Mayoral election in New York, New York (2021)

Government

New York City’s government is not just in crisis — it often is the crisis. COVID-19 has exposed the City’s mismanagement in stark detail. And it is Black and Brown communities who suffer the most from its dysfunction.

I know because I lived it. As one of six children with a single mother who struggled to make ends meet, I have committed my life to making the City work better for those who need it the most.

Inefficiency and inequality lead to injustice. How? New York has tremendous resources — but it often wastes them on programs that do not deliver the desired result or spends them in ways that do not help the New Yorkers who need them the most. I will make our City government more efficient, effective, and equal. Here’s how.

A more efficient city Today, the City governs from crisis to crisis — always dealing with the immediate problem and never the cause. Structural changes and smart management are necessary to create efficiency and reduce inequality.

I will do that by: Closing the budget gap without affecting public services Instituting real-time governing Finding the waste

A more effective city City agencies each keep their own records and data, with very little productive interaction — and New Yorkers who need help fall through the cracks. Using technology, we can focus on making government more effective by tailoring New Yorkers’ interaction with the City down to the person.

My plan includes: Building one digital platform for New Yorkers to access all City services Bringing the City to the community by delivering services in storefronts and in-person in lower-income neighborhoods Creating a Recovery Score to track our progress with analytics

A more equal city Finally, the City must do a far better job of maximizing its resources and using its regulatory powers to help deal with structural economic and social issues. That includes prioritizing spending on programs, services, and contractors that reduce inequality. It also means revisiting regulations that discourage growth, particularly of our Black and Brown owned small businesses.

My plan includes: Prioritizing minority- and women-owned businesses for City contracts Eliminating the fees for starting a small business Instituting a warning system for violations that do not pose immediate danger Maximizing the use of City assets — particularly office buildings for affordable housing

Economy

Our city is in serious economic trouble. The pandemic has cost us hundreds-of-thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in revenue.

And the deep hole we find ourselves in is not entirely due to COVID-19. Our economy was built on uneven ground: pervasive inequality, with just a few sectors accounting for most jobs, and vast wealth disparities. Before the pandemic, Latino and Black households in the city averaged approximately half the income that white households did.

Eric Adams Speaking Infront of Outdoor Dinning Area Our recovery starts with public health and public safety. But there are other things we can and must do immediately to save our economy. Some things will take years. Some things will take a generation. But we must get started now on all. Here’s how we bring back New York better than ever.

Step 1 - Protect what we have built and who built it Since the pandemic and its disastrous impact on this country’s economy, we have seen a significant downturn that is far worse than most American cities’. Estimates are that, even after the COVID crisis is somewhat under control, New York City will have half-a-million fewer jobs than before the pandemic. We have to right the ship, fast.

Step 2 - Create a stronger, deeper, fairer 21st Century economy New York City must position itself to lead in the industries of the future: the green economy, healthcare/biotech, digital technology and cybersecurity. Our workers were unprepared for this even before the pandemic. Invest in green infrastructure projects through a municipal bond program.

Step 3 - Create an equitable economy that gives everyone the opportunity to thrive Black and Brown communities were sidelined as the New York City economy flourished. For instance, the communities I grew up in — Brownsville and South Jamaica — continue to experience significant unemployment while massive development and economic expansion occurred in other parts of the city. Those communities have waited long enough — now we will build an inclusive economy for them that is equitable and enduring.

Education

The quality of a child’s public education in New York is unfortunately and unnecessarily often determined by what neighborhood they live in and how much money their family has. This leads to unforgivable racial disparities that limit the futures of thousands of our kids, year after year.

Now COVID-19 threatens to deepen those disparities even more, as lower-income families without adequate internet access and childcare options struggle with blended and remote learning.

But we also now have a chance to completely reimagine our education system. I believe the key to improvement is opening as many paths to success for our students as we can, and to focus much more on how they learn—not just what they learn.

To do that, I will desegregate our schools, institute a year-round school year, significantly expand school and instruction options, prioritize universal access to both online and in-person classes, feed our kids only healthy food in schools, and focus on the holistic growth of every student.

Our immediate focus should be on improving remote learning, which has been a disaster for thousands of families. This is both a failure of our City government and the internet providers who have been promising for years to improve access to lower-income New Yorkers and have not delivered. We can and must do something to correct this injustice. Internet providers need City approval to operate in New York. We should be using that leverage to force them to connect the families of schoolchildren and offer free service.

