Green Party's Howie Hawkins to run for Syracuse office

Syracuse Post-Standard
Delen Goldberg
2009 July 15th

Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins will hold a news conference at 1 p.m. Thursday on the front steps of City Hall to announce that he will run for office this year in the city of Syracuse.

Hawkins has four initiatives that he is pushing: a municipal development bank that would plan, finance, develop and advise new businesses; a municipal broadband system for cable, internet and phone services; the creation of Neighborhood Assemblies to give residents a direct say in community development; and a more progressive local tax structure that includes a graduated city income tax, also imposed on the more than 40,000 people who commute to work in Syracuse.

"The Green Party is entering this election, first of all, to follow through on the full implementation of living wages and public power, two reforms that we first raised in city elections and placed on the city's agenda," Hawkins said. "We also intend to put new reforms on the city's agenda, reforms that are critical to the economic viability, environmental sustainability and fiscal health of the city."

Hawkins, 56, lives on Syracuse's South Side and works at UPS unloading trucks. He ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2005.

"This campaign will be different from the past campaigns I have run," Hawkins said. "In previous races, I have been able raise issues without a realistic expectation of wining the office. This time I have a realistic chance of winning. I will not to just raise the issues in the campaign for the office, but I intend to be in the office after the election to put these reforms on the table."