Singer/activist seeks to "end the exclusion of Newburgh's majority from decision-making"
NEWBURGH, NY - Civil rights activist and recording star Lillie Howard announced yesterday that she is, in fact, running for mayor of this city on the west bank of the Hudson River, signaling the kickoff of what could be the most interesting political contest in the region. Later this week, Howard will forward her name to the local Democratic committee with a request that she be their nominee this year.
"On November 13th, 2006 - in front of City Hall - I made an announcement, which the press termed an 'unofficial' announcement, that I am running for position of mayor of the city of Newburgh in the upcoming November 2007 election. First and foremost let me be clear - I am today making that announcement official."
Newburgh currently faces the prospect of wholesale redevelopment in a process that some believe is intended to displace poor and lower-income residents, an outcome that Howard said is "simply unacceptable."
Citing a special Times Herald-Record report ("The Promised Land" Jan 29, 2006), Ms. Howard detailed the problems facing the city. "I am running so that the city will begin to address the needs of the majority of its people. I say the majority because in the city 52% of families earn less than $35,000 a year; 25.8% of families earn below the federal poverty line for a family of four (currently $19,350); and 39% of adults are not in the workforce, with many looking for work who can't find it," she said.
Howard also pointed out that 38% of adults have no high school diploma.
According to the 2000 census, Newburgh's 28,259 residents are 36% Hispanic, 33% African-American, and 28% Caucasian. "This means that 69% of the residents of Newburgh - considered by some as 'minority' - are truly the majority, and it's high time the city government started to address the problems that the majority faces. When that happens, our city will truly begin to prosper, because when the majority does better, the whole community reaps the benefits," Ms. Howard said.
Howard said that the most urgent issues facing the majority include a shortage of affordable, safe, decent & sanitary housing and a need for livable wage jobs with job training/apprenticeship programs. "These are just two of the areas where City Hall could address the many problems that we face as a community, and it only takes a short stroll around town to see that this administration - like the last ones - failed the majority miserably," she said. "In Census Tract 4 - which includes much of the East End - 81% of residential units are in need of significant repairs or renovation," she added.
As one solution to the housing problem, Ms. Howard pointed out that the city has many properties which could be utilized to enable many local residents to become first-time homeowners, adding that this would, in turn, begin to increase the tax base. "The high rents that they are already paying can be used instead to pay mortgages and city and school taxes. This is just one of my ideas for change; hopefully, those of like-mind will join hands with me to bring about a new reality for our city," she added.
"Serious economic development must be embraced," she said. "This will begin to ease the present tax burden that homeowners face. Middle-sized and 'Mom & Pop' businesses should be encouraged throughout our Broadway corridor, and I can foresee a revived business district, from Dubois Street down to the waterfront, which we are calling 'East End Village' in our working discussions. This area would also include Liberty Street from Broadway down to Renwick Street."
"I am the candidate who, when elected, will immediately begin working on erasing the blight - without erasing our community. We cannot continue doing business in the way that it's been done. It's time to turn around and start moving in another direction," said Howard, adding "we cannot successfully do that unless all of our citizens are included in that effort."
According to Ms. Howard, one project that could be the vehicle for the turning around of the city is the Waterfront Redevelopment Project "but only if the needs of the majority are seriously embraced and included. In the past," she said, "very few local residents have reaped the benefits of projects in our community - and something is definitely wrong with that picture.
"The majority can no longer be left out of the process; serious inclusion of all of our citizens has to become a top priority and, if not, we will only have ourselves to blame. Newburgh cannot and will not seriously move forward without creating ways by which all of it's citizens will be a part of the moving forward process," Ms Howard concluded.
