The New York Democratic Primary

Posted on September 4, 2017 by Debra29

“The vote is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have”

John Lewis

“The ballot is stronger than the bullet”

Abraham Lincoln

New York City residents will now begin the process of electing officials who will frame housing, education, welfare, immigration, and environmental policy.

Inform

Important Dates To Remember :

Tuesday September 5
: Last day to postmark an application for an absentee ballot.

Tuesday September 12
: New York Primary Election.  Polls open from 6am to 9pm.

Who’s On The Ballot  is a superb site for all  New York City residents. It provides you with  a copy of the ballot you will receive, along with all the information you need to know.

Mayor
The Mayor is the Chief Executive Officer of the city. He or she has the power to appoint all the heads of agencies and departments, appoint 7 of the 13 members of the City Planning Commission, and sign bills into law. The mayor is also responsible for preparing city budgets and revenue estimates.

Democratic Mayoral Candidates (you will vote for one):

Sal F. Albanese
Bio: An attorney, financial adviser and former New York City Councilmember. The New York Times covered the first primary debate with DiBlasio’s main Democratic opponent.

Richard Bashner
Bio: Commercial lawyer The online daily neighborhood news  Bklyner offers a profile on this Park Slope attorney.

Bill de Blasio
Bio: Incumbent mayor  The Mayor is often in the headlines for various policy decisions including congestion pricing, distance from the city’s titans of finance,   affordable housing, the homeless, and education.

Robert Gangi
Bio: Gangi is the former executive director of the New York Correctional Association and the founder of the Police Reform Organizing Project. Business Insider writes about Mr. Gangi and the “broken windows” policy.

Mike Tolkin
Bio: The CEO of a virtual reality technology company called Ultro Labs.  This mayoral hopeful  outraises and outspends his opponents.

Media coverage of the mayoral primary includes  the Daily News, The New York Post,  and The New York Times.

Updated Sept. 5:  The New York Times Endorsement for Mayor.

Important Date To Remember before the Primary:

Wednesday, Sept 6: Leading Democrat Contenders Debate
7:00 p.m.at CUNY Graduate Center Studio
TV: WCBS, WLNY-TV 10/55
Radio: 1010WINS, NewsRadio 880

Important Dates To Remember after the Primary:

Tuesday October 10:
 First General Election Mayoral Debate
7:00 p.m.
TV: NY1, NY1 Noticias (Spanish)
Radio: WNYC

Wednesday November 1
:  Leading Contenders Mayoral Debate
7:00 p.m.
TV: WCBS, WLNY-TV 10/55 (Spanish)
Radio: 1010 WINS, NewsRadio 880

 

Comptroller
The Comptroller works as economic director of the city, advising fiscal policies and financial transactions, as well as issuing and selling city bonds. He or she also conducts performance audits of city agencies.

Democratic Comptroller Candidate:

Scott Stringer, Democrat, incumbent  (Sole Democrat)    The Daily News recently reported on Comptroller Scott Stringers break with Mayor Di Blasio on subway funding question. 

(As there’s only one Democratic candidate, you will see his name on the November General Election ballot)

Important Dates To Remember after the Primary:

Tuesday October 17:  
First Comptroller Debate
7:00 p.m.
TV: NY1, NY1 Noticias
Radio: WNYC

Sunday October 22
 Leading Contenders Comptroller Debate
8:00 a.m.
TV: WCBS, WLNY-TV 10/55
Radio: 1010WINS, NewsRadio 880

 

Democratic Public Advocate
The Public Advocate acts as a citizen’s liaison, coordinating public information and reviewing complaints of city programs. The Public Advocate also appoints 1 of the 13 members of City Planning Commission. In a situation where the mayor is incapacitated, the Public Advocate is next in the line of succession.

Democratic Public Advocate Candidates (you will vote for one):

Letitia James, Democrat, incumbent  Her most recent report found that thousands of students with disabilities who were given the vouchers weren’t receiving services to which they were entitled.
David Eisenbach, Democrat    The editors of City Limits and Gotham Gazette interviewed him about his reasons for running and his plans for the office.

Important Date To Remember after the Primary:
Monday October 16
: First Public Advocate Debate
7:00 p.m.
TV: NY1, NY1 Noticias
Radio: WNYC

Borough President
The Borough President is chosen by the people of the borough to be the head of their administration. Equipped with their own cabinet and staff, this person takes lead initiative in proposing legislation, zoning changes, city wide budget recommendations, land use planning and local service delivery. They appoint 1 of the 13 members of the City Planning Commission as well as members of the community board. This person also holds public hearings concerning borough wide issues.

Each borough president reflected on the state of their borough back in March.

Brooklyn Borough President Democratic Candidate: 

Eric Adams, Democrat, incumbent (Sole Democrat)  Mr. Adams recently called for an independent probe into wrongful convictions in Brooklyn.  He has pushed to expand sustainable fueling options and affordable housing.

