Independents Rising - National Conference of Independents

On February 16th, 2013, IndependentVoting.org hosted the seventh biennial national conference of independents in New York City. Over 400 activists from across the country gathered to take stock of their growing movement. Currently 40% of Americans consider themselves independent. Jacqueline Salit, president of IndependentVoting.org, hosted the event.

Enjoy this slide show from the event!

Dr. Lenora Fulani and Former NYC Comptroller Bill Thompson in Harlem This Friday

This Friday, April 15th - 6pm  Dr. Fulani Interviews Bill Thompson, Former NYC Comptroller  Join us for an interesting conversation about politics and the civic life of the city -- a great opportunity to take an inside look at the city and state government.         Harlem State Office Building 163 W. 125th Street, second floor If you haven't yet, please RSVP by calling (212) 962-1699 It's Friday night, you're in New York City, and you're looking to meet some interesting people. You can go to a museum or have dinner with friends, you can go see a Broadway play or an Off-Broadway play, AND..... if it's the 3rd Friday of the month, you can take a step off the beaten path and step into the world of Lenora Fulani. Dr. Lenora Fulani is one of the country's most significant black leaders and the leading black independent. She helped establish the current independent movement with her 1988 independent run for President of the United States in which she became the first woman and first African American to be on the ballot in all 50 states. She also qualified for federal primary matching funds. Fulani hosts a monthly forum called Interviews by a Black Independent (on the 3rd Friday of the month) at the Harlem State Office Building (you'll need picture id to get in) on 125th Street in Manhattan. She interviews her guests in an intimate setting on the 2nd Floor Gallery with a diverse audience of political and cultural independents.  Introductions are made, interview ensues, and Q&A from the audience makes for a really interesting and important community dialogue where you can get to know some of the movers and shakers in the NYC intellectual community. Last month Dr. Fulani interviewed New Federal Theater founder Woodie King, Jr. (see below) and this week we are treated to a conversation with former NYC Comptroller and recent candidate for Mayor Bill Thompson. Look for me and say hello!! See you there! NH Here are a couple of photos from the March event: Lenora Fulani talking with young people who attended the Woodie King Jr. interview in March 2011 Did you miss last months Interview with Woodie King Jr?   Actor Moshe Yassur, Woodie King, Jr., and Jim Horton, Assistant Managing Director of Castillo Click here to listen to it, or here to download it on iTunes! Woodie King, Jr. is the founding director of the New Federal Theater, a pioneer in Black theater and a progressive with a long track record of speaking out on behalf of the poor and excluded. Mr. King directed Fred Newman's Mr. Hirsch Died Yesterday at the Castillo Theater (in which Lenora Fulani made her stage acting debut)

Hankster Summer Friday: Live-blogging Friday Afternoon, August 20, 2010

Howdy Hanksteristas!

It's summer, it's Friday, it's early -- it's time for Hankster Summer Friday....! AND -- This just in:

2:45pm - Ed Hornick just posted a really nice article at CNN at noon called Wedge issues divide politicians from independents The article quotes my favorite independent strategist Jackie Salit, president of independentvoting.org. Here's to get you started:

Washington (CNN) -- The current ruckus over building an Islamic center and mosque near ground zero, calls to change the 14th Amendment and other so-called "wedge" issues are roiling up each party's base, but they're turning off independents, analysts say.

"This is party politics as usual with respect to all of these wedge issues," said Jacqueline Salit, president of independentvoting.org, a national strategy and organizing center for independents. "I think there's more and more of a steady recognition that these kind of wedge issues and political manipulation, sensationalism and opportunism is exactly what is degrading the American political process and our democracy."  [Read the rest of the article here.]

3:20pm - Next up:
Remember the group I told you about that my group had a date with a couple of Fridays ago? Well, I just heard that one of the members of their group has died of cancer. They are working on a fundraiser in his honor that would benefit the American Cancer Society for sometime after Labor Day. I have agreed to spread the word. Look for updates...

4:35: Ok, heading off to Lenora Fulani's interview with Charlie Rangel.


More later.... Video at 11 (or whatever...)


Have a good Friday Night!
NH

Citizens Union Urges NYC Charter Revision Commission to Put Top-Two Nonpartisan Primary Election Referendum on November Ballot

NYC Citizens Union Executive Director Dick Dadey testifies before the Charter Revision Commission Monday, July 19, 2010, at Brooklyn College. Citizens Union presented 50 recommendations for charter reform that would increase voter participation, including a "top-two" primary election (a form of nonpartisan election that would enable all voters regardless of party affiliation or nonaffiliation to vote in the critical first round of voting.

"I don't think we can afford to ignore this issue. Voter participation is on the decline. If not top-two, what is your solution? Turn-out in special elections in NYC is double that for state legislative elections where there is no contest and the Democratic Party wins and the people don't turn out because they know their vote doesn't matter."

