ABOUT a month ago, I sent my missive on updating Local Law 11 to a pair of the Mayoral candidates, with the thinking that it was an under the radar issue that would come with a built-in constituency if championed. One of those candidates replied back and asked if we wanted an interview. With that, here are the highlights of my discussion with Whitney Tilson.
The first question I asked him was “Given the crowded field of candidates for Mayor in the Democratic Primary (9), how do you plan on breaking out of the pack?” Mr. Tilson’s response was that he sees a path for a non-career politician for voters who feel fed-up with the same issues continually going unresolved. Give him that, he is the sole candidate who has never held elected office. As for those issues, the first is…
Crime & Safety – Mr. Tilson is not a ‘Defund the Police’ candidate. He shared that NYC is at a 34-year low in number of police officers on the force. He is a ‘Make Crime Illegal’ candidate, noting that if you are not shot, stabbed or severely beaten, you are not a high priority for the police. More specifically, police do not come for shoplifters, hurting businesses small and large (not to mention increasing costs, as we all must absorb the ‘shrinkage’). Moving on to the legal system, perps are getting out too quickly and changes need to be made to reverse this. Similarly, and intertwined with Crime & Safety, is Homelessness. Two years ago the City Council passed ‘Right to Sleep Outside’ legislation, he believes this too should be reversed.
Housing Affordability – in Mr. Tilson’s discussions with real estate developers, they share that they are treated like the enemy by local government, and therefore they no longer want to do business in NYC. Furthermore, while the City of Yes is a step in the right direction, 80,000 units over 15 years is too little, so he believes zoning restrictions must be more accommodating. Additionally, the permitting process is too slow, in part due to the department being understaffed, in part because it just takes too long due to bureaucratic red tape and inattention. Finally, and he cited Amazon HQ2 as the prime example, it takes just a few people to scuttle a project, large or small. Or at least delay it to an extent that many developments don’t pencil out, especially in a higher interest rate environment. Another housing issue that Mr. Tilson cites, is that tenant protection and rent stabilization legislation passed by the city in 2019 went too far because the new laws didn’t allow landlords to recoup anything. Thus 100k apartments are sitting vacant.
Finally, and bringing it back home to Long Island City, Mr. Tilson would look to accelerate NYCHA infill development, whereby valuable land is underutilized. Given that our little hamlet includes the largest public housing development in North America, we could not agree more. Similar to HQ2, he cites activists trying to kill gentrification and displacement as one of the biggest hurdles. Yes, as we have clearly recognized, both of these things will occur, but the ends overwhelmingly justify the means, and someone new needs to take the reins on this opportunity. Raze Queensbridge!
Primary Day is June 24 – vote!
Whitney Tilson Campaign Website – we promised you an interview, not a pic. Here’s where you can find more.
Leave a Reply