George's Issues

When elected, these are the economic, quality of life, and integrity issues that I will fight for. These may be my issues, but I haven't patented them. Other candidates are welcome to fight for the same things that I intend to champion.

• Save at least $4 billion in annual contracting out costs by having civil servants do the work. Utilize savings to repeal 18.5 percent real estate tax ($1.8 billion) and restore free tuition at City University ($600 million)
• Proportional representation in City Council
• Provide more informative Voters Guide, disclosure of contributions, linked to substantial candidate equal interactive time on Public Access TV
• Prohibit public officials from accepting contributions from persons or firms doing business with city as recommended by Commission on GovernmentIntegrity headed by former Dean John Feerick of Moon Fordham Law School
• Restrict public employee pension fund investment to government securities rather than stocks, investment trusts, etc...
• Link public officials to same annual salary increases as civil servants
• Retain term limits for elected city officials
• Provide legal immigrants with voting rights in Municipal and State elections
• Phase out superfluous offices such as Public Advocate & Borough Presidents
• Reduce $7 billion contracting out process by at least 60 percent
• End morale lowering supervision of civil service professional engineers, auditors, computer scientists, etc. by politically connected unskilled patronage appointees
• Oppose government funding and tax breaks for professional sports
  facilities, such as stadiums
• Oppose government funding plus condemnation of 11 established businesses for $30 million for East River Plaza and similar projects
• Extend Competitive Merit Appointments to agencies that operate through patronage (Borough Presidents, Public Advocate, City Council, District Attorneys)
• Mandatory arbitration to settle labor disputes
• Eliminate workfare
• Eliminate privatization (e.g., Charter Schools) but provide tax credits for established non public schools through university level
• Eliminate RFP's & other forms of non-sealed bid contracts
• Conversion of taxicabs and government vehicles to natural gas or electricity by 2007
• Replace incinerators with state-of-art recycling plants
• Tertiary treatment pollution control facilities for NYC waterways
• Ban spray and pesticides
• Oppose increase in current regulations restricting smoking in bars
• Support women's right to genuine choice & protection against violence through Medicaid funding for birth, pre-natal & post-natal care plus aid for adoption and such other measures that encourage life including Daycare facilities for all working mothers
• Increase penalties for sexual harassment
• Self-defense classes for women in public schools
• Extend Title IX protection prohibiting bias against women in school sports to professional teams and facilities
• Affirmative action for past victims of discrimination due to race, religion, age, disability, sex and sexual preference
• Full accessibility for disabled in public places and tax credits covering costs of accessibility in private enterprises
• Legal recognition of same sex marriages
• Equalize salaries of police, fire, teacher and other civil service salaries with suburbs
• Restore free tuition, textbooks and provide daycare facilities for City University & provide adequate faculty staffing and compensation
• Eliminate local school boards and transfer powers to parent-teacher associations
• Provide WBAI support groups with Public Access Channel & eight hours a day on Municipal Radio Stations
• State of art Light Rail systems throughout Five Boroughs including First Ave. (est. cost $350 million) instead of subway ($14 billion)
• Lengthen subway platforms and length of trains & purchase bi-level cars
• Close parks to auto traffic 24 hours a day
• Maintain existing regulations on rental housing
• Tax credits for owners of rent-regulated housing who meet maintenance standards
• Permit increased land use through less stringent zoning for property development and encouraging development of affordable housing<
• Collaborate with Building Trades Union to establish Department of Construction to do all government financed construction and maintenance
• Replace petition process with filing fee returnable to candidates obtaining 15% of vote
• Oppose capital punishment
• Ban corporal punishment in schools and homes
• Punish non-violent offenders with fines, restricted movement and house arrest in place of incarceration
• Replace Stop & Frisk by equipping police with state-of-art weapon detectors
• Ban racial profiling for Blacks, Hispanics and Arab-Americans
• Adopt version of Walinsky plan by hiring youths from high incident crime areas as supplementary police force
• Substantial investment in youth, young adult, middle age and senior citizen recreational programs to include art, music, drama, arts & crafts, & wide range of sports
• Oppose US "forward engagement" military adventures in Iraq, Yugoslavia, Panama, etc.
• Oppose domestic and foreign drug wars, e.g., Columbia
• Legalization of marijuana and decriminalization of other drugs
• Support reparations for blatant victims of discrimination
• Ban striker replacements
• Support Universal Health Care, including Prescription Drugs through subsidy and IRA tax benefit
• Support child care allowances
• Free animal spaying and neutering
• Fenced dog runs in parks
• Replace vivisection with computer simulated research