An Open Letter from Former NYS Comptroller H. Carl McCall to New Yorkers
From the office of Former NYS Comptroller H. Carl McCall
An Open Letter from Former NYS Comptroller H. Carl McCall to New Yorkers
“I have never publicly urged a candidate to run for office. But I have never before felt it so necessary to use my voice. For these reasons, I urge Governor Andrew Cuomo to run for Mayor of the City of New York and I offer my full support.”
“I’ve known Andrew for over 40 years. Some might be surprised that I am supporting Andrew so strongly and so early. But despite how it is sometimes framed in the press, we were never political adversaries: twenty years ago, we were competing candidates who shared then and share now the same core values of what is right and wrong and sought to make New York a better place.”
“More than anyone else, Andrew is the leader we need and the leader we deserve.”
Dr. King often said that “the true measure of man is at times of struggle not convenience.” It is an inconvenient yet unavoidable fact that our city is struggling. Indeed, the soul of our city is on the line more than it has been in a very long time. None of us has the luxury of silence — indeed, I believe history will remember those who stay silent in this moment for their cowardice. That is why I am sharing my thoughts on where I believe we must go from here.
Aside from my family, I have one great passion in life: I love New York. I have been a public servant for New York State and New York City for over 65 years, serving as a minister, chairman of the New York City BOE, a state senator, Ambassador to the United Nations, Commissioner of the NY Division of Human Rights, Comptroller of the State of New York, and Chairman of the SUNY Board of Trustees. And in that time, I honestly thought I had seen it all. But our situation today is truly unique, and the risks of ignoring it will elevate chaos over the common good.
New Yorkers have seen a dramatic decline in our quality of life, as the affordability crisis has made it nearly impossible for us to build our dreams from the ground up like so many New Yorkers before us. It’s no surprise that we are bleeding population across all walks of life, diminishing the heart and soul of our city.
It is truly unfortunate that with the city in such a fragile state, we are now confronted with a President who likes to break things and who has turned his attention to New York. To him, our sin is knowing him too well and not being fooled by his antics. We cannot afford to be cowed by his threats.
Donald Trump has many ways to try to harm our beloved city. New York generates an enormous amount of tax dollars to support critical programs including Medicaid, housing assistance, and economic development grants. President Trump wants to keep taking our money while giving little in return.
President Trump’s constant messages of division are also the antithesis of New York values. New York is America’s largest city, by far, for good reason: we give opportunity to everyone, not just a chosen few. However, you choose to live your life – wherever you worship, whomever you love – there is a home for you in New York City.
Donald Trump wants us to fail as a community. For that reason, the leadership of New York City has rarely, if ever, been as vital as it is today. The Mayor of New York must not only have the competence and capacity to manage the
City’s real challenges, but the mayor must have the ability to defend our city and demonstrate a powerful counterbalance to President Trump. The people of New York cannot be represented by someone whose loyalty to the city is compromised — we deserve a Mayor of New York to be for New York.
Governing as a chief executive is never easy, and leading New York poses unique challenges. Our city is bigger than all but a dozen states and has a myriad of communities and constituencies bundled close together. The next Mayor of New York will need to know how to manage the city and its budget, effectively and expediently address homelessness, the plight of the mentally ill, the need for affordable housing, and the demands of public safety, while combatting the perception that crime is rising at a dangerous rate. At this critical time, the next Mayor must be able to win and keep the confidence of a wary public.
I have never publicly urged a candidate to run for office. But I have never before felt it so necessary to use my voice. For these reasons, I urge Governor Andrew Cuomo to run for Mayor of the City of New York and I offer my full support.
New Yorkers are smart and they know Andrew well. He has decades of formidable experience, including more than 10 years as our Governor during some of the State’s most trying times. As we all struggled through the early days of the pandemic, the contrast between Andrew’s steadfast leadership, thorough preparation and clear articulation of developments and countermeasures was in stark contrast to Donald Trump.
But his beneficial work for all New Yorkers began long before Covid. Andrew Cuomo signed landmark progressive legislation from the early adoption of marriage equality to enacting the nation’s strongest gun violence prevention laws after the tragedy at Sandy Hook. He raised the minimum wage to the highest in the nation formillions and initiated the country’s strongest paid family leave program. He built massive infrastructure projects, including the new LaGuardia and JFK airports, Moynihan Train Hall, East Side Access and the Second Avenue Subway. And he accomplished these things while producing balanced, responsible, on-time budgetsthat both reined in spending and cut taxes for businesses and the middle class.
These things do not just happen; they require a leader who can not only see ahead and plan for the future but has the wherewithal to get it done. Our city needs that vision and that skill now. More than anyone else, Andrew is the leader we need and the leader we deserve.
On a personal level, I’ve known Andrew for over 40 years. Some might be surprised that I am supporting Andrew so strongly and so early. But despite how it is sometimes framed in the press, we were never political adversaries. Twenty years ago, we were competing candidates who shared then and share now the same core values of what is right and wrong and sought to make New York a better place. For many years now, we have collaborated to make life better for New Yorkers, and I’m proud that he appointed me to run the State’s sprawling higher education system, SUNY, one of our State’s greatest assets.
With this knowledge, experience, and track record of proven leadership at this critical juncture in our city’s history, I firmly believe Andrew is the person best suited to be the next Mayor of New York City. Hence, once again, I strongly encourage him to run.
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