TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 5/7/10

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Utah League of Independent Voters Launches Online Debate for Candidates in 3rd Congressional District (Damon Eris, Poli-Tea)
• Will The Youth Vote Trump Tea Party In Midterm Elections? (Bakari Kitwana/NewsOne, Huffington Post)
• Court: Idaho's election law unfair to independents (By REBECCA BOONE (AP)

OPEN PRIMARIES

• Washington State Open Legislative Seat Reveals Flaw in “Top-Two” Process (Ballot Access News)
• GOP strives to make numbers work in its favor for 18th District seat (By Kathie Durbin, The Columbian)
• Notes, quotes from the La. Legislature (The Associated Press) The leaders of the Louisiana Democratic Party are opposing a bill that would return the state to an "open primary" system for congressional elections
• Huntsman says open primary could be way to engage - Party conventions » He urges more political involvement, especially from younger voters. (By Robert Gehrke, The Salt Lake Tribune)
• Fixing elections - Utah's caucus system is broken (Salt Lake City Tribune Editorial)

PROP 14

• Open primary good for state (San Bernardino Sun Editorial)
• PROPOSITION 14 OFFERS CALIFORNIA VOTERS A DISTINCT, NONPARTISAN PRIMARY SYSTEM (by Greg Lucas, CAIVN)
• OPEN PRIMARY PROPONENTS FIRE BACK AT DETRACTORS (by Ryan Jaroncyk. CAIVN)

FLORIDA

• Poll gives Charlie Crist 6-point lead over Rubio (By Jim Stratton, Orlando Sentinel) Independent voters support Crist over Rubio 55-19, with Meek getting 13 percent.
• Poll: Charlie Crist holds lead in U.S. Senate race -- for now (BY BETH REINHARD, Miami Herald)

LAST WORD

• Tea party groups battling perceptions of racism (By Amy Gardner and Krissah Thompson, Washington Post)l

Independents Fight for Political Reform!

Who are the "real independents"? Randy Miller is one of them, and you can meet plenty more grassroots activists who are working overtime (for no pay) fighting for political reforms like open primaries and nonpartisan elections all over the country! Let's hope that Charlie Crist seeks some of us out in his new independent run for gov of Florida...
INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Utah LIV Randy Miller: Why I’m an Independent (The Moderate Voice)  NOTE: Randy's post prompted the response below from a "right-leaning centrist" Jason Arvak on TMV called 'Real “Independents”' 
• Haley: Independents' day? (By Dan Haley, The Denver Post)
• Brian Armstrong: Rise of the independent will benefit our system (Brian Armstrong, Tallahassee Democrat)

OPEN PRIMARIES - WEST VIRGINIA

• County Clerk Offers Advice for Independent Voters - Independent voters have to ask for a specific ballot. (Story by Chris Marrs, State Journal, Barbour County WV)
• Voter registration trend toward unaffiliated (By PAMELA BRUST, News & Sentinel WV) Since both political parties have opened their primaries, the number of voters not affiliated with either party has steadily increased.
• Live ire: Primary voting rules differ by state (Catherine Pritchard, Fayetteville Observer)

CALIFORNIA PROP 14

• GOLIS: What if both candidates were Democrats? (PETE GOLIS, Press Democrat)
• Center for Governmental Studies Issues Neutral Report on Prop. 14 (Ballot Access News)
• Our View: Bring back the open primary (San Gabriel Valley Tribune)
• A year for desperate measures (Debra J. Saunders, SF Chronicle)
• Our View: Prop. 14 a win for democracy - It wouldn't wipe out the clout of the state's two major parties, but it would empower candidates. (Merced Sun Star)

WHAT ABOUT CHARLIE CRIST?

