To “everyone under the sun” Re: Parish Art Museum

From: Sarah Hunnewell

I don’t know if you all know this, but the “new” Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill uses vastly more electricity than any other building on the East End of Long Island. 

You all know that it has a vast roof!

Years ago, when we learned of the Parrish’s energy use (based on a meeting with GreenLogic Solar and representatives of the Parrish), and we tried to convince the museum to install solar on that roof but got nowhere because, apparently, the trustees and architect objected to the effect solar panels would have on the building’s aesthetic.

Well, the Parrish now has a new director and we have decided it’s time to try this again.  This time, though, we’d like to have as much community support behind us as possible.  I will send a letter to the new director below, requesting a meeting to discuss the solar possibilities.  Will you agree to be a signatory to this letter?  We would love to gather as many signatures as possible – from museum members and patrons, artists and architects, and community members in general.  (You wouldn’t need to physically sign anything.  I would just add your name to the list.)   Also, if you agree, will you forward this request to everyone you know on the East End who might be sympathetic?

Respond to Sarah Hunnewell <shunnew@gmail.com>

On Mon, Jan 16, 2023 at 2:20 PM James Ewing <jhewing4@gmail.com> wrote:

On Mon, Jan 16, 2023 at 2:20 PM James Ewing <jhewing4@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello all. This is a general missive I am forwarding in our efforts requesting the new Parish Art Museum in Southsmpton to install s solar array on their huge southern roofs. Currently they consume @ 2 Megawatts of power which is @ 25% of the total electricity shortfall East of the Hampton Bays Canal– @8 Megawatts shortfall. If interested please consider contacting myself or Sarah H. and simply tell us if you are willing to add your name to our letter below  to the museum. We will include it in our letter.

And please feel free to forward this off to anyone you think might be interested.

We hope for a minimum of 100 signees.

Thanks everyone.

James E

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

LaSalle Chief Judge nomination

Judge Hector LaSalle, center right, greets other guests at Gov. Kathy Hochul’s inauguration ceremony in Albany on New Year’s Day.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said she nominated Judge Hector LaSalle to become the state’s top judge because he was the right person to “bring a fractured court together.”Credit…Hans Pennink/Associated Press https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/11/nyregion/hector-lasalle-chief-judge.html


From: Peter Martin <pmartin@communityalternatives.org>

Dear allies,

As many of you know, yesterday Gov. Hochul nominated Justice Hector LaSalle, one of the most conservative judges in New York, to be the state’s next Chief Judge—and the backlash was swift and powerful. In under a day, eight Democratic senators had already announced their public opposition, the AFL-CIO and CWA had put out statements of opposition, and many other organizations did the same, including the Working Families Party.

We have an incredible opportunity to block this awful nomination within the next few days. Please join us in the fight by taking the following actions today:

  1. Ask all elected officials and organizations that you have relationships with to put out statements of opposition to LaSalle immediately.
    1. You can scroll CCA’s Twitter feed for statements that have already been released, as examples.
    2. While only state senators will get to vote on the nomination, statements of opposition from other elected officials are also helpful—as are statements by any organizations. 
    3. If you’d like more information on LaSalle’s record, see pages 12-14 of this factsheet.
  2. Direct as much outreach as you can today to all senators who have not yet announced public opposition to LaSalle, demanding that they state their opposition—publicly and immediately.
    1. As of right now, the senators who have publicly announced opposition are Rivera, Jackson, May, Salazar, Brouk, Brisport, Hinchey, and Gonzalez. Several other senators have told us privately that they are opposed. We do not doubt their sentiments, but what is needed right now are public commitments that put them on record and help convince others to come forward too.
    2. Every other senator should receive overwhelming outreach ASAP—until they put out a public statement of opposition.
    3. To contact your senator and Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, you can use this tool or call/email/tweet at them directly. This tracker document lists phone numbers and Twitter handles, and email addresses are listed at nysenate.gov.
  3. Pass along this information and these requests to anyone else who can take these actions and help put out the call to action.

Let me know if you have any questions, and thank you all for all your support in this

Peter F. Martin 

Director of Judicial Accountability | Center for Community Alternatives, Inc.

25 Chapel Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201 | communityalternatives.org

pmartin@communityalternatives.org | 917-558-1479 | @peter_f_martin

www.Newhourforwomen.org

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Message from Judith and Linda in re to Rev. Warnock

We know you’ve been besieged with requests for political donations and, like us, you are probably suffering ‘donor fatigue’.  However, there’s one more challenge before we can quit:  Reverend Warnock NEEDS OUR HELP in Georgia.  Contrary to rumor, Reverend Warnock’s run-off campaign is NOT awash in $$$, but there is a tsunami wave of GOP money flooding Herschel Walker’s campaign.  There are only two weeks left before the December 6 run-off, and there are a surprising number of undecided Georgia voters.  PLEASE JOIN US IN MAKING ONE MORE DONATION:  to Reverend Warnock’s run-off campaign.  This 2022 election has gone a long way toward restoring our faith in democracy and in the correctness of our cause – let’s give the Senate Democrats a little more room to continue sound policies like historic Climate Change legislation, capping prescription drug prices, and finally rebuilding the American infrastructure.