(As there’s only one Democratic candidate, you will see his name on the November General Election ballot)

 Queens Borough President Democratic Candidate:
Melinda Katz, Democrat, incumbent (Sole Democrat) Ms. Katz has worked on issues concerning Federal Immigration Agents and public schools, the development of Willets Point, and the values of diversity.

(As there is only one Democratic candidate, you will see her name on the November General Election ballot)

I focused on my borough of Brooklyn, along with my family’s borough of Queens. The borough presidents of the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island are also up for re-election.

City Council Member
The City Council is the legislative body of the city. Members come together to adopt local laws, amend the City Charter, enact local taxes, approve the budget, and oversee city agencies. Most importantly, they have the power to override mayoral vetoes.

 City Council Democratic Candidates 

I have profiled my own district, along with friend’s and family’s districts. Other City Council Districts and candidates can be found in City Limit’s Who’s Who in the Contested City Council Races 

The New York Times has endorsed City Council candidates in the most competitive races.

DISTRICT 32

Belle Harbor, Breezy Point, Broad Channel, Howard Beach, Lindenwood, Neponsit, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Rockaway Park, Roxbury, South Ozone Park, West Hamilton Beach, Woodhaven

City Council Democratic Candidates for District 32  (you will vote for one)

Briefly: Incumbent Republican Eric Ulrich is seeking re-election. These Democratic candidates are vying to face him in November:

Helal Sheikh (Democrat)

Michael Scala (Democrat)

William Ruiz (Democrat) He has no website. This article refers to a forum he was in.

 

DISTRICT 35

Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, Bedford Stuyvesant

 City Council Democratic Candidates for District 35:  (you will vote for one)

Laurie Cumbo Incumbent (Democrat) This is a heated rematch in Central Brooklyn.

Ede Fox (Democrat)

DISTRICT 39
Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Columbia Waterfront, Gowanus, Park Slope,
Windsor Terrace, Borough Park Kensington

 

Briefly:  Incumbent Democrat Brad Lander is seeking re-election. (Sole Democrat) He has a plan to desegregate citywide public schools , and has called  for the creation of a task force to oversee the city’s large construction projects, Brad Lander has proposed that cities will  fight inequality and encourage more equitable growth. His Get Organized BK is a response to the White House administration policies. and has been present at numerous rallies held in response to Charlottesville White Supremacists.

(As there is only one Democratic candidate, you will see his name on the  November General Election ballot)

DISTRICT 40

Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Flatbush, Kensington, Midwood, Prospect Park, and Prospect Lefferts Gardens

City Council Democratic Candidates for District 40:  (you will vote for one)

Jennifer Berkley (Democrat)

Brian-Christopher Cunningham (Democrat)

Dr. Mathieu Eugene (incumbent, Democrat)  Dr. Eugene has worked on issues such as immigration, affordable housing, and health services.

Pia Raymond (Democrat)

 

District Attorney
The District Attorney is the head prosecutor of the borough in which he or she has been elected.

Democratic Brooklyn District Attorney Candidates:  (you will vote for one)

All six candidates positioned themselves as the most reform-minded in the race in a   forum this past June.

Eric Gonzalez, Democrat,  incumbent (named acting District Attorney in 2016)
Patricia Gatling, Democrat
Vincent Gentile, Democrat
Stephanie Ama-Dwimoh, Democrat
Marc Fliedner, Democrat
Anne Swern, Democrat

Updated September 5: New York Times endorsement for Brooklyn District Attorney.

 

Justices of the Civil Court of the City of New York – Job Description 
Justices of this court handle cases under $25,000, including a Small Claims Court for cases under $3000. Justices will also handle housing disputes.

Democratic New York City Civil Court Kings County Justices Candidates:  (You will vote for five):

A Slate of independent Democrats pushed back agains the Kings County Democratic Club in this race.  Ellen Edwards,  at first considered an underdog, has gone on to become one of the front-runners in the race. The Kings County Democratic Club is  supporting Robin Sheares, Frederick Arriaga, David Pepper, Consuelo Melendez, and Patria Frias-Colon.

Updated September 7: City Limits provides a profile for each of the candidates.

Democrats:

Frederick C. Arriaga
Ellen Edwards

Patria Frias-Colon
Patrick Hayes
Isiris Isela Isaac
Thomas Kennedy
Connie Melendez
John O’Hara
David Pepper
Sandra Roper

Robin Sheares 

Civil Judges of 6th Municipal District in Brooklyn

Northern Park Slope, Lefferts Garden, a stretch between Coney Island Avenue and Ocean Avenue to Avenue M

Elena Barron

Rupert Berry

Derefim Neckles

Hemalee Patel

 

Justices of the Supreme Court of New York State
A justice on this court may handle civil cases as well as serious felonies. Keep in mind the Supreme Court in New York is different than in other states because decisions may be appealed to a higher court (Court of Appeals).

