Angotti on Doctoroff

Tom Angotti has done a superb analysis of the Doctoroff legacy for the Gotham Gazette. It should be read alongside our post about the departure of Deputy Dan. Angotti's money quote addresses the blurring of the line between public and private when the public sector becomes part of the billionaire's club: "The more serious question for city policy – and this is clearly a legacy question – is whether Doctoroff has successfully blurred the lines between public and private sector to the point that public officials at the highest levels no longer have to be held responsible for representing anything that might be vaguely denoted as the “public interest.” Doctoroff’s close personal ties to the CEOs of the city’s largest developers, who have benefited from rezonings, tax relief and subsidies from the city, may not strictly violate any laws, but when the discussions that matter and lead to policy decisions are made in the board rooms and not the community boards, the temptation to act in the interest of private developers is great."