We must also offer clear paths to college and careers through our schools. For instance, I am very proud of the Brooklyn STEAM Center, a first-of-its-kind facility that offers high school students real-world work experience in emerging professions.

Poor education and lack of preparation leads to incarceration. As many as 80 percent of Rikers Island inmates do not have a diploma or GED and a third of college-aged inmates read below a fifth-grade level. The vast majority of those New Yorkers are Black and Brown.

We can fix this and close the racial performance gaps by greatly improving the educational options for parents and students so that each child gets a quality education that is right for them.

In the coming weeks, I will lay out my full vision for reimagining our public education system. I look forward to sharing it with you so that we can begin to build brighter futures for our children.

Health

OVID-19 tore through New York City when it first hit the United States, leaving unimaginable death and suffering in its wake. And the fight is far from over.

Although we have made great strides in understanding, treating, and tracking the virus, our planning is flawed and inconsistent — and it is costing us lives. At the same time, COVID-19 hit us as hard as it did because our public health system was — and still is — woefully inadequate, especially for communities of color.

Like a patient with a weak immune system, the underlying condition that has allowed COVID-19 to kill so many Black and Brown New Yorkers is inequality. We cannot hope to control the coronavirus without also curing that disease.

People of color in our city have far-higher rates of chronic illness and the comorbidities that make people vulnerable to COVID-19 and other viruses. Black New Yorkers’ life expectancy is a full four years lower than the citywide average. That is the result of poor healthcare, lack of healthy food options, and unhealthy living conditions.

I was one of those people of color living with a chronic illness that could have been prevented. I was diagnosed with diabetes and lost sight in my eye. My doctor told me I was facing blindness and amputations. So, I switched to eating only healthy foods and began practicing mindfulness. Within weeks, I was feeling better. Within months, I had sent my diabetes into remission.

Now I want to do the same for all New Yorkers who just need access to quality healthcare and food to improve their health and protect themselves against illness and this deadly virus. I am certain we can. What it will take is an unprecedented commitment to public health from City government.

Turning around this city starts with taming COVID. We need an all-in effort that restores public confidence as it protects public health, undoes the deep racial health disparities in our city, and reduces inequalities by increasing delivery of services.

I have already released a number of proposals that should be implemented immediately, including: instituting a color-coded vaccination program to ensure we reach herd immunity and vaccinate the most vulnerable New Yorkers as quickly as possible; ; sending community health workers directly into neighborhoods with high morbidity rates; expanding access to telehealth; building out a robust rapid-testing program, and setting up COVID care centers in NYCHA complexes and in vacant storefronts in lower-income communities.

In the coming weeks, I will lay out a detailed plan for how to improve our public health system, the health of New Yorkers, and our success against the coronavirus.

Safety

Today our city faces an unprecedented crisis that threatens to undo the progress we have made against crime. The shootings and deaths are startling. And communities of color are the hardest hit.

People do not feel safe in their homes or on the street. We cannot go back to a New York that is unsafe for New Yorkers—especially our children. We won’t go back.

As a former police officer who patrolled the streets in a bulletproof vest in the 1990s, I sadly know what I am talking about. Lawlessness spread through our city like a disease then, infecting communities with the same terrible swiftness that coronavirus threatens today.

At the same time we face a crisis of confidence in our police. And we cannot have lower crime without greater trust.

I personally understand the distrust and anger with the NYPD. As a young man, my brother and I were beaten by police at a precinct house, and we carry the psychological scars of that to this day.

That is why I called out racism in the department as an officer and formed 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement to push through reforms. And why I continued to call for change throughout my career, including the successful effort to stop the unlawful use of Stop-and-Frisk.

But the debate around policing has been reduced to a false choice: You are either with police, or you are against them. No. That cannot be true. Because we are all for safety. We need the NYPD — we just need them to be better.

We also need a plan of action. When I was a police officer, I was part of the team that developed what is now COMPStat. That system of tracking crime and analyzing data allowed us to take crime from historic highs to historic lows.

There is a way forward. With all stakeholders at the table and a laser-like focus on addressing the reasons behind our spike in shootings, we can put this fire out before it consumes entire neighborhoods and torches our reputation as the safest big city in America.