• What Charlie Crist's indie bid says about GOP – and Crist himself - Gov. Charlie Crist suddenly appears competitive as a political independent in his Senate race. Was his departure from the GOP a sign of turmoil in the party, or are there other factors at play? (By Linda Feldmann, Washington, Christian Science Monitor) “He’ll receive support among independent voters and moderate Democrats,” said Justin Sayfie, ex-aide to former Gov. Jeb Bush (R), in an interview with Politico. “That’s his strength.”
• The second coming of Charlie Crist - Four years ago, most Republicans did not expect then Attorney General Crist to successfully replace the outgoing, term-limited Governor Jeb Bush. (RICHARD HERSHATTER, Longboat Keys News) In a three-candidate race, the odd man out, or independent candidate, is always the dark horse. Charlie Crist, however, is too good a candidate to waste. Abe Lincoln would have approved of his candidacy, with or without the backing of old line politicos.
• Sunshine Circus - Charlie Crist is just the clown in the Center Ring. (John Fund, Wall Street Journal)
• Parties Snipe at Crist, but May Court Him Later (By JEFF ZELENY, NY Times) How will the all-important independent voters along the state’s I-4 corridor, stretching across the middle of the state, view Mr. Crist?
• Charlie Crist, Independent (By W. James Antle, III, American Spectator)

NYC CHARTER REVISION

• Remember term limits? They're back - Review of City Charter could reshape NYC's government, politics (Crains New York)

NEW YORK

• Liberal challenge to Dems on health care falters (By BEN EVANS, Washington Post) In New York, the labor-backed Working Families Party is exploring challenges against Reps. Michael Arcuri and Michael McMahon, but again the movement has yet to name viable contenders.

Johns Hopkins University College Independents to Host Dr. Omar Ali on Panel Discussion

Johns Hopkins University

COLLEGE INDEPENDENTS PRESENTS…

A PANEL DISCUSSION

Panelists include:
Dr. Omar H. Ali
CNN contributor, and author of In the Balance of Power: Independent Black Politics and Third Party Movements in the United States. Assistant professor of history at Towson University,
Dr. Steven David
Professor and Vice Dean for Programs and Centers at JHU. Expert in Security Studies, Comparative Politics, and International Relations. 
Dr. Joel Grossman
JHU Professor on American Politics and Law
Lifetime Achievement Award winner from the American Political Science Association 

Tuesday May 4th, 8PM 

Mudd Lecture Hall 

Questions? E-mail CollegeIndependents@jhu.edu

See Dr. Ali's recent statement at the DC Coffee Party meeting here on VID

Dr. Lenora Fulani to Interview Civil Rights Leader Derrick Bell Friday, May 21

Dr. Fulani Interviews Professor Derrick Bell Professor  Bell has a distinguished career as an attorney and civil rights activist that spans more than four decades.  He has worked on the front lines on every aspect of civil rights. As an NAACP Legal Defense Fund lawyer he was responsible for desegregating over 300 schools in the south in the 1960's.  Professor Bell was appointed to the faculty at Harvard Law School and then fired in 1992 for his outspoken protest of the absence of minority women on the law faculty.  He is an accomplished teacher and author of both scholarly and literary works. His latest book, Silent Covenant is an acclaimed exploration of the landmark Brown v. The Board of Education desegregation decision.   Friday May 21st 6:00pmAdam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building 163 w.125th St. Second Floor On the Corner of 125th and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd (7th Ave) To RSVP Please reply to this email or by calling 212.962.1699

Live Blogging Jackie Salit's National Conference Call: Inching Toward Washington

7:25pm - Salit - a few insiders are beginning to see this -- Obama looking to youth. Must do his part to reconnect to youth and indies..... But, in the complex and chaotic world we live in, there's an indication that the insiders are looking to us.

Reason to believe that Washington and the insiders are listening.

Our mission is to exist. And to give voice to the people.

Check out the new video

Call 212-609-2800 or 800-288-3201
Email national@cuip.org

**********************************************
7:22pm - Salit: the recent campaign finance ruling by the Supreme Court [see Harry Kresky's HuffPo piece: In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 130 S. Ct. 876 (2010), decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in early 2010, the Court ruled that the First Amendment bars limits on independent expenditures by corporations and labor unions in support of candidates for federal office. By increasing the leverage of non-party players, the ruling may well loosen the hold of the major parties on the electoral process.]

independent reformers aren't afraid of competition!

NYC independents involved in persuading NYC voters to go for nonpartisan elections. The partisan forces are angry at us! Their strategy is no longer viable, but they hold on to this tactic.

We are NOT a tea party. Tea Party was created in reacting to US (independents who elected Barack Obama). We are not the Coffee Party, set up in reaction to the reaction to the Tea Party.....

We are independents. We are building an independent movement.


