The times is Now.

SoHo has specific requirements and it’s not always easy to figure out who will do what once they are in office. I can tell you that a lot of politicians on the local level have been an embarrassment. So, if I miss a couple of candidates interpret it any way you like.

Christopher Marte is our choice for City Council. The less said of his predecessor, the better. He is responsive and hopefully will continue to be so.

Its a crowded field for Mayor and only Maya Wiley stands out with intelligence and drive. I know a few of the others — so that’s why Maya is the choice. Defunding police, however, is NOT the route to take. Education, training and real community cooperation between the police and the community has to be a priority. In SoHo, we are served by the 1st Precinct and recently my contacts with them have presented officers who are polite and considerate as well as diverse.

None of the D.A. candidates are familiar. The campaign people were less than cooperative — across the board. While I knew Morgenthau and Vance, the choice is more a sense that we live in a changing world and Alvin Bragg seems to be the most in-tune with the issues of Mass Incarceration, equal justice, and the rising danger on the part of those who would destroy democracy using Reactionary politics. I can tell you personally, a District Attorney who uses his or her incredible power to destroy opponents (as Thomas Spota did in the Hamptons) is a dangerous politician. Alvin Bragg seems to be interested in protecting all of us while maintaining a sense of racial equanimity and prosecutorial sanity.

Brad Hoylman is fhe choice for Manhattan Borough President. He gets things done as he has shown in the State Senate and in a prior post here he outlined his views for changing the Community Board. While these are not his words, the Board needs to become genuinely responsive to the needs of those in the community — not become just a feather in the cap of those who bought their way into their position with political donations and fealty.

All of the candidates need to pay attention — not lip service — to the practical actions that will enable Affordable Housing, lest we become like California. Developers need to step up to the plate and actually support the community needs not simply hire expensive lawyers who are well-connected and then ignore any follow-through once they’ve gotten their building permit.

Housing Court and HPD need to focus on eliminating landlord abuse and harassment of New York City tenants. Tenants need REAL protections. Affordable Housing needs to be a real and concerted effort with deals that have teeth — or consequences if ignored.