Many thanks for all you have already done!

Now, join us, with your contribution to Reverend Warnock’s run-off Georgia campaign.

Judith Hope and Linda James

click here to make your donation:

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/warnock-for-georgia-1?refcode+directory

Posted in 2022 elections | Leave a comment

New York: Most Unequal State in the Nation!

A new report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) recently found that New York State is home to the highest concentration of extreme wealth in the United States. New York State also has the greatest income inequality in the United States. By both of these measures, New York is the most unequal state in the nation.

The Fiscal Policy Institute’s latest brief, Inequality in New York and Options for Progressive Tax Reform, details ITEP’s findings as they apply to New York State, reviews additional research and data on New York State’s income and wealth inequality, and lays out their implications for New York State tax policy.

Key findings include:

  • New Yorkers worth over $30 million collectively own $6.7 trillion in wealth. These ultra-rich New Yorkers are just 0.4 percent of the state population.
  • New York’s ultra-rich also hold about one-fifth of the total wealth held by all ultra-rich Americans — the highest concentration of wealth in any state.
  • Of the $6.7 trillion held by ultra-rich New Yorkers, ITEP estimates that $3.1 trillion consists of unrealized capital gains. Much of this wealth will never be taxed under current law.

New York State tax implications include:

  • New York’s current tax system, taken as a whole, is regressive: the wealthy pay about the same combined state and local tax rate as the bottom 40 percent.
  • Because of the substantial overlap between high income earners and owners of extreme wealth, increasing the progressivity of the existing Personal Income Tax would help to address extreme inequality.
  • At a minimum, the state should not allow the current PIT rates on high earners to expire, as they are currently set to, in 2027.
  • New York can further address extreme inequality, and increase the overall progressivity of its tax system, through a number of tax policy options, including:
  • Increasing tax rates on long-term capital gains for high-income taxpayers
  • Taxing unrealized capital gains on a mark-to-market basis for wealthy taxpayers
  • Increasing taxes on business profits, such as those earned through pass-through entities such as LLCs, and targeting the profit-shifting of multinational corporations
  • Taxing inherited wealth, or fixing the estate tax by lowering the exemption threshold and eliminating step-up in basis
  • Revising the state constitution to permit a direct wealth tax

This will be relevant after December 6, 2022, when “Invest in Our New York” establishes its strategy/agenda for the legislative session.

Geraldine R. Maslanka

Posted in budget, economics, economy, Ethics, Fair elections, Pay Equality, Poverty, Tax Reform | 2 Comments

GOTV 2022: all hands on board!

It looked like success just weeks ago for the midterm elections, based on polls,…well the tide has now turned in favor of our opponents. How do we make a difference?

(1) I have been donating $$ via Force multiplier.

They figure out where the money is best spent and where your money is most likely to make a difference. https://www.forcemultiplierus.org/

Just days ago I received urgent personal emails from Dem volunteers in PA. Probably because in years past I had volunteered to canvass and to watch polls (2020 for example). NB Force multiplier also organizes volunteer activities in PA:

canvassing door-to-door

Many of our candidates are looking for volunteers to go door-to-door in these last weeks of the midterm elections. The greatest impact you can have is knocking on doors in the district. And it’s fun! Campaigns provide training.

Contact Esther Kaplan at DestinationDemocracy@gmail.com if you’re interested in any of these. She’ll help you make plans + introduce you to campaign staff. 

(2) GOTV in East Hampton

Anna Skrenta (East Hampton Dem Party) is hosting a ZOOM this Thursday at 7:30pm

Topics to be covered:

1. GOTV materials

2. The importance of early voting

3. Canvassing – 2 final GOTV weekends

4. Issues – how to push back against the GOP attacks

5. Recent polling and early voting data

Join Zoom Meeting

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__us06web.zoom.us_j_86930129306-3Fpwd-3DN2xrYUQ4cmhYQ24yc0xLMzdvTDk4UT09&d=DwIFaQ&c=lb62iw4YL4RFalcE2hQUQealT9-RXrryqt9KZX2qu2s&r=uN4MDH6hqNNQdKoJvioAaoSINnSvQuCUBQO-l_ngdQs&m=W6wA7bxFxWz3q_jnXo4iwvTLnTMRTVbcDqTueEnhdU9K2P4hXcA4_jxR5HIlVO6l&s=ILHcSvStuwd9IAcUHLAkjHAjbjhPHGdmjoTKPg_9AV4&e=

Meeting ID: 869 3012 9306 Passcode: 931548

Sign up for this weekend in East Hampton 

https://www.mobilize.us/bridgetforcongress/event/526185/

For the final GOTV weekend 11/5-6 in EH

https://www.mobilize.us/bridgetforcongress/event/529950/

(3) News “from the front lines”

Together with P, I have canvassed in the Springs. We reached about 25% of the voters on our MiniVAN lists. We had 2 lists with 100 voters total, easy to canvass one list per day.