*********************************************************
7:19pm - Salit: Mike Bloomberg in NYC has sought independent support, and more and more "big shots" are doing that, but -- ordinary voices, candidates, are building a new reform movement (including social networkers like Randy Miller (Utah), Michael Lewis (Kentucky), Linda Ricke, Sylvester Smith and Reynaldo Gutierrez from Florida, and Mike Pickering (Georgia).. . Jason Olson (jolson@independentvoice.org
415-606-4130 California), Mitch Campbell (Idaho), Kim Wright (South Dakota)...... and Nolan DiFrancesco in Maryland....

The power and influence of our movement is growing.

Beyond the "good government" voices. Old voices. The parties won't lead this. They won't give up their control. These grassroots leaders are taking the heat.

*********************************************************
7:13 - Salit: the more hysterical and partisan the powers that be become, the more magnetic the force of independents. Specifically: Jason Olson (see CNN video), Abel Maldonado on Prop 14 in California (SF Chronicle endorsement, etc.) Lt. Gov. Maldonado (renegade Repub) spoke with Salit and Olson and realized that in order to be effective, has to have a connection to the independent movement on the ground in CA... (the rate that political figures are becoming independent -- CHARLIE CRIST -- "let's put the interests of the people ahead of the parties" -- JS urged his team to take the next necessary step: open primaries!! The process is controlled by the parties.... Gov. Crist has to become an advocate for open primaries.)

7:11 - Salit: the strength of Rome was also its defeat. Now to US, Goldman Sachs, etc. huge investments bet against their own investments. WOW! If profitmaking is the goal, then we see the outcome... The partisans keep going in spite of Americans' dislike.

7:09 - Salit - the partisans are very extreme! not only of successes, but of failures -- let's talk about the Roman Empire

7:06 - Salit: very partisan fight over health care, immigration, midterm elections -- which party has the power? How can we interpret that to mean that the power centers (in Washington) are moving toward us (independents)???

7:05pm - Salit: wanted to paint a picture of how independents are getting on the radar of wash insiders... but spoke with other activists around the country, felt that this was upside down. We can't deal with our issues (education, health care, etc) without re-tooling the political process. Have to change the way we talk about this. Washington is inching towards us!

7:03pm - Ross: independentvoting.org is a training and strategy center for the independent movement... the organized independent movement is the engine for political reform, for open primaries and nonpartisan elections. Welcome Jackie Salit.

********************************************************************
7:00 pm  There are already 62 callers on the phone! More people calling in. California, New Jersey, Alabama, New York, dogs barking in the background! etc. Nancy Ross is hosting.... Florida, North Carolina, Utah, we're going to move on to the call!!!


I'm going to call in to this conference call, and hope you will too! Look for my updates here AND check out the new IndependentVoting.org video on Open Primaries here...

See you soon!!!
NH

INCHING CLOSER TO WASHINGTON: AN INDEPENDENT CONVERSATION Dear Nancy, Please join us on a national conference call for independents. Led by Jacqueline Salit President CUIP/Independentvoting.org                Date: Sunday, May 2nd          Time: 7:00 pm EDT               (6:00 pm CT, 5:00 pm MT, 4:00 pm PT) To participate in this call:

Contact Nancy Ross or Gwen Mandell at national@cuip.org phone: (212) 609-2800

Open Primaries: National Fight by Independent Voters

Check out this video from IndependentVoting.org about the fight for open primaries nationally.

California, New York and around the nation!

What do you think about Open Primaries?

Would you like your state to include independent voters in the first round of voting?

Comment or email me!

I want to hear from you.
NH

Randy Miller, Utah League of Independent Voters: Why I Became an Independent

by Randy Miller


Well, I was born that way. We all were. Partisanship, like its cousin Prejudice, is learned.

I was 20 years old serving as a Mormon missionary in North Dakota when Ross Perot ran for (and nearly won) President of the United States. I did not vote that year. Missionaries are discouraged from watching television and from discussing politics. I didn't know you needed to register to vote, the constitution doesn't stipulate this. I'm certain I would not have successfully navigated the bureaucracy of absentee voting.

