, Food, and Other Stuff. Carol Publishing. ISBN 1-55972-225-8.
• Koch, Edward I. & Resnicow, Herbert (1995). Murder At City Hall. Kensington Publishing. ISBN 0-8217-5087-9.
• Koch, Edward I. & Staub, Wendy Corsi (1996). Murder On Broadway. Kensington Publishing. ISBN 1-57566-186-1.
• Koch, Edward I.; Staub, Wendy Corsi & Resnicow, Herbert (1997). Murder on 34th Street Kensington Publishing. ISBN 1-57566-232-9.
• Koch, Edward I. & Staub, Wendy Corsi (1998). The Senator Must Die. Kensington Publishing. ISBN 1-57566-325-2.
• Koch, Edward I. (1999). Giuliani: Nasty Man. Barricade Books. ISBN 1-56980-155-X. Reissued, 2007.
• Koch, Edward I. & Graham, Stephen P. (1999). New York: A State of Mind. Towery Publishing. ISBN 1-881096-76-9.
• Koch, Edward I. & Paisner, Daniel (2000). I'm Not Done Yet!: Keeping at It, Remaining Relevant, and Having the Time of My Life. William Morrow & Company. ISBN 0-688-17075-7.
• Koch, Edward I. & Koch Thaler, Pat (2004). Eddie, Harold’s Little Brother. Grosset & Dunlap. ISBN 0-399-24210-4.

Books about Ed Koch

• City For Sale: Ed Koch and the Betrayal of New York - Wayne Barrett ISBN 0-06-091662-1

External links

• Edward I. Koch's page on NewsMax.com
• Edward I. Koch at the Internet Movie Database
• Ed Koch Threatened with Assassination in 1976
• [Website] Photographs of the real people from Randy Shilts' history of the AIDS crisis "And the Band Played On"

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