Candidates for the supreme courts are chosen indirectly by delegates and only appear on the general election ballot. You vote for the delegates but I found it hard to get information on each delegate.

 

Respond and React:

Calling all Democrats: VOTE

“None of the other three most recent Democratic presidential nominees — Hillary Clinton, John Kerry and Al Gore — inspired great turnout. …..In off-year elections, Democratic turnout is even spottier, which helps explain the Republican dominance of Congress, governor’s mansions and state legislatures.“

While the focus of this post is the New York City Primary elections, please get as involved as you can in your own local elections.  Help to ” get out the vote”  among your friends, neighbors and family members. Let’s break the record for Democratic turnout in 2017 Primary and General Elections, and next year’s 2018 State and Congressional Mid Term elections. 

If you are enraged with the policies of the present administration, now is the time to act:

  •  Become informed. Read. Watch the Debates
  • VOTE.
  • Get your candidates elected: phone banking, canvassing, meetings in your home, donations, signs, etc.

As Joe Biden so eloquently stated

“Joined together, we are more than 300 million strong. Joined together, we will win this battle for our soul. Because if there’s one thing I know about the American people, it’s this: When it has mattered most, they have never let this nation down.”

 

Posted in Local and State Elections, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The New York Democratic Primary

The Power of Local and State Elections

Posted on May 16, 2017 by Debra29

“The happy Union of these States is a wonder; their Constitution a miracle; their example the hope of Liberty throughout the world.”                       James Madison

Never question the importance of becoming involved in local and state-wide elections. Your local and state government policies will address all changes coming down the Trump Administration. This would include undocumented immigrant policies at the state or local  levels.  The House’s recently passed health care bill gives broad power to states regarding Medicaid, pre-existing conditions, essential health benefits, lifetime limits and higher premiums for older Americans. State and local legislators also participate in amending and repairing our justice system as in Kalief’s Law, or shutting down the violence plagued Rikers Island.   As my prior post indicated, they both have a vested interest in improving air quality and becoming greener. States and cities create policies that affect the LGBT community including discrimination, adoption, and access to public bathrooms. It is their responsibility to support public schools in the face of U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ support of charters and vouchers. Now is the time to get informed, involved, organized and, most importantly, to vote.

Inform

Governorships

Republicans hold a historically wide edge of 33-16 in gubernatorial offices. The gubernatorial battleground in 2017/2018 will be especially important because it offers Democrats the biggest potential haul of governorships in advance of the once-every-decade legislative and congressional redistricting process that will begin after the 2020 Census.

36 Gubernatorial seats up in 2017 and 2018

The reason for this large number is governors are being term-limited out. Those positions are called “open seats”,  as opposed to “incumbents” who are running for a second term. Fourteen of the thirty-six  seem safe for the incumbent party. That leaves twenty two that are vulnerable for flipping over to the opposite party.

2017/2018 Vulnerable Open Seats

As of right now, vulnerable Republican open seats are in Florida, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey (2017) and New Mexico. This means your participation can switch these governorships to Democrat. Vulnerable Democratic seats are in Colorado and Virginia (2017). This means your participation will secure a Democrat for governor. 

2018 Vulnerable Incumbents

As of right now, the Democrats have three vulnerable incumbents in Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. This means your participation can keep these Democrats in power.  There is one vulnerable Republican incumbent in Illinois. This means your participation will help elect a Democrat for governor. 

2018 Potentially Vulnerable…

Republican held Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio and Wisconsin are on the list. This means your participation will help elect a Democrat for governor.  The Democratic governorships of Minnesota and Oregon may also be at risk, along with the Independent Bill Walker of Alaska. This means your participation will help secure a Democrat in power, or elect a new one in Alaska.

Safe Seats

The three gubernatorial that seem safe for the Democrats include New York, California and Hawaii.

The 2017 New Jersey State Elections 

Inform

Important Dates To Remember
June 6, 2017 Primaries
November 7, 2017 General Election

The Race For Governor of New Jersey

Democrats Phil Murphy,  Jim Johnson, John Wisniewski, and Ray Lesniak are the front runners  for governor. The final major televised debate in the Democratic governor primary was a “a raucous and rancorous exchange.” Other Democrat hopefuls include Raymond Lesniak, Mark Zinna and Bill Brennan.  Republicans running for governor include Kim Guadagno,  Jack Ciattarelli,  Hirsh Singh,  Joseph Rullo, and Steve Rogers. The whole nation will watch this election to see if New Jersey flips its governorship to Democrat.

Respond and React:

Vote on Primary Day, June 6. Once the primaries are over, contact your candidate and volunteer in any way you can to secure a Democratic governor for your state : phone banking, canvassing, meetings in your home, donations, signs, etc.

The New Jersey Legislature Race

Inform

All 120 seats of the State Senate and General Assembly are up for re-election. The 40 member Senate is made up of 24 Democrats and 16 Republicans. The NJ General Assembly has 52 Democrats and 28 Republicans for a total of 80 members.

