Quinn announces run for City Council President
Quinn is campaigning on the Socialist Workers Party line
TROY, N.Y. » Lawrence Quinn is looking to shake things up on the Troy City Council.
Quinn, 67, a native of Bayonne, N. J., who works as a maintenance worker at Walmart, is running for Troy City Council President on the Socialist Workers Party line.
Quinn becomes the third candidate thus far to enter the race, joining incumbent City Council President Carmella Mantello, a Republican, and Councilman David Bissember, a Democrat.
Quinn, like fellow socialist and mayoral candidate Samantha Hamlin, believes he can offer an alternative to the entrenched big political parties.
“Our campaign will be of interest not just in Troy, but in cities, small towns and rural areas across the state where farmers face a crisis,” Quinn said before supporters in front of Troy City Hall.
“We know many workers, farmers, self- employed laborers, small proprietors, and oth- ers will want to discuss our program. To build a powerful alliance, the labor movement must demand the government guarantee farmers receive their costs of production, including ade- quate living expenses,” Quinn added of the need to forge a robust workers’ movement.
A longtime union supporter, Quinn has worked as a meat packer and a UMWA coal miner, where he protested the denial of black lung benefits to miners and their widows. Quinn also protested the shooting of 19-year- old Ellazar Williams by Albany police last August. Plus, Quinn supported the United Electrical Workers Union against a two-tier wage scale against Wabtec in Erie, PA.
Quinn also touched on the need to put people back to work and improve infrastructure with a WPA type program.
“We need to organize and fight politically to demand a massive public works program across the country, to build schools, hospitals, and affordable housing and rebuild infrastructure, the deteriorating infrastructure in this country is ridiculous,” Quinn said.
“Right here in Troy some of the roads are so bad workers’ cars a falling apart. I’ve actu-
ally seen people drive up the wrong side of the road just to avoid some of the potholes. We can fix that. And we can open the pools again, that’s a big thing. Why [did] they closed the pools here in Troy, I don’t know? Under this program, we can also rebuild the parks,” Quinn added, touching on infrastructure issues plaguing the Collar City.
Quinn also noted the need for decent living wages.
“We want to raise the minimum wage to union scale for all workers. Provide unemployment payments until workers can find a job. And give workers control of safety on the job,” Quinn said.
“I urge you all to vote So- cialist Workers Party candidates, the working- class alternative to imperialist war and economic depression. And I invite workers to join us as we go door to door talking and listening to fellow workers in Troy and throughout the state, to join the fight for a program that will end the capitalist rule and open the road to a socialist world,” Quinn concluded in his campaign pitch.