Rent Is Too Damn High Party

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Rent Is Too Damn High Party
Leader Jimmy McMillan
Chairman Jimmy McMillan
Spokesperson Caprice Alves
Founded 2005 (2005)
Headquarters Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York City
Ideology Populism
Social welfare
Anti-tax
Website
RentIsTooDamnHigh.org

The Rent Is Too Damn High Party is a political party, primarily active in the state of 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 as well as a candidate for governor.[1] In 2005, he received more than 4,000 votes,[2] and more than 40,000 in 2010.[3] 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.[4][5][6]

In 2014, the party expanded beyond New York by endorsing a slate of candidates in the District of Columbia's Democratic primary elections. The party founder, Jimmy McMillan, put the party trademarks up for sale on December 1, 2015, with intent to retire from politics.[7]

Platform

Jimmy McMillan, founder of the Rent is Too Damn High Party

As its name implies, the central tenet of the Rent Is Too Damn High Party is that rents in the city of New York are "too damn high."[8][9]

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, prior to McMillan's breakthrough debate performance, sought to win "without a single vote from upstate New York," and the party website included a picture of New York with a giant "X" marked 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.[9]

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[disambiguation needed] performed without the consent of the intersex individual, stating on his website: "They are normal human beings [...] just born different."[10][11][12][13]

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 [sic] goodwill to our neighbors and co-workers to what the law demands alone."[14] One of the party's platforms involves "restoring family values", specifically desiring to ensure that one parent can remain at home to watch children.[9]

Humor

Rent Is Too Damn High Party car parked on St Marks Place

McMillian uses humor to promote the party's message, especially utilizing what the Christian Science Monitor has described as "theatrics", including "a booming voice, fast-paced patter ... and copious facial hair", as well as frequent jokes.[15] Although the party adopts a jocular and tongue-in-cheek image, the party has focused primarily on serious welfare issues and avoided outright satire, precluding it from being considered a frivolous political party.

Previous elections

A ballot paper from the New York gubernatorial election, 2010, including Chinese translations, focusing on the area to mark a vote for the Rent is 2 Damn High Party.

For the 2009 mayoral campaign, the word "damn" was removed from the official ballot on account of the party's 17-letter name, two more than legally permissible under state board of elections guidelines. McMillan objected to the change, stating that he purposely used the profane word "damn" for its shock value.[16] In 2009, Salim Ejaz ran for the party for the position of City Controller,[17] without an endorsement from McMillan.[18]

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.

Under the numeric moniker, the party also ran McMillan in the 2013 mayoral elections and submitted petitions for the 2014 gubernatorial election (with McMillan and Christialle Felix on the ticket). McMillan finished sixth in the mayoral election and was thrown off the ballot in the gubernatorial election due to his petitions being photocopies.

Expansion to the District of Columbia

Former District of Columbia shadow representative John Capozzi and a group of incumbents used the name Rent Is Too Darn High for their slate while running for the District of Columbia Democratic State Committee in 2014.[19] McMillan endorsed the group.[19] On the ballot, the slate used the word darn rather than damn because District rules prohibit expletives on the ballot.[19] McMillan sued the District of Columbia Board of Elections in federal court, saying the ban violated his right to free speech.[20]

See also

References

  1. ↑ McMillan 09 archived on January 13, 2009 from the original
  2. ↑ Statement and return report for certification: General Election 2005 - 11/08/2005 Crossover - All Parties and Independent Bodies - for Mayor Board of elections in the City of New York
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Freedlander, David (2010-10-19). Rent Is Too Damn High Statewide Registration: Three. New York Observer. Retrieved 2010-10-19.
  6. ↑ Vielkind, Jimmy (2011-02-23). McMillan: I will save you, GOP!. Capital Confidential. Retrieved 2011-02-23.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 McMillan, Jimmy. The Official Rent Is Too Damn High Platform. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Meet Jimmy McMillan, Founder and ‘CEO’ of the Rent Is 2 Damn High Party Gawker, October 19, 2010
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Riese’s Team Pick: Jimmy McMillan for The Rent is Too Damn High Party Autostraddle, October 20, 2010
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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