All four Green Party candidates in 2017 Syracuse general elections attended a forum Thursday organized by the International Socialist Organization of Syracuse.

Howie Hawkins is the Green Party candidate for mayor, Frank Cetera is running for common councilor at-large, Serena Seals is running for District 4 in the Syracuse Common Council and Eric Graf is the Green candidate for District 2 in the Common Council.

The Syracuse Green Party is an independent party, funded by grassroot campaigns. Calling themselves “Greens,” the party candidates are focusing on issues such as poverty, taxes, the school system, unemployment, crime and neighborhood development.

Howie Hawkins, running for mayor of Syracuse

Howie Hawkins, 64, said he wants to focus on progressive tax reform. He said he plans to create a local income tax that will add to the overall revenue of the city.

“Everybody making income — say residents, workers — everybody will pay the tax,” Hawkins said.

Hawkins moved to Syracuse from California in 1991. Since then, he has run for office about 20 times — including New York governor, U.S. senator, Syracuse mayor, common councilor and city auditor.

In 2010 and 2014, Hawkins advocated for issues such as the dangers of fracking, a living wage for workers and a millionaires’ tax while running against Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The mayoral candidate said he plans to attack the issue of unemployment by improvising worker co-ops and bringing job opportunities to the city rather than depending on the corporate sector.

“Working class is common interest,” Hawkins said.

Hawkins said he also aims to fight poverty by desegregation.

Syracuse’s census tracts have quadrupled since 2000, he said, and the city has the highest concentration of poverty among blacks and fifth highest concentration in poverty among whites of cities in the U.S.

“That segregation,” Hawkins said, “they call it concentration, but it’s segregation.”

Frank Cetera, running for at-large Syracuse common councilor

Frank Cetera said he agreed with Hawkins on segregation in Syracuse.

“What has happened is that you end up with poor neighborhoods and the very not poor neighborhoods because folks are continually pushing and segregating,” he said.

Frank Cetera, 44, the Common Council at-large candidate for Syracuse, is a New York state certified business adviser. He works at the Onondaga Small Business Development Center at Onondaga Community College.

He is also a delegate to the Greater Syracuse Labor Council and board president of Cooperative Federal Credit Union.

Cetera transformed four unused green spaces of Syracuse into fruit and vegetable gardens. He ran for the Common Council’s District 2 seat in 2015, but lost to Democratic Party opponent Chad Ryan.

He said he aims to transition capital from Syracuse businesses to its workers.

Cetera also said he supports Hawkins’ local income tax plan.

“Everybody who lives in Syracuse and uses our infrastructure and our resources should have to contribute to that,” Cetera said.

Serena “Rahzie” Seals, running for the District 4 seat in the Syracuse Common Council

Serena “Rahzie” Seals, 33, is an activist and a Black Lives Matter organizer in Syracuse running for the Common Council’s District 4. Her father was a member of the Common Council.

Seals said her main plans are to eradicate poverty, improve the Syracuse Police Department and increase the number of local businesses.

“This is my city. For the past 30 years, I have seen it go down the drain,” Seals said.

She is also known locally for the Movement for Black Lives.

“When all black lives matter, everyone’s life will matter,” Seals said.

Eric Graf, running for the District 2 seat in the Syracuse Common Council

Eric Graf, 25, grew up in Syracuse’s Near Westside neighborhood and is running for the Common Council’s District 2. He currently works for the Syracuse City School District and worked on Frank Cetera’s 2015 campaign for the Common Council’s District 2.

Graf said he wants to fight the “two party” notion.

He said the city is in grave need of a grassroots democracy and social justice. The Green Party operates independently, without the support of corporate funding.

“The lack of corporate money gives us the independence necessary required for political campaign,” Graf said.

Graf added he plans to fight poverty, work on progressive income tax and raise the minimum wage.

The general election will be held on Nov. 7.

Published on October 1, 2017 at 10:57 pm

Contact Eshalaxmi: erbarlin@syr.edu