Today is primary day and 3.5 million Flori

Friday, August 30, 2013

Go Biking in the Neighborhood With Adolfo Carrion, Independent Candidate for Mayor of New York City!

By the way, candidate Carrion will be out and about tomorrow in Corona Queens (111th Street and Roosevelt Avenue) and then at the Festival de la Calle and the Community Outreach Fair on the Lower East Side -- Adolfo's childhood home! Check in here to volunteer!
 




Thursday, August 29, 2013

Stop!


View From My Window


Thanks FDNY!

Adolfo Carrion: Triple Threat in (an otherwise despondent) NYC Mayoral Race 2013


Adolfo Carrion, the independent candidate for Mayor of New York City, is a triple threat:

1. He's independent
2. He cooks
3. He sings

I do think that Christine Quinn made a great effort on the Star Spangled Banner, but hey, good luck against Adolfo in November!

Let's get ready to rumble, rock, and rap...  have fun, and get your game on!!

See more about Adolfo Carrion's campaign here and here


Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Significant Victory for Open Primaries and Voting Rights in South Carolina for Independents and African American Voters


Independents Are Growing in Number and Stature

By on 08/27/2013 in INV

independents are growing in number and stature 39506 Independents Are Growing in Number and Stature
On steps of the Donald S. Russell Federal courthouse in Spartanburg, SC (left to right): Jackie Salit, President of IndependentVoting.org; South Carolina Independence Party chair Wayne Griffin; local counsel Fletcher Smith, and IndependentVoting.org general counsel Harry Kresky.
...Last Wednesday, IndependentVoting.org president Jackie Salit and general counsel Harry Kresky traveled to South Carolina to defend open primaries from the Greenville County Republican Party, which has been attempting to force the state to enact closed primaries since 2010. After hearing arguments from both sides, Federal Judge Mary Lewis sided with the defendants and dismissed the case – a significant victory for open primaries advocates.

IndependentVoting.org issued a press release in the wake of the ruling, stating: “Political crossfire inside the Republican Party gave rise to this lawsuit but African American and independent voters would have been the big losers if the primaries had been closed as a result.”...

Read Opdycke's full article here

Read more about IndependentVoting.org's campaign for open primaries here


Monday, August 26, 2013

Federal Judge Halts Greenville SC Republican Attacks Open Primaries: Victory for African American and Independent Voters


Independent voters need to be aware of the mounting attacks -- and increasing successes -- regarding open primary legislation that might include the 40% of Americans who are not allowed to vote in state primary elections.

“The common interest between African American and independent voters is becoming pivotal in the next wave of voting rights struggles in America.”- Jacqueline Salit
  
For Immediate Release from independentvoting.org:  August 21, 2013
Contact:  Sarah Lyons / 212-962-1824
via email 8/26/13

IndependentVoting.org, a national association of independent voters and a defender of South Carolina’s open primary system, hailed a federal court judge’s ruling in Spartanburg today that the Greenville Republican Party did not have standing to sue to close the South Carolina primaries.  In June, the State Republican Party withdrew from the lawsuit leaving the Greenville GOP as the sole plaintiff in the case which has been pending since 2010. 

IndependentVoting.org and a coalition of defendant/intervenors argued that without the state Republican Party’s involvement, the Greenville plaintiffs did not have standing.  Judge Mary G. Lewis agreed and granted the motion to dismiss. 
 
Catch Lenora Fulani here on nonpartisan elections
Harry Kresky, Esq., who appeared with local counsel Fletcher N. Smith, argued the standing issue on behalf of the intervenors and said, “Today’s ruling was a setback for the Greenville faction of the South Carolina Republican Party which hoped to use the court to strengthen its influence in the state party.  The voters would have paid a price.”  

Jacqueline Salit, president of IndependentVoting.org which assembled the defendant/intervenor coalition said, “Political crossfire inside the Republican Party gave rise to this lawsuit but African American and independent voters would have been the big losers if the primaries had been closed as a result.” 

State Representative Joe Neal, part of the defendant/intervenor coalition added, “Today the South Carolina federal court has upheld the rights of voters in South Carolina, especially the minority community, to free and unfettered access to the polls.” 

Salit added “The common interest between African American and independent voters is becoming pivotal in the next wave of voting rights struggles in America.” 

In addition to IndependentVoting.org, the coalition of defendant/intervenors included: thirteen members of the South Carolina Black Legislative Caucus, the South Carolina Independence Party, the Progressive Network, the Constitution Party and the Columbia Tea Party. 

“South Carolinians have always been fiercely independent.  As an intervenor, I am proud that we stopped the Republican Party from closing our state's primary elections,” stated Wayne Griffin chair of the South Carolina Independence Party.

