Changes

1939 was a busy year, as he opened the New York World's Fair at Flushing Meadow, Queens, opened New York Municipal Airport #2 in Queens (later renamed Fiorello H. La Guardia Field), and had the city buy out the Interborough Rapid Transit Company, thus completing the public takeover of the subway system.  When the newspapers went on strike he read the funny papers on the radio.   

1939 was a busy year, as he opened the New York World's Fair at Flushing Meadow, Queens, opened New York Municipal Airport #2 in Queens (later renamed Fiorello H. La Guardia Field), and had the city buy out the Interborough Rapid Transit Company, thus completing the public takeover of the subway system.  When the newspapers went on strike he read the funny papers on the radio.   

==World War II==

==World War II==

In 1941, during the run-up to American involvement in World War II, President Roosevelt appointed La Guardia as the first director of the new Office of Civilian Defense (OCD). The OCD was responsible for preparing for blackouts, air raid wardens, sirens, and shelters in case of German air raids. The government knew that such air raids were impossible but the goal was to psychologically mobilize many thousands of middle class volunteers to make them feel part of the war effort. La Guardia remained Mayor of New York, shuttling back and forth with three days in Washington and four in the city in a poor effort to do justice to two herculean jobs.  After [[Pearl Harbor]] in December 1941 his role was turned over to full-time director of OCD, [[James M. Landis]]. La Guardia's popularity slipped away and he ran so poorly in straw polls in 1945 that he did not run for a fourth term.<ref>Erwin Hargrove, "The Dramas of Reform," in James D. Barber, ed. ''Political Leadership in American Government'' (1964), p. 94.)</ref>

In 1941, during the run-up to American involvement in World War II, President Roosevelt appointed La Guardia as the first director of the new Office of Civilian Defense (OCD). The OCD was responsible for preparing for blackouts, air raid wardens, sirens, and shelters in case of German air raids. The government knew that such air raids were impossible but the goal was to psychologically mobilize many thousands of middle class volunteers to make them feel part of the war effort. La Guardia remained Mayor of New York, shuttling back and forth with three days in Washington and four in the city in a poor effort to do justice to two herculean jobs.  After [[Pearl Harbor]] in December 1941 his role was turned over to full-time director of OCD, [[James M. Landis]]. La Guardia's popularity slipped away and he ran so poorly in straw polls in 1945 that he did not run for a fourth term.<ref>Erwin Hargrove, "The Dramas of Reform," in James D. Barber, ed. ''Political Leadership in American Government'' (1964), p. 94.</ref>

Unemployment ended and the city was the gateway for military supplies and soldiers sent to Europe, with the Brooklyn Navy Yard providing many of the warships and the garment trade provided uniforms. The city's great financiers, however, were less important in decision making than policy makers in Washington, and very high wartime taxes were not offset by heavy war spending. New York was not a center of heavy industry and did not see a wartime boom as defense plants were built elsewhere.  

Unemployment ended and the city was the gateway for military supplies and soldiers sent to Europe, with the Brooklyn Navy Yard providing many of the warships and the garment trade provided uniforms. The city's great financiers, however, were less important in decision making than policy makers in Washington, and very high wartime taxes were not offset by heavy war spending. New York was not a center of heavy industry and did not see a wartime boom as defense plants were built elsewhere.