I grew up in a seemingly conservative suburb of Salt Lake City, Utah. Without knowing any better, I bought into GOP party loyalty and castigating all 'non-conservative' ideas and figures. I even exercised that most holy and reverent conservative duty -- I joined the Army (National Guard). I served just short of 10 years in the National Guard culminating with a one year tour in Iraq.

IRAQ 
I was sitting in the chow hall one afternoon while CNN droned in the background. I caught a comment from Defense Secretary Don Rumsfeld that he had given commanders on the ground everything they had asked for. I about choked on my food. Without going into details, I knew right away there was an enormous disconnect between reality and the Pentagon.

In the adjustment months after the deployment, I learned that the Pentagon disconnect was more likely a criminal deception by Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and others. I learned that General Officers were resigning and speaking out but that the corporate media was not covering this actual news.

I started looking for ways to channel my frustration and anger and energies. I looked at Iraq Veterans Against War. I was angry with the Republican Party. I was not a Democrat and didn't want to go down that road, it didn't seem like it would produce results. I found a website cuip.org which now redirects to independentvoting.org I don't remember what the hook was but I signed up for their newsletter 'Talk/Talk'.

INDEPENDENT
In September 2008 I invited all candidates on my ballot for Governor on down to state legislature into my home for a meet the candidates night. (By the way, never do this unless you want to run for office someday. Everyone I know who has done this has later run for public office.;)) I printed up a flyer to distribute in the neighborhood. That is my earliest recollection of the term Utah League of independent Voters. CUIP contacted me on a regular basis, usually for fundraising mixed in with invitations to come on their national conference call. I think I donated $25 or something on one of their fundraising calls. The economy steadily declined for my industry and I didn't have the means to donate on subsequent requests, but I remember indicating on 2 occassions that I would be willing to donate some time to their local affiliate if they could put me in touch with them. I had time to give but not much money. Turns out I was the only local affiliate.

ORGANIZATION
Eventually those staff callers forwarded my info to Nancy Ross and Gwen Mandel--national organizers for CUIP and regular contact ensued with Nancy. They twisted my arm into attending the national conference for independents held in New York City in 2009. The conference was remarkable and the keynote presentation can be viewed here.

Why did I become and independent? Hopefully I've answered that question. Why am I an indie organizer? Talking to myself is ineffective I've found. Independent authors and figures like Joe Hill, Marcia Ford, Omar Ali, MLK, Ross Perot, Jackie Salit, Nancy Ross, Damon Eris, Lenora Fulani and many others are very compelling, that's why.


Randy Miller is the founder of the Utah League of Independent Voters. He is also a surveyor by trade, an Iraq veteran, a social media enthusiast. You can reach him at randy@uliv.org


You can hear Randy talking about these issues on BlogTalkRadio/Hankster Friday Nite Chat and YouTube Fair Boundaries - Utah Redistricting Initiative

Friday Nite Hankster Chat TONIGHT 4/30/10

8:06pm Please tune in to the experimental Hankster BlogTalkRadio Friday Nite Chat and hear from local Utah activist Randy Miller, founder of Utah League of Independent Voters. Randy is a young Iraq veteran who came home with questions and a non-party attitude:

I grew up in a seemingly conservative suburb of Salt Lake City, Utah. Without knowing any better I bought into GOP party loyalty and castigating all 'non-conservative' ideas and figures. I even exercised that most holy and reverent conservative duty--I joined the Army (National Guard). I served just short of 10 years in the National Guard culminating with a one year tour in Iraq.

7:10pm Talking with Randy Miller of Utah League of Independent Voters about social media... Call in!

We're on in 10 minutes! I have no idea if this will be successful, but we'll enjoy the experiment!

What's on your mind?

Join me tonight for Friday Nite Hankster Chat!

Email

Leave a comment here on this post

Tweet me

Look for me on Facebook 

Call in (347) 884-8634  or log on to 

The Hankster's BlogTalkRadio show from 7-7:30pm 

Free-wheeling conversation about independent politics, 

culture and anything else you want to talk about.

