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                Paperboy Love Prince is an artist, rapper and entrepreneur whose Utopia Plan includes a universal basic income of $2,000 and health care and housing for all.
“I’m going to create a utopia, because anything less is not an option,” Prince told The Wall Street Journal. “I’m the only one bold enough, crazy enough to put it out there and say, ‘This is what we’re going to do.’ ”
In the 2020 primary, Prince, who uses gender-neutral pronouns, lost a race for Congress against Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-Brooklyn/Manhattan/Queens).
Prince’s Utopia Plan proposes to turn the police into a “Love Team” and NYCHA developments into mansions. WiFi for all would close the digital divide.
Prince studied journalism at the University of Maryland before moving to New York City to work as a performer, party planner, web developer and brand consultant.
The candidate owns the Love Gallery in Bushwick, Brooklyn, a combination community center, art gallery, vintage store and futurism incubator.
Website: paperboyprince.com
Positions
THE CITY sent three multiple-choice surveys to every Democratic and Republican mayoral candidate on the ballot for the June 22 primary, starting in February. See how Paperboy Prince answered below.
NYPD
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                      Should the NYPD uniformed force be downsized beyond currently planned levels?Yes, redirect a substantial share of NYPD operating resources to other city agencies No, maintain police officer headcount at roughly current levels No, increase the number of NYPD officers "I’m really out here leading the way on Abolishing the Police... thank me later !" from Twitter, Feb. 8, 2021 
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                      Should the NYPD respond to 911 calls involving people in severe emotional distress?Yes, where the call suggests a risk to others’ safety Yes, under most or all circumstances No, NYPD officers should not respond to these calls "We should have a Love team that focuses on mental health and well-being." from THE CITY Interview, May 3, 2021 
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                      Should NYPD officers reside in the five boroughs?Yes, all officers should reside in the five boroughs by the end of the new mayor’s term Any new NYPD officer must live in the five boroughs but existing officers may live elsewhere until retirement NYPD officers should be able to live in any of the counties currently authorized 
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                      Should the NYPD commissioner have final say on disciplining officers for conduct violations?The commissioner should retain decision-making authority in all cases The commissioner should retain decision-making authority in some cases Decisions should be made by a newly empowered Civilian Complaint Review Board The mayor should have the final say in all cases 
Education
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                      Should admission to existing specialized high schools continue to depend on a single Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT)?Yes, keep the SHSAT Keep the SHSAT but also require additional admissions measures No, abolish the SHSAT 
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                      Should New York City have more charter schools?No response / no position 
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                      Should middle school admissions remain limited to students attending school in or residing in a district?Yes Allow applicants outside the district, through set-asides or other means No 
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                      Should public school parent associations continue to be able to raise unlimited sums?Yes, keep fundraising as is Yes, but a system is needed to share funds between schools with many wealthy families and those with many poor families No. Limits or further ground rules are needed for fundraising 
COVID Recovery
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                      Should New York consider mandatory vaccinations (with appropriate medical exemptions) if voluntary uptake of COVID vaccines does not reach sufficient levels?Yes Yes, for health, education, law enforcement and other workers interacting with the public No 
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                      Should the Open Streets program, including outdoor dining, become permanent?Yes, ban vehicular access to current open streets Yes, and expand the program to include more streets No 
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                      Should NYC provide economic relief to undocumented immigrants who do not qualify for federal aid?Yes, ongoing aid for the needy Yes, one-time assistance No 
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                      Which statement most closely reflects your view of Mayor de Blasio’s approach to school reopening?Schools have reopened for in-person/hybrid learning too quickly Schools have reopened for in-person/hybrid learning too slowly Schools have reopened at an appropriate pace 
Transportation
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                      Should New York proceed as soon as possible with congestion pricing, charging vehicles to enter central Manhattan?Yes, supporting current plan to capture funds for the MTA Yes, while pursuing city control over the revenue No, or further evaluation is needed 
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                      Should New York City gain control of its subway and bus systems?Yes, while splitting bridge and tunnel toll revenue with LIRR and Metro-North Yes, provided the city also gains full control of bridge and tunnel toll revenue No 
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                      What course will you chart for the city-funded NYC Ferry system?Continue or build on current NYC Ferry service and expansion plans while keeping fare at $2.75, providing additional dollars to step up service Alter NYC Ferry service or expansion plans while continuing $2.75 fare Raise or change NYC Ferry fare to help support existing and expanded service Raise or change NYC Ferry fare while reevaluating routes and/or service 