Everyone was “definitely going to vote”, “are you kidding?“. We had D (democrats), I (independents) and U (unaffiliated) voters on our lists. For those not home, we left a funny postcard with a few handwritten lines on the back:

Something like: “Sorry we missed you. Hoping that you will support Bridget Fleming and the Dem line. Early voting starts on Sat Oct 29th at 10 AM. More info here: VOTE EARLY! https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov/ Your neighbors D & P

Card for VOTERS not at home

4) Feedback

This is important. It gives us hope that someone is actually noticing our efforts and actually reading the literature we drop off! Below is an email conversation (omitting sender names):

  • Hi David. Thanks for that voting reminder – great photo!  It would be hard to forget to vote, given the state of things now! I hope all’s well with you, best, A
  • Thanks so much! We knocked on about 100 doors in your neighborhood.  Your response made it all worthwhile. from D
  • To David: Nice of A to write that. At least we’re not hearing from people complaining and saying “stop littering”! from P 
  • Hi David: That makes me so happy (unlike politics, which usually do not).  You are great to be doing this. All the best, A

Posted in 2022 elections | Leave a comment

Lunch with Bob

We used to have weekly lunch meetings for R&R folks. With soup! Then came Covid. Today my friend Bob treated me to homemade lentil soup at his place. We discussed the state of the world! Are we heading towards armageddon? Nuclear war? What about the political swings to the far right wing? It seems to be happening globally. So, I wanted to share a couple of thoughts.

(1) Wars and conflict have shaped human history for a long time: War: How Conflict Shaped Us, By Margaret McMillan. Scholars debate whether war is part of human nature: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/war-is-not-part-of-human-nature/

But in spite of this mankind has grown exponentially:

Life expectancy rocketed after about 1800 with the industrial revolution: from about 30 years to over 75 years. And that is in spite of 2 world wars. But, the rate of population growth is now declining:

https://ourworldindata.org/world-population-growth

There have of course been huge strides in healthcare, nutrition, sanitation and science. In spite of wars and violence and periods of “the dark ages”, mankind has survived. Now, however, with the nuclear option, the outcome may be less certain.

(2) “Progress is bumpy” This was a frequent thought in Obama’s speeches. And I went back to check:

https://www.facebook.com/ObamaWhiteHouse/videos/10154367851754238/

Importantly, he says that we can “bend the arc of progress” by activism. That is phone-banking and canvassing! And that is where we come in. I have been canvassing in the Springs with my friend Peggy and it has been a very positive experience. Contact one of these folks for a list of voters and instructions:

David Cable david@bridgetforcongress.com Anna Skrenta annaskrenta@mac.com

(3) another topic of conversation was Lee Zeldin, a perennial bad weed that can not be exterminated it seems, he is now running for Governor of NY State! My friend asked for a LIST of Lee Zeldin’s votes and why he would be a disaster for all of us. It is the sort of thing you might want to give to an interested voter:

https://www.leezeldinrecord.com/

https://www.gothamgazette.com/state/11561-zeldin-congressional-votes-new-york-public-opinion

(4) What’s with the distrust of experts? Why is it that so many folks distrust scientists? Some folks even slander real super-experts, like Tony Fauci! Overnight (it seems) these lay persons become experts on vaccines or they become anti-vaxxers. No one distrusts their auto-mechanic when they are told that their car needs a new alternator or another part, for example. I am puzzled and I don’t have a good answer.

Posted in 2022 elections, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Covid: not yet over?

Weddings are well-known high-risk events for Covid. Guests schmooze, they laugh (emitting microdroplets), they kiss.. contacts are often prolonged, longer than required for transmission of SARS CoV2 (10 min). The newest Omicron variants are even more infectious than their precursors. With meals pre-wedding, at the wedding, and post-wedding, and guests necessarily unmasked, the risk is obvious. Add singing in a church or otherwise…more microdroplets.

No wonder weddings have been canceled at high rates during the pandemic. But they are coming back. As a younger relative explained to me, the best remedy was alcohol, especially Scottish Whiskey! Yes you guessed right, I attended the wedding of my nephew in Edinburgh. In a Scottish castle!

We tested for Covid by PCR prior to getting on the flights from the US and from other European countries. All were negative. Then there were daily parties: (1) an indoor cocktail party to introduce the families, no masks, (2) a romantic outdoor party around a bonfire, no masks, (3) a formal dinner at the castle, hosted by the grooms family, no masks, (4) the chapel service, the wedding dinner, and dance party, no masks, and (5) post-wedding brunch and parties, no masks.

The first of us with symptoms, including high fever, became sick the night of the wedding. In rapid succession 4 others became sick. 4/5 had sat and dined at the same table, not once but twice! One had shared the backseat of a car for 45 min while on our way to a hiking destination.

While it seemed pretty clear how the virus had spread within the wedding party, no one knew where it had come from. The overnight Delta flight from New York to Edinburgh? Any of the numerous persons serving and preparing for the wedding events? The possibilities and wild theories abounded!

Of course, we went into quarantine (5 days minimum). Thank you so much to my brother and sister-in-law for hosting us! Their home became a Covid sick ward. Flights were canceled and rebooked at considerable costs. Job-related meetings were canceled. Etc.

In hindsight, I ask, what would I do differently?

