Crimen y Viviendas, una preocupacion de mucho Neuyorquinos

Para la envejeciente Berenice Reyes, una dominicana que lleva 34 años en El Bronx, su mayor preocupación es el crimen y la vivienda, y consideró que el expresidente de El Bronx Adolfo Carrión, quien se ha postulado por el Partido Independiente, "es quien va a resolver nuestros problemas".(leer mas) 

This Domican Senior Citizen who lived in the Bronx for 34 years says her main concern is crime housing.

Todos Los Pasos Que Hay Que Tomar Para Tener Un Alcalde Independiente

Lo Hicimos. Obtuvimos 5048 firmas para Adolfo Carrion. Ahora es el Independiente para Alcalde. Hicimos miles y miles de llamadas. Mas de 5000 personas firmaron nuestra peticion porque desean una tercera voz en estas elecciones.

En estos ultmos dias hemos mandado cartas de agradecimiento a todas esas personas que firmaron nuestra peticion..

Estos son alguno de los voluntarios que trabajamos en este otro paso para poder tener un alcaldo no partidista en Nueva York.

Activistas Lou Hinman Y Jason Martinez

Michael Drucker Y Shatzi Weisberger

Tom Burkhart, tremendo voluntario

Todos creemos en esta campana 

Brandi Martindale: A New Non-Partisan Politic for America

guest post

By Brandi Martindale

Across America, voters are rejecting the political party system. For many, it’s a decision that stems from feelings of disconnect, as the parties spiral into warring factions. Fewer can relate to the political blame-game playing out in the mass media. While leaders point fingers, America grows impatient, and asks, “When is something going to get done?”

The independent movement is a sign that “When?” is “Now!” And rather than wait for the system to serve them, Americans are rejecting it completely, and demanding a new kind of non-partisan politic.

The deadlock between partisan factions - the failure of our national leaders to respond to our voice - may be precisely what America needs to rally us to action. While Washington drags its feet on issues  that are clear-cut to ninety percent of Americans independents mobilize. With the success of the  National Conference of Independents hosted by CUIP last February, the demand for non-partisan solutions is growing faster than ever.

Igniting conversations that remain focused on solutions, the independent movement isgrowing in all directions. The robust non-partisan scientific community offers us strongdata on the cost of cutting social welfare - that one dollar spent on head start programs earns twelve in future economic gains, highlighting where partisan policy falters. The words “Democrat” and “Republican” carry little value when solutions requires facts, and opinions require evidence.

The independent movement grows as constituents call and write to their Congresspeople, unhappy with officials’ behavior in office. Congresspeople are being reminded they are public servants first, and partisan loyalists second. After gun control legislation failed to pass, Harry Reid mentioned bringing it back for another vote, after a seething backlash from the public. The issues we face are neither Democrat, nor Republican - they are American. This unity is understood by the independent movement, and represents the nature of change so many want to see.

After compiling the registration data of nineteen states with closed primary elections, I have put a hard number to the independent movement. That number is thirteen million, fifteen-thousand, two hundred thirty-one. In these nineteen states with closed primaries, twenty-two percent of the voting population have no say in primary election outcomes - the first round of selection- because they do not wish to participate in the political party system. As an American, and as an agent of democracy, I find this fact appalling.

The spirit of the independent movement is strong and simple - disregard allegiance to partisan cronies, and pledge allegiance to our flag, our nation, and our people - all people. This sentiment resonates deeply with every American, regardless of which box they checked at voter registration - which more and more often is ‘other’, ‘unaffiliated’, No Preference”, or simply “I do not wish to join a political party”.

Brandi Martindale is an activist with the NYC Independence Party, and is currently working as a research intern for Columbia University, at independentvoting.org. Brandi is completing her MA in Organizational Social-Psychology this summer, and brings an understanding of organizational structure and group behavior to the conversation of non-partisan politics.

Mas sobre el poder del votante Independiente

Aunque estos articulos sean un poco viejos no dejan de cambiar la importancia de el votante independiente. Leer y educarse. (leer mas)

LA HISTORIA DE PRIMARIAS ABIERTAS

En este articulo se habla sobre la historia de las primarias abiertas. Muchos hispanos no entienden este sistema. Necesitamos educarnos y Independizarnos. (leer aqui)

NYC Independent Mayoral Candidate to New York Times: Yusuf Hawkins is not a campaign dynamic!