My former neighborhood, Hunterdon County New Jersey, is in the 15, 16 and 23rd State Legislative Districts. (D indicates Democrat and R, Republican)
          State Senator                               Assembly Representatives

District 15      Shirley Turner, D         Reed Gusciora, D and Elizabeth Maher Muoio, D

All three are running for re-election. Democrat challenger, Gail Boyle Boyland, is also running for NJ Assembly. Be sure to vote in the Democrat Primary, Tuesday June 6, and decide who should represent you in the Assembly. The Republican Ticket includes Lee Newton, Rimma Yakobovich and Emily Rich.  Goal of Election Day, November 7: Keep District 15 Blue

District 16  Christopher (Kip) Bateman,R       Jack Ciattarelli,R and Andrew Zwicker,D

This is considered a split district which has a chance to swing Democrat this year. Democrat Laurie Poppe, is running for State Senate. Democrats Andrew Zwicker and Roy Freeman are running for NJ Assembly. The Republican Ticket includes Christopher Bateman, Donna Simon and Mark Caliguire. Goal of Election Day, November 7: Turn District 16 Completely Blue

District 23    Michael J. Doherty, R                     John DiMaio, R and Erik Peterson, R

This is a sprawling district which includes 34 communities in Hunterdon, Somerset, and Warren Counties. Among the district’s registered voters, more than one third are Republican and one fourth are Democrat with the balance unaffiliated. This district has a chance to swing Democrat this year. Democrat Christine Lui Chen is running for State Senator. Democrats Laura Shaw and Isaac Hadzovic are running for N.J. Assembly. All three Republicans are seeking re-election. Goal of Election Day, November 7: Turn District 23 Blue

Steps for finding who is running in other parts of New Jersey:

Step 1. Go to the New Jersey Legislature site.  Find your municipality, and determine what district you are in. Link to it.

Step 2. Click on “Legislators for your District” to determine who your State Senator is, and who represents you in the Assembly.

Step 3. Find out who is running for your district. These are the people who will create laws for New Jersey. Become informed. What is their experience, policies, and purpose?

Respond and React:

Vote on Primary Day, June 6. Once the primaries are over, contact your candidates and volunteer in any way you can to secure your district: phone banking, canvassing, meetings in your home, donations, signs, etc.

Goal of Election Day, November 7: Elect a Democrat For Governor in New Jersey. Increase the number of Democrat representatives in the New Jersey Senate and Assembly.

Virginia State Elections 2017

Inform

Important Dates To Remember
June 13, 2017 Primary
November 7, 2017 General Election

The Race For Governor

There is a tight race between Democrats Tom Perlello and Ralph Northam.  Republican candidates include Ed Gillespie , Corey A. Stewart and Frank W. Wagner. Recent polls indicate Republican Ed Gillespie would tie with either of the Democrats vying for their party’s nomination. The whole nation will watch this election to see if a Democrat stays in office.

The Virginia Legislature Race

The Virginia General Assembly is made up of a State Senate and a House of Delegates. The Republican Party presently holds the majority in the Virginia House of Delegates (66 to 34). All 100 seats are up for re-election.  The Senate of Virginia has 40 Senators with 21 Republicans and 19 Democrats. These are four-year terms and are not up for re-election until 2019.

Respond and React:

Vote on Primary Day, June 13. Once the primaries are over, contact your candidates and volunteer in any way you can to secure your district: phone banking, canvassing, meetings in your home, donations, signs, etc.

Goal of Election Day, November 7: Elect a Democrat For Governor in Virginia. Increase the number of Democrat representatives in the House of Delegates.

New York City Elections 2017 (my hometown)

Inform

Important Dates To Remember

July 1, 2017 Filing deadline for candidates
September 12, 2017 Primary
November 7, 2017 General Election

The Race For Mayor and All Citywide Elections

 Bill De Blasio is running for re-election, and the field is thick with Democratic, Republican,  Independent and undeclared candidates. The other citywide positions of Public Advocate and Comptroller will also be voted on, as well as all five Borough Presidents, all 51 City Council seats, and two District Attorney positions (Brooklyn and Manhattan).

Respond and React:

Now is the time to become informed about who is running before September’s Primary. Look for my update in July, when I’ll profile the front runners for each position.  Once the primaries are over, contact your candidates and volunteer in any way you can to secure this position: phone banking, canvassing, meetings in your home, donations, signs, etc.

State and Local Elections of the other 48 States

Inform

Your Governor

Now is the time to get involved with electing a Democratic candidate for governor in your state. Here are summaries of incumbents and possible candidates.

Your State and Local Legislatures

Start becoming familiar with who represents you. Every state except Nebraska has a bicameral legislature, meaning that the legislature consists of two separate legislative chambers or houses. The smaller house is called the Senate, and the larger chamber has different names in different states. Find out about your state, city, and township representatives.

