Signs of the Times?

All of a sudden there's a graffiti problem in Tudor City, with vandalism to the south wall of No. 45, as shown above, and the multiple tags on the granite wall near the 42nd Street bus stop, below. 

Graffiti engulfed New York in the 1970s, a time when the city teetered on the edge of bankruptcy. There were more pressing issues than graffiti removal then, and the inescapable graffiti (particularly on the subways) was soul-destroying, emblematic of hard times. At present, we're told that the city does not consider graffiti removal an essential service, understandably. We hope it becomes one soon.