Dylan’s Reviews > The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York > Status Update

"Whether by design or not, the ultimate effect of Moses' transportation policies would be to help keep the city's poor trapped in their slums."

Meat Ax quote

Cross-Bronx expressway engineering - complete madness!

I have ~400 pages left. Obama said he finished reading this when he was 22, so I have until the 19th to eke out an invisible win.

Self Note: Caro writes a beautiful passage about Lower Manhattan's history disappearing underneath the crush of stone towers.

Moses proposed the Brooklyn-Battery Bridge, which would connect the Financial District to Brooklyn. The Bridge would destroy Fort Clinton to make way for its off ramps, and destroy the sightlines of buildings. Joseph D. McGoldrick, Columbia Professor, urged La Guardia to spend bridge funds on new schools and day cares. This would be the first major protest of Moses' work.

Halfway review of the Power Broker:

Caro is highly moralistic, often devoting breadths of emotion to characterize Moses. For those expecting a manifesto extolling Moses' planning philosophies, it can be found. The rest is fastidious detail of political maneuvering and bill proposals, which are important but at times boring.

3.5 / 5

Moses established the "Public Authority", granting him executive power to issue bonds, collect tolls, and acquire real estate without state or city approval.

Moses set up his office on Randal and Ward island so all officials had to pay Triborough tolls. His office building, the only one he permitted to be built on the island, was hidden from public view.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg tried to marry Robert Moses