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Rent is Too Damn High!
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 26, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 26, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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Gothamist was reading our NYC Voter Guide for Manhattan when we noticed an unusual party in the profiles of the mayoral candidates: The Rent is Too Damn High party. Intriguing! We went to James McMillan's profile, and his answers (to the three questions posed to all candidates) were extremely on point. We're reprinting them here exactly as they appear in the Voter Guide:
WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE IN THE CITY YOU WOULD ADDRESS IF ELECTED? RENT Is Too Damn High there is nothing else to talk about. All poor people are being ran out of New York.
WHAT OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES WOULD YOU ADDRESS IF ELECTED? RENT is Too Damn High there is nothing else to talk about.
WHAT MAKES YOU THE BEST CANDIDATE FOR THIS OFFICE? I am a Rent Activist with real solutions to the High Rent Crisis that is driving out of this City. That is what makes me the best candidate for this job.
Again, very very true! But when we go to the Rent is Too Damn High website (alert: His "Rent is Too Damn High" song plays when you go the site), apparently part of McMillan's hypothesis is that the Jews may be running New Yorkers out of the city. For example, he states, "If You're Not Jewish, You Will Be Run Out of New York..." and speculates that Jews pretending to be Jews but aren't actually Jews are behind various schemes (or something like that). Well, that certainly won't appeal to Jewish voters. However, part of his platform, making sure that there are no abandoned buildings in the city in order to ensure housing for all, does make some sense.
The other seven candidates you'll see on the ballot on November 8 include conservative Thomas Ognibene, NYC public high school teacher Seth Blum running on the Education Party ticket, Park Slope resident and BMCC professor Anthony Gronowicz on the Green Party line, Libertarian and retired police officer Audrey Silk, and Martin G. Koppel of the Social Workers Part; plus, there's Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Fernando Ferrer. In more Bloomberg-Ferrer news, it seems that some middle class Queens voters don't have much Bloomberg love, while Ferrer is returning is his "two New Yorks" campaign theme of 2001. And the Mayor has a new ad featuring Magic Johnson, causing snarks from the Ferrer campaign (they claim they are after Larry Bird).
And find out where you vote on election day at the Board of Elections site.
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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