Working for a Safe, Affordable City for All
NYC Common Sense is a nonprofit coalition fighting for safer streets, affordable housing, and real jobs — championing effectiveness and accountability over ideology and identity politics.
Common Sense
Is Uncommon
At City Hall
NYC Common Sense is a nonprofit grassroots coalition focused on making sure City government is delivering on behalf of ALL New Yorkers.
Everyone deserves safer streets, affordable housing, jobs, and the opportunity to thrive. That requires accountable leadership and transparency — making promises and keeping them.
We serve as an independent watchdog, using all tools at our disposal to hold city leaders accountable. Because common sense is all too uncommon at City Hall.
Our Issues
In The News
New York City is a one-party town. Apart from the Giuliani and Bloomberg years, the Democratic primary victor usually wins the general election by a significant margin. So, in practice, the real election is the closed Democratic primary, in which only enrolled Democrats can vote. As a result, more than one million independent New Yorkers are shut […]
Thank you, Chairman Mastro and members of the Charter Revision Commission for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Jim Walden. I am a former Board Member of Citizens Union—New York’s oldest good-government group—and the current Chairman of NYC Common Sense, a newly created City Hall watchdog group. As a lawyer who has litigated […]
NYC Common Sense released the following statement following passage of the 2026-27 state budget in Albany: “The FY 2027 spending plan advanced by the administration is the epitome of robbing Peter to pay Paul. “The executive budget relies heavily on a state bailout – the details of which remain uncertain – as well as a […]
New Non-Partisan Organization Chaired by 2025 Mayoral Candidate and Veteran Attorney Jim Walden Will Champion a Safe, Affordable City for All NEW YORK, NY — NYC Common Sense today launched as an independent, non-partisan watchdog organization dedicated to ensuring New Yorkers have the information they need to evaluate City Hall’s initiatives and championing data-driven policies […]
Legal Action
NYC Common Sense uses every tool at our disposal — including litigation — to hold city government accountable. When leaders overstep their authority or ignore the law, we pursue legal remedies to protect New Yorkers' rights.
FOIL requests and litigation details will appear here as our efforts progress.
Active legal challenges to City Hall overreach will be listed here.
Case updates and outcomes will be published as actions are filed.
Join NYC
Common Sense
Be the change City Hall needs.
We need your help to ensure New York City runs on common sense. Your voice matters in holding City Hall accountable.
No spam, ever. Just updates on our work holding City Hall accountable.