Florida Independent Voting.org Fights for Top 2 Open Primaries to Include Independent Voters


Voter groups look to open political primaries in Florida

By   /   August 26, 2013  /
By Marianela Toledo | Florida Watchdog
MIAMI — Florida Independent Voting.Org wants to change the way political party primaries are conducted in the Sunshine State.

Florida and 18 other states have closed primary. That means only people registered with a political party may cast ballots in primary elections, where party candidates are chosen for the general election. But FIV says that locks out 40 percent of voters from the primary process.


The group is promoting its ‘Top 2 Open Primaries’ that seeks to “put the power back into the hands of voters instead of political parties.”

Read more at Florida Watchdog.org

Read about Florida Independent Voting.org

Commission on Election Administration to Hear From Independent Pennsylvanians September 4


Independent Voters to Testify at Philadelphia Public Hearings.

By on 08/23/2013 at IVN

PA Convention Center Highsmith 298x145 Independent Voters to Testify at Philadelphia Public Hearings.

Sign the Letter to President Obama's Commission here

Independent Pennsylvanians,  part of the national IndependentVoting.org network, will be on hand to testify at the upcoming public hearing of President Obama’s Commission on Election Administration. The hearings will  take place in Philadelphia, on  September 4th, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, rooms 102 and 103. The 10-member commission is tasked with presenting recommendations to the president about how to “improve the voting experience."

The Commission has already held public hearings in DC, Florida, and Denver, where representatives of independent voter groups from Virginia, New York and Florida submitted testimony. Independent voters have a lot to say about electoral reform, and are taking advantage of  this opportunity to voice these concerns to the bi-partisan commission, despite the narrow agenda that has been set forth for the hearings. [read more here]

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Rev Al Sharpton: Celebrate Progress, Challenges Remain



Al Sharpton: A new battle in 2013

Recent court rulings show need to march on Washington again.


When I hear people discuss the civil rights movement, I often pause to listen. No matter how well they may know the history of non-violent marches, Martin Luther King Jr.'s leadership, segregation, police brutality, boycotts, water hoses, bulldogs and more, they often speak of the struggle in a past tense. It's as if the fight for equality is somehow over and Dr. King's dream fully realized.
Though black people may no longer be forced to drink from separate water fountains or sit at the back of the bus, justice across all levels of society has yet to be fulfilled. I often say that we have much to

Al Sharpton: A new battle in 2013

Recent court rulings show need to march on Washington again.


From USA Today:


When I hear people discuss the civil rights movement, I often pause to listen. No matter how well they may know the history of non-violent marches, Martin Luther King Jr.'s leadership, segregation, police brutality, boycotts, water hoses, bulldogs and more, they often speak of the struggle in a past tense. It's as if the fight for equality is somehow over and Dr. King's dream fully realized.
Though black people may no longer be forced to drink from separate water fountains or sit at the back of the bus, justice across all levels of society has yet to be fulfilled. I often say that we have much to celebrate in terms of progress, but more challenges remain for us and for the generation that follows.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Utah Policy: Independent Voters Think Congress Doesn't Deserve a Vacation

This in from Utah Policy (where political junkies get their daily fix...) quoting The Hill:
Congress is away from Washington on their Summer recess, but most voters think they don't deserve to take a break.
The Hill highlights a Fox News poll that finds 82% of voters think Congress hasn't "worked hard enough" to take a vacation.

Those numbers hold across party lines. 13% of Republicans and 17% of Democrats think Congress needs time off. Only 10% of independent voters think Congress is deserving of a vacation.

President Obama gets a little more slack for being away from D.C.
(read more)

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/12/23/article-2252602-16A29564000005DC-221_964x646.jpg

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Un Forum Auspiciado Por AsociaciĆ³n de Bodegueros e Hispano a TravĆ©s de AmĆ©rica.

Adolfo CarriĆ³n Jr., de origen PuertorriqueƱo,  quien abandono el partido demĆ³crata para explorar una carrera a la alcaldĆ­a como una organizaciĆ³n independiente,  se desempeƱo durante seis aƱos y medio como presidente del condado del Bronx (leer mas)

Adolfo Carrion mejor para la comunidad latina y todos los Neyorquinos!!

Los dos candidatos latinos, el independiente Adolfo CarriĆ³n y el reverendo demĆ³crata Erik Salgado, el Ćŗnico que se dirigiĆ³ al auditorio durante unos minutos en espaƱol, apelaron constantemente a su experiencia personal para erigirse como el aspirante que mejor representa a la comunidad hispana. (leer mas) 




Monday, August 19, 2013

Proximo Alcalde Podria Ser Latino

Muy lindo de que el proximo Alcalde sea latino y un orgullo. Pero con mas orgullo es que es un latino Independiente (leer mas)

Friday, August 16, 2013

Dog Days of August: Is There an Independent Movement?

