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Thoughts on N.Y. Pensions, Border Wall, Lieberman, Stem Cells and Racism Edward I. Koch Next week, the mid-term elections will be held. According to opinion polls, most of the voting results for New York State are already known. However, the likely outcome of the State Comptroller's race is uncertain. One way or another, Alan Hevesi is toast. The smart move for New York voters is to vote for him, so that on his reelection, he can be replaced by a first-rate candidate, such as City Comptroller Bill Thompson, former State Comptroller candidate Bill Mulrow, Assemblyman Herman D. Farrell or Assemblyman Richard Brodsky. The replacement candidate will be chosen by a joint vote of the State Assembly and Senate, with each official having one vote. Speaker Shelly Silver, the dominant figure in the more numerous Democratic-controlled Assembly, will ultimately determine the outcome.
To elect Christopher Callaghan, the inexperienced Republican candidate for State Comptroller, would be, in the opinion of many knowledgeable people, including myself, a mistake that could endanger the pension funds of state employees. The New York State Comptroller's office is in charge of $140 billion in pension funds. After selecting the new State Comptroller, the Legislature should reduce the powers of that office, so as to remove the current authority of the State Comptroller to make all financial decisions unilaterally.
In my view, the power of the State Comptroller should be curtailed so that they are more in line with those exercised by the City Comptroller. If Hevesi is reelected, he could face impeachment or indictment and may be forced to resign. I am not a fan of Hevesi's, but I am truly sorry for him. He may be greedy, but I do not believe him to be a dishonest man. Had he appointed an independent agency to decide the amount he should have repaid and paid it immediately, he would have, in all probability, avoided his current situation.
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Apparently, the thought of paying several hundred thousand dollars for the state services rendered by state employees to his ailing wife overwhelmed his judgment.
Overvaluing Stewart The 28-month sentence imposed by Federal District Court Judge John G. Koeltl on Lynne F. Stewart for having assisted convicted terrorist sheik Omar Abdel Rahman was not commensurate with her crime. It gave her and her supporters, whom she greeted joyously after the sentencing with clenched fist held high in the air, a political victory. The 30-year sentence requested by the prosecution was too much. My own view, considering she was disbarred as well, is that a five-year sentence would have been just right. And unlike state sentences, the federal sentence is basically served in full.
Her record of public service in defending those charged with heinous crimes was properly in the mix in deciding the sentence, but overvalued by Judge Koeltl.
High Fences, Good Neighbors The President was right to sign the bill authorizing a 700-mile fence along the Mexican border. The Mexican government's tirade that the fence is unwarranted, and no different than the Berlin Wall, is ridiculous. Every country has a right to protect its borders from illegal entry, whether to deter criminality or illegal immigration. How does Mexico control its own southern border to keep out those seeking entry to get jobs that are not available in some South American countries, which are even poorer than Mexico? Mexico's penalties for illegal entry into their country are extremely severe.
And the Berlin Wall, as Mexico well knows, was built in 1961 by the Soviet Union in violation of the agreement to keep Berlin an open city governed by the four Allied powers who defeated Hitler. The Soviets built the wall to keep Germans in their satellite state, East Germany, huge numbers of whom were escaping to the West through Berlin. The U.S. wall on the Mexican border is intended to keep out people who have no legal right to enter the country.
The U.S. immigration policy of allowing about a million people a year to enter legally, most eligible to receive U.S. citizenship in five years is one of the most liberal in the world. Right now anyone can easily walk into the United States from Mexico through the enormous gaps in Border Patrol coverage. Recently a Congressional candidate from Pennsylvania paraded through the Rio Grande river on the Texas-Mexican border with a brass band and an elephant. The Border Patrol never showed up to find out what was happening. Yes, we should have a guest worker program, which would allow needed workers to come for a year or two and then to go home.
We should not provide amnesty to the estimated 12-20 million illegals here. We did that under the Simpson-Rodino Immigration Law of 1986, and it only encouraged many other illegals to cross the border.
Racism in Tenn. The ad used against Harold Ford, Jr, who is running for the U.S. Senate in Tennessee, is clearly racist. It has a white woman importuning Congressman Ford to telephone her, clearly for dating or sexual purposes. Parts of Tennessee were more racist and dangerous than Mississippi was during the 1960s and 70s. It was shocking to see Ken Mehlman, Chairman of the National Republican Party, defending the ad as "not racist." Ridiculous. It is no longer running. When I was in Jackson, Mississippi in 1964 as a volunteer lawyer defending black and white students engaged in a voting rights crusade, I was shocked to learn that the national chain hotel I was staying at ordered everyone out of the pool so that it could be drained after a black person used the pool.
There is no question that things have substantially changed in the South and in the nation as a whole since those days. Nevertheless, to believe that there are no successful racist appeals in the South is ridiculous. Harold Ford, whom I met in New York City about two months ago, is a first-rate senatorial candidate, a political moderate, who should be elected. The tactic used against him by the Republicans smacks of desperation. Good luck, Harold Ford.
Winnerman I have no doubt that Joe Lieberman will win reelection in Connecticut.
It will be interesting to learn what Chris Dodd, the senior Senator from Connecticut who immediately walked away from Lieberman, says on conveying his congratulations. I doubt that Lieberman will ever forgive him, no matter the pleasantries exchanged. Loyalty and friendship are cardinal virtues.
Stem Cells
The Michael J. Fox ad supporting Claire McCaskill who is running against Senator Jim Talent in Missouri deserves comment. Everyone I know admires and respects Fox who was one of the best television and movie actors of his generation. I appeared on his television show "Spin City" playing myself - former mayor - and I can tell you he is a gracious guy who was beloved by his fellow actors. His ad in support of pro-embryonic stem cell research Congressional candidates was right on target. Rush Limbaugh attacked Fox, alleging he was "either off his meds or acting," in the ad showing the impact of Parkinson's Disease on his bodily movements. Limbaugh ultimately provided a not very generous apology.
I have no doubt that the commercial was honest and not contrived. Limbaugh should reflect on his own sins and provide a full and complete apology, inviting Fox to his radio show and allowing him to discuss the issue.
I support the development of and experimentation with embryonic stem cells and their funding by Congress. Until that happens, why don't the pharmaceutical and oil companies fund a $50 billion 10-year stem cell research program from their enormous annual profits to find new cures?
The King Residents of Nassau or Suffolk counties who have Peter King (R-NY) as their congressman should run to the polls to reelect him. I love the guy.
Edward I. Koch, author, lawyer, and talk-radio host, was a member of the U.S. Congress and, for 12 years, the 105th mayor of New York City.
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