Respond and React:

The decisions, regulations, and policies made by this administration will dramatically affect your state and local government. Become informed,  involved, and engaged.  

  • Call
  • Email
  • Register for their newsletter
  • Attend town hall meetings and ask questions
  • Attend public events with your State and Local representative and ask questions.
  • Talk to your State or Local Representative in person, at the district or state  office.
  • Consider running for office

Reflection

Zeynep Tufekci, author of  Twitter and Tear Gas, The Power and Fragility of Networked Protest,  worries that today’s “digitally-fueled” protests and movements, if they lack “organizational and other collective capacities,” will be significantly less successful than people once hoped:

“ I was thinking that if you really wanted to put a real scare into the 20 or 30 Republicans [in particularly vulnerable districts], if you put up a fundraising page, a single fundraising page, and I raise a huge amount very quickly, it sends a signal. Money is a little more costly, obviously, than sending a text. It’s also sending a signal that we can organize this and we can put in large numbers and we’re going to spend this against you. And I don’t mean this to say that the other forms don’t work. It depends on how you organize them. If, for example, congresspeople go back to town halls and they meet enormous crowds that just are sticking there and that this thing doesn’t die down and it appears clear that people are going to spend a lot of effort to defeat you, that’s going to spook legislators because their jobs and their future is pretty significant to them.”

Life was always a matter of waiting for the right moment to act….  Paulo Coelho

Posted in Governorships, Local and State Elections, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Power of Local and State Elections

Our Environment

Posted on April 20, 2017 by Debra29

“Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children.”

Ancient American Indian Proverb

Inform

The Paris Climate Accord

This administration will make the final decision on the fate of the Paris agreement before a meeting of the Group of 7 leading economies at the end of May. President Trump had vowed to “cancel” the climate deal which would weaken it substantially. Some policy advisors, however, have recently urged Trump to keep the U.S. in the Paris Accord. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and major corporations have stepped in to embrace this position. There would be both diplomatic and economics consequences to withdrawing from the accord. Other governments will be less likely to carry out their pledged emissions cuts without the U.S. In addition, most countries will place a carbon tariff on imports of American made goods. Regardless of the upcoming decision, the U.S. Paris pledge of reducing 2005 planet-warming carbon pollution 26% by 2026 was fractured by Trump’s decision to dismantle the Clean Power Plan.

The Clean Power Plan

The Trump Administration issued an executive order gutting the Clean Power Plan . The plan’s goals were to regulate emissions from power plants, and reduce harmful soot and smog. The Environmental Protection Agency estimated that when implemented, the plan would prevent 3,600 premature deaths a year. In addition, the agency said, it would prevent 1,700 heart attacks, 90,000 asthma attacks and 300,000 missed days of work or school a year.

The other purpose of the Clean Power Plan was to ask states to set clean energy goals. Western states are already running homes and businesses with clean, renewable energy and many are on track to surpass what the Clean Power Plan outlines while keeping energy bills low. Most states have clean energy goals in place as a way to create jobs, reduce energy bills and cut damaging pollution. The fear is that without a Clean Power Plan, some states may not set clean energy goals. In the end, repealing Obama’s Clean Power Plan will be a tricky, years-long process.

 

The EPA Pesticide Decision

Toxic chemicals will face less restrictive regulation by the Trump Administration.  It is keeping chlorpyrifos on the market despite evidence that found harm to consumers or humans living in the areas where the pesticide was applied. Fruit and vegetable farmers use this chemical on citrus trees, strawberries, broccoli and cauliflower. EPA proposed a ban on chlorpyrifos in 2015,  and the present EPA says it’s reversing course.

Fuel Efficiency Standards For Cars

This administration is considering rolling back fuel efficiency standards that required automakers to achieve an average 54 mpg across their fleets by 2025. Such rules are critical to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. An earlier EPA waiver has allowed California and a dozen other states to set stricter emissions standards than these. The administration has this waiver in its crosshairs as automakers will still be compelled to produce more fuel efficient cars as California is its largest car market.

Climate Progress With or Without Trump?

Michael R. Bloomberg, billionaire and former mayor of New York City, claims that there will be climate progress despite this administration’s rollback of environmental protections. “No matter what roadblocks the White House and Congress throw up, the United States can — and I’m confident, will — meet the commitment it made in Paris in 2015 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are warming the planet.”  He believes people are ….. underestimating the role that cities, states, businesses and consumers are playing in driving down emissions on their own.” He goes on to say “The Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign, which works to replace coal with cleaner forms of energy ……, projects that more plant closings will get us to nearly two-thirds of our goal. …In combination with existing federal policies that can’t be undone, like vehicle fuel efficiency standards through model year 2021, the last third can be achieved by cities and businesses that are taking action to cut pollution and improve their energy efficiency. ”

Respond & React

Donations/Actions

The Sierra Club , founded by legendary conservationist John Muir, is now the most influential grassroots environment organization accepting donations and offering many opportunities to take action under their Move Beyond Fossil Fuels programs.

