Mayor Keep on Spinning

Just once it would be nice to have Mayor de Blasio show contrition when his administration takes its lumps for good reason. That did not occur, however, when U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman spelled out the failures at the Housing Authority that were long concealed by lies and ruses that would be comical if they hadn’t jeopardized the health of so many tenants.

Passing off the consent decree under which the city will give the HA at least $1.2 billion over the next five years as a judgment call rather than an admission of wrongdoing was typical of the Mayor. The 80-page civil complaint from Mr. Berman’s office seemed aimed directly at him when it said the HA’s woes “reflect management dysfunction and organizational failure, including a culture where spin is often rewarded and accountability often does not exist.”