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Author Archives: Anya Karina
Join Greens at Black VegFest in Brooklyn this Weekend Aug. 10 & 11!
Black VegFest—founded and organized by Green Party of Brooklyn member Omowale Adewale—returns for another weekend of vendors of vegan fare, as well as community organizing, entertainment, and more. According to the Black VegFest press page, “The reliance on animals and corporations that push them as commodities has truly hurt our health, savings and our spirituality. The reliance on animals has given us heart disease, debt and moved us further away from building community.“
Black VegFest
Saturday and Sunday, August 10 and 11
10 am-5 pm
Bergen Street (btw. Rochester and Buffalo Avenues)
Brooklyn
Volunteers are needed!
Support Our Party
Help grow the Green Party by becoming a supporting member or sustainer, or with a one-time donation. Thank you!
For more information contact Gloria Mattera at gloria@gpbk.org or 917-886-4538.
Learn more or join our mail list for local updates at Green Party of Brooklyn, or get statewide news from the Green Party of New York.
Ranked Choice Voting May Come to New York City…But Not for Everyone
For Immediate Release
Contacts:
Peter LaVenia, Co-chair, GPNY chair2@gpny.org or 518-495-8001
Gloria Mattera, Co-chair, GPNY chair@gpny.org or 917-886-4538
Ranked Choice Voting May Come to New York City…But Not for Everyone
June 13, 2019, New York City—The Green Party of New York said last night’s vote on ranked-choice voting (RCV) for New York City Elections was disappointing, as commissioners voted 8-6 against applying RCV to general elections. Party officers praised the six commissioners, including Sal Albanese and Stephen J Fiala, who made a strong case for RCV in all elections for all New Yorkers.
Party officers also said they were disappointed in the position taken by Common Cause, which only advocated for RCV in primaries and special elections. The party said this was a puzzling stance for a so-called “good government” group to take, and made it seem like they were working for Democratic Party incumbents instead of the public interest. The Greens said they would support the fall ballot measure that would allow RCV in primaries and special elections because it can serve as a building block for extending RCV to general elections.
“The Green Party thanks the commissioners who supported ranked choice voting for all elections,” commented Green Party of New York (GPNY) co-chair Gloria Mattera, who lives in Brooklyn. “Despite overwhelming testimony supporting RCV to empower voters in all elections, some Democrats and influential special interests focused on RCV as a mere cost-saving measure to eliminate the need for a runoff election if a candidate in a municipal, citywide primary fails to surpass 40% of the vote. The claim that ‘fusion’ would combine poorly with RCV not only allows one of the worst aspects of New York political culture to stymie real progress, it also ignores that, from 1936-47, New York City used a proportional form of RCV — and it worked.”
“If RCV is limited to only primaries and special elections, it will largely apply only to the major parties who already have all the power, money, media coverage, and influence. Independent voters, along with Greens, Libertarians and other third parties who don’t typically hold primaries, will be denied the chance to equally benefit from RCV. We agree with Commissioners Albanese and Fiala, who said if RCV is good for some elections it should be good for all of them,” commented GPNY co-chair Peter LaVenia. All of the commissioners who voted against RCV for regular, general elections were appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson.
Six commissioners voted in favor of the amendment to include RCV in general elections:
- Sal Albanese, appointed by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams
- James Caras, appointed by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer
- Stephen J. Fiala, appointed by Staten Island Borough President James Oddo
- Rev. Clinton Miller, appointed by City Council Speaker Corey Johnson
- Sateesh Nori, appointed by former Public Advocate Letitia James
- James Vacca, appointed by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
Eight commissioners voted against the amendment to include RCV in general elections:
- Dr. Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, appointed by City Council Speaker Corey Johnson
- Commission Chair Gail Benjamin, appointed by City Council Speaker Corey Johnson
- Lisette Camilo, appointed by Mayor Bill De Blasio
- Paula Gavin, appointed by Mayor Bill De Blasio
- Lindsay Greene, appointed by Mayor Bill De Blasio
- Alison Hirsh, appointed by NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer
- Dr. Merryl H. Tisch, appointed by City Council Speaker Corey Johnson
- Carl Weisbrod, appointed by Mayor Bill De Blasio
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SAVE THE DATE
GPBK Membership Meeting (and Party!)
Tuesday evening, June 25
We’re getting together at the Park Slope home of one of our Green members, where we’ll have food and drink, and talk about the issues we’d like to work on in the coming months. RSVP to gloria@gpbk.org for the address.
Support Our Party
Help grow the Green Party by becoming a supporting member or sustainer, or with a one-time donation. Thank you!
For more information contact Gloria Mattera at gloria@gpbk.org or 917-886-4538.
Learn more or join our mail list for local updates at Green Party of Brooklyn, or get statewide news from the Green Party of New York.
Pride Fair Sat & Membership Mtg. June 25th!
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Send in Your Ranked Choice Voting Testimony On-line by May 24th!
We’re on the verge of getting Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) implemented for NYC elections! This would be a major step in making our elections fairer and more democratic. The final public hearing is Tuesday, May 14, in Staten Island, where we need you to come out to let the City Council Charter Commission know why we need RCV, not just for NYC primaries and special elections, but for general elections as well! Watch testimony from the Brooklyn hearing.
No need to sign up in advance to testify, but we’d love to know if you’re coming. Green Party of Brooklyn will be there to help with talking points.
If you haven’t been able to make it to any of the public hearings, please submit your testimony online. Every person who testifies will make a huge difference to this effort. And make sure to mention the need for RCV in NYC’s general elections!
