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Before the Russian Revolution of 1917, the hardest working group of the generally deprived population were called Kulaks, (a Jewish derived nickname from an eastern Slavic word meaning fist). They gained that sobriquet for their attention to industriousness. Their name is referenced with property ownership and hesitancy towards Communism. When Stalin came to power in 1922 in the Soviet Union, he set in motion events seemingly designed to cause a famine in the Ukraine in order to destroy those seeking independence from his rule of collectivism. During one of his idiotic economic five-year plans, there were massive and widespread food shortages. But not for the Kulaks, to whom Stalin set his attention.
These comparatively well-to-do Russian peasant farmers were successful enough through sale of excess food to lend money, provide mortgages, and play key roles in the villages’ social and administrative affairs. The Kulaks cultivated their land for their independent use. That independence produced more food than they needed.
Prior to government intervention, they sold the excess; this is called commerce. Stalin’s web of informers, poor bitter peasants, envied the Kulaks; they spotted healthy, hardworking, nourished people, and reported them to the Communist regime.
A smear campaign ensued; Kulaks were called “vampires”, “bloodsuckers”, and “class enemies” in order to rev up the starving, desperate, and infuriated masses. Then, Stalin killed the Kulaks. Those he didn’t kill were rounded up, stuck in labor camps, and their farmland and property was seized.
Sound familiar? Can you see where this is going?
Intro 632.
In August, 2022, Democrat New York City Councilman Keith Powers introduced Intro 632, a criminal friendly Left-wing initiative, codenamed in a misleading way “Committee for Civil and Human Rights.” It's the typical Left-wing way of torturing the language to make something that’s bad sound good. This nefarious Bill, under the guise of “social justice”, helps fast track Democrats’ plan to “reimagine” New York City into Death Wish.
Should Intro 632 pass, and it likely will, landlords (Kulaks) won’t be allowed to do background checks on incoming tenants. They’ll be beholden to a group of public servants that will determine how a business is run - into the ground. The rental business will no longer be a private sector enterprise but a public sector failure typical of government overreach into private commercial affairs.
Via propaganda and an insidious Marxist mentality gripping New York City, landlords have become the “vampires”, bloodsuckers”, and “class enemies.” Mom-and-pop landlords own 77% of small buildings, where the rent is below that in large apartment buildings. Online publication, TheCity says, “previously unreleased figures that show 88,830 stabilized apartments were vacant in 2021 — far more than the 61,000 tallied by the state.” It should come as no surprise that the state can’t or won’t count properly.
With all the unvetted illegals being welcomed into New York City by Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams and City Council’s push to close jails, Democrat government is going to be looking for a place to house these people. They will be coming to a vacant home right next door to you.
Murderers, rapists, thieves, and career criminals can skate right into an empty apartment. But not everyone is endangered; NYCHA public housing and two-family owner-occupied residences are exempt. It makes zero sense. The only conclusion regarding the two-family owner-occupied residence's exclusion from the lurking danger is that if a criminal were to be allowed to move into the second and only other apartment and criminalize - it’s obvious who committed the crime. But, if a criminal waltzes into a building with 600 units, who knows who committed the rape, murder, assault, vandalization, or theft? The criminal is protected in obscurity.
31 of the 51 New York City Council members support Intro 632. A committee of six, assigned by the Speaker, has been appointed. The Chair, District 27’s Natasha Williams, District 1’s Christopher Marte, District 9’s Kristin Richardson Jordan, District 17’s Rafael Salamanca Jr., District 40’s Rita Joseph, and District 48’s Inna Vernikov.
Upon getting wind of the pushback from Vernikov over Thanksgiving, Powers tweeted that Thanksgiving “is supposed to be a day of gratitude, not attacking. We don’t believe in second chances anymore?”
Powers, acting like one of Stalin’s informers, sought to shame Vernikov into submission. Putting her on the defense for not wanting to live next to a violent criminal or have her constituents suffer. The intent of the City Council was that Intro 632 would be passed in secrecy with the Kulaks and law-abiding citizen tenants being none the wiser.
There is a committee hearing December 8 at 10am at City Hall where both tenants and landlords can testify. They can try and compel those in the city council who care more about criminals than small business owners and hardworking tenants to hear what they stand to lose. Peace of mind, real estate depreciation, potential insurance hikes, exodus, and a further collapse of the neighborhood.
If you can’t make the committee hearing, call your New York City Council representative’s office to say NO to Intro 632. One call counts for 100. Tell your family, friends, and neighbors. Remind your City Council representative he or she works for you. There may be recourse through the courts in New York City, the land of litigation. But it is the Democrat party that virtually unopposed dominates the court system.
