Olamni Porter is the Democratic and Working Families candidate for the Binghamton City Council’s first district. A Binghamton resident for over 20 years, Porter has served as an emergency medical technician (EMT). Questionnaire responses have been edited for grammar.
1. What motivated you to run?
What motivated me was the inaction of the current City Council during [COVID-19] and [the] Jan. 6 [Capitol Riot]. In all my years on Earth, I never could imagine my country feel the need to push a fascist agenda.
2. How does your background and previous experience make you a strong candidate for this position?
Living here for [over] 20 years and [nine] of those years as an EMT, I witnessed Binghamton residents struggle with basic needs and Republican policies creating despair. I witnessed homes not being kept up by landlords and working people looking for food lines for their next meal.
3. What do you believe are the biggest issues facing your constituents, and how do you plan to address them?
Affordable housing and lack of resources for youth, people suffering from addiction and behavioral issues is a major concern. Creating or using abandoned homes as a way to make affordable homes for the residents, stronger penalties to landlords that do not continue upkeep of rental properties — I believe that this is how we might address these issues.
4. Many students and community members are concerned about increasing prices, including housing and household essentials. How do you plan to address these concerns?
The issue primarily is funding. The current City Council made bad deals and allocated funds elsewhere, rather than put them into each district of Binghamton where it is needed. There has not been an assessment done in 30 [years], and the majority of citizens do not know that their homes aren’t worth what they were originally. Especially in my district, where the majority of the First Ward is in a flood [plane]. If there were to be another flooding disaster, Binghamton would go bankrupt. If elected along with the other Democratic candidates, we would need to find funding to allocate justly to all of Binghamton. And to find that funding, [we] would legislate an assessment done every [eight years].
5. Why should students and young people vote for you?
Why should students vote for me … that is a good question. If I’m being honest the constituents look at you students unfortunately as entitled enemies. The gentrification of the community into a college town has displaced families. Because landlords are in bidding wars for property to cater to you students. Republican policies are made not for the citizens of Binghamton, but for the Binghamton University students to have them stay here. I have witnessed you students in the most compromising ways when you are downtown when I worked as an EMT. Citizens would not have a problem if you were to integrate and respect the community for however long you stay. Slowly I’m seeing students being more understanding of their privilege in this community that they are beginning to respect their surroundings. I know that me saying these things may cause me to lose the majority of your votes, but I [would] rather lose your votes being honest than lie to appease your senses so I can win. And what you can guarantee from me is truth no matter how difficult.