by Stefano Forte
I grew up in New York’s golden age during the prosperous Giuliani era when crime was low, quality of life was high, and we all felt secure walking the streets of our great city at any hour of the day. Our businesses were thriving. Education was a priority. The city I enjoyed and loved was safe and prosperous. Being raised in an immigrant family of small business owners who worked their way up the socioeconomic ladder with their sweat, blood, and tears, I truly believed that the promise of the American Dream was well within our grasp.
Now, in a very short time, everything has changed. Disastrous policies have led us to disastrous places: our small businesses are shutting their doors for good, the quality of our education has plummeted, and, most concerningly, non-violent and violent crime alike have shot to record highs. What caused this? Many of us already know the answer, and it’s obvious: electing the same kind of radical (or simply complacent) career politicians over and over again has emboldened them to create policies that are decimating the city we all love. The Bail Elimination Act, passed through the budget in 2019, has allowed all manner of “non-violent” criminals to be freed ahead of their court date without posting bail. This could’ve been a just concept, and it was in theory – rich people and poor people should not have different advantages under the criminal justice system simply because of economic status. But as we all know, this theory became an almost immediate disaster when put into practice. By stripping judges of their discretionary abilities, there is now no way to keep potential re-offenders in custody ahead of their court date. The result has been the categorical catch-and-release of criminals that has led to such tragedies as the recent violent assault of a toddler in Flushing, or the shoving death of Michelle Go in Times Square. Both of those offenders, like many others, had committed prior offenses and should not have been walking the streets of our city.
