Westchester Herald

Ed Koch Commentary: Canada Appears More Protective of Its Children Than Is the U.S. BY Edward I. Koch

Protecting Our Children; Housing Mortgage Foreclosures; Deportation of Illegal Immigrants; and the Unincarcerated Wealthy Criminals

According to The New York Times of October 14th,  Canada “has declared bisphenol A [BPA], a chemical widely used to create clear, hard plastics, as well as food can liners, to be a toxic substance.”  This followed Canada’s ban of BPA two years ago “in polycarbonate  bottles used by infants and children.”  The compound can still be used in a host of products in Canada, but “the move would make it easier to ban the use of BPA in specific products through regulations.”  The decision was “condemned by the American Chemical Council.”

Ed Koch Commentary: On the Firing of Rick Sanchez by CNN By Edward I. Koch

Rick Sanchez was fired by CNN last week.  The October 2nd New York Times reported that Sanchez was terminated, “…a day after telling a radio interviewer that Jon Stewart was a bigot and that ‘everybody that runs CNN is a lot like Stewart.’  The latter comment was made shortly after Mr. Stewart’s faith,  Judaism, was invoked.”

Ed Koch Commentary: Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Cold By Edward I. Koch

Well, Winter Is Coming, So Let’s Get On With It.

There is an old Chinese curse that goes, "May you live in interesting times." Today, we live in very interesting times.  Governments and individuals alike are faced with monumental issues. 

Honorable Ed Koch on WPIX-11 TV’s "News Closeup" with Marvin Scott

The Honorable Ed  Koch is the scheduled guest of Marvin Scott on this Sunday’s, September 26th on WPIX-11 TV’s “News Closeup" at 6:00 am. Tune in to find out how Mayor Koch is doing. 

Ed Koch Commentary “From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli” BY Edward I. Koch

There aren’t many Americans who have never heard those words, which come from the United States Marine Corps Hymn.  The words refer to the heroic role of the Marines in putting an end to pillaging and piracy by the Barbary pirates who in the early 1800s plied their nefarious trade in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea.  England and other countries paid tribute to the Barbary pirates in return for the safe passage of their ships.  The American motto, however, was "Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute!"  Instead of sending tribute, we sent the Marines. 

Ed Koch Commentary: God Bless The Peace Process BY Edward I. Koch

September 7, 2010      

Everyone who is commenting on the new peace talks between the Israelis and  Palestinians seems to give the talks their blessing and hope for a successful outcome -- everyone except the Islamic terrorists in Gaza and elsewhere and their sponsor, Iran.  Just about all the pundits say they basically know what the ultimate outcome will be.  They predict that Israel will return to within its 1967 borders, except for about three percent of the West Bank, where about 250,000 Jews live.  This territory will be annexed by Israel in exchange for land of equal value.

Ed Koch Commentary: Interesting Correspondence BY Edward I. Koch

New York, NY, August 30, 2010

I am a strong believer in the importance of setting the record straight.  I do not ignore inaccurate or incomplete statements about me or my record.

For example, on August 26 I read a blogger’s article mentioning me in a way I did not appreciate.  The blogger, who is associated with Columbia University, wrote:  “For good measure,  Ed Koch a conservative Democratic former mayor of New York who frequently supports Republican candidates has also written in support of the proposed Islamic Center.”

I responded:   

Ed Koch Commentary: Blacks and Jews, Somehow They Always Go Together BY Edward I. Koch

August 23, 2010

Two New York Times op-eds, running side by side this past weekend, impacted heavily on my thoughts.  One was written by Bob Herbert and the other by Charles M. Blow.

Bob Herbert’s column titled “Too Long Ignored” was devoted to “a tragic crisis of enormous magnitude (that) is facing black boys and men in America.”  He reported on a litany of factors:  “parental neglect, racial discrimination, and an orgy of self-destructive behavior.”  

Ed Koch Commentary: Citizens Recall and Be Guided by The Letter of President George Washington to The Jews of Rhode Island. It Applies to The Muslims of New York. BY Edward I. Koch

 New York, NY, August 16, 2010

President Obama was right to express his views on constructing a mosque near Ground Zero, the site of the 9/11 catastrophe, “As a citizen and as President, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country.  And that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in Lower Manhattan in accordance with local laws and ordinances.”

The President is also right to oppose as he does the efforts by some to amend the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution to bar babies born to illegal immigrants from becoming citizens.

