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The Other Candidates
November 3rd, 2009

Still mulling whom to vote for today? Well the ballot does provide choice for mayor beyond Michael Bloomberg and Bill Thompson. Also on the ballot are Stephen Christopher (Conservative); Dan Fein (Socialist Worker); Francsica Villar (Socialism and Libertarian); Dan Fein (Socialist Worker); Bill Talen (Green); Jimmy McMillan (Rent is Too High); and Joseph Dobrian (Libertarian).

Four of these candidates attended a recent forum at sponsored by the Wagner Policy Alliance at NYU. Diana Huynh reported on their comments, which focused on the problem of poverty, particularly as it intersects with education and economic development. (Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Comptroller William Thompson were invited to the event, but both declined. Tyrell Eiland, who attended, is no longer on the ballot, according to the Board of Elections.)

Their comments after the jump.

McMillan’s proposal for virtually all of New York City’s poverty problems was simplest: “I’m rolling back rent!” the retired letter carrier said as he rolled dice on the table before him. “Every problem we suffer from today, rolling back rent will solve problems.” McMillan, wearing a nylon cap and sporty sunglasses, responded to nearly every question with the same refrain.

Dobrian and Talen clashed over the extent of the crisis facing New York, a dispute that began when Dobrian complained about Talen’s and McMillan’s digressions.

Talen, who styles himself as a reverend in the Church of Life After Shopping and so wore a clerical collar, defended this approach. “You want to back up and say ‘The place is burning,’” he said.

Dobrian countered, “Look out the window,” he said, motioning outside to Houston and Lafayette streets. “I see no fire.”

“Because this is Soho, that’s why,” Talen responded, not missing a beat.

Dobrian, in a crisp suit, offered a pro-business slant made him seem like the odd man out. While the other candidates pleaded for a return to what they called communal and community values, Dobrian emphasized the importance of encouraging individual and personal choice.

There should be gradual privatization of the educational system and more school choice, Dobrian said. “Teaching concepts of collectivism, altruism and service” is a danger to the American concept of liberty, he said. He also called for lowering taxes and making New York City friendly to businesses.

“If you continue to throw accusations at so-called greedy landlords, you will get more corruption and less product,” Dobrian said at one point. He proposed the end of government involvement in housing and maybe then “rents won’t be so damn high anymore.”

Talen, who was thrown out of the first Bloomberg-Thompson debate after he shouted out from the audience, challenging Bloomberg’s overturning of term limits, has called for neighborhoods “to rise up and lead New York, because cities are neighborhoods made of people, not subsidiaries made of money.” His platform offers a number of ideas for strengthening neighborhood, such as keeping rent affordable, forcing absentee landlords to put vacant building to use and bolstering community boards.

Party for Socialism and Liberation candidate Frances Villar, the lone woman running this year, was the most vocal in criticizing Bloomberg and past administrations. Labeling the “the billionaires,” she called on minorities and immigrants in particular to join in a struggle for better social programs for the poor and working class.

“The government speaks of priority when funding bills and bailouts, but when people need better schools, health care and housing, we only get budget cuts,” she said.

By Gail Robinson on November 3, 2009, 1:52 pm
In category: Electoral Politics | No Comments »

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