Syracuse, N.Y. – The two Democratic mayoral candidates vying this month for a spot on the November ballot have different ideas for the future of the city’s police department.
Khalid Bey, who’s been on the city’s Common Council for a decade, wants to hire more police. He would bolster neighborhood precincts in the city’s business corridors, employing more community policing tactics to build better relationships among cops, business owners and residents. Plus, he says, having more police on patrol should deter violence and crime.
Michael Greene, who is in his fourth year on the council, thinks the department already has enough cops. Instead, he wants to shake things up: Hire a civilian police commissioner, rely more on technology (such as tracking gunfire) to combat crime, and put police who now work at desks back out on the street.
Those differing viewpoints also highlight two main points of contention between the candidates, who participated in a syracuse.com | The Post-Standard debate on Tuesday. You can watch the entire debate in the video above.
Greene says many of Bey’s ideas are light on details. For example, how would Syracuse pay for more police?
“I’m not the mayor yet,” Bey said, adding later that he doesn’t want his opponents to steal his ideas from the campaign trail.
Democratic candidate for mayor of Syracuse Khalid Bey in a Syracuse.com debate with Michael Green.June 8, 2021. Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com
Unlike Greene with his policy details, Bey’s message includes concrete examples of his experiences living in the city. In the half-hour debate, he wove in descriptions of family members being hurt by city cops and growing up near Interstate 81′s viaduct.
The jabs and differences didn’t stop there.
In addition to accusations of being light on details, Greene says Bey’s ideas are costly and one in particular – converting the city’s snow into energy – is farfetched.
Bey says that Greene is taking far too much credit for a political track record that simply amounts to carrying legislation that originally came from Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh.
Some of the Democrats’ goals are similar. They want to put more city residents to work, crack down on racial profiling by police, invest in housing and stem violence – especially among young people. Four years ago, both voted for Juanita Perez Williams, the Democratic candidate who lost to Walsh.
Now, Bey and Greene are running in the June 22 primary to try to unseat Walsh in November. Greene, 34, is the local Democratic Party’s pick; Bey, 50, is the challenger. The winner will face a Republican (Janet Burman or Thomas Babilon) and Walsh, who is not enrolled in a party and seeking a second term.
Here are more highlights from Tuesday’s debate:
Democratic candidate for mayor of Syracuse Michael Greene in a Syracuse.com debate with Khalid Bey .June 8, 2021. Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com
Tackling unemployment
The Democrats do agree that people in Syracuse, especially young people, need help getting jobs – though they would tackle that differently.
Greene wants to expand the city’s summer parks program and after school job activities. He also wants to expand internet access to more city residents.
“If we invest in young people, we’ll see less crime on our streets,” Greene said.
Bey says he’s already done this, helping people get entry-level jobs through a local housing agency and at local hospitals. The key, Bey said, is paying people to enroll in job-training programs.
“To be able to train people, we need to pay them,” he said.
Economic development
Greene wants to reform the city’s industrial development agency, which has the power to approve tax breaks and borrow money to create jobs. Those benefits often go to large developers, a top-down approach that leaves out small businesses, schools and infrastructure investment, he says.
How would he do that? He’d urge the agency to scale back its tax credits and require businesses to create “community benefits” in return for the financial help, ideas he outlined last week.
That’s more than Bey has offered, Greene added. Instead, Greene charged, one of Bey’s few development ideas involves city residents selling the snow that falls on their properties so it could be converted to steam energy.
“I don’t think we should be putting the future of Syracuse on a magic snow machine,” Greene said.
Bey defended the idea, saying he learned about the idea from a Syracuse University professor and has met with city leaders and scientists about it. “You’ve asked about experts, so go talk to the experts,” Bey told Greene.
I-81 project concerns
Both candidates were asked what keeps them up at night when thinking about the proposed $2 billion plan to tear down part of Interstate 81 and reroute highway traffic around the city.
Greene said he’s worried about the people who live closest to the teardown site, how they’ll live through the construction, noise and dust to come. He wants the city to hire an I-81 point person, whose job would include advocating for the residents who live in the highway’s shadow.
Bey said he was one of those residents, and he says he suffers from respiratory problems because of it. He’s worried about people who live there receiving mixed messages about the project. Most importantly, he wants those living near the project to be able to stay in or return to their homes.
Covid-19 vaccines
When asked, Greene said he was vaccinated against the coronavirus. Bey said he was not.
After the debate, Bey explained that decision comes after he’s had a series of severe reactions to various prescription drugs. He said that as mayor he would not discourage anyone from getting the vaccine, nor would he push them to get a vaccine that he, personally, has chosen not to get.
“I would urge them to be careful,” Bey said. “I would urge them to think through their decision and make their decision for themselves, whatever that is. I certainly wouldn’t speak against it. That’s not smart.”
Bey said he would promote the idea of giving the vaccine serious consideration. “But I wouldn’t go on a campaign to get somebody to do something I wouldn’t do,” he said.
Columbus Monument
Greene says he thinks the statue of Christopher Columbus in downtown Syracuse should be taken down.
Bey declined to weigh in. “It’s a cultural issue, not a political one,” Bey said, then added, “If the people want to paint over Martin Luther King’s face, then I’ll get involved, because it’s a cultural issue, not political.” (See the full exchange below.)
Grading Walsh’s first term
Both have similar thoughts on Walsh’s first term.
Greene gave the mayor a C. “I don’t think he’s done anything offensive,” Greene said. “But what he hasn’t done is articulate a clear vision for how we can move forward.”
Bey gave Walsh a B-. “A lot of ideas, no movement,” he said.
Big idea
The candidates were then asked for their big idea for the city, if elected as mayor.
Bey said the city, especially after the coronavirus pandemic, needs stability rather than added spending.
“I would never do with other people’s money what I don’t do with my own,” he said, adding a list of what he wouldn’t do – tack on more fees and city spending that he says could hurt Syracuse in the long run.
Greene wants to use the $123 million the city got from Washington in recovery money to invest in infrastructure, namely automating track pickup, repairing water pipes and paving roads.
Both want to reduce the city’s reliance on dipping into its reserves to balance the budget.
Lighter moments
The debate also included a lightning round of questions about pets, pizza and parks. Bey likes dogs, Original Italian Pizza and Kirk Park. Greene likes dogs, Pavone’s and Barry Park.
Looking toward November
The candidates also weighed in on the future of Destiny USA, housing and made their pitches for why they’re the strongest candidate to beat Walsh in November.
Greene said he’s proving he can raise enough money to try to unseat an incumbent with a significant fundraising advantage and a well-known political name in Syracuse.
So far, Greene has outraised Bey about 3 to 1. Greene has raised more than $100,000, including a $14,000 loan from himself. Bey has raised about $32,000, according to the most recent state campaign finance information.
Walsh has raised more than half a million dollars since early 2018.
Bey said his support has come from people in the city, often in contributions of $30 or less.
Bey said campaign contributions don’t vote. “Last I knew, money didn’t walk into the booth and vote,” he said.
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