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By Don HazenHit Piece on Innovative NYC Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan Shows She Gets Under Pols' Skin
A feature about Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan raises questions about why the creative, innovative public servant is so frequently attacked.March 6, 2011 |
Sunday's edition of the New York Times had a national story, by Michael Grynbaum, about New York Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, who many consider to be the most innovative and successful public transportation official in the country. The article comes across as one nasty piece of journalism. It's filled with quotes from unidentified people complaining and whining about Sadik-Khan's aggressive, take-charge personality and their hurt feelings, along with quotes from a gaggle of NYC politicians who take the opportunity to whack her, ignoring her effectiveness. While acknowledging Sadik-Khan's success and smarts, the piece seems aimed at undermining her accomplishments. The big question is, why?
What warranted this lengthy feature? Apparently it's that the commissioner moves too fast; that she "has a brusque, I know best style, and a reluctance to compromise."
“She couldn’t care less whether you like her or not,” said a city official who has been close to Ms. Sadik-Khan for years and insisted on anonymity for fear of straining the friendship. “She doesn’t suffer people who don’t support her lightly. She’ll scream right back.”
To be fair, Grynbaum offers some balance, writing, "Ms. Sadik-Khan has earned international fame for transforming the car-clogged streets of New York." "Even some of her critics concede they are impressed with the scope and the speed of her achievements." "City Hall officials considered Ms. Sadik-Khan a brilliant innovator with a sharp mind for data and details." And her supporters " lionize her as the brave and forward-thinking city planner who ushered in a golden age for bicyclists, pedestrians and environmentalists. Two-wheeled ridership has doubled during her tenure; European-style rapid-transit buses now ply exclusive, camera-enforced lanes; and fewer people have been killed in traffic accidents on New York’s streets than at any time in the past century, according to city records." ................(more)
The complete piece is at:
http://www.alternet.org/environment/150147/hit_piece_on_innovative_nyc_transportation_commissioner_janette_sadik-khan_shows_she_gets_under_pols%27_skin/
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