Dr. Lenora Fulani's National Action Network Goal: Nonpartisan Elections in NYC -- It's a Start!

CNN's coverage of last week's National Action Network conference included interviews with Dr. Lenora Fulani and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter. Dr. Fulani is campaigning for a referendum in NYC for nonpartisan elections that would allow the one million independents to vote in the first round of voting (primaries) in city elections. NYC is one of the few major cities in the country that conducts partisan elections at the municipal level. Partisan elections in NYC exclude significant segments of people of color (20%) and youth (40%).

Dr. Lezli Baskerville, President and CEO, NAFEO - America's Black Colleges and Universities said the network of campuses would provide 500,000 students for nonpartisan voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts and that more campuses will make their facilities available to young people for after-school activities, including recreation. h/t to the Field Negro for this, although both the FN and the Root left out the "nonpartisan" part...

Dr. Fulani and Dr. Baskerville had both spoken on Thursday's Education panel about the "achievement gap" in education. You can see video of Fulani's statement here where she says that the achievement gap has been studied to death.

The issue isn't more achievement, it's more development.... both politically and educationally. Something all people need to attend to.
- NH

Youth, Media, Independence, and "The Powers That Be"

Independent activist news this week was def centered on young people. See John Opdycke's piece "Going Indy" and consider the fact that "fully 50 percent of voters aged 18-29 now identify as independents..." (Opdycke is the Chief of Staff for IndependentVoting.org/CUIP.) Let that sink in for a moment. Then pivot back towards the triangulationists featured in John Avlon's CNN oped "Bill Clinton Back and Looking Good". Pan to NYC independent youth contingent presenting 1,084 signatures of people under the age of 30 calling for the Charter Revision Commission to put a referendum for nonpartisan municipal elections for New York City on the ballot in the next election. Commissioners Hope Cohen and Kathryn Patterson dialogued with these young activists at the Brooklyn St. Francis College public hearing on April 20. WHICH by the way none of the local media covered... Hmmm.... You can view the testimony from youth and independents at HanksterTube.

Hats off to the organizers in California who are pushing for passage of Proposition 14, a referendum that will allow independents (aka "decline to state") to vote in statewide elections. The Hankster wishes you all the best. Open primaries that bring new voices (youth for example) to the table and new coalitions together could only help in this quite serious national and international political situation.

Expect more politically upwardly mobile partisan powers-that-be animosity toward independent state senator in NY Pedro Espada Jr. who is proposing some interesting nonpartisan election reforms...

Power to the People, Read On:

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Going Indy (By John Opdycke, The Collegian-California State University Fresno)
• Opportunity for GOP and Dem unity for peace and electoral reform (Human Rights Examiner, Deborah Dupre')
• Brown Forges a Centrist Identity (By NEIL KING JR., Wall Street Journal)
• Frustrated Voters Cut Ties with Democrats, Republicans (Ann Butler, First Coast News) The number of independent voters has grown faster in the past two years than Democrats and Republicans in at least 14 of the 28 states and the District of Columbia that register voters by party, according to a USA TODAY review.
• Bill Clinton is back and looking good (By John Avlon, Special to CNN)
• GOOD-BYE REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS, THE INDEPENDENT REVOLUTION IS UNDERWAY (by Ryan Jaroncyk, CAIVN)
• Frustrated voters cut ties with Democrats, Republicans (By Richard Wolf, USA TODAY)
• Switch to third party is popular - Nearly one third county switchers choose another affiliation. (By Andrew M. Seder, Wilkes Barre Times Leader)

PROP 14

• Yes on Prop. 14 - It’s a sensible and modest step toward improving California politics. (LA Times Editorial)
• Capitol Weekly poll: Voters narrowly divided on open primary (By John Howard and Anthony York, Capitol Weekly)
• Editorial: Delay in confirming Maldonado was all about politics (Mercury News Editorial)
• CALIFORNIA OPEN PRIMARY INITIATIVE CONTINUES TO GENERATE VIGOROUS DEBATE (by Mytheos Holt, CAIVN)
• Legislature: Heal Thyself (By John R. McLaurin, President of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association, Fox & Hounds Daily)
• California will decide whether to follow Washington state on Top Two primary (POSTED BY PETER CALLAGHAN, Takoma WA News Tribune)

OTHER OPEN PRIMARIES -- Pennsylvania and Ohio

• Power of partisanship debatable (Danville News/Daily Item)

GOV RACES

• GOP calls on members to oppose Charlie Crist if he runs as independent (BY ADAM C. SMITH, Miami Herald)
• Crist's independence and the case for a three-party system (David Hunt, Florida Times Union/Death, Taxes & Politics - Jacksonville)
• Calif. Assembly confirms Maldonado as lt. governor (By CATHY BUSSEWITZ (AP)

