Rent Is Too Damn High Party
Encyclopedia
The Rent Is Too Damn High Party is a political party
in New York
that has nominated candidates for mayor of New York City
in 2005 and 2009 and for governor and senator in 2010. Jimmy McMillan
was the mayoral candidate both times and a candidate for governor. In 2005, he received more than 4,000 votes, and more than 40,000 in 2010. The party has three registered members in the state. McMillan himself is registered as a Republican
(previously a Democrat
) for the purposes of running in that party's primary elections.
in the city of New York is too high for its residents; it should be lowered to relieve financial stress, end poverty and increase employment.
One of the taglines for the party is "breakfast, lunch, and dinner", indicating that the party seeks to end hunger and poverty in New York City. The party sought to win "without a single vote from upstate New York
;" the party Web site included a picture of New York with a giant "X" mark over upstate. McMillan surmises that reducing rent would "create 3 to 6 million jobs" freeing up capital to give businesses a chance to hire people; this would, in turn, increase tax revenue. The party is in favor of writing off all taxes owed to the state, cutting property taxes for homeowners, consolidating the rent boards in New York, seizing unoccupied apartment buildings, reforming the state court system, and providing tax credits for commuters and free college tuition. The party opposes any cuts in spending related to education and elderly care.
McMillan was not opposed to same-sex marriage
in the 2010 gubernatorial debate, replying to a non-rent-related question on the matter by saying: "if you want to marry a shoe
, I'll marry you." McMillan has specifically voiced opposition to sex reassignment
performed without the consent of the intersex
individual, stating on his website: "They are normal human beings [...] just born different."
On the topic of religion and family, McMillan's website states "we need more reliance on the moral laws brought by religion and not limit out goodwill to our neighbors and co-workers to what the law demands alone." One of the party's platforms involves "restoring family values," specifically desiring to ensure that one parent can remain at home to watch children.
word "damn" for its shock value
. In 2009, Salim Ejaz ran for the party for the position of City Controller, without an endorsement from McMillan.
The word "damn" was restored to the party's ballot line in 2010 by shortening "too" to "2"; McMillan ran for governor on the line, while Joseph Huff ran for the U.S. Senate
seat currently held by Kirsten Gillibrand
.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
that has nominated candidates for mayor of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 2005 and 2009 and for governor and senator in 2010. Jimmy McMillan
Jimmy McMillan
James "Jimmy" McMillan III is an American political activist, perennial candidate, Vietnam War veteran, and karate expert, as well as a former postal worker and private investigator from Brooklyn, New York. He is best known as the founder of the Rent Is Too Damn High Party, a New York-based...
was the mayoral candidate both times and a candidate for governor. In 2005, he received more than 4,000 votes, and more than 40,000 in 2010. The party has three registered members in the state. McMillan himself is registered as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
(previously a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
) for the purposes of running in that party's primary elections.
Platform
As its name implies, the central tenet of the Rent Is Too Damn High Party is that rentRenting
Renting is an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property owned by another. A gross lease is when the tenant pays a flat rental amount and the landlord pays for all property charges regularly incurred by the ownership from landowners...
in the city of New York is too high for its residents; it should be lowered to relieve financial stress, end poverty and increase employment.
One of the taglines for the party is "breakfast, lunch, and dinner", indicating that the party seeks to end hunger and poverty in New York City. The party sought to win "without a single vote from upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
;" the party Web site included a picture of New York with a giant "X" mark over upstate. McMillan surmises that reducing rent would "create 3 to 6 million jobs" freeing up capital to give businesses a chance to hire people; this would, in turn, increase tax revenue. The party is in favor of writing off all taxes owed to the state, cutting property taxes for homeowners, consolidating the rent boards in New York, seizing unoccupied apartment buildings, reforming the state court system, and providing tax credits for commuters and free college tuition. The party opposes any cuts in spending related to education and elderly care.
McMillan was not opposed to same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
in the 2010 gubernatorial debate, replying to a non-rent-related question on the matter by saying: "if you want to marry a shoe
Shoe
A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot while doing various activities. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture to culture, with appearance originally being tied to function...
, I'll marry you." McMillan has specifically voiced opposition to sex reassignment
Sex reassignment
Sex reassignment may refer to:* Sex reassignment, changing the sex assignment of an infant or child by parents and doctors, usually because of fuller understanding of an intersex condition....
performed without the consent of the intersex
Intersex
Intersex, in humans and other animals, is the presence of intermediate or atypical combinations of physical features that usually distinguish female from male...
individual, stating on his website: "They are normal human beings [...] just born different."
On the topic of religion and family, McMillan's website states "we need more reliance on the moral laws brought by religion and not limit out goodwill to our neighbors and co-workers to what the law demands alone." One of the party's platforms involves "restoring family values," specifically desiring to ensure that one parent can remain at home to watch children.
Previous elections
For the 2009 mayoral campaign, part of the party's name consisting of the word "damn" was removed from the official ballot on account of the name being 17 letters, two more than legally permissible under state board of elections guidelines. McMillan objected to the change, stating that he purposely used the profaneProfanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
word "damn" for its shock value
Shock value
Shock value is the potential of an action , image, text, or other form of communication to provoke a reaction of disgust, shock, anger, fear, or similar negative emotions.-Shock value as humor:...
. In 2009, Salim Ejaz ran for the party for the position of City Controller, without an endorsement from McMillan.
The word "damn" was restored to the party's ballot line in 2010 by shortening "too" to "2"; McMillan ran for governor on the line, while Joseph Huff ran for the U.S. Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seat currently held by Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten Elizabeth Rutnik Gillibrand is an attorney and the junior United States Senator from the state of New York and a member of the Democratic Party...
.
See also
- New York City mayoral election, 2005New York City mayoral election, 2005The New York City mayoral election of 2005 occurred on Tuesday November 8, 2005, with incumbent Republican mayor Michael Bloomberg soundly defeating former Bronx borough president Fernando Ferrer, the Democratic nominee. They also faced several third party candidates.This was the fourth straight...
- New York City mayoral election, 2009New York City mayoral election, 2009The 2009 election for Mayor of New York City took place on Tuesday, November 3. The incumbent Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, an independent who left the Republican Party in 2008, won reelection on the Republican and Independence Party/Jobs & Education lines with 50.7% of the vote over the retiring City...
- United States Senate special election in New York, 2010United States Senate special election in New York, 2010The 2010 United States Senate special election in New York took place on November 2, 2010, concurrently with other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections...
- New York gubernatorial election, 2010New York gubernatorial election, 2010The New York gubernatorial election of 2010 was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010, to elect the Governor of New York, who will serve a four-year term to begin in January 2011. Incumbent Democratic Governor David Paterson, elected as Lieutenant Governor in 2006 as the running mate of former Governor...