With a commitment to justice that is felt in the heart of officers, new technologies, clear objectives, better organization, good old fashioned police work and better relations with the communities they serve, we can have both safe and fair.

In the coming weeks, I will share with you my detailed plan for tackling crime, reforming policing, and bringing justice to our criminal justice system.

Housing

New York City is always changing — but every once in awhile, there is a sea change. At these pivotal moments, New York’s strength has always been its resiliency and its ability to adapt. After 9/11, we remade downtown Manhattan into a live/work community that prioritized livability and did not depend completely on the 9-to-5 workweek. After Sandy, we rethought our shoreline.

Now we face perhaps our greatest test: COVID-19. The effect of the virus on the way our city works — or doesn’t — is apparent. For instance, suddenly places like Midtown that generated so much economic activity for New York seem built for another era. But we can also see much more clearly now how the design of our city was already flawed — and often how those flaws perpetuated inequality.

New York may be a group of communities, but it is also one city, and we should all be in this recovery together. Let’s start acting like it. To see ourselves as walled-off enclaves is an old, and frankly biased, way of thinking. Housing — including affordable housing — can be and should be put anywhere it can go, as long as it benefits those who need it. And the infrastructure and space for jobs that support the city must also go where it is smartest to build — not just easiest.

An aggressive affordable housing plan To deal with our housing crisis in New York, I believe the city must rapidly build new affordable housing while protecting existing apartments anywhere and everywhere we can. That means bold, aggressive measures that are even more necessary now as we simultaneously fight a pandemic and an economic crisis.

More options for New Yorkers to live and work Much of our city is zoned for another era, when all New Yorkers lived in one area and worked in another. When COVID-19 hit, it economically decimated neighborhoods dominated by tall office towers, where retailers, restaurants, and other businesses relied almost entirely on 9-to-5 workers. The city also relies too heavily on office workers and the service economy overall, when it could and should be expanding employment options in areas like life sciences, urban agriculture, and manufacturing.

The investments NYCHA tenants deserve Even before the pandemic, we knew that tens-of-billions of dollars was needed to make basic improvements to NYCHA homes and complexes throughout the city. Now the virus has exposed even more issues that need immediate attention. I believe we need an all-in approach to raise enough funds and make the most use of them in order to save NYCHA tenants from dilapidated buildings and deteriorating apartments.^[59]

I am focused on cleaning up the streets and reimagining shared roadways. Fighting age, wage, gender and racial discrimination in the workplace. Support small businesses with rent law changes. Root out fraud and wasteful spending in city agencies. Build back a greener, fairer city for low and middle class income families. And I do not want to defund police - but retrain and demilitarize. I am here to represent the concerns of the immigrant community to show they have a voice in New York politics & not just the elite. My English may not be perfect - but my platform is.

POLICE REFORM HOUSING REFORM STOREFRONT VACANCY REFORM EDUCATION REFORM STREET SAFETY AGE DISCRIMINATION WASTE & FRAUD IN CITY AGENCIES SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT GREEN JOB TRAINING ARTS - NUTURE & GROW^[59]

I am running as an Independent and I envision a ‘New’ New York City.

A New York that works for all every resident, regardless of their zip code.

A New York that educates ALL children and young adults comprehensively.

A New York that prioritizes educating students with disabilities comprehensively.

A New York that prioritizes equity in education and improving educational outcomes for students with disabilities.

A New York addresses employment and gender discrimination within city government and ensures that hiring and promotional practices are fair and transparent.

A New York that ensures equal access to employment opportunities for ALL New York City residents.

A New York that prioritizes digitalization and invests in building an efficient, secure and transparent ecosystem in which a minimum of 75% of the city’s government services can be offered online.

A New York that values and listens to the concerns of its youth and invests in entrepreneurship training programs that can inclusively train them to become business owners that can contribute to a robust NYC economy.

A New York that commits to rebuilding its infrastructure.

A New York that prioritizes sustainability and reducing waste.

A New York that addresses healthcare disparities.

A New York that makes housing affordable.

A New York that ensures equal access to employment opportunities for ALL New York City residents.

A New York that will prioritize improving the quality of life of all New York City residents.

A New York that cherishes and cares for its seniors.

A New York that protects ALL residents of NYC from harm.

