Power Play

Morgan Pehme
EDITOR

Just by glancing at the names emblazoned on the cover of this issue, you may already have qualms about our New York City Power 100 List. And by the time you turn to the actual feature and start perusing our selections and the order in which they occur, you may very well be experiencing a combination of indignation, befuddlement and disdain.

Well, before you start writing me that angry email (if it has not already been sent), consider this: Is there any list that could have satisfied you, other than perhaps one that you yourself composed?

Is your outrage at this ranking motivated by your narrow self-interest or that of an individual or group with which you identify, or is it truly inspired by the belief that we have fundamentally done a disservice to all that is just and right?

If it is the latter reason that has sparked your ire, please allow me to offer my apologies. It was not our intention to offend anyone, advance any agenda or to undermine the balance of power in our government.

Quite to the contrary, our impetus in making this list was to inform, but more so, to entertain. As fans and followers of New York City politics, we approached this endeavor with the lighthearted seriousness Fantasy Baseball devotees bring to their annual draft—except we did not have the benefit of objective statistics to differentiate among the players. We had only our observations, your suggestions and the opinions of longtime aficionados of New York politics upon which to base our picks. Sadly, all three of these metrics are flawed and inconclusive. I will be the first to admit that our findings are far from scientific.

If, given this admission, you are still incensed, I would appreciate it if you permitted me to make the following suggestion: Lighten up.

With our city still recovering from the horrendous impact of Superstorm Sandy, grappling with thousands of new homeless families, weighed down by high unemployment, laboring to make up budget shortfalls and facing trillions of dollars in new debt, is this subjective, harmless list really so important to you that you feel you must fight back against it?

I certainly hope not. It certainly isn’t to me.

But if it is, I’ll save you the small print of our masthead and give you my email address: mpehme@cityandstateny.com.

I look forward to hearing from you.