Open socialist to be next Buffalo, NY mayor.

[TurkeysGhost]

DSA backed socialist candidate India Walton ousts Democratic incumbent in primary, there is no Republican candidate to challenge her. Barring something very unusual, she's going to be the next mayor.

Walton is a nurse, an organizer, and a nonprofit executive who received more than 50 percent of Tuesday’s vote in the Democratic primary for mayor of Buffalo, New York. She’s also a socialist, an abolitionist, and a member of the Buffalo chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. Her opponent, Byron Brown, was an incumbent seeking a record fifth term backed by the local Democratic machine, the Buffalo News Editorial Board, the New York State Nurses Association, and the Local 1199 of the Service Employees International Union. He has not yet conceded. There is no Republican candidate in the race.

https://theintercept.com/2021/06/23/buffalo-mayor-socialist-india-walton/

Buffalo is the city where the riot cops shoved a 75 year old man to the ground and cracked his skull open. Walton is a self-described abolitionist. Apparently Buffalo is tired of bootlickers.

Walton’s is a major win for the progressive left, which struggled to coalesce behind one candidate in the New York City mayoral race. Walton ran on a community-centered approach to public safety that prioritized independent oversight of police, harm reduction, and restorative justice. She also focused on strengthening tenants’ rights; declaring Buffalo a sanctuary city and refusing to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and prioritizing small, minority, and women-owned businesses for local contracts.

 

[tyr_13]

It's important to note some other factors leading to Brown's defeat.

He refused to respect her candidacy. He wouldn't even debate her. His open arrogance did not play well.

Brown has engaged in a lot of bad behavior to cover for Buffalo police and their union. I've said this before, but even other area cops know to warn people about the abhorrent state of things in that department and the city jails. The interactions with UB police made things obvious for those who know.

The soon to be former mayor also mishandled just like...all... the projects and incentives for community and business growth. They gave contracts to shady contractors who, surprise!, ran off with the money. They gave businesses multi-millions in free building, infrastructure, and other incentives to then not even enforce the deals. Honestly I can't figure out why the local Dem machine stuck with him given all the grievances so many of the players there have with his incompetence.

This isn't to take away from the work she did or her accomplishment of course, but that is already being well covered.

 

[dudalb]

It's important to note some other factors leading to Brown's defeat.

He refused to respect her candidacy. He wouldn't even debate her. His open arrogance did not play well.

Brown has engaged in a lot of bad behavior to cover for Buffalo police and their union. I've said this before, but even other area cops know to warn people about the abhorrent state of things in that department and the city jails. The interactions with UB police made things obvious for those who know.

The soon to be former mayor also mishandled just like...all... the projects and incentives for community and business growth. They gave contracts to shady contractors who, surprise!, ran off with the money. They gave businesses multi-millions in free building, infrastructure, and other incentives to then not even enforce the deals. Honestly I can't figure out why the local Dem machine stuck with him given all the grievances so many of the players there have with his incompetence.

This isn't to take away from the work she did or her accomplishment of course, but that is already being well covered.

Agreed. I am not optmistic about the new Mayor though; a basic hostiltiy to private enterprise which I think is pretty much part and parcel of being an oopen socialits will not serve Buffalo well.

 

[Norman Alexander]

Agreed. I am not optmistic about the new Mayor though; a basic hostiltiy to private enterprise which I think is pretty much part and parcel of being an oopen socialits will not serve Buffalo well.

I doubt very much that is the case. Socialism does not mean abolition of private enterprise. Here from the OP is part of her policy, for example:

...prioritizing small, minority, and women-owned businesses for local contracts...

I suspect what she will do is (attempt to) cut out the glad-handing and corruption that was apparently rife with her predecessor. Will she be successful? Who knows!

 

[shemp]

I hope she kicks some butts. We need more like her.

 

[portlandatheist]

DSA backed socialist candidate India Walton ousts Democratic incumbent in primary, there is no Republican candidate to challenge her. Barring something very unusual, she's going to be the next mayor.



https://theintercept.com/2021/06/23/buffalo-mayor-socialist-india-walton/

Buffalo is the city where the riot cops shoved a 75 year old man to the ground and cracked his skull open. Walton is a self-described abolitionist. Apparently Buffalo is tired of bootlickers.

Isn't "prioritized independent oversight of police" and "abolitionist" mutually exclusive. I'm not sure what you mean by that term. The mantra here in Portland is "No Cops! No Prison! Total Abolition!" which I believe is disingenuous and trolling behavior. I do not think these people truly believe that corporate polluters should not be policed or that Derek Chauvin does not belong in prison.

 

[Stacyhs]

Isn't "prioritized independent oversight of police" and "abolitionist" mutually exclusive. I'm not sure what you mean by that term. The mantra here in Portland is "No Cops! No Prison! Total Abolition!" which I believe is disingenuous and trolling behavior. I do not think these people truly believe that corporate polluters should not be policed or that Derek Chauvin does not belong in prison.

Totally agree.

 

[TurkeysGhost]

Isn't "prioritized independent oversight of police" and "abolitionist" mutually exclusive. I'm not sure what you mean by that term. The mantra here in Portland is "No Cops! No Prison! Total Abolition!" which I believe is disingenuous and trolling behavior. I do not think these people truly believe that corporate polluters should not be policed or that Derek Chauvin does not belong in prison.