  1. MASK, MASK, MASK
  2. Avoid in-flight meals
  3. Avoid all indoor wedding events or at least attend heavily MASKED – no indoor dining events…. that is a hard one to impose on the wedding couple.

PS1: this was my 2nd bout with Covid and far worse than the first one. Like all of us who got this virus in Scotland, I was fully vaccinated and boosted although not yet with the latest Omicron vaccine which we could not get scheduled in time for the wedding.

PS2: on our way home via Toronto on West Jet, a Canadian company, the attendant happily announced that Canada was canceling their on-flight compulsory MASK policy as of Nov 1, 2022. The cabin erupted in applause. I am genuinely nervous about the upcoming winter season for Flu and Covid.

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Vote early!

VOTE EARLY: https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov/

Early Voting Poll Site

You can vote at any of the following polling places. Please select a polling place from the list below for the complete details. If you have any questions, follow this link through to your County Board of Electionsopens in new tab website.

For example, in my case (Springs, East Hampton), I got the following information:

WINDMILL VILLAGE, 219 ACCABONAC RD, EAST HAMPTON, 11937 Get Directions opens in new tab

Oct-29-2022 (Sat): 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Oct-30-2022 (Sun): 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Oct-31-2022 (Mon): 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Nov-01-2022 (Tue): 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Nov-02-2022 (Wed): 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Nov-03-2022 (Thu): Noon – 8:00 PM

Nov-04-2022 (Fri): Noon – 8:00 PM

Nov-05-2022 (Sat): 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Nov-06-2022 (Sun): 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

This is the current polling place assigned to me.

Election day voting:

SPRINGS FIRE HOUSE

179 FORT POND BLVD

EAST HAMPTON, 11937 Get Directions opens in new tab

Posted in 2022 elections | 1 Comment

Surge in Voter Registration by Young Women (since Dobbs SCOTUS Decision)

FIRST

https://insights.targetsmart.com/how-abortion-changed-the-kansas-electorate.html?link_id=0&can_id=34ed2fe5ce2fec8f7c1ab16e432f98e1&source=email-national-voter-registration-day-is-next-week-sign-up-2&email_referrer=email_1666190&email_subject=huge-spike-in-voter-registration-among-women-young-voters-get-involved

SECOND

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2022/9/4/23333329/roe-voter-registration-dobbs-midterms-democrats

THIRD

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/08/25/upshot/female-voters-dobbs.html

FOURTH

The registration figures are another sign of the real-world political impact of the high court’s decision overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling

FIFTH

https://www.inquirer.com/politics/election/pennsylvania-women-voter-registration-dobbs-20220822.html
Posted in 2022 elections | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Great News!

Forwarded from Gerri Maslanka:

If you have 31 minutes (and you missed Simon Rosenberg’s talk on why Democrats can win in November) watch this. VERY encouraging, informative and exciting. Really.

Gerri 🇺🇸

Don’t miss this! David

Follow Simon Rosenberg on Twitter:

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Guns and Kindergartners?

Posted in Guns | Leave a comment

‘Geniuses’ At Work

Submitted by Stephen from Southampton. Appeared as a letter in 27East.com

I typically ignore anyone who believes that the 2020 election was “stolen.” I write them off as either idiots or emotionally unwell.

But since we have “Big Lie” Republican Lee Zeldin running for governor in our state, I think it’s worth deconstructing this idea.

What Zeldin and other supporters and enablers of Donald Trump will have us believe is that a group of genius Democrats figured out a way to rig hundreds of thousands of voting machines so that votes that were cast for Donald Trump were changed to Joe Biden. They did this without anyone in charge of voting realizing that they had done it, or figuring out how they did it.

And when Trump’s supporters and enablers sued about this crime and cover-up, dozens of judges in dozens of states threw the cases out because they had no merit.

Furthermore, these Democratic geniuses were so good that they did this without affecting any other races. So all other Republicans’ losses that year were legitimate. Only Donald Trump was targeted.

And to this day this massive fraud and cover-up has never been proven — there are those who just “believe” and “feel” that it happened, without evidence. Those like Lee Zeldin are willing to jeopardize our democracy and Constitution based on these “beliefs” and “feelings.”

So I would conclude that if there were that many geniuses in the Democratic Party who could really pull this off, we need to elect more of them. We certainly would be better off letting these geniuses run the country then those gullible Republicans whose fantasyland story makes no sense at all.

Paula Angelone, Ph.D.

Southampton Village

Posted in 2022 elections | Leave a comment

Who is running on Long Island?

I found this summary useful.

Source; https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2022/08/whos-running-congress-new-york/375135/

1st Congressional District

Eastern parts of Suffolk County

Current member: Lee Zeldin (R), who is not running for reelection

2020 presidential results: Biden +0.2%

Demographics: 72% white, 16% Hispanic, 5% Asian, 4% Black, 

2020 Democratic primary results: Nancy Goroff: 36%, Perry Gershon: 35%, Bridget Fleming: 28%, Greg Fischer: 2%

2020 general election results: Zeldin (R, C, I): 55%, Goroff (D, WFP): 45%

2022 candidates: Bridget Fleming (D), Michelle Bond (R), Nick LaLota (R), Anthony Figliola (R)

What’s happening: Current Rep. Lee Zeldin is giving up the seat he’s held since 2015 to run for governor, and the general election race to succeed him will be close. 