Lines are open from 7-8pm tonight, Friday, April 29 30, 2010

Abel Maldonado Stumps for California Open Primary Initiative Proposition 14 on the Colbert Report 4/29/10

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
California's Proposition 14 - Abel Maldonado
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Fox News

Inching Closer to Washington: An Independent Conversation with Jackie Salit May 2

An Independentvoting.org/ CUIP National Conference Call

INCHING CLOSER TO WASHINGTON: AN INDEPENDENT CONVERSATION Dear Nancy, Please join us on a national conference call for independents. Led by Jacqueline Salit President CUIP/Independentvoting.org                Date: Sunday, May 2nd          Time: 7:00 pm EDT               (6:00 pm CT, 5:00 pm MT, 4:00 pm PT) To participate in this call: Contact Nancy Ross or Gwen Mandell at national@cuip.org phone: (212) 609-2800

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

American Independents: The success of the two parties is also their failure

by Randy Miller

Every American, every thoughtful student is an independent at heart. Many however by means of cowardice and dereliction or perhaps just being uninformed choose the easy path of partisan loyalty over the hard right of independence, liberty and organizing.

Every substantial positive and empowering step in our quest for a more perfect union has sprung up from an independent movement of citizens motivated to organize.

Your children are free to go to school without being exploited for their industry; thank you organized labor.

Women are now free to vote and to own property. I'm sure the women of our state and nation will raise a glass to honor the lifetime sacrifice of those stalwart independent women who took on the establishment repeatedly.

The independent paradigm that is taking shape today is both epic and historic.

All people regardless of race, creed or color can now be citizens and vote. This right always existed. The 2 party aristocracy just needed it's wings clipped. Thank you black independent movement.

Segregation is no longer legal. It was always morally wrong. Thank you again black independent movement, the score is now 2 for you and 0 for the two-party establishment.

The two parties have historically evolved to either oppose or take credit for these popular uprisings.

Women's suffrage, equitable labor conditions, black enfrachisement, desegregation--all these prominent and equitable conditions are great, but there is another shackle that must be cut. This new direction, this new paradigm is bigger than all those great and victorious developments.

We see today segmented uproars over nearly every piece of legislation and a constant castigation of partisan figures of the prominent 2 parties. The success of the two parties is also their failure. The uproar of every jot and tittle is a testament that the voice of the people is not being heard and acted upon. If 'We the People' had a shred of confidence that we were being heard then policy that doesn't go 'my' particular way would be more palatable. Individuals would be convinced that the people had spoken and that they had just been at odds with that voice and lost. However, this confidence does not exist. The two parties in their successful quest to dominate elected positions and policy conversations, have established an accurate portrait of an out of touch aristocrcy with 2 factions.

The independent paradigm that is taking shape today is both epic and historic. We are confronted with the task of completely changing the way we do politics and conduct elections. We are charged with returning to a government by and for the people. It is a remarkable form of government. It is not a suitable governing framework for a lazy and apathetic citizenry. It requires involvment. It requires discourse. It requires reconciliation and apology at times. It requires that we now begin doing what the two parties have taken upon themselves to do for us. It requires that those factions who are disappointed by the various outcomes of the voice of the people remain committed to our union of states and not let insurmountable differences fester with the feverish plague of secessionist thinking.

Randy Miller is the founder of Utah League of Independent Voters. He was interviewed recently by KSL on gerrymandering. Also see Thin Blue Line letter  in City Weekly, and IPR "Anybody's Game"

NEXT WEEK: How I became an independent.

Dr. Omar Ali: No Such Thing as "Centrism"

Dr. Omar Ali speaks at the DC Coffee Party meeting last week, cautioning  -- what does it mean to be a "centrist" in a right-shifting political environment? Captured here by dubabagato's YouTube camera. The left-center-right paradigm is no longer applicable and keeps us divided. See what you think.

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)

IndependentVoting.org National Conference Call Sunday May 2

An Independentvoting.org/ CUIP National Conference Call

INCHING CLOSER TO WASHINGTON: AN INDEPENDENT CONVERSATION Dear Nancy, Please join us on a national conference call for independents. Led by Jacqueline Salit President CUIP/Independentvoting.org                Date: Sunday, May 2nd          Time: 7:00 pm EDT               (6:00 pm CT, 5:00 pm MT, 4:00 pm PT) To participate in this call,  Contact Nancy Ross or Gwen Mandell national@cuip.org phone: (212) 609-2800

"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

Lorraine Marcellin Speaks in Support of Nonpartisan Elections at Brooklyn Charter Revision Hearing 4/20/10

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