Letters to the Editor
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
‘Liberating Lieberman’
In regard to your editorial on Lieberman and Bloomberg [August 10, 2006], in 2001 both candidates for the GOP nomination for Mayor had been former Democrats. Only one of them had left the party because he felt that the party had left him: Herman Badillo. The other candidate ran as a Republican for one reason and one reason only: he simply felt this was the best route, his only route for him to become mayor: Mike Bloomberg.
The Sun suggests that Bloomberg gave up on the Democratic Party: nonsense. He just felt it didn’t suit his needs in 2001. In 2005, he was even considering running as the nominee of the truly left wing Working Families Party, a group of disgruntled Democrats founded by the likes of Ruth Messinger and David Dinkins. Mr. Bloomberg will always be both a cultural and political Democrat. If he argues otherwise, he is in denial, no doubt.
Mr. Bloomberg’s only guiding principle is win, win, win. His so-called independency is not even slightly comparable to Mr. Lieberman’s. Mr. Lieberman stands for something, Mr. Bloomberg stands for nothing. He has governed like a Democrat, appointing few, if any Republicans to high positions. His administration is filled with Democrats, some left over from the Dinkins years.
EVAN EDWARDS
New York, N.Y.
‘What CUNY’s Numbers Mean’
In your August 11 article [Editorial, “What Cuny’s Numbers Mean”] on the drops in black enrollment at three City of University of New York senior colleges, CUNY chancellor Matthew Goldstein defends the admissions policies as race-blind. This is true in an obvious sense — no CUNY official decides a student’s admission based on his or her race or ethnicity. However, the admissions policy disproportionately rejects black students solely on the basis of standardized test scores that are weak or worthless predictors of success in the university. CUNY should develop a new policy that holistically considers many variables and does not give make-or-break power to standardized tests. Such a policy would be more valid and more just.
WILLIAM CRAIN
Professor of Psychology
The City College of New York
New York, N.Y.
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