The League of Conservation Voters  is an American political advocacy organization that assists political candidates who it believes support a pro-environment agenda. It accepts donations and coordinates actions.

The Union of Concerned Scientists performs important research on climate changes and breaks down those results so non-scientists can understand.  They also offer a toolkit for those looking to get involved with advocacy work, from tips on writing and calling policymakers, getting media to cover events, and raising issues at public meetings – so your actions can have the biggest impact.

The Environmental Defense Fund  is a nonprofit environmental advocacy group with a staff of 550 scientists, economists and policy experts. It accepts donations and coordinates various actions.

Hold Your Representatives Accountable.

  • Call
  • Email
  • Send a postcard
  • Attend town hall meetings and ask questions
  • Attend public events with your Member of Congress and ask questions.
  • Talk to your Member of Congress in person, at the district or congressional  office.

A sample script:  I support the Paris Climate Accord. We must limit global temperature rise in order to avoid the most dangerous consequences of the climate crisis. Don’t roll back the Clean Power Plan. Obligate the EPA to protect the climate and reduce carbon emissions. I want my food to be toxin free. Ban the use of chlorpyrifos and protect the health of our families. In closing, I am in favor of strong fuel efficiency standards and do not expect to have them weakened. More efficient vehicles result in fuel economy, and leaves our air cleaner and our climate healthier.

  • Participate in an organized march

Saturday, Earth Day, April 22, this country will have a nation-wide March For Science. Marches will take place in Washington, D.C.,  in addition to other locations.  This was organized by “a diverse, non-partisan group to call for science that upholds the common good and for political leaders and policy makers to enact evidence based policies in the public interest.”

THE PEOPLE’S CLIMATE MOVEMENT
Saturday, April 29,  350.org, an international environmental organization,  is organizing a march on Washington DC , and across the country to bring attention to the climate crisis.

Reflect

Don’t let fear stop you. Don’t give up because you are paralyzed by insecurity or overwhelmed by the odds, because in giving up, you give up hope.

Sonia Sotomayor

It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to where we are today, but we have just begun. Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today.
Barack Obama

Posted in Environment, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Our Environment

The Repeal of The Affordable Care Act

Posted on March 31, 2017 by Debra29

Inform – Updated May 2017

 

On May 4, 2017, the House narrowly approved (217-213) legislation to repeal and replace major parts of the Affordable Care Act. Twenty Republicans joined Democrats in voting no.

The House bill would eliminate tax penalties for people who go without health insurance. It would roll back state-by-state expansions of Medicaid, which covered millions of low-income Americans. And in place of government-subsidized insurance policies offered exclusively on the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces, the bill would offer tax credits of $2,000 to $4,000 a year, depending on age.

The first version of this bill would trim the federal deficit considerably,  but would also leave 24 million more Americans without health insurance after a decade, (Congressional Budget Office). Average insurance premiums would be 15 percent to 20 percent higher in 2018 and 2019, but after that, they would be lower than projected under current law. The Republicans did not wait for the Congressional Budget Office to analyze this version of the bill. I will post their analysis when published.

This legislation allows states to set the terms for insurers when it comes to people with pre-existing conditions, including charging them more. People could be charged based on their health status if they experienced a gap in coverage. States could also seek waivers from requirements that insurers cover 10 essential health benefits including maternity, mental health and prescription drugs and that they charge their oldest customers no more than three times more than their youngest ones.

This is a side by side comparison of how the proposed Republican “American Health Care Act” compares to the 2010 Affordable Care Act.

The GOP Health Bill is Still Far From Law.

Original Post

 “ If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” Sun Tzu, (6th Century BCE)

Who are members of the Freedom Caucus and Tea Party?

They are conservative Republican legislators who were furious over the 2009 stimulus bill that contained more than $800 billion in tax relief and spending to help the economy recover from the recession.They also disliked the auto industry bailouts and financial sector rescue. Today, these blocks of legislators are committed to cutting taxes (for the wealthy), and shrinking government to lower the federal deficit. More importantly, their focus is to severely cut back government programs that guarantee certain benefits to a particular group or segment of the population, known as entitlement programs. We know them as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

Not only did these conservative Republicans influence the original language of the Republicans “American Health Care Act”, they were responsible for the final highlighted revisions added in the eleventh hour.  Even then, the proposed American Health Care Act was neither conservative nor radical enough for the likes of the Koch Brothers, along with Heritage Action, and Club For Growth.

What’s another conservative point of view? 

Jennifer Rubin, conservative blogger for the Washington Post’s Right Turn, offers a different perspective on Obamacare. “For more than seven years Republicans have told themselves the public hates Obamacare because it “limits freedom” or because it contains too many taxes (the lion’s share applicable only to the very rich). In fact, what upsets people is Obamacare’s failure to make good on its promise to lower premiums and deductibles. Polls consistently showed that the percentage of those who liked Obamacare or wanted it to be more generous dwarfed the percentage of those who wanted to scrap it.”