BALLOT ACCESS

• Court Strikes Down Idaho Independent Presidential Candidate Ballot Access Law (Ballot Access News)
• Norwood Runs for Fulton County Chairperson as an Independent (By Matthew Cardinale, News Editor, The Atlanta Progressive News)

NYC CHARTER REVISION

• Make Charter revision process more accessible to city residents (Your Nabe Queens) open letter
• Charter revision hearing in Queens (by Michael Cusenza, Assistant Editor, Queens Chronicle)
• Charter Revision: Election, Governance Top Queens’ List (By DOMENICK RAFTER, Queens Tribune)
• Everybody wants more power. So where's Chris Quinn? (BY ADAM LISBERG, Daily News/Daily Politics)
• Helen defends beeps, boards at charter talk (BY LISA L. COLANGELO, DAILY NEWS)
• Beeps honk their approval of Molinaro's drive for local control (By Judy L. Randall, Staten island Advance)
• Slow-down pleas go unheeded at Brooklyn Charter hearing (By Peter N. Spencer, SI Advance) "So many voters across the political spectrum feel shut out from the municipal election process, and it's for a very simple reason: So many of our municipal elections are decided in closed Democrat primaries," Allegretti said.
• Advocates urge Charter Commission to "go slow, get it right" (Empire State News)
• Slow down & get it right (BY HELEN MARSHALL, Queens Courier)
• Charter revision hearing held in Queens (BY PETE DAVIS, Queens Courier)
• NY1 Exclusive: Charter Commission Won't Seek Elimination of Borough BPs, City PA (By: Grace Rauh, NY1)
• NYC Independent Youth Speak on Behalf of Nonpartisan Elections at Brooklyn Charter Revision Hearing 4.20.10 (The Hankster) VIDEO

NATIONAL ACTION NETWORK

• Black Leaders Meet to Set Their Own Black Agenda (BY DENISE STEWART, BLACKAMERICAWEB.COM)

NEW YORK

• Espada Trashes, Bashes, Smashes At Cuomo (BY CELESTE KATZ, Daily News/Daily Politics)
• FBI, IRS raid NY state senator's Bronx clinic (By JIM FITZGERALD (AP)
• Espada Calls Cuomo's Lawsuit Politically Motivated (by Bob Hennelly, WNYC.org)

"We want the right to vote in the primaries!" Youth Submit Open Letter to NYC Charter Revision Commission

Letter Signed by 1,084 Voters Under the Age of 30 Calls for Nonpartisan Elections


Brooklyn, NY—An open letter to the New York City Charter Revision Commission signed by 1,084 city residents under the age of 30, was presented at the Commission’s hearing at St. Francis College in Brooklyn yesterday. The letter calls for the Commission to place an initiative for nonpartisan elections on the ballot.

The letter states in part:

“We do not have the same level of commitment or connection to political parties that many in older generations do. Increasingly, we identify as independents and do not feel we should be excluded from the first and often critical round of primary voting.”

The letter was presented by Bryan Puertas (age 25, Queens), Franceli Chapman (age 23, Bronx), Laiza Garcia (age 27, Brooklyn) and Tracey Thomas (age 21, Brooklyn) whose joint testimony sparked several Commissioners probe the issue of open primaries and the political involvement of youth in follow up questions. Their dialogue can be viewed online.

The open letter had been circulated over the course of the last week at high school and college campuses in all 5 boroughs including:
Baruch College
Borough of Manhattan Community College
Bronx Community College
Brooklyn College
College of Staten Island
Frank Sinatra High School
Hostos Community College
John Jay College
St. Francis College
St. John’s University.

The presenters of the letter testified that nearly 900,000 voters in New York City are not registered in either the Democratic or Republican parties. Of those 751,442 are not registered with any political party and 25% are under the age of 30. The make-up of young independents is racially diverse with 20% African America, 24% Latino and 11% Asian.

“More and more young people are identifying politically as independent, but independents are not allowed to vote in New York City primaries” said Bryan Puertas who led the signature gathering effort. “That means more and more young people are being excluded from the process. We can turn that around by adopting what most major cities around the country already do-- hold nonpartisan elections.”

The Charter Revision Commission, which is chaired by CUNY President Matthew Goldstein, held public hearings in each borough during the month of April and expected to hold a series of issues forums in May.

A copy of the “Open Letter to the 2010 Charter Revision Commission” reads:

We the undersigned are residents of New York City.