A New York that supports small businesses, so they thrive, not just survive.^[59]

The Future Vision of NYC

We know that we can’t have more of the same. We know that our society and the systems which govern it have been falling short with empty promises, corruption, inefficiencies, and lack transparency, communication, empathy and hope. We need a new, fresh, youthful, willing, and optimistic approach with ideas of how to look at the city, the country, and the world, while still accounting or our unique and nuanced history. We have to harness all the obstacles, trials, tribulations, adversities, and accomplishments to piece together a realistic, sustainable, integrated, and unified foundation for the future. A future based on hope, humanity, public health and well-being, and growth. A future where new ideas outside of the ‘tried and true’ way can be tested and given the nourishment to possibly flourish, and ‘take hold.’

It’s time for a more binding NYC ideology – one that can inspire a period of growth and transformation towards a beautiful future. We can have a better city sooner than we think, but we need a unifying belief or philosophy to get there. We also need to stay open minded. Part of NYC’s brilliance has been putting to use the collective cultural intelligence of all our people. If we need to learn and implement best practices from other regions and countries, we should. We must stay inspired and open to new ideas for development – this is what will keep our city fresh, dynamic and adaptive for the future. I am willing to do what no one has done, but only speaks about. I have, and will continue to be the person who will ‘put my money where my mouth is,’ and will be relentless and resilient as I’ve always been.

My Plan is to take NYC from Cruel to Kind. I want to implement Emotional & Economic Reform to create a Healthy City. This healthy mindset will create the environment for collaboration & innovation.

We’ll have humanities & cultural training along w/ city-wide communication focused on empathy, so that NYers can understand NYers.

Furthermore, we’ll focus on economic innovation for all our communities (BIPOC, LGBTQ, creative, startup, tech, finance, nightlife, etc) by implementing programs focused on ‘For People, For City, For Profit’ neighborhood innovation.

We’ll improve education by teaching wellness, financial, entrepreneurial, tech, creative & political literacy. We’ll reduce class size to 1 teacher for every 5 students, which will require the launching of a retraining program that’ll create more jobs for tutors & teachers to work digitally.

We’ll make NY attractive for artists by having subsidy programs. We’ll also create an exchange system of ‘work for equity’ via blockchain technology.

We’ll make NY green by reimagining buildings with gardens & parks integrated. We’ll update neighborhoods by building with communities, & help them prepare for future market shifts. NY will be attractive again.^[59]

Jobs & Safety Agenda

Everyday we learn about another person shot, stabbed, or something stolen in New York City. The crime and grime is reaching all time record highs due to lack of strong leadership in City Hall. It is crystal clear that divisive Democrats made New York City dirty and dangerous again.

The strongest candidate for New York City Mayor Fernando Mateo believes that "Big Government Policies" are the BIGGEST problem preventing progress. As the next Mayor of NYC, Mateo will roll back defeatist policies that ruined New York City. Further, Mateo believes in taking "Positions" on issues and implementing proven plans to accomplish key objectives and results.

The primary objective for New York City is JOBS and SAFETY.

A Mayor Mateo will make New York City SAFE again!

A Mayor Mateo will make New York City CLEAN again!

A Mayor Mateo will make New York City WORK again!

Safe Haven Subways Plan

Place 2 Cops on every platform

Deploy “Specialized Safety Teams” to ride trains to engage homeless & mentally ill

Remove emotionally disturbed persons from Subways to get appropriate help

Crack down on loitering, litter, graffiti, and stop fare evaders in the Subways

Expand cleaning efforts to make Subways cleaner and smell fresh

Add more lights to cast out dark areas in and around Subways

Install more safety buttons with high-definition video cameras throughout the system and partner with local businesses to provide “Safe Havens” for those under attack

Mayor to invoke maximum Charter Power to arrest and detain dangerous individuals, bypassing the broken Bail Reform System and not waiting for Albany to act on Kendra’s Law.

REPEAL RADICAL COVID REGULATIONS

The Only Republican Mayoral Candidate Fernando Mateo Calls for the REPEAL of RADICAL LEFT COVID REGULATIONS to PROTECT BUSINESSES from the RISK OF ENDLESS LITIGATION!

EVICT CITIBIKE STREET DOCKS! RESTORE PARKING!