The initial Democrat-dominated redistricting process drew much of eastern Long Island into a new, Democratic-leaning district that seemed likely to flip from red to blue. But the New York Supreme Court overturned Democrats’ maps, and the new lines have returned the 1st District to its prior swing status.

Democrats have coalesced around Suffolk County legislator Bridget Fleming, a former Manhattan prosecutor who ran in 2020 and has picked up some key union endorsements. The Republican primary features Nick LaLota, a former Village of Amityville Trustee and Suffolk County Commissioner of Elections, who has been endorsed by Suffolk County Republicans, facing off against Anthony Figliola, a former deputy supervisor for the town of Brookhaven and Michelle Bond, a cryptocurrency industry CEO, who has nearly $1 million to spend on her run, including $600,000 of her own money.

2nd Congressional District

Southern parts of Suffolk and Nassau County

Current member: Andrew Garbarino (R)

2020 presidential results: Trump +1.6%

Demographics: 56% white, 28% Hispanic, 10% Black, 3% Asian

2020 Republican primary results: Andrew Garbarino: 63%, Michael LiPetri: 36% 

2020 Democratic primary results: Jackie Gordon: 72%, Patricia Maher: 27%

2020 general election results: Garbarino (R, C, L, SAM): 53%, Jackie Gordon (D, WFP, I): 46%, Harry Burger (G): 1%

2022 candidates: Garbarino (R), Robert Cornicelli (R), Mike Rakebrandt (R), Jackie Gordon (D, WFP)

What’s happening: The 2nd District is another race that fell victim to Democrats’ redistricting snafu. The maps first approved by state legislators had packed conservatives into this Long Island based seat, ensuring a liberal leaning map in the neighboring 1st District. But when those maps were overturned there was a chaotic candidate reshuffle. Jackie Gordon, an Army veteran, high school guidance counselor and Babylon Town Council member, lost to Rep. Andrew Garbarino in the 2nd District in 2020, and after initially running in the 1st District this cycle, she is once again taking on Garbarino – in a swing district that slightly favors a Republican. The incumbent faces a GOP primary challenge from Robert Cornicelli and Mike Rakebrandt. Cornicelli is a veteran of both the Army and the Navy and works as a supervisor in the Oyster Bay Department of Public Works. Rakebrandtis an NYPD officer and Navy veteran. Both Cornicelli and Rakebrandt are challenging Garbarino from the right, saying he hasn’t been loyal enough to Trump.

3rd Congressional District

Northern parts of Nassau County and Queens

Current member: Tom Suozzi (D), who unsuccessfully challenged Gov. Kathy Hochul earlier this summer and is not running for reelection

2020 presidential results: Biden +8.1%

Demographics: 56% white, 23% Asian, 14% Hispanic, 3% Black 

2020 Democratic primary results: Tom Suozzi: 66%, Melanie D’Arrigo: 26%, Michael Weinstock: 8%

2020 general election results: Suozzi (D, WFP, I): 56%, George Santos (R, C): 43%, Howard Rabin (L): 1%

2022 candidates: Jon Kaiman (D), Josh Lafazan (D), Robert Zimmerman (D), Melanie D’Arrigo (D), Reema Rasool (D), George Santos (R)

What’s happening: Rep. Tom Suozzi abandoned this Long Island based congressional seat to run a losing campaign for governor. The newly reconfigured district now takes in much of Nassau County’s North Shore and a slice of suburban Queens. Several Democrats have thrown their hat into the ring to serve succeeding Suozzi, including former North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jon Kaiman, current Nassau County Legislator Josh Lafazan, public relations maven Robert Zimmerman, wellness professional Melanie D’Arrigo and businesswoman Reema Rasool. Lafazan has Suozzi’s support and leads in fundraising, while Zimmerman, who is involved with the Democratic National Committee, has support from other party insiders including Rep. Grace Meng. D’Arrigo is the progressive choice with the Working Families Party’s backing. Republican George Santos, an investment banker who had a stint at a firm accused of operating a Ponzi scheme, is unopposed in the Republican primary and thinks he can flip the seat in a red wave year after failing to do so in 2020.

Posted in 2022 elections | Tagged | 6 Comments

Zeldin’s “Signature Gate”

So now NYS Board of Elections has ruled:

Posted in 2022 elections, Uncategorized, Zeldin | Leave a comment

BOE boots Zeldin off Independence Party line for invalid signatures

New York Libertarian Party contests signatures were duplicates and photocopies

Joshua SolomonJuly 14, 2022 in the TIMES UNION. Submitted by Gerri Maslanka (Sag Harbor)

GOP nominee for governor, U.S Rep. Lee Zeldin had his attempts to run on the state Independence Party line invalidated by the state Board of Elections. He won the Republican nominee last month, defeating three primary challengers.
1of5GOP nominee for governor, U.S Rep. Lee Zeldin had his attempts to run on the state Independence Party line invalidated by the state Board of Elections. He won the Republican nominee last month, defeating three primary challengers.Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

ALBANY — U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, the Republican nominee for governor, is unlikely to run on the Independence Party line after the state Board of Elections invalidated nearly 13,000 signatures that were included in his petitions. 

