The Man Who Saved New York: Hugh Carey and the Great Fiscal Crisis of 1975

I've been waiting for years for a book about Hugh Carey. When I first heard of him, he'd been out of office for over 20 years. "Why haven't I heard of him" I said to myself. "Why aren't there any schools or highways named after him? He has to have been the best Governor NY ever had!" The reason Hugh Carey has been forgotten is that he was without any kind of vanity. He never took himself seriously, and courted no attention. He came from a large Irish-American family, but unlike others, his father believed in the value of entrepreneurship. Not only did he start his own fuel oil company, but he refused to declare bankrupcy during the Depression. No doubt his father's work ethic (and financial ethic) served him well as a politician. One of the things I admire most about Carey was his refusal to bail out New York City during the "fiscal crisis" of the 70's, unless NY met with strict terms. Carey was smart; NYC's financial problems didn't spread to other cities like Rochester, Syracuse, and Buffalo, nor did they ruin Nassau or Suffolk counties. It's a stark contrast with today's mentality, where local governments make obvious bad choices and the Feds pay the bill. I doubt however, if Hugh Carey could have been elected in this era. He was a tough-love politician; a tough Democrat from an era of tough liberals. He appealed heavily to working-class voters, who were sensitive to how politicians spent public money. Today's voters have a huge sense of entitlement, and a campaign slogan of "I'm not giving you any money" or "if you elect me, I WILL raise your taxes" is a sure-fire way to lose the election. Unfortunately, the days of the "tough liberal" and the tight-fisted Democrat are over. Tip O'Neil is dead, Daniel Moynihan is dead, Thurgood Marshal and Barabara Jordan are dead. But all is not lost; it remains to be seen if another tough liberal, like Mayor Corey Booker of Newark, can bring himself to say no to people who come looking for handouts. Maybe he will bring about "change" by saying "no bailout for you."