News: Ed Koch
NEW YORK (77WABC) — Some New York Democrats are demanding the removal of Ed Koch’s name from the Queensboro Bridge, even after spending years singing his praises.
Koch served as mayor from 1978 to 1989. A Democrat, he earned a soft spot among Republicans and centrists, but has long been polarizing among the city’s activist left.
Critics said he didn’t move fast enough to address the AIDS crisis in the 1980s or tackle spiraling crime. Koch died in 2013.
The push to remove his name from the bridge comes from the Jim Owles LGBT Democratic Club, whose boss, Allen Roskoff, has long harbored a deep grudge against Koch over his handling of the AIDS crisis. Among the most notable demanding Koch’s removal is Manhattan Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, who lobbied fiercely in 2011 to have the bridge named after Koch.
