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Robbins for Alderman 2009Darin Robbins for Alderman, 7th Ward, City of CorningThe city of Corning is a good community, and it deserves to prosper. I will commit all my effort to insure that we do not fade away due to economic decline. We can be the centerpiece of the county, and an artistic and cultural focal point for our part of New York state. We need new ideas because the best years of Corning are ahead of us. We only need to try, and to act now. Visit my campaign on Facebook. Platform Summary1. Establishing a living wage in the city of Corning, providing support for small businesses that might otherwise find it difficult to supply a living wage. A living wage shall be determined based upon the cost of living in the area, meaning that a wage would be a minimum of $9.00. This would stimulate consumer power and provide economic security 2. Creating a system of community investment in local businesses that would insure economic empowerment and stability. These measures would include a community investment fund, a micro-credit system for small business loans, time banks for community services, and a local currency for community goods. The goal is to keep the city self-sustaining and protected from the national economic crisis 3. Exploring an alternative to the property taxes and sales
taxes used
to fund local education and public services. As property taxes and sales
taxes are an unfair and inefficient way to create revenue, public discussion
must be started to find new methods. These alternatives can include a
local income tax or land-use tax based on the size of the land and negative
environmental impact, along with other possibilities of taxation. In
any case, there must be public input through forums and questionnaires
to determine what is the most fair and progressive taxation that satisfies
the demands of residents. 5. Protecting civil liberties on a local level. Following what has been done in 406 cities and 8 states, a Bill of Rights Defense Resolution shall be introduced to affirm our national rights and to dispute the infringement of those rights by the USA Patriot Act 6. Grassroots democracy through participatory budgeting. Participatory budgeting is a process of democratic deliberation and decision-making in which residents can decide and give input on how to allocate part of the city budget. It allows citizens to present their demands and priorities through various chances for discussion and negotiation such as forums and allocation sections on tax forms. Considering the current economic crisis, it is vital that people have the ability to determine how public revenue is spent. Click here for my detailed platform. BIOGRAPHYI was born December 8th, 1975 in Corning. I have lived in the city all of my life, first at 35 Spruce St., from 1989 to 2007 at 229 Kingsbury Ave, and since 2007 at 104 West Pulteney St. I attended the American University in Washington, D.C. where I earned a Bachelor's degree in Political Science. I currently work as a volunteer at the Corning Library. I joined the Green Party one week after I voted for Ralph Nader in 2000. I left the Democratic Party because I saw a continuing trend of moving away from its progressive roots. The Green Party became an alternative for me as it introduced new ideas to issues of social and economic problems. I hope to be an advocate of these ideas and to help my community. I blog regularly on A Green State of Mind: A Green Theoretical Journal, sponsored by the Green Party of New York State, and have had a number of my letters to the editor published in the Corning Leader. CONTACT INFORMATIONDarin Robbins |
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