Formal Public Announcement

On Wednesday, August 19, 2009, I will be holding a press conference with Channel News 9 and the Times Union to announce formally, that I am running for mayor of albany in November's 2009 election as a write-in candidate. This is to squash all rumors and misinformation that is on the web, stating that I dropped out of the race when Shawn Morris did. This is totally untrue. If people look back at my announcement in April, it clearly stated that I was not running in the primary, I was running in November 3rd's election. The best way to beat the machine of politics, is to run as a write-in candidate. They cannot challenge your petitions, or try to knock you off of the ballot. The best way for fair, honest candidates, who truly have the best interests of the residents as their priorty number one, is to run as a write-in. In the coming few weeks, I will have the instructions on my blog to let everyone know how to do a write-in vote. A new change for Albany, needs to start with a new way of voting. Write in Benzie Johnson on November 3rd for Mayor. The residents still have their choice for mayor with myself. Again my phone lines continue to be there for you, Direct Line 253-1028, and my Speak Up line, if you would like to leave a message about the city's issues 512-1329. Again I Thank you.

Choices and Experiences - Part II

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Food for thought: Experience #1: Can you park in front of your own house? Do you have to pay to park your car overnight; or if you live downtown, and you were home sick for the day, did you have to find an alternative spot to park, just to avoid a ticket? Is the incumbent trying to get parking meters installed in your neighborhood, in front of your house? Have you ever parked you car in a legitimate parking space, only to come outside to see that your car was towed anyway, and possibly while you were not looking, no parking signs were put in place, because of an event, snow removal, or overnight work, and then the incumbent's people lie to you when you inquire about it? Are you tired of being parking metered to death at every turn? Experience #2: Have you ever called the mayor's office, and you could not believe the unprofessional manner in which your call was handled? Are you tired of the run around? Are you tired of messages never reaching their destination? Experience #3: Do you wish you had the authority to do something about those boarded up buildings on your block? The incumbent did, and you see where we are today, because of it. Experience #4: Have you ever been harassed by certain police officers? Have they ever said to you that you don't look like you live here, you better go home, move along, and you were standing in front of your own house the whole time? I will put cops out on the street that know their job and can apply that knowledge in any situation. I am here to serve and protect the residents civil liberties. Experience #5: Has your car or walkway ever been plowed in by the City after you just shoveled out? Has it ever made you miss an appointment, or make you late for work or school because of it? Did it cause you to feel frustrated and angry? Are you tired of waiting for the bus out in the road, putting your safety at risk, because the snow banks are too high, and the pedestrian walkway or corner is not shoveled out? Are you tired of missing the bus, because of high snow banks and because the bus driver won't wait until you find a way around the snow bank, just leaving you there out in the cold? If the snow banks weren't there, you would have made the bus right? Remember that I am aligned with the residents and the issues that affect their personal situations. Safety of the residents is a priority. Experience #6: Has your car ever been towed without advanced public notice due to an event, an emergency, or snow removal? Is this the only way the city can generate revenue, off the residents" backs? Are you tired of getting parking tickets during snow emergencies? Are you tired of the inconveniences the incumbent is putting you through, just to make a buck off of you? When I am mayor, towing will be a last resort during the winter months for snow removal, the plows will go around your car, and the city is going to remove the majority of the snow from around your vehicle also. I, like thousands of you are tired of the incumbent and his ways. The incumbent always has a blind eye, or a deaf ear too conveniently to what his people are doing. If a plow comes through four times during the day on your street, and the snow stopped falling, then the job was done during the day right? So why would a plow come through again for a fifth attempt in the evening to redo a side that is already done? The answer, wasteful spending, unnecessary overtime payments, and also so the police could write tickets to get even more of your money. The police car in my area did not use a bullhorn to let residents know to move their cars, contrary to what the incumbent says happens, it's not happening. The message from the incumbent is buckle under or pay the price. The tickets are just a blatant abuse of authority with flagrant disregard to the residents. Fight back by booting the incumbent out of office. Your wallet will thank you. I have the perception necessary to eradicate many aggrieved residents grievances. I think about the people and their situation first. The incumbent has done nothing about many of these experiences I have heard about, or experienced myself for 16 years. People are through with the incumbent and his snail's pace, they are not going to wait anymore. You have the authority with the power of your vote, to change these experiences into positives ones. It is time to elect a person people trust to get the job done once and for all. Don't let your choice be made for you by not voting. Choose to Vote! Choose Benzie Johnson, he is the optimum choice for mayor, with plans for the optimal direction for Albany.