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                      Choose the statement that best describes your position on bike lanes:NYC needs to expand its bike lane network into underserved areas, even where lanes have met some local resistance Expand bike lanes, while being responsive to local objections in deciding where to put the lanes Alter or remove existing lanes where warranted 
Housing
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                      Which statement describes your preferred approach to spending the city’s affordable housing dollars?No response / no position 
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                      Do you intend to “upzone” (increase permitted building size) areas of low-density neighborhoods to promote affordable and other housing development?Yes, as part of area-wide rezonings Yes, for specific blocks or properties No, the city is already overbuilt 
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                      Should NYCHA continue toward its goal of placing half of its apartments into private management under the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program?Yes, this is the best way for NYCHA to upgrade its deteriorating apartments Yes, but keep a substantial number of apartments out of RAD to maintain oversight of those apartments by the monitor No, NYCHA should not rely on private firms to manage its buildings 
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                      Should surplus funds received by the city from Battery Park City — an estimated $400 million over 10 years — be steered exclusively to NYCHA?Yes, NYCHA needs a dedicated revenue stream to pay for much-needed apartment upgrades Yes, but split the money between NYCHA and other affordable housing programs No, 100% of this money should continue to be dedicated to general affordable housing programs 
Immigration
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                      Should non-citizens be allowed to vote in local elections?Yes, permanent residents (green card holders) only Yes, all New Yorkers, regardless of their immigration status, should be allowed to vote No 
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                      Should government cash assistance be available to low-income undocumented immigrants?Yes Yes — special pandemic assistance only No "We can create other forms of funding for undocumented immigrants through specific programs." from THE CITY Interview, May 3, 2021 
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                      Should NYC pay for attorneys to represent New Yorkers facing deportation in immigration court?Yes, immigrant New Yorkers facing deportation should have a right to counsel Continue existing city funding sponsoring legal services for immigrant New Yorkers held in detention No 
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                      Do you support measures to legalize basement and attic apartments?Yes, revise building codes to allow current illegal apartments to be compliant Yes, revise building codes and encourage conversions through financing, counseling or other means No 
Labor
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                      With hundreds of thousands of low-wage workers facing extended unemployment, which of the following would you make your top priority for investing federal aid dollars?Wage subsidies to help employers bring back and retain their employees Extended unemployment benefits to all impacted people Access to loans for entrepreneurs and worker cooperatives Government jobs in underserved communities to rebuild local economies 
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                      Should New York reclassify gig workers — including food deliverers and Uber drivers — as employees?Yes, require companies to classify workers as their employees Yes, give workers flexibility to decide whether they are classified as employees or independent contractors No 
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                      Which statement best describes your approach to bargaining with municipal labor unions?The mayor is working for voters and taxpayers, who must come first in bargaining with city employees Municipal employees keep the city running and the mayor should put their needs first Mayors should strive to find a balance between taxpayers and workers, even when that leaves everyone unhappy 
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                      New York has been a leader in increasing the minimum wage. Should the state increase it above $15 an hour in the first two years of your term?No response / no position 
Criminal Justice
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                      Will you direct the NYPD to stop arrests for drug possession?Marijuana only Marijuana and one or more other drugs No 
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                      Should NYC stay on course to close all jails on Rikers Island by 2027?Yes, build all new planned smaller borough-based jails on the current timeline Yes, build new smaller borough-based jails but consider changes to plans or timeline Reevaluate closing Rikers Close Rikers, but build no new jails 
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                      Should NYC ban solitary confinement within jails?Ban solitary confinement entirely Maintain current plan to allow minimum 10 hours per day out of cells No 
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                      Which of the following would you choose as your top priority in addressing individuals charged with a crime and awaiting trial:Promote use of city supervised release programs for more people Promote release without supervision programs for more people Promote pretrial jail for more people who currently must be released Leave the current system as is "We need mentors and love agents that work to help folks deal with the issues that led them to committing a crime." from THE CITY Interview, May 3, 2021 
Taxes
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                      The next mayor will inherit well documented inequities in property tax assessments. What will you do?Respond without impacting overall tax dollars collected, even if that means some will pay more than before Respond without increasing anyone’s tax burdens in the process — potentially reducing tax dollars collected Maintain existing property tax assessment system "City suffers from a culture of overtaxing and generally that falls on minority communities." from THE CITY Interview, May 5, 2021 
