WHAT hath Mike wrought?
More than is immediately apparent, but much less than he would have liked.
But all is not lost.
His mayoralty maintains for 585 more days, enough time (though barely) to forge a legacy worthy of the intelligence, energy and imagination of Michael R. Bloomberg.
As it stands, he’ll be remembered for rezoning reform (huh?), the congestion-pricing debacle and a naive reliance on Albany to keep its word regarding mayoral control of the public schools.
And, yes, he’s been a competent keeper of the city’s books.
But they don’t build monuments to accountants – and, besides, posterity is beckoning from Ground Zero.
Chaos has morphed into toxic stasis downtown.
No one seriously believes that the current schedule of construction deadlines is remotely achievable, and things are only getting worse.
Just last week, the Port Authority (the bi-state blob responsible for rebuilding on the World Trade Center site) pushed back projected completion dates for two of developer Larry Silverstein’s Ground Zero office buildings – allegedly to give Merrill Lynch time to consider moving into one of them.
Here’s hoping.
Much more likely, though, is that Merrill is on a subsidy-scrounging expedition; it lost billions last year, it needs desperately to recapitalize – and some believe it barely can afford its current Battery Park City digs.
Bottom line?
On Friday, Silverstein had six months longer – and likely longer than that – to complete his buildings, penalty-free, than he did on Wednesday.
Oh, and don’t be looking for a 9/11 memorial dedication until well into the second term of Mayor Mike’s successor.
Bloomberg can do something about this.
Yes, he’s been deaf, dumb and blind on Ground Zero almost since he took office. It has essentially been his position that the heavy reconstruction lifting is properly to be done in Trenton and Albany – which technically is correct. But so what?
Mayors have no real power – absent their ability to inspire, cajole or bully.
Lawyers in Washington and Albany saved New York from the fiscal crises of the ’70s – but Ed Koch’s ebullient optimism convinced Gotham that the bitter medicine was worth swallowing. And so it was.
And Rudy Giuliani, through sheer force of will, saved the day two decades later.
Mike needs to focus on Ground Zero. He needs to poke and prod and holler and scold – to mount the world’s bulliest pulpit and forge his legacy with, yes, intelligence, energy and imagination.
If not him, who?
If not now, when?
History looms, Mr. Mayor.
mcmanus@nypost.com