Zeldin’s campaign operation had submitted about 52,000 signatures, well above the 45,000 needed to get his name on the third party line, but the disqualified signatures left him well short following the board’s ruling. The filing period ended May 31. 

Zeldin’s petitions were challenged by officials with the New York Libertarian Party, who not only contested the signatures were invalid but also noted that about 11,000 of them were photocopied duplicates.

“Republicans talk a lot about election integrity, but the Zeldin campaign attempted to fly under the radar and submit over 11,000 fraudulent signatures in an attempt to get a third line on the ballot,” Andrew Kolstee, secretary of the Libertarian Party, said in a news release Thursday. 

Kolstee, who was the objector to the signatures, claimed that the Libertarian Party officials and the campaign of Diane Sare for U.S. Senate found 900 sheets with 11,000 signatures that were photocopies of the original sheets filed by the campaign.

The Board of Elections does not make determinations on fraud related to petition signatures. The issue is pending in court. A spokeswoman for the board said it does not comment on pending litigation. 

A judge could potentially overrule the board’s decision, which would leave Zeldin with an outside shot of still appearing on the Independence Party line. 

The board ruled Tuesday that 12,868 signatures were invalid, leaving Zeldin with 39,228. 

Prior to changes pushed by then-Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in 2019 that made it more difficult to get onto a statewide ballot for a third party, it was 5,000 signatures needed every four years. 

Zeldin’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

On Zeldin’s campaign website, it requests people join “Team Zeldin’s Election Integrity Task Force.” 

“Our team will be working around the clock now and into November to ensure we have fair elections, but we can’t do it alone,” the campaign’s website states. 

In December 2020, Zeldin tweeted that “ballot integrity always matters regardless of the circumstances and regardless of whether the issue impacts one vote or thousands.” He recommended a series of changes, including “signature verification with campaigns able to participate.” His comments came as then-President Donald J. Trump was contesting the results of the election. Zeldin subsequently voted against certifying the results of the presidential election. 

Following a recent decision out of a lower court in New York on whether to allow non-citizens the ability to vote in New York City elections, Zeldin issued a statement through his campaign stating that “one person, one vote belongs to U.S. citizens, and no one else!” 

“I’m honored to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the leaders across our state who stood up for election integrity and the rule of law to put an end to it,” Zeldin said last month. 

Zeldin is set to face Gov. Kathy Hochul, the Democratic nominee, in the general election on Nov. 8. Zeldin is to appear on the lines of the Republican and Conservative parties while Hochul is set to appear on the Democratic and Working Families Party lines. 

“Zeldin submitting 11,000 fake signatures just emphasizes his hypocrisy and proves he is willing to sell New Yorkers another ‘big lie’ to benefit his failing campaign,” state Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs said in a statement. He noted to Zeldin’s backing of Trump’s election fraud concerns in the 2020 presidential election. 

Other candidates who were also invalidated that sought to run on the Independence Party line by the board were Zeldin’s running mate, Republican nominee for lieutenant governor Alison Esposito, as well as the Republican candidates for comptroller, Paul Rodriguez, attorney general, Michael Henry, and U.S. Senate, Joe Pinon.

Comments on Twitter (please retweet and “like”):

https://twitter.com/ZeldinRecord/status/1547933332670779393

https://twitter.com/Hornik10/status/1547779707155857408
Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Neo Nazi’s in our Military

And then there is this regarding the victims within the Capitol Police force:

https://thehill.com/homenews/3559109-capitol-police-officer-injured-on-jan-6-says-republicans-pretend-not-to-see-me-in-the-hallways/

For Zeldin to claim he is a military man is worse than shameless. It is shmegegge. (Yiddish) baloney; hot air; nonsense.

Here is an action for you: “like” and “retweet” here

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Force Multiplier

We would all like to help fund political candidates that have a chance of winning. Right?

Force Multiplier (FM) selects candidates that have a chance of winning. In addition to presenting the slate of candidates they follow, Force Multiplier brings the candidates to us via Zoom meetings.

All $$$ donations go directly to the campaigns. Force Multiplier is a volunteer group of smart and politically savvy professionals.

For Example

From: Amy Siegel <masiegel@comcast.net>

Subject: FM: Meet John Fetterman and make a 50/50 Senate a Stronger Shade of Blue

Date: July 14, 2022 at 8:43:52 AM EDT

Reply-To: Amy Siegel <masiegel@comcast.net>

Dear Friends,
We simply cannot stand by and let Trump-supported Mehmet Oz become the next Senator from the battleground state of Pennsylvania.  Democrat John Fetterman may not look or act like your typical politician, but he’s smart and importantly has years of political experience as the Lt. Governor of PA.  He can and will win this race if we dig deep and give him all the support we can muster.  
I hope you will join FM for a discussion with John Fetterman on Wednesday July 27th from 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm EST and support his candidacy as we fight to make sure Democrats hold onto the Senate and increase their majority to help pass much needed legislation on crucial issues like voting rights, reproductive rights and the environment.
Fondly,Amy

