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Drop Dead City: New York's Darkest Financial Hour

In the mid-1970s, New York City teetered on the edge of financial ruin, earning the infamous nickname 'Drop Dead City' after President Gerald Ford seemingly dismissed the city's plea for federal assistance.

The crisis emerged from a perfect storm of economic challenges: decades of overspending, declining tax revenues, massive public sector employment, and a national recession. By 1975, the city was facing a staggering $3.3 billion budget deficit and was mere weeks away from defaulting on its municipal bonds.

Key dramatic moments defined this period:

The New York Daily News headline 'Ford to City: Drop Dead' captured national attention
Municipal workers faced potential mass layoffs
Essential city services were at risk of complete shutdown

Ultimately, a complex rescue package emerged through extraordinary collaboration. Investment banker Felix Rohatyn designed a financial restructuring plan, while labor unions agreed to significant concessions. The state created the Municipal Assistance Corporation (MAC) to help refinance the city's debt, and federal loan guarantees provided critical breathing room.

The city's survival became a powerful narrative of resilience, demonstrating how collaborative problem-solving could pull a major metropolis back from the financial brink. New York's recovery would become a landmark case study in municipal financial management.

Felix Rohatyn on FusePop