Defunding Planned Parenthood

The proposed American Health Care Act had a provision that wouldn’t allow states to use “direct spending” on “prohibited entities” with federal funds. This would have meant blocking the 60% of Planned Parenthood patients who rely upon Medicaid and Title X, the nation’s family planning program. Planned Parenthood is this nation’s leading reproductive health care provider. Its health centers provide health care to 2.5 million people in rural and medically underserved areas with health professional shortages. Extreme politicians led by Vice President Mike Pence and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price have supported legislation to “defund” Planned Parenthood for years. In 2015 Congress attempted to do so by attaching it to a budget reconciliation measure,  only to be stopped by then President Obama.

As the first attempt to repeal The Affordable Care Act failed, the Republicans continued their assault on March 30, 2017.  “With a rare tie-breaking vote from Vice President Mike Pence, the Senate on Thursday sent a bill to President Donald Trump’s desk giving states permission to withhold federal family planning funds from Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers.”.
The History of The Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare

Democrats, activists, advocates, and intellectuals have worked toward creating a universal health care system since Franklin Roosevelt was in the White House. When President Obama was elected, he borrowed their work for his own plan. Then Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus “ convened meetings with virtually every health care stakeholder, from hospitals to unions to insurers to patient advocacy groups, exchanging ideas and negotiating over principles. It meant that when the actual legislating started, the channels of communication were already open and the groundwork for a common vision was already in place. And still it was a nearly impossible task.”

How The Affordable Care Act can be improved.

One year ago President Obama put forth eight ideas and proposals for constructive changes to Obamacare.

Another voice, Kimberly Amadeo, President of World Money Watch and author of The Ultimate Obamacare Handbook, weighs in with “11 problems with the most comprehensive piece of legislation since the Social Security Act and Medicare.”

Respond & React

The repeal of the Affordable Care Act is back on the agenda. It will just be a matter of time when another bill will evolve.

  • Donate

Families USA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan consumer health advocacy group.

Planned Parenthood  delivers vital reproductive health care, sex education, and information to millions of women, men, and young people.

  • Hold your Representative accountable

Your engaged, passionate response through rallies, town halls, calls, and contact made a difference.  Use the prior Members of Congress post, and be ready to begin all actions once a new bill is introduced that attempts to repeal The Affordable Care Act.

The Kaiser Family Foundation, a non-partisan non-profit organization that focuses on national health issues, helped to provide an accurate analysis of the American Health Care Act.  Be sure to use them as a resource once the next bill is released.

Act Now is the action arm of Families USA , and includes scripts, petitions, and more when contacting your legislator.

I Stand With Planned Parenthood  is the advocacy and action arm of Planned Parenthood. It coordinates actions, legislator contact, marches, and more.

  • Join or organize a group. Participate in a march.

Organizing For Action is a nonprofit organization that advocates for the agenda of former U.S. President Barack Obama. The organization is officially non-partisan, but its agenda and policies are strongly allied with the Democratic Party. The site provides resources, tools, specific actions and events.

Resistance Near Me is a site offered by the Center for American Progress Action Fund, a progressive public policy and advocacy organization. This site was created for you to find any public event, rally, town hall, protest, and more, in your state, as well as the information you need to contact your member of congress.

 

Reflect

It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.                                                                                Madeline Albright

 

Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness.    Desmond Tutu

Posted in Affordable Care Act, Planned Parenthood | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on The Repeal of The Affordable Care Act

Your Members of Congress

Posted on March 23, 2017 by Debra29

Introduction

“We, the People, recognize that we have responsibilities as well as rights; that our destinies are bound together; that a freedom which only asks what’s in it for me, a freedom without a commitment to others, a freedom without love or charity or duty or patriotism, is unworthy of our founding ideals, and those who died in their defense. ”                                                                                       Barack Obama

This political blog was created as a central resource of civic response to the current administration’s policies and legislation. Its format will be Inform, Respond and React, and Reflect.

Inform: This section will have information to read regarding proposed legislation, executive orders, budget cuts, bans,  civics, upcoming elections, and more.

Respond and React: Each post will provide information and/or links to actions. Responses can vary depending on  how much time you have available:

Minimum Time
Donations – Donate within your means.
Boycott – Affect change with your wallet.

Moderate Time
Hold your representative accountable for each and every issue, regardless of whether he or she is a Democrat or Republican:

  • Call
  • Email
  • Send a postcard
  • Attend town hall meetings and ask questions
  • Attend public events with your Member of Congress and ask questions.
  • Talk to your Member of Congress in person, at the district or congressional  office.

Participate in an organized march – I’ll give notice for scheduled marches. Handwritten signs are very effective. Have your children and grandchildren help with these, and join the march.