These Unconventional Times Require a Most Unconventional Candidate.John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, is that Candidate.WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 7:00-8:00pm ET REGISTER + DONATEThe suggested donation is $100 but please be as generous as possible! John Fetterman = tattoos + straight talk + passion + experience + smart john Fetterman is a pull-no-punches Democrat for Pennsylvania’s open Senate seat.
He has a lot to say about how the Dems can kick things up a notch. It’s clear that John’s unconventional style is also backed up by a lifetime of service + leadership experience. Fetterman served as mayor of Braddock, PA from 2006 to 2019 + as Pennsylvania’s Lieutenant Governor since 2019. Fetterman’s current opponent is yet another Republican, multi-millionaire TV personality hoping to exploit celebrity into political power. A 50-50 Senate is NOT ENOUGH! We MUST EXPAND THE MAJORITY so that Democrats have enough votes to get things done. This Pennsylvania race is one of our best opportunities to pick up a seat.   An expanded Democratic Majority in the Senate 
will give us the power to move America forward.You won’t want to miss this event.Please pass this invite on to others in your world who might be interested.
For further information go to www.forcemultiplierus.orgFollow us + help spread the word! Retweet us + Repost us!
Posted in 2022 elections, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Time Is Running Out


Submitted by Stephen based on LTE of Lance Corey in the Southampton Press:

Exactly 100 years ago, Adolf Hitler and his “Proud Boys” were preparing their putsches to overthrow the Bavarian State Government in Munich, to be followed with a march on Berlin, similar to Benito Mussolini’s march on Rome, to establish his Fascist government.

Hitler and his “Oath Keepers” were going to save Germany from the Communists, the Socialists, the Leftists, the Democrats and all the various “foreign elements” infecting the body politic.

Sounds familiar, very familiar, doesn’t it?

While their initial putsches failed, and Hitler himself was sentenced to prison (thus affording him the opportunity to dictate his book “Mein Kampf,” “My Struggle” — something we need not fear Trump doing, we know of Hitler’s eventual ascension to power, and the rest is history.

Why are we discussing another run at the presidency when Donald Trump should be barred from ever running again or holding office? To allow him and the other seditionists to run is a violation of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. Nowhere does it call for a conviction in a court of law. The Act of Insurrection it addressed, the Civil War, was obvious to all; such is the case right now.

Those members of the GOP who refuse to acknowledge the legitimacy of the 2020 election are still committing sedition, and that is an insurrection, and it must have consequences. The GOP must be put on notice: The right to run in November will require a reaffirmation of their Oath to the Constitution, and affirming the legitimacy of the Biden presidency. Failure to do so will disqualify any candidate and, thus, they better prepare for that eventuality should they wish to field any candidates in the upcoming election. Time is running out.

Don’t be weaker than the Weimar Republic, or we’re doomed. The fate of our Democratic Republic is in your hands.

Lance Corey

Westhampton

Posted in 2022 elections | Leave a comment

500,000 Climate Actions towards our Million Messages Campaign

Simple. Free. Powerful. Effective. (And Earn Trees!)

Since January, when I joined the Climate Action Now App, I’ve had fun tapping away for 5 minutes a day, scrolling through actions, choosing my favorites, contacting elected officials (so easy, just a touch), demanding action, increasing my knowledge, and I love earning trees.  I search for actions on oceans, food waste, plastics and NY. And I like thanking people. Today I thanked the Bethlehem NY Central School District for buying electric school buses. 

“The Climate Action Now App makes it extremely easy for users to contact their elected officials and be rewarded by earning real trees.” Ken Berlin, CEO Climate Reality Project

Woodside, California-based Climate Action Now was founded by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Brett Walter in partnership with the Climate Reality Project. The company’s mission is to put effective climate action, via the app, at the fingertips of millions of consumers around the world.  Each action earns points, and when users earn enough points, the company will plant trees on their behalf. Climate Action Now partners with Eden Restoration Projects, Conserve.org, CarbonFund.org Foundation and VoterVoice.

“The Climate Action Now App is truly a game-changer.”  – Climate Reality Hudson Valley Chapter

“A power tool for activism.” – Todd Weber, Chair, Elders Climate Action NorCal Chapter

Hear from Mara Davi of California: “I’ve always wanted to be a more active climate citizen, but it was difficult.  With the push of three buttons I’ve completed a call. I can do five actions in as many minutes. In the first six days of using the app, I’ve contacted my State Senator 52 times and planted four trees. Most importantly, he signed on as a co-sponsor of a bill I recommended!”

For me, since January I’ve taken 1,149 actions, earned 117,233 points and planted 43 trees, all neatly calculated on my profile page.  And, I advocated for an executive order on heat pumps, which President Biden signed! (See below WE/HE DID IT!)

500,000 Actions. Two Game-Changing Executive Orders. New Million Messages Campaign

Every week I receive a news update on CAN’s climate impact, success stories, action parties and a campaign of the week. Newsletter: Sign up here. Get the app here. I’m excited about the new Million Messages Campaign.  It’s all outlined in the latest newsletter here or read on…..