Most abolitionists I'm aware of understand that this is a long-term goal, not something that can be initiated in one fell swoop. She's not going to board up the police departments on day 1, but that doesn't mean she can't be proposing a policy that decreases the need and presence of police in society and moves towards an abolitionist vision.

Perhaps you're not reading reliable sources about what these people actually want to happen. Maybe you should inquire to find out what these policies actually mean to these people instead of making assumptions based on short slogans.

 

[angrysoba]

Why do you hate Amerikkka????!?

 

[Norman Alexander]

I'm confused. Is a "democratic socialist" the same as a plain "socialist"? Or do the media just like to lump them under the one heading?

 

[TurkeysGhost]

I'm confused. Is a "democratic socialist" the same as a plain "socialist"? Or do the media just like to lump them under the one heading?

The DSA is a bit of an umbrella organization for people left of the Democratic party, so it ranges from run of the mill progressives, demsocs, and more radical socialist types.

 

[Norman Alexander]

The DSA is a bit of an umbrella organization for people left of the Democratic party, so it ranges from run of the mill progressives, demsocs, and more radical socialist types.

Or what the rest of the world calls "centrists" or "mild left".

 

[TurkeysGhost]

Or what the rest of the world calls "centrists" or "mild left".

Or as the Biden administration would put it, terrorists on par with neo nazis.

U.S. MILITARY TRAINING DOCUMENT SAYS SOCIALISTS REPRESENT “TERRORIST” IDEOLOGY
A Navy training document asks, “Anarchists, socialists and neo-nazis represent which terrorist ideological category?”

https://theintercept.com/2021/06/22/socialists-counterterrorism-political-terrorists-navy-antifa/

 

[Norman Alexander]

Or as the Biden administration would put it, terrorists on par with neo nazis.

https://theintercept.com/2021/06/22/socialists-counterterrorism-political-terrorists-navy-antifa/

No, the Biden administration did NOT put it that way at all. Nor, in fact, did the US Navy, staff from which wrote that document that was subsequently found to be a clear example of white supremacism in the force rather than being an acceptable training document.

Did you actually read your own source? Or just go with the headline.

 

[TurkeysGhost]

No, the Biden administration did NOT put it that way at all. Nor, in fact, did the US Navy, staff from which wrote that document that was subsequently found to be a clear example of white supremacism in the force rather than being an acceptable training document.

Did you actually read your own source? Or just go with the headline.

Did you read it?

The intercept reports that this form, which conflates socialists with Neo Nazis and the Black Panthers as terrorist orgs similar to Al Qaeda, is still distributed as official US Navy training manuals.

There is nothing in the reporting to indicate that this conflation has been changed.

 

[theprestige]

I doubt very much that is the case. Socialism does not mean abolition of private enterprise. Here from the OP is part of her policy, for example:I suspect what she will do is (attempt to) cut out the glad-handing and corruption that was apparently rife with her predecessor. Will she be successful? Who knows!

It's politics. She's just going to shift the glad-handing and corruption to her preferred set of cronies.

 

[Stacyhs]

Or as the Biden administration would put it, terrorists on par with neo nazis.


https://theintercept.com/2021/06/22/socialists-counterterrorism-political-terrorists-navy-antifa/

How is this from 'the Biden administration'?

The “Training Guide / Assignment Sheet 2-1-2 / Introduction to Terrorism/Terrorist Operations” is a part of the approved curriculum for Anti-Terrorism Officer training courses. These courses have been delivered in the current format since 2019 but have existed in other forms with minor modifications since 2002.

Last time I looked, Trump was president in 2019. Do you think the Biden Administration... all 6 months of it...is even aware of that one question in a Navy training manual?

 

[TurkeysGhost]

How is this from 'the Biden administration'?



Last time I looked, Trump was president in 2019. Do you think the Biden Administration... all 6 months of it...is even aware of that one question in a Navy training manual?

It's his problem now, goes with the gig.

The military leadership is part of the Biden administration. That's how the executive branch works.

 

[theprestige]

Any idea what the Mayor of Buffalo actually does? Usually the Mayor is an executive role, not a legislative role. Regardless of her beliefs or ideology, she may actually be pretty limited in what she can do about it. It could be that being a socialist and an abolitionist is pretty much irrelevant to her duties as mayor.

 

[TurkeysGhost]

Any idea what the Mayor of Buffalo actually does? Usually the Mayor is an executive role, not a legislative role. Regardless of her beliefs or ideology, she may actually be pretty limited in what she can do about it. It could be that being a socialist and an abolitionist is pretty much irrelevant to her duties as mayor.

Beats me, I suppose it depends on the city and I'm not familiar with Buffalo. Some mayors have more or less authority to make things happen, some are restrained by city councils and the like.

It's a pretty big city. Apparently running podunk South Bend was enough experience for Pete Buttigieg to be a serious presidential candidate, and Buffalo is much larger than that.

I imagine there's some power in the bully pulpit, even if that's a soft power. Wonder what a socialist, abolitionist mayor might say or do next time the Buffalo goon squad decides to give a septuagenarian a traumatic brain injury during a protest.