Abundant Time
Join or organize a group in your neighborhood. Meet, organize and plan. Small locally based discussion groups are a powerful tool. They can have a big impact on the national debate.

An excellent resource for organized civic response is Indivisible. Look for a local group to join through this site. Many of their recommendations are imbedded within this blog.
Volunteer for a Congressional election campaign.

  • Keep your sights on this crucial midterm election with the goal of changing the makeup of Congress. Senators run for election every 6 years, and terms for  33 Senators in Class 1 expire in 2019. House Members run for office every two years, and all 435 seats will be contested in 2018.

State elections are equally important.

  • Twenty-seven of the 38 governorships up in 2017 and 2018 are Republican-held. Republicans  also control a record number of state legislative chambers.

Reflect:   This section will have quotations and reflections to keep us grounded.

Connect To Your Members of Congress

Inform:

The 115th Congress (as of March 1 2017)
Senate:
52 Republicans, 46 Democrats
(2 Independents : both caucus with Democrats)
Minority Leader: Senator Chuck Schumer
Majority Leader: Senator Mitch McConnell
President of the Senate: Senator Mike Pence.

House of Representatives 
237 Republicans,  193 Democrats
Minority Leader: Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi
Majority Leader: Congressman Kevin McCarthy
Speaker of the House : Congressman Paul Ryan
(The House Speaker is both the presiding officer of the House of Representatives and the leader of the majority party. The Speaker is also second to the Vice-President of the United States in the line of succession to the Presidency.)

Remember, you are a constituent, and your voice and vote counts.

What your Member of Congress (MoC) Office does:

  • Provides constituent services – visas, grant applications, etc.
  • Communicates with constituents directly– takes calls, writes letters, follows up on policy issues that constituents have expressed concern about
  • Seeks and creates positive press – shape coverage and public information to create a favorable image
  • Hosts and attend events in district – your MoC does this to connect with constituents, understand their priorities, and get good press.
  • Actual legislating: MoCs and staff decide their policy positions, develop and sponsor bills, and take votes based on a combination of their own beliefs, pressure from leadership/lobbyists, and pressure from their constituents.

Do you believe your Member of Congress “cares about me, shares my values, and is working hard for me.”?

What a MoC cares a lot about:

  1. Verified constituents from his or her district
  2. Advocacy that requires effort: the more effort,  the more they care: calls, personal narrative emails, and especially showing up in person.
  3. Local press and editorials
  4. An interest group’s endorsement: Open Secrets is a guide to money in U.S Politics, including campaign money amounts and sources.
  5. Groups of constituents, locally famous individuals or big individual campaign contributors.
  6. Concrete asks that entail a verifiable action – vote for a bill, make a public statement, etc.
  7. A single ask in your communication – letter, email, phone call, office visit, etc. (not a laundry list of all issues)

Respond and React

  • Identify and connect to your Members of Congress

Identify your 2 Senators and bookmark their website. Once on their website,  add their phone numbers and local district address to your contact list. Sign up for their newsletter, and follow them on Twitter:

The United States Senate  –  Senators of the 115th Congress.

Identify your House Representative and bookmark his or her website. Once on the website, add the phone number and local district address to your contact list.Sign up for the newsletter, and follow him or her on Twitter:

The United States House of Representatives  – Representatives of the 115th Congress.

Help your personal network do the same, especially those who may not use a computer. Many of these people want to participate, and are effective in actions such as calling, postcard campaigns, and in-person visits. Offer lifts to town hall and district office meetings, in addition to marches.

  • Follow your Representatives’ votes on key Congressional Bills

An excellent site for understanding bills under consideration by Congress is Countable. It streamlines the process of contacting your lawmaker, in addition to summarizing the pros and cons of each bill. Countable will inform you when and how your representative voted.  It’s available as a website and an app.

  • Boycott

This is an effective way to use consumer power to respond to the evident conflict of interest between this president and his businesses while in office. It is also a way to flex your consumer power in favor of a more respectful and inclusive society.

 Grab Your Wallet encourages shoppers to boycott  retailers that sell all manner of Trump-branded goods, as well as to avoid Trump properties such as golf courses, hotels, and wineries. It also provides contact numbers. Business Insider has reported on its success.

Sleeping Giants is a Twitter and Facebook campaign that is trying to stop racist websites by stopping their ad dollars through boycotting.  You would need to belong to either social site to join.   This CBS article reports on how effective the campaign has been in regard to Breitbart News.

Reflect:

You will be stronger and more effective if you create healthy boundaries for your time and actions in the next four years. Take it one step at a time. We are all in this together.

The democracy process provides for political and social change without violence.    Aung San Suu Kyi                                                                                                                                                                           

The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.                                   Abraham Lincoln

 

Future  posts will focus on the Affordable Care Act, Immigration,  the Environment, Budget Cuts, Planned Parenthood,  Elections and more.

 

Posted in Boycotts, Congress | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Your Members of Congress