The Only Republican Mayoral Candidate Fernando Mateo Calls for the REMOVAL of CITIBIKE STREET DOCKS to BRING BACK PARKING and MAKE ROOM for OUTDOOR DINING

REPAY NYC YELLOW TAXI’S & REBOOT ENTIRE INDUSTRY

GOP Mayoral Favorite Fernando Mateo Calls for Bold Prescriptions to Fix the Broken Taxi System including Charging Ride Share their Fair Share

Action Plan to Revive NYC Hospitality Industry

As Mayor, I will do everything in my power to keep restaurants, bars, hotels open for business by providing:

1. rent relief, 2. tax debt relief, 3. payroll assistance, 4. protection from evictions, 5. reduced assessments, and 6. a robust vaccine and COVID testing strategy to support a legal fight against closures and shutdowns by detached bureaucrats.”

NYS Must Cancel New Taxes & Cut Red Tape to Create Value

Keep JetBlue in NYC

Pre-pandemic, the tourism industry brought 65 million visitors to NYC. Those tourists generated $44 billion in business for restaurants, hotels, sports, and entertainment industries. These people and the revenues they contribute to New York City would never get here without companies like JetBlue.

While COVID set NY back, Mateo is urging that we use lessons learned to set NY up for the biggest comeback ever! He is urging action on retaining and growing the business community in New York City by making reasonable accommodations to incentivize them stay home in the Big Apple.^[59]

PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE NYPD

Without public safety, without law and order, a city has nothing to build on. With lawlessness comes a tanking economy, the loss of tourism, unsafe schools, and a mass exodus of families, business owners, and law abiding taxpayers. We become desensitized to daily acts of unimaginable violence, the worst that could happen to a civil society. To combat the anarchy and apathy that hangs over New York City, we must and will return to 'Broken Windows' policing that was successful in the City's transformation in the mid-1990's. We will address quality of life issues such as vandalism, loitering, graffiti, public intoxication and public lewdness. We will return to enforcement of fare evasion and other subway and mass transit violations. There is a direct correlation between the lack of transit enforcement and the horrific attacks we've seen take place on subway platforms. Ignore these issues and they will act as a gateway to more violent crimes. The de Blasio administration has done just that, and the results are clear as day. A one year old is shot and killed in his stroller, a little girl holding her father's hand watches in horror as he is shot crossing the street. Those are just two of the indelible images from this past year. We will bring back proactive policing units that were disbanded by this feckless administration, such as anti-crime units and plain-clothes officers. Shootings have skyrocketed across our city because there is no longer a fear of carrying or using a firearm. Violence Interrupters, social workers and wishful thinking will not stop the gunfire or the death of innocents. Well trained, proactive police officers have and will again, in every community. We will allocate more resources to Counter-Terrorism, Disorder Control and Strategic Response , to identify and apprehend members of ANTIFA or any hate groups that attempt to bring violence and destruction to our city. There will be no replay of last summer. Our police officers will not be ordered to stand down and allow themselves to be targets of anarchists and criminals while our city is looted and burned. We are losing too many highly qualified police officers to other jurisdictions. The NYPD has a morale problem which manifests itself through recruitment and retention. I am the only candidate who can restore pride and morale immediately. I wore the uniform, I lost brothers and sisters who also wore that uniform. I trained thousands of our current police officers. I know what they need to be safe and to be effective. All of this will be accomplished with a REAL coming together of police and community. The painting of streets with slogans was nothing more than a diversion, a divisive act of political grandstanding that served no purpose and solved nothing. My administration will open our doors and our arms to true community leaders who have their neighbors and neighborhood's best interests in mind. We will not pander to or seek approval from racial arsonists such as Al Sharpton, who has done nothing to improve race relations or quality of life in New York City. We will work with all communities and anyone who loves this city and wants the best for its people.