Staten Island Borough Hearing –Tuesday, May 14, 6 pm
College of Staten Island
Center for the Arts
Bldg. 1P, Room 116, Williamson Theatre
2800 Victory Blvd., Staten Island
Also coming up…
Lobby Day in Albany!
Tuesday, May 21
10:30 am-4 pm
Hit the road to Albany with the Green Party of New York as we lobby for Green issues and send a strong message to state legislators on climate change, marijuana legalization, election reform, and single-payer healthcare. After lunch, we’ll join other groups to lobby for the Off Fossil Fuels Act. GPNY is organizing a bus to Albany and back for the day ($25). Let us know if you can join by emailing peter.lavenia@gmail.com.
Support Our Party
Help grow the Green Party by becoming a supporting member or sustainer, or with a one-time donation. Thank you!
For more information contact Gloria Mattera at gloria@gpbk.org or 917-886-4538.
Learn more or join our mail list for local updates at Green Party of Brooklyn, or get statewide news from the Green Party of New York.
Update on NYC Ranked Choice Voting Hearings!
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First Charter Revision Commission RCV Hearing! Tuesday April 30th In Queens!
Stop the Williams Pipeline and Learn about the State GP Platform!
Join us April 17 to talk about revisions to our New York State platform. Help stop the Williams natural gas pipeline at a rally and march April 18. Get ready for hearings on Ranked Choice Voting (RCV).
Dine & Discuss: GPNY Platform
Wednesday, April 17, 6:30 pm
Gather at the home of one our members in Park Slope for a lively discussion of the Green Party of New York platform, which is being revised in preparation for finalization on May 11. The platform covers everything from renewable energy to health care, and your input is welcome!
RSVP to receive the address.
If you can’t join us April 17, or want to get a head start, view and comment on the latest platform draft online.
Rally and March to Stop the Williams Pipeline
Thursday, April 18, 5:30 pm
New York City Hall, then march across the Brooklyn Bridge
The deadline is fast approaching for Governor Cuomo to decide whether to block or permit the Williams pipeline, which would carry fracked natural gas from Pennsylvania across the Lower Bay of New York’s harbor. Come to a rally and march to oppose this dangerous project.
Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) Follow-Up
At our March 3 forum, experts answered questions about RCV, the fair voting system under consideration for NYC elections. To keep the momentum going, we’re gearing up for the City Council Charter Commission public hearings on implementing RCV. We’re planning a workshop on writing Green Party talking points for the hearings, as well as a little practice on presenting testimony. Stay tuned for dates for the workshop and hearings.
Support Our Party
Help grow the Green Party by becoming a supporting member or sustainer, or with a one-time donation. Thank you!
For more information contact Gloria Mattera at gloria@gpbk.org or 917-886-4538.
Learn more or join our mail list for local updates at Green Party of Brooklyn, or get statewide news from the Green Party of New York.
Ranked Choice Voting Forum – Sunday March 3rd, 6pm
Ranked Choice Voting (RCV)
Community Forum & Discussion Sunday March 3rd, 2019 6pm-8pm
Ranked Choice Voting—Count Every Vote and Make Every Vote Count!
Please join the Green Party of Brooklyn for a community forum and discussion:
Will New York City adopt a new voting system that gives voters more choice and eliminates fear of “vote splitting”? Imagine an electoral system where voters have the freedom to choose candidates who share their vision, instead of the “least offensive” candidate.
RCV is that system!
The New York City Council Charter Revision Commission is exploring the use of RCV. Public hearings begin in early spring.
The Green Party is prepared to help New Yorkers learn more about RCV and to advocate for its use in all New York City elections.
What is RCV? How does it work? Why is it better?
RCV is a fair representation voting system where voters maximize the effectiveness of their vote by ranking candidates in single-and multi-seat districts. RCV gives like-minded voters the chance to win legislative seats in proportion to their share of the population, unlike this country’s current system of winner-take-all elections, which awards 100% of power to a 50.1% majority of voters. Australia and Ireland as well as U.S. cities like Minneapolis and Cambridge use ranked choice voting to elect their governments. The State of Maine also recently elected to use RCV for all future elections.
Although RCV alone will increase voter choice, the Green Party believes that true democratization of elections also means breaking the two-party stranglehold through proportional representation (PR), which often works in conjunction with RCV. PR is less likely to be addressed by the upcoming charter revision hearings. However, it is important to include it within the discussion. PR previously existed in NYC elections from 1938 to 1947. It was abolished largely from pressure by the Democrats who wanted to prevent any further City Council wins by Communists and Socialists.
Join us to:
*Learn about RCV and proportional representation *Prepare for public testimony* Build a movement for democratizing elections*
When: Sunday, March 3rd, 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Where: The Commons, 388 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
Contact: Gloria at gloria@gpbk.com or at (917) 886-4538
Speakers: Green Party, Fair Vote, others TBA
Thursday January 10th – First GPBK Meeting of 2019!
Dear Greens and Supporters,
Please join us this Thursday January 10th from 7:00pm-9:00pm for:
The first Green Party of Brooklyn Meeting of 2019!
Location: 31 Smith Street in downtown Brooklyn (second floor, ring bell).
Our agenda will include:
1) Nominations and Vote for new Officers and At-large Coordinating Committee members.
2) Discussion of upcoming Green Party actions and plans for 2019.
Members speak out – tell us about YOUR ideas and interests!
3) Discussion on the upcoming GPNY State Committee meeting on Saturday, Jan. 12 in Rensselaer.
Please Spread the word. All are Welcome!
For more information contact: Gloria at (917) 886-4538 or at gloria@gpbk.org.