I didn’t know what to expect when interviewing New York City mayoral candidate Mike Tolkin. Some third-party candidates can be very eccentric and New York has had it’s fair share; it is home to the Rent is Too Damn High Party after all. After talking to Mr. Tolkin, I can attest that this cannabis legalization supporter, who is currently living as a homeless person to publicize income inequality, is an extremely smart and thoughtful candidate that is running for office for the right reasons.
Tolkin has received quite a bit of media attention by spending a week homeless in front of New York City Hall. He has relied upon the kindness of others and he has been pleasantly surprised by the support that he has received from well-wishers passing by. Tolkin will end his homeless occupation on Tuesday, October 10th.
Below is the conversation I had with the the third-party NYC mayoral candidate.
Anthony Johnson: Why go homeless?
Mike Tolkin: Homelessness is one of our biggest challenges. The fact that New York City has 60,000 homeless people speaks to a larger epidemic of economic injustice. People are being displaced with rising rent costs. Looking at the economy, 5 to 10 years from now, our economy will drastically change. Automation and e-commerce are hurting small businesses. We need to be investing and preparing our kids for the economy of the future. We need to put in place policies like a universal income. I went homeless before, without any media attention, to learn about what people are going through and to learn about solutions.
I want people to see the human side of homelessness. Many times, people look the other away, because it is too painful to see people living on the streets. There will be more political action if people have sympathy. We need, for starters, more rehabilitation centers and mental health services.
Do you see a relation between the stigma of drug use, the lack of drug treatment services, and the homeless population?
100%. There are a variety of reasons why people end up on the streets. People exhaust every single option to avoid becoming homeless, calling up every friend and family member. Substance abuse problems, mental health issues, PTSD, LGBT runaways, are just some of the reasons people become homeless. My proposal, NYC Life, would provide safe housing, job training and mental health and substance abuse treatment. Today’s shelters are unsafe, a big reason why people choose to be on the streets instead of in shelters.