This Web site will educate voters on what real…

What does political independence look like ?

Hi, my name is Marni Halasa. I am running for public office to represent the West Village, Chelsea, and Hell’s Kitchen in the New York City Council. My ballot will appear under the Eco Justice Party.

This year, I’m running for City Council against Councilmember Corey Johnson, who has the backing of the City’s powerful élites. He has sought so much of their backing that he is reportedly running a parallel campaign to become the next City Council speaker. Do you remember how much attention the last City Council speaker representing this district paid to the major problems affecting you and your neighbors ?

I’m running as a third-party candidate, because I believe that the two-party system has failed us. Even when we live in a one-party City, the dominant party seems to fail us.

Nobody has sought a new Level I Trauma Center to replace St. Vincent’s Hospital. Nobody does anything about the relentless gentrification that luxury condominium developments are bringing to the neighborhoods in this City Council district. Nobody cares about the empty storefronts that litter our streets, often for years, because greedy landlords are warehousing empty stores out of speculation for higher future rents. Each Councilmember elected in this one-party City appears to turn a blind eye to the issues that really affect us.

Who is looking out for your best interests ?

This Web site is meant to highlight how four years ago, voters demanded change in New York City Government, and they have yet to see that change in this City Council district.

Real political independence can only happen when your elected representative in the New York City Council look out for your best interests. But you don’t have that now. Instead, our current City Councilmember, Corey Johnson, in in bed with real estate interests and is ignoring what is happening to the average voter in this district. He boasts a significant amount of donors directly related to big real estate interests — meaning, without their money, he cannot continue to be City Councilmember.

It’s time for a change.

I ask for you to support my third-party campaign to become the next City Councilmember for District 3.