Lenora Fulani To NYC Charter Revision Commission: This is about Democracy.

UPDATE: Video available on Facebook - search Nancy Hanks



The Hankster is uploadng video to YouTube (Hankstertube) but it might be a while. Was hoping to get you tape by 11, but seems no go... Please check back later tonight or in the morning. [Why a 4 and a half minute video taken on a Canon G11 would need that much time to upload to YouTube is... not my business...]

In the meantime:

The NYC Charter Revision Commission held a public hearing tonight at the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building on 125th Street, a block away from the famed Apollo Theater. Seemingly designed to "take care of" some administrative issues about reporting and administrative tribunals (testimony from Esther Fuchs made a rather passionate point about the fact that political issues intervened and prevented putting a referendum on the ballot that was 10 years over-due 10 years ago about reporting issues... And there was testimony from Deputy  Mayor for Legal Affairs Carol A. Robles-Román about the court system that regulates city businesses such as cabs and etc. Recommended reading: Jill Colvin, NAinfo)

So, from my sketch-note: NOT DIRECT QUOTES mind you, but please check back in for the video later tonight...

I'm simply a Black woman -- who will never be asked to sit on a commission like this...

Nonpartisan elections is the issue that has come forward -- 2 million people in California voted for nonpartisans, tens of thousands are debating nonpartisans throughout the country...

The role of the committee is not to decide the issue -- but to decide what issues the voters will decide. The #1 issue is nonpartisan elections.

Objections from the Commission:
"No time"
"Needs more study"
"What if it doesn't win???"
"What if it's too big????"

We just elected the first black President of the United States in a country that was based on slavery. (Pretty big!)

Every step to enfranchise people has required something big.

Note to NYC Charter Revision Commission: We are not counting on you to educate the public about this issue. We were on the street in Harlem for Harlem Week yesterday and signed up a hundred people who support nonpartisan elections.

Thanks to good work of attorney Harry Kresky, Dr. Phil Thompson of MIT, and stalwart good government group Citizens Union (Dick Dadey testimony)

Ok. Just got notice that my YouTube upload failed. Might need to move on... So rather than re-uploading to YouTube, will spend some time finding another venue.

Excuse me, and sorry!
NH

And while you're waiting for YouTube/Hankstertube, check out NY1 - http://manhattan.ny1.com/content/top_stories/122722/charter-review-commission-gets-earful-in-harlem

Well, it's now well after midnight and I be tryin to upload video -- now via Facebook on I guess realplayer that requires another 52 minutes. See ya in the mornin... yeah!