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Sustainability and Our City Streets; and Solving the flooding issue:

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The incumbent may be redoing some streets now, during an election year only, by adding in a curvature on the street, just to have the street show movement, but he failed in his overall mission to the residents. His campaign this go around is about "going green and being environmental". The incumbent had the opportunity and the federal stimulus money to get the job done, but he still did not. My innovative plans of action will implement an objective of "greening our city", along with creating a new design of sustainability for our city streets, to show movement, connecting with the community in that area, and to show ecological balance by using nature to help our residents with our city's heat island effect, eliminating sewer overflows, rainwater flooding, along with transportation needs, (i.e., bus, bike, or places to lock up your bike), just to name a few. We need to connect design features of our streets, not just for looks, but with functionality, to help our city streets become sustainable, by providing for the needs of the residents today, that will not negatively impact the future of the city. The incumbent's work that has been done will not promote "being green" or provide for sustainability. For example on Central Avenue, the incumbent had a chance to "keep it green" and did not. Instead, he wasted money blacktopping the once grassy area on the Avenue; and wasted money spreading an adhesive on the blacktop to decorate it with pebbles. Being decorative, is not functional or productive thinking. Grassy areas that once could soak up the rain, are now resurfaced with an impenetrable product. Where is the rainwater going to go? The areas it had to be soaked up by are now gone, which in turn will now increase water on the roadways, not decrease it. The flooding of streets and the residents homes and basement apartments is one of my priorities, as part of my "strategic plans to rebuild Albany". My plans/designs will eliminate this issue, by integrating new storm water pipes, to convert the single pipe system into a combined pipe system, one for sewage and a separate one for rainwater, that can be filtered and reused to water plants, etc., in the city. We will remove the blacktop in these high flood areas, and put in permeable pavers to resurface the roadway. These pavers will allow the rainwater to pass through them and down to the ground. To help further reduce rainwater in our streets immediately, we will do cut outs along the sidewalk curbing at road level, at different intervals, so that rainwater can have a new outlet to go into. In doing this, it will reduce rainwater flooding and functionally utilize the water at the same time, by having it water the newly planted trees, and the different types of fibrous plants that absorb alot of water that will be planted along the sidewalk's edging as well. In addition to the plants, and permeable pavers, we will also have planters with weep holes in them, so that the rainwater can absorb through the soil, pass through filtering material, exit the weep holes and drip down onto the permeable pavers to seep into the ground. These pavers and planters can also be used at bus stops, and in parking lots, to help reduce puddling. We can also have businesses green their rooftops, many businesses have flat roofs which can be supplied with the proper supports to hold the new green rooftop, with small plants and grasses, providing yet another level of water absorption; these green rooftops also help insulate the building below, helping again to save on energy bills. I currently do not see any of this happening in Albany, and the incumbent is not addressing the issues that directly affect the residents; but my plans do. My plans will also change the center island that was just put in on Everett Road, because minimal landscaping and blacktopping it, is not the answer. You have a high traffic area of cars in this area. Plants that can absorb carbon dioxide and turn it into oxygen and release oxygen back into the air, can be planted to reduce our carbon footprint, and help reduce air pollution and improve our city's air quality. Many of our senior residents, and those suffering from asthma and other respiratory problems would benefit greatly with cleaner air. I am the only candidate addressing these problems, and speaking about how to solve the flooding problems. It's not just in some areas, it's all around the city. Rebuilding the city to accommodate more residents, also means that you need to change how you monitor and maintain your sewer lines, something that the incumbent is not doing, but I will. To help reduce our city's heat island effect, neighborhood streets will be tree lined streets; preserving our existing trees as well as planting new trees. The tree canopies, help provide shade and cooling in the summer, and help block the winter winds, both protecting your house and saving you money on your energy bill. The incumbent currently cuts down trees, and also uses small trees as decoration, not thinking about their functional use. We need to think about all of our residents, and we need to design our streets with everyone in mind, from the blind/physically challenged, to the walker/jogger, to the new mothers with baby strollers, by having level and even sidewalks and wheelchair/stroller accessibility on all corners; we need to think about the bicycler who needs space to ride and a spot to park/lock their bikes; to the dog owners who need greener places for their pets to walk on and to relieve themselves. My winter plans will also accommodate everyone, including the above-mentioned by having the city remove the snow and ice from the sidewalks in front of your house (creating new jobs), so that everyone can walk on the sidewalks without threat of injury from slipping or falling on the ice, including our dogs. Without the large snow banks at the sidewalks edge, dogs will not have to climb into a snowbank to relieve themselves; this clearing will also provide for a flat empty space on trash night, and will provide for a clear walkway the next morning, by the cans and bins not being thrown onto the sidewalks in the way of many pedestrians, especially for those children walking to school. Residents should not have to go out into the road to get around trash cans, simply because they could not be stood up, and this problem is even worse in the wintertime under the incumbent. Safety of our children comes first, many still walk to and from school. These are issues that needed to be addressed, along with others mentioned in my previous posts. Quality of Life even for the simpliest things are very important to all our residents. I will be a mayor that has both short term and long term goals to resolve the city's problems, not knee-jerk responses like the incumbent.

