It is the same old story of the century: Governor vs. Mayor. There have always been signs of social-political indifference between governors and mayors of New York City. The city is a child of the state whose powers are severely limited, so the struggle between the government and mayors over how much power each has is bound to happen one way or another. When both entities belong to the same party, however, the possibility of tension undeniably increases.

Unfortunately, “Today New Yorkers are the victims of an all-out war encompassing virtually all our most pressing problems, including the transit crisis, the poor state of public housing, the shortage of affordable housing, the Rikers Island jail complex and homelessness,” as told by Crains’ Greg David. Although the conflict between the governor and mayor is not anything new, the Cuomo-de Blasio war is like none other then what has happened before. Their animosity towards each other is far more intense than any of their predecessors. On top of that, this feud comes at a cost – the well-being of all New Yorkers.

Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio can agree on one issue – the homeless housing epidemic. One thing that this blogger has written about before. Now, they may agree that it is a problem that needs to be solved, but they have somewhat different ways of achieving that goal. An article in the New York Times states that “Over the last four years, the mayor and the governor, both Democrats, have made an art form of squabbling over issues, even when they largely share the same view.” The same party, the same issue, and the same love for New York. So, where does this disconnect derive from?

The issues that plague New York City are always made apparent by Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio, and each one seems to feel that it is the others responsibility to change things. Although when either is asked if their decisions are influenced by each other, neither hesitate to answer with a resounding no. If Cuomo tries to step in and make any moves in New York City, de Blasio says he is interfering with city affairs. However, when de Blasio has a complaint with funding, specifically dealing with infrastructure, then he feels Cuomo needs to do something about it. There just is no way for both of these men to be satisfied without pointing fingers.

This bitter rivalry does not only affect these two; it affects all of New York City and its inhabitants. If both of these men are continually steeping in each other’s way or holding back all kinds of reform, how is anything supposed to get better? The homeless population of New York is pleading for help from anybody. They do not care about politics, or who is right and who is wrong. They need the proper support. Although both the governor and mayor are trying to correct homelessness in New York City, if this feud continues, they may be doing more harm than good in the long run.