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                      Should NYC resume collecting taxes on stock transfers?Yes No "Taxes on stock transfers just seems to penalize folks for investing." from THE CITY Interview, May 5, 2021 
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                      Should New York impose a “pied a terre” tax on homes that are not a primary residence?Yes, for all part-time residents (less than 180 days a year) Yes, for international owners only No 
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                      Will you further tax the ultra wealthy?Yes, increase the income tax rate for those who earn more than $5 million annually Yes, increase the income tax rate for those who earn more than $10 million annually No additional taxes "There are more ways to tax the ultra wealthy, but we have to do it in a futuristic way." from THE CITY Interview, May 5, 2021 
Borough Edition
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                      The Bronx: Do you support building a stadium for the NYCFC soccer club next to Yankee Stadium?Yes, I will do whatever I can to make this happen Yes, but only if a deal can be reached with no public subsidy or tax breaks No "I would love for New York City to have the first arena centered around a women's sports franchise." from THE CITY Interview, May 10, 2021 
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                      Brooklyn: Do you support the National Grid’s proposal to expand its natural gas facilities, including building a pipeline through parts of Brownsville, Bed-Stuy, Bushwick, and Williamsburg?Yes Yes, but the proposed route requires more review No "Pipeline would negatively affect the marginalized communities and families that live there and cost a lot of money in the process." from THE CITY Interview, May 10, 2021 
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                      Manhattan: Do you support commercial rent control?Yes — I’m ready to work toward implementing a system Let’s study the issue and see if any model could possibly succeed in Manhattan No, commercial rent control does not work "The rent is too damn high.... We can't continue to commodify necessities." from THE CITY Interview, May 10, 2021 
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                      Queens: The Sunnyside Master Plan envisions 12,000 affordable homes, a new regional rail station, 60 acres of open space and more to be built atop a platform over the western Queens rail yard. Will you work to realize the plan?Yes, as planned Yes, but the project’s cost, scale, community input or other fundamentals need revisiting No "It's about listening to the folks that are most affected. And what happens is with plans like this, the people that are most affected don't find out until it's already set in stone." from THE CITY Interview, May 10, 2021 
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                      Staten Island: Will you commit to restoring 24/7 half-hour service on the Staten Island Ferry? If so, when?Yes, immediately after taking office Yes, within my first term No 
Leadership
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                      Should NYC’s next mayor appoint campaign contributors to boards, commissions and other posts?Yes, potentially to any type of position Yes, only to advisory or other groups without decision-making authority No Paperboy Prince said people worked on their campaign would "still go through a process where they're vetted under the same scrutiny" as other candidates. from THE CITY Interview, May 10, 2021 
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                      Should city officials be able to raise funds from private donors for affiliated nonprofit entities?Yes, as currently permitted Yes, adding disclosure of the nonprofits’ spending and recipients No "I wouldn't want to stop a good thing as far as someone who's actually trying to help the community. But I think there should be a cap on the amount of funds raised." from THE CITY Interview, May 10, 2021 
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                      Which of the following leadership styles will best serve NYC’s next mayor?The decider — centralize decision-making with the mayor and close advisers The delegator — hire top talent to run agencies and rely on their judgment The partner — make decisions in coordination with the City Council "We need to have love leaders," who focus on "bringing people together," and "collobaration and not competition." from THE CITY Interview, May 10, 2021 
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                      Should NYC’s next mayor veto any bills presented by the City Council?Never — bills should only come to a Council vote following mayoral agreement Only under extraordinary circumstances As often as necessary 
Homelessness
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                      NYC is legally required to guarantee a “right to shelter.” Should related agreements be updated?Renegotiate “right to shelter” into a “right to housing” to invest in permanent solutions Keep “right to shelter” but lower existing barriers to families seeking shelter Keep “right to shelter” as already agreed to “There's a lot of housing that is already in certain neighborhoods that's old, that is deteriorating, that needs to be revamped and remodeled. I think we start there, but my goal is kind of to revolutionize the whole city and the architecture of the city.” from THE CITY interview, May 10, 2021 
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                      Should hotels remain residences for homeless people post-pandemic?Yes, hotel capacity is needed for temporary or permanent housing Keep current city plan to phase out hotels for the homeless by 2023 No, end homeless hotels as soon as possible “We're going to make sure that there's housing for all the city. The best way to deal with the housing crisis is to give housing.” from THE CITY interview, May 10, 2021 
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                      Should the NYPD play a role in response to people living on the streets and in the subway system?Yes, generally Yes, specifically when public safety risks arise No, NYPD should not be involved in homeless response “There's a lot of police officers that are very good at dealing with folks that are in distress and that are dealing with mental health issues, but the fact is that they're just not trained to do that. And a lot of times, it ends with the wrong person going to jail, it ends with someone ending up hurt.” from THE CITY interview, May 10, 2021 