Choices and Experiences - Cut Jennings Out

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Would you like to experience all the good things life had to offer, the way life is meant to be lived? It is a reality that you have the choice of choosing your next mayoral experience in Albany, be it good or bad. Wouldn't you want yourself, your children, and your family, to experience opportunities and a quality life starting now? YES! Each time I posed this question to residents, the answer was always YES! It breaks all barriers. So then I asked, why are you waiting? You must believe that the situation is not hopeless, the chance and the choice is there for the taking, so take it. The freedom of choice should not be bought or threatened, by anyone. The threats of loosing your job if you vote for someone else other than the incumbent days are over when a new mayor gets into office. The fear that is instilled in people if they don't vote for the incumbent and his chosen people, is an unacceptable and unnecessary way of life. There are many people who are living everyday under this political persecution, and it is a violation of their rights. Another issue is the inability for a person to get a problem fixed by the city. Have you ever called city hall to report a problem, only to be given the run around? Has your phone message been thrown out or not forwarded, or not returned? Have you ever called to speak with the incumbent who is never aware of your problem and he doesn't listen either. Detailed explanations are given to him, and he still asks if you called the party you already mentioned. If he was listening he would have heard that you did, and this matter is 1-3 months old by now. Push it away it might go away is how the incumbent operates, or out of sight out of mind. You need to be strong and press the issue with him, which then gets him aggravated, and he gives you a "shut up answer" just to get you off of the phone, for example, just put it in writing to me if it's that important to you, and send the letter directly to me. Why, so it can get lost on his desk, prolonging the problem longer than necessary; and don't think that today's technology will get you an answer any faster, because people have sent the incumbent e-mails to address their problems, and he did not read the e-mails either. There is gross lack of communication in city hall at best. All these problems are fixable with myself as mayor. These are the complaints I have heard the residents talk about and address with me. These unprofessional and unacceptable practices will cease immediately when I am mayor. The common council would be glad to have me as mayor, things can finally get done for the people, the council members could get their FOIL requests answered, and obtain information they need in a timely fashion. With the incumbent out, it's a win, win situation for everybody. Let's not lose sight of the fact that many common council members, complain about the mayor prior to their own re-election year, or election for a new position for themselves, making it look like they have removed or distanced themselves from the incumbent, when in reality they did not. They do it because they know that the residents are fed up with the incumbent, and the common council members need the residents to vote themselves back in. Once they are re-elected, back to the incumbent they will go. Not anymore. This political tactic will not be necessary when Johnson wins Mayor of Albany, and it makes good business sense as well. The Times Union newspaper would be glad to have a new mayor, then they could finally get their FOIL requests and information they needed to report the entire story. Here is something else. Residents and businesses are aware that the city's accounting practices are deplorable. But did you know, that certain businesses who rendered services to the city did not get paid and are still owed money years later. The incumbent doesn't talk about that. These businesses would finally get paid for their services from me, when I am mayor. All of the city's current problems could have been solved by the incumbent, he had over 16 years to do so, and he chose not to. The problems are never addressed and they still remain today. It has been proven with his record, that he failed the residents miserably. The next question is why would you want to experience it any further in your life? Would you not want a better experience with a new mayor in office. Do you want to continue living in hardship, with no opportunities at all to help your life; dirty streets with crime running amuck, while the current administration continues to ignore and neglect the needs of the residents and the city? Must be, if you do not vote a different mayor in who can perform and deliver; it will only continue to get worse with the incumbent in office. Save yourself the agony. Give yourself permission to start living that life now, by voting me as your mayor. You are worthy and deserving of having good experiences in life, no excuses. Life is too short to live in fear, or fear of retaliation from the incumbent or anyone. You can erase many of the negative aspects of the city from your life by electing myself, Benzie Johnson. Remember, I do not answer to the incumbent, I answer to a higher authority, and therefore my actions are and will be as mayor extremely different from those of the incumbent, ensuring that quality of life we all need, through actions, not awards that someone pays hundreds or thousands of dollars to apply for.

My Direct Access Line (518) 253-1028

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For all those who have been getting in touch with me, I would like to say thank you. For ease and convenience of everyone, and to make sure that I am able to speak with you, (I work during the weekdays), I will try this, 4:30pm-7:30pm during weekdays, and Saturday 11:00am-6:00pm. This way I will be able to get to speak with everyone. If the line is busy, or you reach the voicemail, you may leave a message and I can get back to you, or feel free to call again, and I apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused you. Thank you again, and I look forward to speaking with you soon.