WELCOME

This week we blow past 500,000 actions, we celebrate two game-changing executive orders by President Biden for which we advocated, update our impact, celebrate successes, and more. Next week we’ll update you on Climate Action Now’s debut at Al Gore’s Las Vegas training.  (Spoiler alert: it was GREAT!)

ACTION PARTY

The Problem with Plastic

Join our Plastic Action Party in July and we’ll have Q&A with a featured guest expert, plus scores of great actions in the app that will increase your knowledge of the plastic problem and what to do about it.  Learn more on our registration page.

Date:  July 12, 2022

Time:  4:00 pm PT / 7:00 pm ET

Location:  Zoom, pre-registration required

REGISTER NOW HERE

OUR CLIMATE IMPACT

ACTIONS: 511,907

Planet-saving actions taken by our community with the Climate Action Now app — up 22,066 from last week – a new weekly record!

TREES: 16,443

Trees earned by the Climate Action Now community by taking action with the app – up 689 from last week — a new weekly record!

35,085 TREES. 548.0 METRIC TONS CO2 REDUCED. 1871,191 SQ. FT. ECOSYSTEMS.

…purchased by our Planet-Saving Subscribers and Gift Givers.

MILLION MESSAGES CAMPAIGN

As of today, CAN app users have sent 511,907 messages to political, business, and other influencers —half way towards our goal of 1,000,000 messages sent by the end of this year.

WE CAN DO IT!  Please tell your friends about the Climate Action Now App and our Million Messages Campaign!

WE/HE DID IT!

We Advocated. Biden Delivered.

We all know firsthand how much of an uphill battle advocacy can be. We get behind a worthy cause, shout our message from the rooftops…and hope that our words helped move people with real power one step closer to action.

What we don’t usually see is the President of the United States take bold, immediate action on not one but two major issues we campaigned for—in the same week.

Last week, President Biden signed a pair of game-changing executive orders on climate. The first invokes the Defense Production Act to accelerate the deployment of heat pumps, solar panels, and other clean energy technologies. The other pauses tariffs on imported solar panel components for two years, bailing out the solar industry after a rogue Department of Commerce investigation sent it into a tailspin.

As Robinson Meyer of The Atlantic writes, these actions aren’t merely “federal-paper shuffling.” Indeed, he says, they are “one of the most aggressive executive actions that the administration has yet taken on climate change.” Together, they will help ensure the continued rapid growth of renewables and, hopefully, significantly reduce our dependence on gas to heat buildings.

They are no accident, either. Both of these specific interventions was pushed relentlessly over the past few months by climate and energy activists across the country, including Bill McKibben—and Climate Action Now users.

You’ve probably guessed the bottom line by now, but we’ll say it anyway: Advocacy matters. It gets results. Each and every time you raise your voice, on the Climate Action Now App or anywhere else, you are making a difference!

CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK

Climate Leadership NOW!

This week, we’ll charge toward our goal of 1 MILLION MESSAGES in two main ways: thanking the White House for this pair of game-changing executive actions, and advocating for MORE of this kind of bold climate leadership at all levels!

In addition to thanking Biden and Harris—and pushing them to take the next step by declaring a federal Climate Emergency—we’ll also reach out to Congress, corporate leaders, and our state leaders to urge them to follow Biden’s example and lead the charge for bold climate action NOW!

Check the Action of the Day each day this week for a new opportunity to help keep the momentum from Biden’s executive actions going!

SUCCESS STORIES

Another CAN VICTORY! Our users, supporting activists on the ground, helped get Vermont to pass its first-ever Environmental Justice law! Celebrate this win with actor Geraldine Hughes of Rocky Balboa and Gran Torino!

  • Fracking FAIL! California environmental groups scored a big victory last week when a federal court blocked permits for fracking off the state’s coastline. The Court said federal agencies who issued the permits relied on an “inadequate” environmental assessment that failed to take into account the full impacts of fracking.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“The fossil fuel industry is the past. And if you can find a way out, then please walk away while there’s still time. Do it now.”  

– Shell consultant Caroline Dennett in a farewell resignation addressed to Shell employees

Help the world walk away from fossil fuels NOW with the Climate Action Now app!

Thanks so much for your help and support!

Matthew, Brett, Tim, and the gang

If you know someone who would enjoy this newsletter, please forward it to them.Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up here.  Get the app here.

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Who is funding the Sedition Caucus?

The Sedition Caucus includes Lee Zeldin.

Six Congressmen That Have Failed to Cooperate with the January 6th Committee Have Received Over $826K In Corporate Donations 

Washington, D.C. — Ahead of the January 6th Committee’s first public hearing, watchdog Accountable US released a new analysis finding Fortune 500 companies and corporate trade associations given over $1.4 million in April alone to the members of Congress that voted against certifying the 2020 election in the aftermath of the January 6th insurrection. Contributing companies include UPS, FedEx, Visa, Home Depot, GM, and Exxonmobil. Since the violent coup attempt, total donations from corporate interests now stand at over $16 million to the group that has been called the ‘Sedition Caucus’. 

Full list of companies here:

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment