Liu: A mayor to remind us that in New York Dreams still come true
John C. Liu is the best candidate for mayor of New York City.
He offers the best solutions when it comes to the critical issues that affect New Yorkers: policing, education, affordable housing, healthcare, jobs and diversity.
One of his most significant accomplishment has been expanding and diversifying the vendor pool that sells billions of dollars worth of NYC’s bonds. The managers now include African American-owned firms that have performed very well.
Liu wants to create more jobs in traditionally excluded communities by making sure that the pool of vendors is increasingly diversified.
John Liu’s candidacy isn’t poll-driven; Liu speaks to his convictions. He was ahead of the curve when it came to denouncing Stop-and-Frisk and didn’t wait to calibrate or flip his position based on public sentiment. He knows as most of us do that being Black doesn’t equate to probable cause.
More than 80% of those stopped are Blacks and Latinos. In nine out of 10 stops no weapons are discovered. These numbers expose the fallacy peddled by Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly that the strategy reduces gun murders. Liu’s position was totally vindicated when recently U.S. District Judge Shira A. Scheindlin ruled that Stop-and-Frisk was unconstitutional and was racial profiling. She appointed a monitor for oversight to stop the abuse. The New York City Council also overrode mayor Bloomberg’s veto of two bills: one bill appoints an Inspector General over the NYPD and the second allows victims of racial profiling in Stops-and-Frisks to sue the City.
Liu wants to expand community policing and to recruit residents from areas that they police. In addition to removing Kelly he would also replace the entire top tier of senior officers. “I want to replace the police culture,” he recently told an audience in BedStuy.
Liu’s also been the only candidate to consistently demand that New York City settle the lawsuit by the so-called Central Park Five. These young African American males wrongfully suffered several years imprisonment for a rape they didn’t commit and were exonerated a decade ago.
The powers that be feared John Liu and denied him matching funds over campaign violations that he wasn’t directly involved in. By comparison, a candidate like Christine Quinn, who allegedly doled funds in the City Council to increase patronage was spared comparable media scrutiny.
New Yorkers don’t like it when insurgent candidates are bullied. They should show their displeasure by voting for Liu.
Mayor Bloomberg recently told a radio interviewer that he’d like to finger print residents of the City’s public housing system. Rather than demonize these residents Liu wants to launch training programs so they can be hired for the thousands of jobs that now go to outside workers.
Liu represents the best of what New York City and America is and can be. His is an Asian American’s success story; but it’s the American story. We are all immigrants. Sometimes those who’ve made it big forget this.
One thing his friends and opponents know is that Liu is not about playing it safe when it comes to public service.
When Liu ran for City Council there were many skeptics. He became the first Asian American elected to the Council. He took a bold leap to run for New York City Comptroller. Many of his own supporters were perplexed. Why abandon a safe council seat? He again made history and prevailed.
Now he has an even bigger mission.
As mayor Liu would improve the City’s public education by making sure that parents can send their children to pre-school from age three. In this competitive global economy he wants all students to go to college or at least to training programs that guarantees them jobs.
John Liu represents what New York must become; an inclusive City that embraces all and gives everyone an equal opportunity to realize their aspirations.
He reminds us that in the U.S., and in the great City of New York, Dreams do come true.
Vote John Liu on September 10.
