Shashi Sinha, candidate for Rochester mayor

We begin our series of conversations with candidates running in the June Democratic primary. This hour, we sit down with Shashi Sinha, candidate for Rochester mayor. Sinha is an IT executive, real estate investor, and first-time candidate whose priorities for office include lowering taxes and increasing the availability of housing. Earlier this year, he told WXXI's Gino Fanelli, "I'm living a happy life; beside my family, nobody knows me. But if that kind of individual, average people like me don't stand up, who will?” Sinha joins us in the studio to discuss his background and his platform, and he answers our questions and yours. In studio: •Shashi Sinha, candidate for Rochester mayor 0:00 Introduction 2:01 Shashi Sinha’s background and priorities 3:32 First impressions of Rochester 6:00 Root causes of Rochester’s challenges 7:53 Addressing the housing crisis 13:58 Why affordable housing hasn’t been built 19:55 Critique of "Buy the Block" program 21:42 Why Shashi Sinha identifies as a Democrat 22:40 Political heroes and views on leadership 24:29 Response to ICE and sanctuary city policies 31:56 Shashi as an abundance Democrat 33:18 Police Accountability Board challenges 36:51 Future of the Police Accountability Board 39:00 Personal safety concerns in Rochester 42:30 Addressing auto thefts 44:04 Plan for 40% property tax reduction 47:34 Economic growth and tourism potential 51:00 What’s next for Shashi Sinha __________________________ For more shows and information head to https://www.wxxinews.org/show/connect.... Be part of the program with questions or comments by phone at 844-295-TALK (8255), emailing connections@wxxi.org or using the chat on the live stream. Do you have a story that needs to be shared? https://www.wxxinews.org/pitch-your-s... __________________________ Become a member of WXXI: https://www.wxxi.org/donate Never miss a headline with our daily newsletter: https://www.wxxinews.org/newsletter.