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Yet another Democrat who wants to defund the police reportedly receives lots of taxpayer-funded personal protection.
Jumaane Williams, a New York City elected official who is running for governor, lives on a tight-security U.S. Army base in Brooklyn and also has NYPD bodyguards as part of his official duties.
Williams, who describes himself as a democratic socialist and is the city’s public advocate, an ombudsman position that is first in line in the event of a mayoral vacancy, lives with his wife and stepdaughter in a posh townhouse at the Fort Hamilton garrison that offers many perks. He is also provided an NYPD security detail due to his position for the city, according to Fox News.
“Why does Williams live on the base when so much of what it represents is antithetical to his beliefs? The answer, according to a rep, is housing costs: Fort Hamilton offers relatively cheap housing to a sliver of in-the-know civilians,” the New York Post explained about the politician who reportedly would also like to cut the U.S. Defense Department budget.
Often seen wearing a “stay woke” button, Williams pays about $4,000 a month in rent while comparable properties go for nearly $6,000 monthly. He takes home an annual salary of about $183,000 for his city job.
“These aren’t apartments listed on Zillow. It’s essentially a gated community with stunning waterfront views protected by tanks and soldiers with M16s,” an insider told the Post.
“In addition to living in perhaps the safest section of the five boroughs, Williams and his family enjoy free parking, access to a large swimming pool, playgrounds, a bowling center, Burger King, Einstein Bagels, Subway, a dry cleaners, a gas station, a barbershop offering $14 hair cuts, and a US Post Office,” the news outlet asserted.
Williams isn’t the only NYC pol who has been accused of hypocrisy in this context. Would-be police defunder Maya Wiley, for example, one of the Democrats who unsuccessfully ran against Mayor-elect Eric Adams in the primary, lives in a neighborhood elsewhere in Brooklyn that has private security.
Wiley received the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), a vocal defund-the-police fan, as are other members of the far-left Squad in the U.S. Congress.
Meanwhile, violent crime and brazen thievery are surging across the country in Democrat-run cities run where police defunding has been proposed or even implemented or where pro-active law enforcement has been discouraged.
It’s been reported that members of the Squad are collectively among the biggest spenders for their own private security details.
AOC endorses mayor who uses private security to guard her in upscale Brooklyn neighborhood https://t.co/XeubTEUMnz pic.twitter.com/rm2ylRpZnP
— Conservative News (@BIZPACReview) June 7, 2021
In general, this is the kind of practice adopted by so-called limousine liberals (or champagne socialists in the U.K.), i.e., elitists who — through wealth and connections — insulate themselves from their own policy advocacy.
Squad ally Cori Bush, the radical Missouri Democrat congresswoman who also wants to downsize police budgets, makes no secret of spending campaign funds on personal security.
It’s almost getting to the point perhaps where the number of anti-cop, anti-gun Democrats with armed bodyguards rivals those who flout mask-wearing rules that they impose on everyone else.
Cori Bush says ‘suck it up’, she’s getting private security to defend her life WHILE vowing to defund police https://t.co/IXczE6zslU pic.twitter.com/4k3qmGxiy0
— Conservative News (@BIZPACReview) August 5, 2021
With Jumaane Williams, a former city councilor, further ironies may be in play, according to the Post:
The racial justice advocate resides just off General Lee Avenue, named after the Confederate military leader turned target of cancel-culture warriors, on the Fort Hamilton US Army Garrison in Brooklyn.
Anyone who steps foot on the garrison must go through security checkpoints and submit to a background check, a requirement that led to the detainment of an illegal immigrant who was trying to deliver a pizza in 2018. Even so, Williams has pushed for “stopping ICE” from enforcing the country’s immigration laws.
A Williams spokesperson implied that there is nothing to see here:
“When [Williams] needed a new home for his family in 2019, they chose a publicly-available unit in Fort Hamilton not because of its position on a base but because it offered the best unit for his family’s price point and criteria.
“The suggestion that his work to protect, promote, and reimagine public safety would change with his address is belied by his record on these issues for over a decade – that work continues as he advocates for policies to advance community in neighborhoods citywide.”
One constituent, a police source, is hardly convinced.
“You’re saying defund the police but yet you’ve got the police with you every day taking you all over on the taxpayer’s dime? And then you live on a military base and you’re protected by the military?” the source wondered. “That’s a joke, what a hypocrite. Not a lot of people get those luxuries.”
As it stands now, Williams has little chance to become governor even in the blue state.
Among the Democrats, former Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, a standard left-liberal who ascended to the top job after disgraced incumbent Andrew Cuomo resigned, has a big lead in current polling over her nearest rival, Letitia James, the state’s ambitious attorney general who was a key figure in pushing Cuomo out of office.
Whether a Republican can become competitive in the general gubernatorial election remains to be seen.
New poll alert in @NYGovRace Dem Primary (by In The Field Global):@KathyHochul: 40.1%@TishJames: 17%@BilldeBlasio: 7.1%@JumaaneWilliams: 6.7%
27% of those polled remain undecided.
— Governor's Race 2022 (@NYGovRace) November 29, 2021
Twitter is also responding with skepticism about Jumaane Williams’ housing arrangements, including populist influencer Mike Cernovich who quipped “24/7 military police security for me, defund the police for thee.”
Here is just a sampling:
Do as I say and not as I do. How can any serious person vote for him?
— Abetterway (@nyhoopcoach) November 29, 2021
And that’s exactly how socialist who are in charge live.
— Cooky Con (@Cooky_Con) November 28, 2021
Exactly. Behind an armed gated community where he is safe and sound. He’s a joke.
— Lisa Barbieri D (@BarbieriDowd) November 29, 2021
Defund the police, put New Yorkers in danger, then move to an Army base that has armed security to keep you safe. You really can’t make this crap up.
— NyMetsFan (@FS08983678) November 28, 2021
Historically New York City has produced some of its most worthless and unnecessary politicians who all began their reign of incompetence terror in the office of public advocate, a position no one can explain in a cogent sentence. https://t.co/tLblofa1Zq
— 🇺🇸Lionel🇺🇸 (@LionelMedia) November 29, 2021
PSA reminding voters to reject politicians who suffer no consequences for policies they espouse but are fine with you suffering.
Exhibit 1: @JumaaneWilliams @nycpa
Jumaane Williams lives on an Army base despite ‘defund the police’ agenda https://t.co/qmt9yTIKId
— Chien Kwok⚔️ (@chien_kwok) November 28, 2021
When our USMC family lived on Fort Hamilton, the amenities of the on-base commissary, PX, gas station, pool, daycare center, movie theatre and gym were all deeply discounted for all military. Do you all have a special elitist ID card for that too? @JumaaneWilliams https://t.co/2ffLJUE1rf
— Mel (@Gjtp440) November 29, 2021
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