Yes, I Am Running for Mayor

[Announcement Speech, February 11, 2013]

Good afternoon. We are all gathered here today because Rochester is a city beset by problems. There are almost 4000 vacant houses in our neighborhoods and more than 2 million square feet of empty office space in the center of our city. Crime is rampant on our streets, and many in our community do not trust the police to handle this. Less than 50% of our most precious commodity, our youth, are graduating high school. Poverty is two and half times the national average and our city runs a $30 million deficit every year.

There is much to do.

Recently I attended a Voice Of the Citizen meeting about crime in our city. I had hoped that the city administration would finally have ideas for us to review on how to substantially and sustainably reduce crime. Instead, we had 4 very specific topics which were not designed to address the root cause of crime or how we can best police ourselves. We live in a city where stop and frisk and pray for rain are the top police strategies. Rochestarians have become so disenfranchised by the policing in this city that our own police department is running ads asking people to call the police when there is a crime! I was very disappointed that this was the best that Tom Richards could offer as a better solution to the highest crime rate in the state.

There is much to do.

Since I ran two years ago I have enjoyed the experience of total strangers coming up and introducing themselves as having voted for me. I have spoken to hundreds of hard hit city residents who have asking me to consider running for Mayor again. At the VOC I met many more. Rochester has a rich and vibrant history as a hub of culture, innovation, new industries, and civic pride. Yet that proud and distinguished history has been tarnished in recent decades. Rochester deserves much better than it has had in the last 20 years. Just look at High Falls, the Fast Ferry, the hole that was once Midtown, a 50% increase in the poverty rate, a 9% decrease in population and a 25% decline in graduation rates to realize our leaders in the Democratic Machine have not served us well. After decades of struggle we need new solutions that work.

There is much to do.

It is time to build a true citizen-based government that can implement real sustainable solutions. It is time we looked at things that would help the people of the city, not the developers who prey upon us. We can intelligently fund our future by taxing the large projects appropriately, rather than providing them with huge subsidies to put up buildings which we do not need. We should be exploring a Municipal Utility to save money for every single Rochestarian, rather than subsidizing an office park for the U of R. We must concentrate upon job creation using proven techniques like import replacement, micro loans, and co-ops to create and grow local businesses rather than tax cuts and subsidies for the well connected few. And it is crucial that we change the way we police our city by using the proven techniques of restorative community policing to dramatically reduce the crime rate, instead of the misguided and superficial police policy we experience now. If we do this then all Rochestarians can share in the bounty of our government and the trends of the last 20 years can be reversed.

There is much to do.

It is time we replaced years of Party encouraged welfare with a community of ownership. It is time that we change the ambition of a Rochester high school student from running a gang to owning his own business. It is time to make Rochester a model for others to follow in terms of creating REAL solutions to the most significant problems facing our community. We deserve better and it is time to have a leader who will work to make this a Rochester for ALL of us. A Rochester where people come first and buildings come second. A Rochester government that is by and for the people, that seeks to implement REAL solutions to our problems. I feel I can help Rochester achieve this positive vision for the future.

So today I am proud to announce that I am seeking the Green Party nomination for Mayor. I intend to run in the November election and with the help of residents from all walks of life, bring a change to city hall. It is time to invest in the people of Rochester to truly grow our community! It is time to get started on a new future because there is so much to do.

Transforming Rochester 19 - Is Downtown Getting Better?

In this episode of Transforming Rochester, Alex and Dave discuss Downtown Rochester.  A recent article in the RBJ says that things are looking up.  Ken Warner agrees.  Even Alex is on board - the development is nice, but it's not done in a very forward-thinking way.  It is also not being done in a fiscally responsible manner.  What should be done?  They have the answer.

They also advocate for the City to approach Abundance Co-Op with a sweetheart deal like all the big developers get.

You can listen to the podcast here or click on the link in the right-hand column.

