Throwing Shade

I am sure we all saw the article this week covering the sentiments of some in the billionaire class lamenting the state of the City. All their concern was voiced while hanging out in the Hamptons before they head back to their Florida homes for the fall. For the most part, all of these men made their money in New York City. They built their companies, lived their lives, and enjoyed all the City had to offer when it worked for them. But now, bending under the weight of poor leadership, post-COVID reconstruction, and a dueling migrant and mental health crises - when the City that gave them their wealth needs them the most - they bail.

They offer no solutions.

They just leave.

Sure, they will keep a toe in the water and retain a pied-e-tier or a smaller second home they visit when they must, but by and large, they've packed up the money that this City provided them and hightailed it to Palm Beach. ?

Now, I agree that the City has its issues. There is no denying that. But the people leaving are the people we need to stay and help fix it. Are you telling me Michael Bloomberg is the only civic-minded billionaire willing to help? He spent eight years managing the City, not because it was his life's dream to be mayor or because he needed the money. He did it because he knew that he could help make it a better place - and he did.

All these men are incredibly successful. They have created major corporations and successful businesses - real ones. They know how to run behemoth organizations with complicated budgets and projections. The reason that D'Blasio and Adams failed isn't that they didn't care. It's that they were so far out of their league. It's like asking the kid with a lemonade stand to run Coca-Cola. The skill sets don't translate.

These men don't get that their "it's not my problem" mentality has made it everyone's problem. And don't get me wrong, I am not saying we need to have another billionaire to run the City, but we do need someone with expertise running and managing large organizations who preferably isn't beholden to any group of donors or special interests. We need someone looking out for the City and its people first and foremost.

If they want to avoid getting involved with the city management, there is still so much good they can do.

These gentlemen complaining have more money than they can ever spend in their lifetime, so why not:

• Donate your empty office buildings back to the City to create hospitals or migrant housing
• Develop jobs programs for immigrants and low-income youth
• Create REAL affordable housing
• Assist with the budget shortfalls facing critical city departments

Today's new money billionaires might want to take a page out of John D. Rockefeller's book and focus their efforts and attention on being a part of a long-term solution instead of exacerbating the problem by sitting on their lounge chairs in the Hamptons throwing shade.

Let's do this-

Shaun