EDUCATION AND COVID-19

The initial step towards rebuilding our crumbling public education system is to immediately replace our ineffective Chancellor. The next chancellor will be someone who has been in a New York City classroom, who understands the daily obstacles teachers and school children face. They will prioritize education over social agendas, and unite a badly fractured system that for too long has been nothing more than a political football for our elected officials. We will streamline the bloated bureaucracy, eliminate ineffective and inefficient political positions and invest those savings into the classrooms and into computers, books and supplies. Parent leaders will have a place and a say in my administration. Their voices have been muted by politicians for too long. They will be incorporated into decision and policy making and work in conjunction with principals and administrators. We must return to a fair and legitimate grading system, and keep in place testing for specialized high schools. Students who are excelling should be rewarded, and those that are struggling need to be supported. We will allocate far more funding and resources into special needs programs. No longer will these children suffer because of governmental incompetence. We will also educate school officials, school safety officers and police officers on how to respond to incidents involving special needs students, something that is long overdue on a wider scale. Charter schools will have a place in our education system, and parents will have a choice. If the abysmal COVID-19 response has taught us anything, it is that parents deserve an opportunity to choose. City Hall has all but ignored Charter Schools, making it almost impossible for them to fully function, yet their success stories continue. It can work. Our children belong in the classroom, with a teacher in front of them guiding their academic and social growth. We can do this safely, with a coherent plan, strict safety guidelines and informed decision making based on science and facts, not politically motivated agendas. Testing and vaccinations should be readily available and administered safely and properly; however, no child should be tested or vaccinated without parental consent, and teachers should not have their livelihoods threatened if they do not submit or comply. This is still America and we still have rights, rights that I as Mayor will protect.

ECONOMY

New York City’s economy has all but collapsed, and is quickly approaching the point of no return. Without question, COVID-19 and the ensuing lockdowns and regulations struck a staggering blow to our businesses, our tourism and overall economy. The reality is that our economy was trending downwards before the pandemic, as years of mismanagement and the overburdening taxation of the working class was beginning to take full effect. The riots of last summer, played out among the backdrop of the pandemic, hastened our economic demise, as elected officials all but abdicated leadership and their responsibility to tax payers and business owners.

So, how do we bring our economy back?

INDUSTRY

New York City must reinvest in industry. We have the necessary infrastructure already in place with commercial buildings, factories and transportation to move products such as shipping (freight and air) along with highway access for trucking. We have the available workforce at every income level, and it will create jobs for teenagers through seniors, entry level through executive. We would fill many office spaces that have been vacated, and bring jobs in the food, garment and film industry back as well. With so many people back to work and commuting again, this would serve as a much needed boost to our financially strapped MTA as well.

REOPEN

With people going back to work, we must then reopen our businesses, attractions and landmarks. We will open our theatres, our museums, and our sports venues. Broadway, Times Square, Madison Square Garden, movie theatres, concert halls, the Barclay Center…they simply can no longer remain dark. Open these venues and you put thousands upon thousands back to work immediately while boosting consumer spending.

SMALL BUSINESS

We must save our small businesses. The ludicrous edicts from Albany and City Hall have destroyed livelihoods and will destroy more. They have infringed upon our rights to earn a living, feed our families, pay our mortgage, rents and tuition, and enjoy the quality of life we deserve. We will open our restaurants, bars, gyms and other small businesses to keep our hard working, tax-paying business owners and employees in the city. Otherwise, those who can flee to other states will do just that, and the exodus from New York will quicken exponentially. Those who cannot leave will be left behind to suffer. It’s un-American and disgraceful.

PROTECT INVESTMENTS

We must and will protect our businesses. Last summer, some of the most expensive commercial real estate in the world was looted and burned with no response from our elected officials. Macy’s of Herald Square, Madison Avenue, Fifth Avenue, all looked and felt like a war zone. In November, in anticipation of violence related to the Presidential election, stores and boutiques closed down, boarded their windows with plywood and utilized private security firms with guard dogs. What message are you sending to business owners, corporations and investors when you refuse to protect their interests and City Hall cowers in fear? Why would anyone looking to invest stay in New York City or come back? Send a message to anarchists and criminals that what occurred in 2020 will never be allowed again, that New York City can and will protect your investments and we are indeed open for business.

DEVELOP AND GROW

During the 1970’s New York City fell into a financial crisis and tried to borrow their way out. That approach failed miserably. Under Mayor Abe Beame we fell into a filthy, crime-ridden mess (‘Fear City’) which led to mass layoffs and a harsh rebuke from President Ford (‘FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD’ NY Daily News, 10/30/75). There would be no Federal bailout. I remember it like it was yesterday because my father, a New York City Police Officer at the time, lost his job in the layoffs. Suddenly we were uprooted and facing financial uncertainty along with thousands of other families. The City only rebounded when they stopped borrowing, begging and spending recklessly. They invested in development and growth, new construction, infrastructure and industry. We will do the same, while streamlining the government workforce that was increased during the pandemic by the de Blasio administration, an unconscionable act of arrogance, incompetence and failed crisis management.