Rochester Needs A New Plan

Transforming Rochester 18 - Voice of the Citizen 1

Alex White and Dave Atias attended the City's first Voice of the Citizen meeting.  This one was held at the Frederick Douglass Resource Center.  The VOC's are focusing on violence.  Alex and Dave were very appreciative of the voices heard in the packed house, especially the young adults from Teen Empowerment.  The City seemed to focus on police-centered solutions while others, including Alex and Dave focused on jobs, recreation, financial literacy, restorative justice and more.  There are three more, we hope to see you at one.

You can listen to the podcast here or click the link in the column on the right.

How To Reduce Crime

Better Policing Means Less Crime Rochester has 513 police officers and sergeants in the patrol section of the police department. At any time, this means that there are roughly 120 officers on patrol. Perhaps the best way for police to reduce crime through presence or fear of presence. This means that the officers have to regularly patrol areas. If half of the patrol officers on duty at a given time were divided into two groups, neighborhood officers and road patrols, there would be 60 officers for placement in neighborhoods. These neighborhood officers would be responsible for roughly a half square mile area of the city each.

To do this, Rochester would be divided into 5 districts: Northeast, Southeast, Center City, Northwest, and Southwest. We would then have manageable neighborhoods designated for officers to patrol. For example, in the southwest district, there would be one officer in each of the following areas: Corn Hill, Mayors Heights, Genesee-Jefferson, and Bulls Head. Two officers would be in Plymouth Exchange and Lincoln Park and three in the 19th Ward. Each section of the city could easily be divided to provide neighborhood coverage. These officers would be supported by eight cars each with one officer in them and two cars with two officers.

The neighborhood officers would be encouraged to get out of their car and interact with the public, know the neighborhood, write tickets, and develop connections. The road patrols would respond to calls for service and assist neighborhood officers when arrests are needed. This division would allow officers to maximize their presence and provide better coverage to neighborhoods. With three officers for each neighborhood each day their hours could be arranged to maximize coverage during high crime times. As the downtown area is smaller than the rest of the areas, fewer officers would be needed and this would allow for a reserve of officers for special assignments, assistance with problem areas, and coverage of vacancies.

An important part of embedding police into neighborhoods is shifting to techniques such as community policing. This model of police activity is predicated on the belief that achieving safety goals requires the Police to develop a new relationship with citizens. Citizens would have the power to set local police priorities and therefore be involved in efforts to improve the overall quality of life in their community. Community Policing (CP) shifts the focus of police work from handling random crime calls to addressing community concerns. Police would still answer 911 calls and make arrests, but they also act as catalysts, involving people in efforts to police themselves. This is actually a recommended policing strategy of the US department of Justice.

This is just one step though, as in order to prevent crime we need a different tool and one of the most powerful is Restorative Justice. Restorative Justice (RJ) is a philosophy that believes in the power and influence of individual communities to work together toward improving the lives of everyone living in that community. In practice, RJ is collaboration between the perpetrator, the perpetrator's family, local neighbors, the DA, the police, and local government. The mechanism is a community meeting in lieu of a trial where the victim is part of the process and their needs are taken into account.

One of the assumptions here is that the accused is taking responsibility for their crime without a legal defense and will work to make restitution for their crime. This practice has been used in several cities throughout the world with amazing results. It has reduced crime, cured chronic problems like youth violence, and saved money. With a crime rate higher than NYC and rising rates for many violent crimes it is time to realize that we need a different approach. In NYC, “stop and frisk” has neither reduced crime nor made an impact on guns in the streets. In Rochester, Operation Cool Down has failed in the same way and has not made our neighborhoods safer. It is time we implement more effective, humane approaches which have yielded results in places like Santa Barbra, CA and Bethlehem, PA.

Alex White at Rochester City Council

Transforming Rochester 17 - Election Results

This episode, Alex White and Dave Atias discuss the recent election and what the results mean for Rochester.  At the federal level, both major parties still want to cut our safety net and favor the wealthy and locally there was no real change.  Of the 14 state races that touched Monroe County, only 6 of them were even contested.  But there is hope and that is what we talk about.  And remember, next year will bring local elections, where change can actually happen.  Give us your feedback.

You can listen to the podcast here or click on the link in the column to the right.