After months of FBI raids and investigations, Mayor Adams was finally indicted on federal charges of bribery and fraud. Many New Yorkers may feel powerless in the face of a stubborn mayor who refuses to restore some semblance of order by resigning. But we will have the power to use our vote at the polls in November to stop some of the damage the mayor is trying to inflict on our city.
The charges that Adams are facing show his contempt for the democratic process. The charges depict a mayor who is willing to take illegal donations to keep himself in power. And so it may not be surprising, then, that the mayor recently rammed through a series of ballot measures that would consolidate his power over the legislative process. If approved by voters, these undemocratic changes would be enshrined in our City Charter.
Charter revisions are a big deal. That’s why historically, the charter revision process has been a painstaking, deliberate exercise, where over the course nearly a year people from all walks of life are given the opportunity to comment on altering our city’s constitution.
Not so under Adams. Over the last four months, the mayor rammed through five ballot measure questions (Proposals 2-6) that, together, would shift the balance of power in his — and any mayor’s — direction. The questions were approved in a rushed process through a Charter Revision Commission packed with his own donors and cronies who rubber-stamped the mayor’s wish list of changes.
The proposals may sound innocent, but are actually dangerous changes that arise out of the mayor’s contempt for the legislative process and meaningful reforms.
Take, for example, CityFHEPS, a program that is an essential bulwark protecting New Yorkers from homelessness. Last year, with the urging of Make the Road NY and dozens of other organizations, the City Council overrode the mayor and expanded the program so that vouchers could be used not just by those who are already unhoused, but on the brink of being thrown out of their apartments. Makes sense, right? It’s cost-effective to keep someone in stable housing before they are in crisis.
Unhappy with a stinging loss, the mayor refused to implement it, then went to court to defend his position that he shouldn’t be forced to follow laws that the Council passes. Though this case is still ongoing, the consequences go beyond the specific policy. The mayor is co-opting the judicial system to sideline the City Council and become the final say in which social services New Yorkers can access in the future. Proposals 2-6 are just another part of that attempt.
We can also zero in on public safety, which is one of the most egregious of the mayor’s proposals. Here, the mayor, upset again about the Council’s override of his How Many Stops Act veto, is proposing that we treat the NYPD and Department of Correction differently than every other city agency by giving them special unchecked rights and power in the legislative process.
Accountability and transparency for these departments is already hard enough. They fight tooth and nail to avoid even the most basic forms of oversight with devastating consequences for too many families. Now the mayor wants to make it even easier for them to operate with impunity.
These examples show the mayor’s disregard for democracy and hunger for power. Under Adams’ charter revisions, New Yorkers will suffer with unfettered, unilateral power in the hands of one politician.
Mayor Adams has proven that he cannot be trusted to lead this city. He has failed to improve the lives of immigrants and working class people of color; his focus has always been enriching his inner circle and concentrating power in the hands of the well-connected. We cannot allow this power grab to become the status quo for our city. Whether or not Eric Adams is mayor, we must reject his ploy and reject Proposals 2-6.
Not all of this year’s ballot measures are bad. For example, Proposal 1, the Equal Rights Amendment, is a statewide measure we’ll also be voting on this November. But this measure went through a painstaking democratic process and would protect New Yorkers from discrimination. It has the support of Make the Road NY and hundreds of other groups.
If we want protections from discrimination and an end to un-democratic power grabs we need to vote yes on Proposal 1 and no on Proposals 2-6.
The people of New York can have the final say on the kind of city they want.
Oshiro is executive director of Make the Road Action.
