What Did Robert Moses Think of 'The Power Broker'?

Bridge and Tunnel Club has published the full 23-page typed, double-spaced letter that Robert Moses wrote in response to Robert Caro's biography.

2 minute read

February 9, 2013, 5:00 AM PST

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


You probably won't be surprised to learn that Moses wasn't particularly fond of his portrayal in the Pulitzer prize winning book, The Power Broker. And as you may have guessed, he doesn't hold back in his response to a book "full of mistakes, unsupported charges, nasty, baseless personalities and random haymakers thrown at just about everybody in public life." Moses refutes "personal, nasty, false, venomous and vindictive canards" portrayed in the book (such as his supposed affair with Ruth Pratt) and suggests that third parties "look at the record" as he disputes charges about his professional failings.

"I invite no prolonged controversy with the likes of Caro and his publishers," Moses writes on page 3. "This comment is not meant to spark controversy. It aims to make one statement which will answer ligitimate inquiries. If there were the slightest vestige of truth in the random charge that poor, halpless, displaced persons met ruthless public works dictators who sadistically scattered them to the worst rookerires, why do not Caro and his publisher offer some plausible evidence? Ninety-eight percent of the ghetto folks we moved were given immeasurably better living places at unprecedented cost. Usually a month after the last relocation not a letter of complaint was received."

Here's another gem from page 5-6:

"One can not help being amused by my friends among the media who shout for rails and inveigh against rubber but admit that they live in the suburbs and that their wives are absolutely dependent on motor cars. We live in a motorized civilization."

Friday, February 8, 2013 in Bridge and Tunnel Club

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents

The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

July 11 - Real Change

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing

Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

July 11 - Shelterforce Magazine

Green bike share bikes parked in a row on a commercial street with outdoor dining and greenery.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive

Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.

July 11 - Cities Today