We’re joined by another candidate running for state office.
We talk with Marcus C. Williams, candidate for Assembly District 137. He answers our questions and yours about his platforms and priorities for office.
Our guest:
- Marcus C. Williams, candidate for New York State Assembly District 137
Key issues raised by candidate during "Connections" appearance:
- Williams expressed concerns about public safety and criminal justice reforms, saying his first legislative priority would be to work on amending bail reform and Raise the Age, which changed the age that a child can be prosecuted as an adult from 16 to 18 in criminal cases. On the latter, he said: "Now this is a very serious concern, because we continue to see repeat offenders that are under the age of 18 over and over and over again."
- On bail reform, when asked if he wanted more judicial discretion put in place, he said he does think they should be able to consider more things, but noted: "(Judges) can only do up to the letter of the law, which means that if the law says that you release the people, you release the people. If the law says that you hold the people, then you hold the people. ... I don't think judicial discretion is the whole issue."
- Williams said poverty hasn't decreased enough in Rochester, and he said the underlying issue is the educational system. "The actual underlying issues involving poverty are not being addressed, which are the decrepit school system we have that doesn't prioritize education, which doesn't prioritize job placement and job training," he said. "We're sitting here in a community that is deprived. ... The school system is rigged against the community."
- In a continued discussion about the Rochester City School District, he criticized the amount of money being spent in the district and said it needs to be better monitored. "This is the money. This is what the money is going to, and we are going to make sure that you are spending the money, and you're not missing tens of millions of dollars," he said.
- Williams said charter schools operate "on a fraction of the budget" and many have waiting lists. "It's very clear that they must be doing something right, and if they're able to do more with less, maybe we should look at them as a model," he said.
- He said he would push to abolish the state income tax, saying there are "more than enough taxes to spend on other things."
- Williams also is interested in expanding homeowner opportunities by deferring taxes for five years for first-time home buyers and instituting more programs to give people who need housing "focused access to capital."
*Notes: To hear our interview with Williams' opponent, Demond Meeks, click here.
You can read more about this race and others you'll see on your ballot in the WXXI Local Elections Guide.