A SAFE REBIRTH

Of course, all of this has to occur safely as we adjust to life under the cloud of COVID-19. There is a path to do so. Strict HVAC filtration, ventilation and sanitization guidelines must be put in place and enforced fairly. Social distancing, the wearing of masks, temperature checks; all can be implemented in our businesses and venues to ensure the safest reopening possible. We must follow the facts and the science, not political agendas. If we do so correctly, we can revive our economy and restart New York City’s faint heartbeat. If not, we will watch it slide into the abyss.^[59]

Stacey Prussman’s platform is based on giving power back to the people.

As mayor of NYC, Stacey will do the following:

Public Safety

Promote public safety by supporting police efforts to combat violent crime and protect potentially vulnerable communities by instituting comprehensive police reform.

Prussman Plan for Coronavirus Safety

Revive New York City’s culture by establishing science based coronavirus mitigation and reopening guidelines, instead of the haphazard regulations crushing our city.

Democratize Education

End the mayoral control of the Department of Education and allow local elections of education boards.

Save CUNY

Restore the CUNY budget through elimination of a tax loophole and democratizing its board of trustees, among other critical reforms.

Animal Rights

Successfully end the horse drawn carriage industry in Manhattan and establish NYC as a no-kill animal shelter zone.

Mental Health

People in need of mental health treatment need to get access to care without stigma, no matter their socioeconomic background. Coming out of the COVID crisis, this need has become even more urgent.

Homelessness

Simplify and update zoning laws which have kept us from developing housing for lower income people and families. Additionally, the ability to build inexpensive housing through technologies like 3D printing must be pursued so that we can end homelessness in New York City.

NYCHA

Expand the rent to own program to include all interested NYCHA residents. Homeownership is an important way to help people pull themselves out of poverty.

Reform and Reduce Red Light and Speeding Cameras

Red light and speeding cameras serve as a tax on the poor, as we can see by the neighborhoods they are installed in, how difficult it is to fight them, and the dependence on them to patch budget holes. The number of these cameras must be reduced, and those that remain must be under a revised program following the reform guidelines of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Legalize Cannabis and Other Natural Therapeutic Substances

New York City has an amazing opportunity to end wasteful enforcement of the victimless crime of cannabis possession and develop a crucially needed revenue stream by legalizing it. We should not be denying veterans and at-need patients the natural tools to manage their symptoms.

Open Up Vaping

The regulations on the vaping industry have pushed a booming potential revenue source out of our city while increasing the use of cigarettes. We must open this industry up in New York City.

Decriminalize sex work

Sex workers are forced to live with the dual dangers of pimps and arrest. We can end that by letting them come out from the underground legally.^[59]

Why Vote For Curtis?

He’s been known for decades as a colorful New Yorker, often putting himself in the spotlight. But Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa told NY1 his campaign to succeed Bill de Blasio is a serious one, and he said his first focus would be on reducing crime.

The Staten Island and Brooklyn Republican Parties have endorsed Sliwa’s campaign.

He said his bid was an effort to “resurrect us from the eight years of Bill de Blasio.”

“I think Democrats and Republicans can almost unanimously agree: Bill de Blasio has destroyed this city that we so love,” Sliwa said.

For years, Sliwa has been a critic of de Blasio, deeming his policies too far to the left. Now, after the spike in crime in 2020, he has entered the race for mayor with a central focus on public safety, something Republicans have hammered de Blasio for, even before the increase in violent crime.

The main issues on the minds of all the citizens, regardless if they’re Republicans, Democrats, or independents, are crime, public safety, and the quality of life, Sliwa said.

But while Sliwa is best known for founding the Guardian Angels — who became famous for patrolling the subway system and streets when crime rates were higher — he says his campaign will touch on various issues. Among his other campaign platforms:

He calls for a property tax overhaul to correct disparities in the city.

He supports keeping the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) and Gifted and Talented programs.

He wants more vocational training for students, including at charter schools. Sliwa contends that schools are not focusing enough resources on training students for skilled labor, such as carpentry and electrical repair.

Sliwa also hammers the Democratic mayoral candidates’ ambitious campaign platforms, arguing the city will not have enough money to fund their mandates. Instead, he presented himself as the future mayoral voice of fiscal reason in a city government that likely will be overwhelmingly filled with Democrats.

“Show me how we can do more with less money,” Sliwa said. “Because we’re not going to have the money to do everything that a lot of the other candidates are talking about.”^[59]