• We are under the age of thirty. We do not have the same level of commitment or connection to political parties that many in older generations do. Increasingly, we identify as independents and do not feel we should be excluded from the first and often critical round of primary voting. 
• We ask the Charter Revision Commission to put a proposal before the voters to change our primary election system to a nonpartisan system of elections. This system allows all candidates to appear on the same ballot in the first round of voting and allows all registered voters to vote in that round. The top two vote getters would then appear on the November ballot. This type of system is employed in most major municipalities throughout our country and it is time for New York City to catch up. 

• 897,180 voters in our city are not registered in either the Democratic or Republican parties.
• 751,442 of us are unaffiliated with any political party
• 25% of those unaffiliated voters are under the age of 30.
• 20% of us are African American
• 24% of us are Latino
• 11% of are Asian American

We want the right to vote in the primaries for City Council, Mayor, Public Advocate and Comptroller. We want to participate in deciding what candidates what candidates will be on the ballot in November. We should not have to join a political party in order to exercise our democratic rights.

For more information, contact: Sarah Lyons at 212-962-1824 and see VIDEO of testimony at HanksterTube/NYC Charter Revision 2010.

NYC Independent Youth Speak on Behalf of Nonpartisan Elections at Brooklyn Charter Revision Hearing 4.20.10

NYC Independent youth speak out on behalf of nonpartisan elections at NYC Charter Revision Commission public hearing at St. Francis Community College, downtown Brooklyn, April 20, 2010. Speakers included Bryan Puertas, Liza Garcia, Francelli Chapman, and Tracy Thomas. Extended dialogue with Commissioners Chairman Matthew Goldstein, Hope Cohen, and Kathryn Patterson. St. Francis College, Brooklyn, April 20, 2010

Joan DeCollibus Speaks for Nonpartisan Elections at Brooklyn Charter Revision Hearing 4/20/10

Fran Miller Speaks in Support of Nonpartisan Elections at Brooklyn Charter Revision Hearing 4/20/10

Dr Rafael Mendez Speaks for Youth in Support of Nonpartisan Elections at Brooklyn Charter Revision Hearing 4/20/10

Brooklyn Independence Party Chair Speaks in Support of Nonpartisan Elections Charter Revision Hearing 4/20/10

Kings County Independence Party Chairman Bob Conroy Speaks for Nonpartisan Elections at the Brooklyn Charter Revision Hearing at St. Francis Community College, downtown Brooklyn on April 20, 2010

Petition for Nonpartisan Elections to NYC Charter Revision Commission

NYC independent activists Bryan Puertas and Loretta Martin at work!

Queens Independence Party Spokesman Robert Giglio Speaks for Nonpartisan Elections at Queens Charter Revision Hearing 4/19/10

Independent (Youth) Week in NYC: Charter Revision Hearings and National Action Network Conference

Last week was a busy one here in NYC for independents and youth, and independent youth:  2 public hearings for the NYC Charter Revision Commission, one in 'da Bronx on Monday and one on Staten Island on Tuesday, where young independent activists are speaking out in favor of nonpartisan elections. Then off to the National Action Network conference at the Sheraton in Manhattan where Dr. Lenora Fulani brought the house down at the Education panel discussion, calling on the conference to "close the discussion on the achievement gap," and start paying attention to scientific breakthroughs in human development, discussions that are taking place internationally but that US leadership refuses to investigate.

"...Here in the US, we are doing publicity tours with Newt Gingrich to promote public awareness of the problem. With all due respect to Reverend Sharpton and my sisters and brothers in the National Action Network, that is insufficient for Black America and for all America..."

Dr. Fulani is recognized as having created the contemporary independent movement with her historic run for President in 1988 when she became the first woman and first African American to ever be on the ballot in all 50 states. She ran as an independent, collecting over 1.5 million signatures nationally and a quarter of a million votes. Fulani is a co-founder of the All Stars Project, Inc. and founder and director of Operation Conversation: Cops and Kids.

Up this week, Charter Revision hearings tonight in Queens and Tuesday night in Brooklyn. Watch the April 19 Charter Commission Hearing Live from Long Island City, at LaGuardia Community College, via Webcast at 6pm Monday.

Meanwhile...

• Voters in West Virginia  and North Carolina are becoming more independent.
• Oregon  Washington experience says YES! to Top Two open primary. [Thanks to Richard Winger at Ballot Access News for this correction. Apologies for my East-Coast-centricity! All you West Coast states don't *really* look alike -- but you do have a certain independent streak that I really appreciate!]
• 5 out of 6 Pennsylvania gov candidates support open primaries (bill introduced by Eugene DePasquale) for the Keystone State.
• California Dem Party rejects open primaries.
• Florida Gov Charlie Crist says he's not gonna run for re-election as an independent but lots of folks wish he would.
• Nationally speaking, the Top Two right now are Barack Obama and Ron Paul.
• Today's Pew Research polls finds Americans are living in Distrust, Discontent, Anger and Partisan Rancor.