It seems Mayor Eric Adams is looking merely to rebrand the boondoggle ThriveNYC rather than shut it down. That would be his worst mistake yet.
We have no particular beef with former City Councilman Fernando Cabrera (D-Bx.), the rumored pick to run the “new” Office of Community Health that’s to be the new Thrive. But find him another job: This incoherent grab-bag of programs wasn’t a failure simply because it was the brainchild and pet project of then-First Lady Chirlane McCray. Heck, it’s already been rebranded at least three times.
Per a 2019 performance review, ThriveNYC didn’t reach even its modest goals in assisting people with (mostly minor) mental-health problems: It was $1.5 billion, down the drain.
As we’ve written 10,000 times, the money is far better spent on New Yorkers with serious mental issues, living in the streets and on the subways. One or two programs might be worth saving, but most of it should simply go.
Adams vowed to reorganize city government and save taxpayer dollars. That should include axing the nascent Office of Community Health and insisting that any former elected officials take on real jobs. ThriveNYC needs to go along with virtually every other feckless de Blasio brainstorm.
City government is packed with programs that have never worked well but never get axed because they sound nice and employ people. Killing Thrive sends the clear message that those days are over — and other failed ideas will soon face the ax, too.
Keeping it sends the worst possible message.