Crew Cut for All Schoolboys

If New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is elected in November, 2000 to the U.S. Senate from New York, he will take office in January, 2001. He will then go from being the CEO and Chairman of the Board of the world's premier city to one of 100, and low man on the totem pole.

How would he handle this situation? A clue to the answer was revealed in the events surrounding the recent dismissal of Rudy Crew, the Chancellor of the New York City public school system by the Board of Education and vote for a temporary replacement by the same Board of Education on January 10, 2000.

For years, the Mayor has always emphasized his desire to have greater control over education as Mayor. He has the right to appoint three of the seven members of the Board of Education or 43%. Thus all that he needs at any time is one out of the other four members of the Board to have control.

When Crew was appointed, this Mayor had his choice ratified by the Board. They worked well together until the Mayor decided to have vouchers in the public schools. This would divert taxpayer money to be used for parochial school education, which to many people is clear violation of the constitutional principle of separation of church and state under the First Amendment to the constitution.

Crew broke with the Mayor and from that point on the relationship between the two men foundered until the three Mayoral appointees and one of the other four members refused to renew Crew's contract which expires in June, 2000. The Mayor applauded that decision by the Board of Education. Now the same Board hired a man who was opposed by the Mayor. The Board rejected the choice favored by the Mayor.

The Mayor immediately reacted by saying the same thing he has been saying for six years. He should have greater control over the public school system. The voters of New York State should consider his penchant for approving actions when he wins and disapproving actions when he loses. The Senate does not work that way. Will Giuliani's temper be so evident as Senator as it is as Mayor?