By permission only

To the editor:

News that Mayor Adams has implemented a “permission” policy by which elected officials must seek approval before contacting administration staff is quite worrying. This exact policy was decreed by City Hall once before, under Rudy Giuliani.

During Giuliani’s two terms, City Hall sign-offs were needed before agency staff could meet with, speak to or even respond to written requests from elected officials. This included requests for essential services. Acting upon such requests, without first being okayed by the administration, was verboten. Agency staff members doing so faced demotion or worse. I know this because I had to seek City Hall’s approval many, many times during Emperor Giuliani’s reign of terror. 

All too often approval was denied, leaving the official in the dark regarding their request and upset at agency staff. The main purpose of the policy was simple: officials who didn’t toe-the-line, as set by Giuliani, were denied service. Vote the “wrong” way on a bill — no traffic signal studies in your district. Publicly disagree with the mayor — the pavement markings in your district are put on the back burner. You get the idea.

I’m guessing Adams got the idea as well, and the residents of NYC (as well as their civil servants) will pay the price, just as they did under Giuliani.

Joseph Cannisi