Bill de Blasio's opponent in the NYC Mayoral race, Joe Lhota, has just been appointed vice president, vice dean, and chief of staff of the NYU Medical Center, the facility where I work.
I am horrified that the Medical Center has appointed someone who has mismanaged the MTA and has fumbled a mayoral election to such a high position. Lhota has NO medical or scientific experience, messed up the MTA, and was creamed in his mayoral bid. Just why is he qualified to be second in command of the institution where I work? My guess, and it is only a guess, is that it all has to do with politics. Langone, whose name is now attached to the NYU Medical Center, is anti-Cuomo. Now I am anti-Cuomo as well but for radically different reasons. Langone (and presumably Lhota) thinks Cuomo is a Socialist. I think he is a corrupt pawn of corporations. Langone and Lhota are into privatization. So I believe Lhota was appointed for purely ideological reasons, corrupting the Medical Center's mission from furthering science and medicine to a right wing ideological mission. I cannot imagine why Lhota would be appointed second in charge of my workplace unless it was ideolgical since I am more qualified than he is to run a Medical Center (and I am not that qualified!).
I am no fan of Bill de Blasio. He has always been, and I assume he still is, a shill for wealthy developers wanting to make a buck by corrupting the system. He isn't the only one. He is part of a corrupt machine that he needed to be part of to get where he is. He has always talked the progressive talk but has NEVER, ever walked the walk. That said, he is far, far better than Lhota and I cannot imagine why the NYU Medical Center would think Lhota was an asset.