2013 Voter Guide

Candidates for 22nd City Council District

Jerry Kann
Populist

Party Enrolled In: Populist

Current Occupation: Proofreader/Copyeditor (Indep. Contractor); Courier (Thunderball Courier Sys.); Tourist Greeter (Alliance for Downtown NY)

Previous Occupation(s): Admin. Asst. (Children's Aid Soc.)

Education: BA, English Literature, Cleveland State Univ., Cleveland, OH, 1985; MA candidate and teaching asst., English Literature, Case Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, OH, 1986-87

Organizational Affiliations: Occupy Astoria/LIC; Occupy Wall Street (Outreach and Alternative Banking working groups)

Prior Public Experience: Treasurer, Green Party Office in Manhattan, 2004-present; State Cmte Member, Green Party of NY State

1. What is the most important issue in Council District 22 you would address if elected?

The big problem in New York City today is that very rich people have so much power that they are virtually above the law. That's a disaster for democracy and we have to do something about it.---Two years ago I filed a complaint against 2009 mayoral candidate Michael Bloomberg. It appears that in October 2009 the Mayor failed to report an expenditure of $1.2 million for an Election Day operation. A common-sense reading of the Campaign Finance Act suggests that failing to report this expenditure before the election was a violation of the law. Last year, one of four members of the Campaign Finance Board voted to keep the complaint open and continue the investigation.---This is only one example of elected officials apparently breaking the law and getting away with it. If elected, I will do everything I can to end that injustice and turn things around.

 

2. What other important issues would you address if elected?

I support all four bills of the Community Safety Act. Obviously police officers must detain and search suspects when they have probable cause to believe a crime is being committed. But the current Stop & Frisk policy is essentially racist and discriminatory against New Yorkers in low-income neighborhoods and must be ended.---I have long called for popular election of the members of our Community Boards and the expansion of the number of tenants' representatives on the Rent Guidelines Board.

 

3. What makes you the best candidate for this office?

The city needs a big change. It needs a lot more democracy. I can do more on that score than any other candidate.

 

Reprinted as supplied by the candidate. Participating in the Campaign Finance Program.

 

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Party Key
  • C = Conservative
  • D = Democratic
  • G = Green
  • I = Independence
  • P = Populist
  • R = Republican
  • WF = Working Families