From a Southerner who actually lives here full-time, I can say you’ve still got your blinders on. Yes, in a one-on-one situation many NYC’ers are nice people, but in terms of their political values, they suck.
If I don’t like it, you say, why don’t I move? Because I, too, prefer to relate to people one-on-one as they are, and as a result I married a really nice, beautiful, smart NY’er, and we have a wonderful child, so I’m not in a position to leave.
” I can say you’ve still got your blinders on.”
No, I’m fully cognizant of their political proclivities. I’m aware fairly directly of the union corruption and political cronies in much of what goes on.
If you can afford to live there, have at it. As a Southerner and a conservative, you won’t be welcome at the best parties, but those are over rated anyway.
But most New Yorkers (politicians included) would recognize that if your wife’s company loans you money - and in these circles collateral is for when your loan gets exposed - after you get elected - that you owe them something. Most Americans know that if you want to avoid this sort of conflict, you do not borrow money from your wife’s company (a company that makes political “investments” all the time). You borrow like every other American borrows - honestly.
This smells bad, because it is bad. It’s not a NYC value, it good old-fashioned political cronyism - found anywhere politicians crave power and influence, which is just about everywhere.