Actions for Week of February 15, 2021

Stop GOP vote suppression, end the gerrymander, and tell Cuomo to go green

We're all disappointed (if not surprised) that the GOP are cowards. I'm mad as hell. You probably are too. We've got to make sure the Democrats push for the reforms we want, and use the power we worked so hard to give them.

MEETING RECAP

Ranked Choice Voting

This will be used for the primary in June. You can rank up to five candidates in order of preference. The idea is to make the results more diverse, and the whole process more civil (fewer attacks on other candidates).

All city offices are eligible, but not judges or DA. This will also not apply to state or federal races. Ranked choice voting also eliminates expensive runoffs and prevents someone from winning with say 30% of the vote. This may mean that the results will take longer than usual, especially with the expanded use of absentee ballots.

Carol was kind enough to forward this video explaining how ranked choice voting works.

Budget Justice

NY has the worst inequality in the US. The state has been starving cities and local areas of funds. Governor Cuomo has cut billions from Medicaid and schools are not fully funded. Kids are getting string cheese for lunch instead of a hot meal. There's a $63 billion deficit and Gov. Cuomo keeps waiting for the feds to fix it.

We have a supermajority in Albany now, so we need to press them to use their power and fix that deficit. To do that, they need to tax high incomes (progressive, not current tax that flattens out), create an inheritance tax, tax big businesses and Wall Street transactions.

There will be letter writing and phone bank campaigns (like we did with mobilize us and vote forward). More details at InvestinOurNY.org

THINK GREEN!

Governor Cuomo wants to gut NYC local law 97, which forces large NYC buildings to go greener. Let’s tell him no! And while you’re at it, make it clear we don’t want a fracked gas plant in Astoria either!

Governor Cuomo
518) 474- 8390 (Choose option 1 to leave a message)
https://www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form

Tuesday, February 16th
REDISTRICTING IN NY
5:30 PM

The census is done, but districts and final counts are still up in the air. Find out more about how this works.

Webinar Hosted by: Laura A. Ahearn, Esq., LMSW with
Professor Jeffrey M. Wice, The Census and Redistricting Institute, New York Law School.
Michael Pernick, Redistricting Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc.

Thursday, February 18
NY STATE MONTHLY INDIVISIBLE CALL
8 PM

How to register voters during a pandemic
Lifting up NY state rural areas
Phone banks for special elections in NY21, 11, and 27
NY Renews week to promote green new jobs and sustainability

Friday, February 19, and Saturday, February 20
SPECIAL ELECTION PHONE BANKING

Inform voters in Queens and The Bronx about special city council elections. And, you don't have to leave your couch.

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VACCINE NEWS
https://www.propublica.org/article/fauci-vaccines-kids
Kids could be eligible by September

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Congress is on recess so now is the time to press them on democracy reform. This includes stopping gerrymandering, protecting and strengthening voting rights, and DC statehood. The GOP still controls more state legislatures. They can redraw districts so they regain the House. The census data is now delayed until September, but some states require districts to be drawn before it will be released!

We’re planning on mini meetings with staffers from our senators’ offices to discuss DC statehood and ending the filibuster, plus voting rights. Details to come!
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QUARANTINE FUN

White House Valentine
How lovely and refreshing - people who care for each other

President Lincoln
The contents of Lincoln’s pockets the day he was assassinated and a description of each item

When Zoom filters go bad
I am here live. I am not a cat

A musical interlude
The Lark Ascending

There be whales here
Whale songs could help seismologists