Carrion states: In the [NY Times Sunday Magazine] article, to make matters even worse, the on-line version includes a postscript, added after the magazine went to press, informing readers that ‘another sexting scandal engulfed Anthony Weiner.' The editors and writer then go on to ponder whether this will be ‘a Yusuf.’ My God! 

Read 2013 Mayoral Candidate Adolfo Carrión's statement today:

CARRIÓN BLASTS NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE FOR STUNNING REFERENCE TO THE DEATH OF YUSUF HAWKINS AND COMPARISON TO WEINER SCANDAL

NEW YORK, NY…JULY 26, 2013—Independence Party Candidate for mayor Adolfo Carrión has issued the following statement calling on the New York Times to apologize for a NYT Magazine article that is racially insensitive and offensive

 “Yesterday the New York Times published an upcoming Sunday Magazine article on the mayoral candidates and the state of the race.  In the article, the author refers to moments when campaign dynamics suddenly change and uses the term ‘a Yusuf’ to describe them. When I read the line in the article, I was absolutely appalled.  Yusuf Hawkins was a 16 year old African-American boy who was brutally murdered in 1989 by a gang of white youth.

 “He is not a turning point in a campaign. He is not a political science term. He was a victim of one of the worst incidents of racial hatred in our city’s history.  That the Times would feel free to use such a term is so outrageously cynical, insensitive and arrogant that it is almost hard to believe.  Don't they read their own newspaper?  Don't they know that the wounds we feel from the killing of 17 year old Trayvon Martin, are still raw?

 “This isn’t the first time that the editors at the Times have been caught demonstrating an elitist and bigoted editorial tone.  Earlier this year in the wake of the killing of Alphonza Bryant, the tone of the Times' response cheapened the value of a human life because it suggested that the murder of a 17 year old in the Bronx was simply too mundane to report.

“In the current article, to make matters even worse, the on-line version includes a postscript, added after the magazine went to press, informing readers that ‘another sexting scandal engulfed Anthony Weiner.' The editors and writer then go on to ponder whether this will be ‘a Yusuf.’ My God! Sending photos of one's private parts is offensive and perverse, but it is not remotely comparable to the killing of a child.  The Times postscript says the two are ‘hard to compare,’ but then they go ahead and do it anyway!  Turning a devastating tragedy into a political catchword is about as low as it gets.

 “The Times and the Times Magazine owe the people of this city an apology. They owe the family of Yusuf Hawkins an apology.  And all New Yorkers should question the editorial decisions of a paper that has exhibited a pattern of shocking racial insensitivity.”

Lo que tiene que decir Adolfo Carrion sobre Anthony Weiner

El candidato independiente Adolfo Carrión utilizó las encuestas para arremeter en contra de Weiner, aseguró que el 71% que se abstendrá de votar lo hace porque ya no creen en políticos y lanzó la pregunta ¿Debemos confiar en Weiner?, Carrión recalcó que Weiner debe renunciar. (leer mas

Adolfo Carrion says "71% will abstain from voting because they do not believe in politicians. Should we trust Weiner?"

Ramon Pena

The Hankster Becomes Bi-Lingual ¡En español!

Independent Activist Ramon Pena Joins The Hankster

If you have noticed several recent posts en español on The Hankster, it's because Ramon Pena, long-time activist with the NYC Independence Party and independentvoting.org, is now on board as a correspondent.

Ramon is outspoken on issues such as open primaries, nonpartisan elections, independent redistricting, and other voting rights for independents.

You can read his story here about his journey from East Harlem Democrat to national independent grassroots leader...

Enjoy his voice on The Hankster.

La lucha continua!!

Thanks, Ramon!

NH

Letter to President Obama for Federal Electoral Commission

Letter to the President's Commission on Election Administration

Presidential Commission on Election Administration GSA, 1776 G Street NW., Washington, DC 20006 Dear Commissioners, We, the undersigned, are independent voters from all 50 states. We are deeply concerned that America’s political process is in a crisis and that serious attention must be paid to it. We are glad that President Obama has formed a commission to look at some of the defects in the electoral process, though we feel the narrow mandate of the Commission falls short of the public debate we need to have. One example of these shortcomings is that there are specific defects that affect independent voters which the Commission does not seem prepared to address. With 40% of Americans now identifying as independent, this should be a Commission priority. Independents are not accorded the same courtesies and privileges as members of political parties, such as receiving mailed ballots at home or having the right to serve as poll workers on Election Day. During primary season, where some states permit us to vote, we come face to face with poll workers who do not understand their own rules and frequently misinform us about our voting rights. We have no representation on the Federal Elections Commission or Boards of Elections, and are often required to register to vote as “unenrolled” or “undeclared” voters, not as the independents that we are. In many states, we are barred from primary voting altogether, even though we – as taxpayers – finance those closed party primaries. As you go about your work to identify and recommend improvements to the voting experience, we urge you to recognize that the American people want a more non-partisan form of politics at every level. Please use the power the President has given you to be open and responsive to this need! Sincerely,

