Truth, Inspiration, Hope.

Safe Streets, Education, Jobs Top of Mind for Marvin Jeffcoat, Candidate for New York City Council

Published: March 27, 2023
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Marvin Jeffcoat poses for a photo in front of New York City’s skyline. Jeffcoat is running for New York City Council in the upcoming elections to be held on November 7, 2023.(Image: Courtesy Marvin Jeffcoat)

On Nov. 7 this year, New York City will be holding general elections for city council, with primaries scheduled to be held on June 27. Throwing his hat into the ring is Marvin Jeffcoat who currently serves the city as a Facility Manager with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

A married father of two, Jeffcoat is no stranger to public service. Jeffcoat is a veteran who retired from active military service in 2004 and immediately began serving the community as the Youth Chairman for John V. Daniels Jr. VFW Post No. 2813 where he helped youth garner thousands of dollars worth of scholarships. 

A proud union member, Jeffcoat is also a lifetime member of several organizations including the 82nd Airborne Division Association, the Combat Infantrymen’s Association, the National Rifle Association, the American Legion and the Catholic War Veterans, among others.

“[Jeffcoat} has been designated a subject matter expert by the City University of New York and Department of Citywide Administrative Services because of his leadership in the field of facility management and energy conservation to provide a more sustainable environment,” reads his campaign website.

Highly educated, Jeffcoat has earned a Juris Doctorate from Concord Law School, a Master of Arts in Diplomacy degree from Norwich University, a Bachelors of Political Science degree from Empire State College, and an Associate of Applied Science degree in Criminal Justice from Fayetteville Technical Community College.

A conservative, Jeffcoat is running on a platform that prioritizes safe streets, education and job creation.

Jeffcoat told Vision Times that the most important message he wishes to get out to voters is “the government works for us, not the other way around.”

“The bureaucratic machine has taken away our medical freedom, parental rights, and right to self-defense to make us dependent on their control and manipulation,” he said, adding that “my plan and commitment to you is to restore your freedom by ensuring Fidelity to the Constitution; providing Safe Streets; Education not indoctrination, where the money follows the child; and Economic Prosperity. This is how I will ensure your government puts YOU FIRST.”

Cashless bail, defunding the police, and Rikers Island

“Our streets are overrun with crime and drugs because of cashless bail, defunding the NYPD, and emptying Rikers Island. All designed to intimidate you. Marvin will reverse this reckless dereliction of duty,” his campaign website reads.

According to a report by the Manhattan Institute entitled, “More Criminals, More Crime: Measuring the Public Safety Impact of New York’s 2018 Bail Law” which was published in July last year, the period between March 15, 2019 and March 15, 2020 saw burglaries in the state rise by 26.5 percent while robberies rose by an astounding 33.9 percent. Shooting incidents rose by 22.9 percent during the same period as well as grand larceny which increased by 15.8 percent. Car thefts increased by an astounding 68 percent in the same period.

Jeffcoat told Vision Times that he is fortunate that he and his immediate family have not been directly impacted by the cashless bail scheme.

However, he expressed concern for the safety of his wife, who is Asian, amid a rise in hate crimes and incidents targeting people of that ethnicity. The phenomenon was highlighted by the tragedy of Michelle Go, a 40-year-old woman of Vietnamese descent who was pushed onto the tracks at the Times Square metro station in Manhattan by a schizophrenic homeless black man with a criminal record. Go was then killed by an oncoming subway train.

“Because my wife is Asian, the anti-Asian hate exacerbated by NYS’s cashless bail scheme has caused apprehension of imminent bodily harm among my wife, my children, and many of our friends,” Jeffcoat said.

“This must stop now. Violent criminals need to be prosecuted and kept in secure facilities like Rikers Island instead of releasing them to so-called community jails to revictimize our communities.”

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On education

Jeffcoat is in favor of charter schools and vouchers because he believes they create competition which in turn will lead to lower costs for education and drive efficiencies.

“We spend $22,000 per child per year to graduate illiterate students,” Jeffcoat says, because “teachers are required to evaluate instead of teaching.”

“I love teachers,” he said, before criticizing standardized curricula such as common core and the UFT for stifling their options.

“All families deserve the opportunity to provide their children the Catholic education I am able to provide my youngest son or the education of their choice,” Jeffcoat said. “Doing so will position them to fill the jobs I plan to create.”

“We need schools that prepare our youth for starter jobs so they can transition into the workforce instead of destroying property and engaging in violence,” he added.

Ffocus on jobs

“Onerous regulations have strangled the life out of our economy,” Jeffcoat argues and provides an example of one small business, Barbershop Beard, that is struggling due to overzealous regulators.

“One of our VFW Posts in Queens is being fined out of existence because they used the wrong diameter of pipe when they installed a hot water heater to save money,” Jeffcoat explained and argued that the size of the pipe “has absolutely no impact on the health, safety, and welfare of any citizen, but it is a revenue generator for liberal cronies.”

Jeffcoat says this type of enforcement, perpetrated against small business, forces them to close up shop, taking well-paying jobs with them and points to the hypocrisy of the practice when “uncured violations” exist in City run facilities.

He argues that “Our laws should be simple and to the point so that a high school graduate is able to comply with them and start a business if he chooses,” arguing further that vague laws are unconstitutional and should be voided for that reason. 

“Incumbents never evaluate these regulations to see if they’re meeting their intended purpose or if they actually harm economic growth,” Jeffcoat says, adding that New York City needs to end over regulation, which contributes to job loss and under employment and ultimately homelessness. 

“If elected I will periodically evaluate and eviscerate harmful laws because we deserve better,” Jeffcoat pledges.

“I’m a real leader, combat proven working for real people, but I can’t do it alone. I need democrats, republicans, conservatives, and independents of all pedigrees to join me in doing what’s best for our neighborhood,” Jeffcoat said.

Elections for New York City Council will be held on Nov. 7. Jeffcoat says that “If you want to end the corruption in City Hall that’s smothering the life out of our great city you have to donate to our campaign, tell your friends and family about our campaign, and vote for Marvin.” 

Marvin Jeffcoat can be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling (347) 841-4335. His campaign website is www.marvinjeffcoat.net.