NYC Mayor Adams' Power Grab: Why New Yorkers Should Vote 'No' on Proposals 2-6

NYC Mayor Adams' Power Grab: Why New Yorkers Should Vote 'No' on Proposals 2-6

This November, Mayor Adams is pushing five proposals on the ballot that could significantly weaken checks and balances in NYC and make it harder to hold police and correction officers accountable. These proposals, known as 'props', aim to change the city's constitution, the New York City Charter, to expand the Mayor's power at the expense of everyday New Yorkers.

The proposals would:

• Upend the separation of powers in City government, giving the Mayor and agencies like the NYPD and Department of Correction the ability to derail the legislative process.
• Make it harder for the City Council to pass laws that benefit New Yorkers, especially those that provide oversight and accountability for law enforcement.
• Insulate the NYPD and Department of Correction from checks on their power, potentially leading to less transparency and accountability for their actions.

Why should voters reject these proposals?

• The process was rushed and anti-democratic. The Mayor's handpicked commissioners ran a sham process with only a handful of poorly attended public input sessions.
• The proposals would give more unchecked power to Mayor Adams, at the expense of everyday New Yorkers and their elected representatives.
• The proposals would make it harder to pass legislation that benefits low-income New Yorkers, such as bills that provide child care and housing vouchers.
• The proposals would expand harsh enforcement against street vendors, who are already targeted by multiple agencies with violence and unfair treatment.
• The proposals would further criminalize poverty, by expanding the Department of Sanitation's power to target unhoused New Yorkers for cruel and counterproductive homeless sweeps.

Voting 'NO' on proposals 2-6 is crucial to defend democracy and protect all New Yorkers.

This is an opportunity to prevent a dangerous power grab and ensure a more accountable and responsive city government.