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                      Should NYC’s next mayor close the 30th Street shelter, the main point of entry into the system for single men?No response / no position 
Climate Change
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                      By 2024, big NYC buildings will have to meet energy efficiency targets or face fines. Which one of the following should the next mayor prioritize to make sure they don’t fall short?Help owners finance upgrades Institute a cap-and-trade program that lets owners buy credits to offset their emissions Revise the law’s timeline or penalties None — Local Law 97 is solid as is 
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                      What should the next mayor’s top priority be for neighborhoods in the most vulnerable flood zones?Limit new development and enable owners to sell properties to the city Invest in elevating and fortifying homes and other buildings Construct protective infrastructure such as seawalls and restore wetlands No new action "The same way how they want to build bigger buildings and higher buildings, I am going to build bigger forests, bigger jungles, more trees, more gardens, nature's farm and parks." from THE CITY Interview, May 10, 2021 
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                      NYC’s current mayor vowed to ban gas hook-ups in new construction by 2030. Are you on board?Yes Yes, and move the goal sooner and/or make strides to phase out fossil fuels in existing buildings No 
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                      The newly revived organic waste recycling program will be available only in some community districts and only on demand. Should that change?Maintain the program as is Expand organic waste collection to all New Yorkers, but keep it optional Expand organic waste collection to all New Yorkers and make it mandatory Get rid of the program "It's good for the environment." from THE CITY Interview, May 10, 2021 
Building NYC Better
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                      What route should NYC’s mayor take to expand access to broadband internet at home?Create a publicly owned and operated municipal broadband network Build on the existing city plan inviting companies to build out low-cost service New state law requiring $15/month broadband for low-income customers is sufficient “A strong public option would force [internet providers] to be better. It would also allow us to create more job opportunities in the city and it would allow us to take our place as a leader in the digital world.” from THE CITY interview , May 10, 2021 
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                      Should real estate developers be allowed to construct bigger buildings if they pay for elevator installation at nearby subway stations without access?Yes, with the MTA maintaining the elevators Yes, only if the developer also commits to providing ongoing maintenance No 
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                      Should new real estate development require approvals beyond those that currently exist under the city land use review process?Yes, require additional review Stick with existing procedures and customs The process needs fewer obstacles to development 
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                      Which of the following should NYC’s next mayor do first about sidewalk sheds attached to buildings?Champion, sign and enforce a City Council bill that would require property owners to complete facade repairs within 90 days Review existing building codes and enforcement to ensure the Department of Buildings doesn’t go overboard in requiring sheds Focus on managing the current facade inspection and repair system “I've had some scaffolding that I feel like it's been up all my life in New York. So that's something I would definitely get to the bottom…not saying that 90 days would be an extreme penalty after that, but definitely something that incentivizes folks to complete these projects as quickly as possible.” from THE CITY interview , May 10, 2021 
Quality of Life
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                      Should the mayor’s office crack down on short-term rentals from services like Airbnb, which are illegal under state law if the owner is not present during the stay?Yes, large-scale professional operators only Yes, all illegal rentals No, let Airbnb be "What I have proposed is that the city create its own version of Airbnb that could compete with some of these companies and replace them." from THE CITY interview, May 10, 2021 
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                      Should NYC be home to full-fledged gambling casinos?Yes — including Manhattan Yes — not including Manhattan No "I would be open to casinos after we establish our love centers, which are a place where folks can meet new people where they can get inspired, make friends, get help for issues that they're going through." from THE CITY interview, May 10, 2021 
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                      Should city government open public restrooms as a widely available amenity?City should launch effort to deploy and maintain public restrooms No city restroom program, but incentivize business establishments to make their restrooms available to the public No "There should be public restrooms on every block in New York City. There should be as many public restrooms as possible." from THE CITY interview, May 10, 2021 
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                      A new law creates 4,000 new street vendor licenses over 10 years, most outside Manhattan. Should the city:Expand the number of licenses further Keep the number of licenses as set Evaluate impact of new vendor licenses on businesses before further action "It should be done on a rolling basis. And there shouldn't necessarily be a cap. It should be a situation where we allow more folks to pursue their dreams." from THE CITY interview, May 10, 2021 
Candidates
Meet Your Mayor
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