Ed Koch Commentary: An Overriding November Election Issue - Amnesty for Illegal Aliens BY Edward I. Koch

Immigration is the issue that will dominate the November elections.

On one side of this contentious issue are those who believe as I do that the Obama administration has exactly the same goal as its predecessor, the Bush administration, which is to provide amnesty and a “path to citizenship” for our illegal alien population, now estimated at between 11 million and 20 million.   Supporters of amnesty often say the alternative is to put millions of aliens into boxcars and send them back to Mexico and other Latin American countries, where most of them are from, creating the Nazi-like and totally unacceptable image of Jews on their way to the crematoria.  It is a false argument.  No one I know who opposes amnesty supports such an approach.

Ed Koch Commentary: Death on a Friday Evening BY Edward I. Koch

DeFarra Gaymon of Atlanta, Georgia, a married father of four children and a C.E.O. of a credit union, returned to New Jersey to attend the 30th reunion of his Montclair New Jersey High School class.  Instead of enjoying the reunion, which he helped organize, he was shot to death by an undercover police officer patrolling with a partner in Branch Brook Park in Newark, New Jersey.

Ed Koch Commentary: Vote Out the Enemies of Reform - Ed Koch Names Names in his Crusade to Fix Albany BY Edward I. Koch

 The following article appeared in the Daily News on Sunday, July 25, 2010.

Between 1928 and 1932, the Empire State was led by Gov.  Franklin Delano Roosevelt. FDR followed in the footsteps of Alfred E. Smith, also a Democrat.  Nelson Rockefeller, aRepublican, created our great state public universities. These outstanding governors set the standards for leadership and social programs that lifted New York - and by emulation the rest of the country - into the modern era. There were other exemplary governors as well.

 The following article appeared in the Daily News on Sunday, July 25, 2010.

Ed Koch Commentary: On Life, Death and The New York Uprising BY EDWARD I. KOCH

It was last July that I left the New York-Presbyterian Hospital in Washington Heights, after spending six weeks there, five of which were in the Intensive Care Unit.  I was there to have a quadruple bypass and heart valve replacement.  My gall bladder was also removed.

Honorable Ed Koch Interview on ‘New York Now’

NEW YORK, NY, July 16, 2010 -- The Honorable Ed Kochwill be interviewed on "New York Now" about New York Uprising and other topics. The show will air on WNET, Channel 13 in New York City, on Saturday, July 17th at 11 a.m. Westchesterites can check local listings for the times when “New York Now" will air the show in their locality.

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Ed Koch Commentary: Amnesty - It Is Not Too Late To Step Away From The Abyss BY EDWARD I. KOCH

President Obama does not believe that our borders can be protected against illegal entry.  He also does not believe that efforts by Arizona to clamp down on illegal immigration are proper.  As reported in Politico on July 2nd, President Obama said in a speech he gave at The American University in Washington, “…it’s not just that the law Arizona passed is divisive -- although it has fanned the flames of an already contentious debate.  Laws like Arizona’s put huge pressures on local law enforcement to enforce rules that ultimately are unenforceable.  It puts pressure on already hard-strapped state and local budgets.”

Ed Koch Commentary: Mea Culpa, White House Meeting BY EDWARD I. KOCH

 Error in Last Commentary;  White HouseMeeting Yesterday Between President Obama and  Prime Minister Netanyahu

I am truly sorry to intrude on your precious time, but I want to bring to your attention an error in my last commentary.  I erroneously stated thatAfghanistan has a majority of  Shia which is not correct.  In fact, Afghanistan is 80 percent Sunni and 19 percent Shia. 

Ed Koch Commentary: Afghan Forces; Elena Kagan; Mobile Trailers; and the Truth By Edward I. Koch

 If We Wait for the Afghan Forces to be Ready to Take Over the Security of their Own Country, We are Waiting for Godot

The war in Afghanistan goes on with U.S. casualties mounting.  The month of June was the deadliest yet with 102 deaths, the highest since the war began nine years ago.  The war is supported by the Republican leadership, with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Senator John McCain (R-AZ) in the lead.  They denounced the Republican National Chairman, Michael Steele, for referring to the war as “not winnable” and a war of “Obama’s choosing.”  President Obama by increasing the number of our troops in Afghanistan and making it clear that we are not committed to withdrawing beginning with July 2011, is deepening our involvement in a war we can’t win.  If the Taliban were to surrender today, President Karzai would welcome them into his cabinet, just as he is doing now while we are losing.