Ramon Pena

Please join me in signing this letter online

Porque Nos Conviene Un Alcalde Independiente

"Sobre por qué se considera "independiente" comentó que Estados Unidos se fundó sin partidos. "Para mí (ninguno de los dos partidos) está sirviendo el interés del pueblo hispano... Yo creo que puedo servir como voz de conciencia y como una voz que puede levantar nuestra comunidad", dijo el también padre de cuatro hijos." (El Diario 7/23/13) 

Esta es la razon porque apoyo a Adolfo Carrion, nuestro sistema politica nos ha fallado y un alcalde Independiente podria ser la solucion para eliminar el partidismo en nuestro sistema electoral. 

Ramon Pena 

The Independent Option for Mayor of NYC in Sunnyside Queens

Queens Independence Party Executive Member Jo Coskie, Chair Nancy Hanks, independent Mayoral candidate Adolfo Carrion, and Queens IP Vice Chair Bryan Puertas in Sunnyside Queens July 19, 2013 -- we were hot as hell!

Owner of UPS Store in Sunnyside Tony Tang with Adolfo Carrion, Nancy Hanks, and Bryan Puertas

I don't usually go this granular, but I have to say it was a pleasure to spend time with the independent option for NYC Mayor, Adolfo Carrion, in my home town Sunnyside Queens!

See you on the trail!

NH

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY: Adolfo Carrion and Randy Miller - The Power of the People's Politics Grows and Develops!

Hi Hanskteristas! Happy Independence Day!

This July Fourth, as usual, I will be joining my many NYC Independence Party Organizations activists for our annual Adolfo Carrion. We are close to our goal of 5,000 sigs and --  we ALWAYS get our guy - on the ballot!

Nancy Hanks and Jo Coskie about to kick ass in Maspeth

Independence Day festivities of combing the boroughs for signatures for our candidates -- in this case, our NYC Mayoral candidate,

Adolfo is a particularly good candidate for NYC independents this year, I think, because he's a new independent with a mission. Mr. Carrion, served as the Bronx Borough President for 2 terms,
1 term as a City Council Member, and he initiated the Office of Urban Affairs for President Obama during his first term. Adolfo left the Democratic Party last fall to become an independent because he wanted to make a difference in NYC and discovered that the ways the parties operate are contrary to his principals.

Kudos, Mr. Carrion! You are in good company! We are happy to have you!

********

Grassroots independent activist and Hankster contributor Randy Miller reports to us regularly on Utah politics via Utah League of Independent Voters. 

Randy, an Iraq vet, a wonderful husband and father, and a passionate political independent -- and a surveyor by trade -- has run for office, written letters to the editor, dogged partisan candidates, and has been on the front lines of the independent movement for years.

Randy is also a political cartoonist.

This week he posted The Power of Editorial Cartoons highlighting the work of Daryl Cagle, Bill Day, Howard Tayler, Steve Benson, and Pat Bagley. In his post, Randy said: "If any non-fictional character has the power to push the Earth off its axis, it had to be some of the talented artists at the American Association of Editorial Cartoonists' convention in Salt Lake City this week."

I admire and support Randy Miller as an American patriot and a fighter for democracy, and I love his political cartoons (many of them have been posted here on The Hankster.)

I would point out that there is another non-fictional character that is indeed exercising the power to 'push the Earth off its axis' -- and Randy has been center stage in creating this character -- the characters of the independent movement, the ordinary people who are fed up every day by the partisan destruction of democracy in our country and push relentlessly against all odds for a different, more independent direction.

Adolfo Carrion and Randy Miller are just two of us living this 'character' and power.

They inspire me every day.

Let's get out there and sign up a few more independent Americans!

Happy 4th of July!!

The Hankster