Yes, there is!

Summer independent barometer of top two open primaries and the upsurge of the independent voting movement indicates a hot spot for independent voters.

Hanksteristas will note that we have been very focused on the New York City mayoral candidacy of Adolfo Carrion.  (Special thanks to our new correspondent Ramon Pena for his stalwart correspondence en Espanol!)

And rightly so -- Adolfo Carrion is the independent option for Mayor of NYC in the November election.

But, YES, New York, there is a world out there beyond the over-crowded, over-heated, over-stressed, over-politicized, under-developed, under-served, humanity-teeming streets of NYC!

So I spent a few minutes today perusing the news and came up with a few gems. Things seem to be perculating outside of Starbucks, and developing beyond the stars....

Hope you'll read on!

From independentvoting.org Florida's Ray Hudkins:

The NBC/CNN/Hillary Clinton/Republican Party Soap Opera and Voters
By Ray Hudkins on 08/15/2013

Florida Independent Voting.Org normally sticks to straight fact based reporting on the pro and con arguments on Top 2 Open Primaries.  We are a non-partisan movement and do not endorse candidates or take positions on current issues.  However a recent interview of Reince Priebus (Republican National Committee Chair) on Morning Joe brought into the open an interesting and not surprising view of the thinking of the Republican Party.  What does that have to do with Top 2? 


Recently, Chuck Todd (NBC News Political Director and host of “The Daily Rundown”) spoke out on the plans for NBC Entertainment to air a mini-series on Hillary Clinton.  Todd labeled the new NBC miniseries a “total nightmare for the network’s news division” — adding another voice to the increasing backlash against the project.  He went on to say “No matter what, only we are going to own it, because people are going to see the peacock, and they see NBC, and they see NBC News, and they think, ‘Well, they can’t be that separate.”


From Catana L. Barnes, President, Independent Voters of Nevada:
Federal election commission not addressing independent-voter concerns



President Obama’s newly appointed Commission on Election Administration has begun holding public hearings around the country. The 10 member body is tasked with presenting recommendations to the president about how to “improve the voting experience.” Independent voters have a lot to say on this topic.Representatives of independent voter groups in Virginia, New York and Florida attended hearings in DC and Miami and submitted testimony. Other local independent voter groups including mine, Independent Voters of Nevada (IVON), who are under the umbrella of IndependentVoting.org (a national association for independent voters), will be attending the hearings scheduled for Denver, Philadelphia and Ohio.


And an unfortunately lack-luster informational entry from PBS by Jordan Vesey quoting only Rush Limbaugh... Primary Elections Unscrambled

New Jersey voters head to the polls Tuesday for two critical primary contests that will determine who will be competing in the Oct. 16 general election to find a permanent replacement for the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg, a Democrat. Each state sets its own laws governing when they're held, who can vote in them, and how candidates advance to the general election. In some states, primaries are considered to be more important than the general election. Primaries come in two main categories: partisan and non-partisan.


Tuesday, August 06, 2013

Mas sobre los pasos tomar para tener un Alcalde Independiente.

Comenzamos hacer llamadas a todas esas personas que quieren  estar envuelta en esta fabulosa campana.


Josephine Coskie , tremenda voluntaria, una maestra haciendo llamadas a las personas de Queens

David Belmont otro Fabuloso voluntario tambien haciendo llamadas en agradecimiento de todos ellos que firmaron

Sunday, August 04, 2013

Independent Mayoral Candidate Adolfo Carrion at Ecuadorian Pride Parade: Queens NY

Very enthusiastic proud crowd today at the Ecuadorian Parade in Jackson Heights Queens NY!

Among the notables:

Adolfo CarriĆ³n, a rising Democratic Party star who quit the party in October 2012 to become an independent and run for Mayor of NY...





  • Former member of the New York City Council
  • Spent 44 days in Federal Prison for protesting the bombing on the island of Vieques, PR
  • Elected twice as Bronx Borough President (2002-2009)
  • Served two terms as President of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials
  • Appointed by President Obama as the nation’s first Director of Urban Affairs
  • Small business owner in the real estate development sector

The Daily News reports:
Queens counts more than 100,000 residents who hail from Ecuador, making it the largest community of people who hail from the South American country of any county in the U.S.
Corona happens to be home to Queens’ “Little Ecuador,” but it’s neighboring Jackson Heights that plays host to the community’s annual Ecuadorian Pride Parade. (Read more)