Saturday, September 28, 2013
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Fulani: I don't support Bill de Blasio's mayoral campaign, but not because he supported the Sandinistas.
Statement by Dr. Lenora Fulani on
Bill de Blasio's History as a Progressive
September 24, 2013
"The political mudslinging against Bill de Blasio by the New York Times and
some mayoral candidates is a sad commentary on the quality of political
dialogue in New York. Mr. de Blasio's history as a progressive
activist who spoke out against reactionary policies of the U.S.
government in Latin America and its support of brutal and greedy
dictatorships is something he can be proud of."
"I
don't support Bill de Blasio's mayoral campaign, but not because he
supported the Sandinistas. I have not endorsed him because I am an
independent and he supports the Democratic Party, which has its own
dictatorial chokehold on the communities of color. There is much to say
about the problem of poverty and underdevelopment in this city and we
need to have a serious debate about how to address it and about why the
Democratic Party has failed to impact. But attacks on progressives for
being progressives is simply unacceptable in my book."
Right on, Dr. Fulani! The effort for human development continues! - NH
Also see CapitalNY, IVN, and NY Times... and this video from the African American Day Parade last Sunday...
NYC Independents Excluded from Primary Get a Voice on Nov 5
Yes, NYC, there is a General Election on November 5!
From sister independent blog IVN.org
On primary day in New York City, voters who consider themselves independent were excluded from the primary. The big apple has a closed primary, which means that only voters who are registered with either the Republican or Democratic Party are eligible to participate.
Without the need for a get out the vote effort, the New York City Independence Party decided to participate in the primaries in a different way: they conducted a poll to gauge the interest of registered voters in independent candidates.
On primary day in New York City, voters who consider themselves
independent were excluded from the primary. The big apple has a closed
primary, which means that only voters who are registered with either the
Republican or Democratic Party are eligible to participate.
Without the need for a get out the vote effort, the New York City Independence Party decided to participate in the primaries in a different way: they conducted a poll to gauge the interest of registered voters in independent candidates.
This initiative might seem strange since those who participate in their party’s primary are usually some of the more dedicated voters to the party line. However, after helping Mayor Michael Bloomberg run as an independent in past elections, and seeing the appeal of the non-affiliated label, they wanted to get an honest gauge of public opinion on the possibility that New Yorkers would vote for a third party candidate.
They asked two questions to voters leaving the polls. First, voters were asked what they would do in the November election if their candidate did not win the primary. And second, they were asked if voters would consider voting for Adolfo Carrion, the former Bronx borough president, who is also the endorsed representative of the New York City Independence Party.
What the survey found was pretty astounding. In an exit survey of 2,039 primary day voters in all five boroughs, 30.8 percent of respondents said if their candidate did not win their party’s nomination, they wanted to see who all the candidates were in the November election before deciding and would consider all options—including voting for an independent.
When asked if they would consider voting for Carrion, an established presence in the New York City political scene, 39.9 percent of respondents said “yes.” In the Bronx, where Carrion is a former borough president, this number rose to 48.5 percent.
Cathy Stewart, the citywide coordinator for the New York City Independence Party, said that she was “happy to see the level of openness among primary voters.”
She explained that while the media has been treating Bill de Blasio’s win in the democratic primary “as a coronation,” it was important to remember that Carrion is a serious candidate who many voters want to learn more about. As the survey shows, many voters are also open to voting for him as well.
The New York City Independence Party intends to make sure his voice is heard throughout the rest of the campaign season, including in the critical mayoral debates.
While Carrion spent 20 years inside the Democratic Party, which included a stint in the Obama administration, his run as an independent centers on his desire to rid himself of the stranglehold of the two-party system. He felt partisanship was standing in the way of innovation and real solutions.
And, according to this new survey, it seems voters are willing to hear him out.
From sister independent blog IVN.org
On primary day in New York City, voters who consider themselves independent were excluded from the primary. The big apple has a closed primary, which means that only voters who are registered with either the Republican or Democratic Party are eligible to participate.
Without the need for a get out the vote effort, the New York City Independence Party decided to participate in the primaries in a different way: they conducted a poll to gauge the interest of registered voters in independent candidates.
Why an Independent Can Win The New York Mayoral Race
By Debbie Sharnak | 09/24/2013 | Elections, Headline
Michelle V. Agins / The New York Times
Without the need for a get out the vote effort, the New York City Independence Party decided to participate in the primaries in a different way: they conducted a poll to gauge the interest of registered voters in independent candidates.
This initiative might seem strange since those who participate in their party’s primary are usually some of the more dedicated voters to the party line. However, after helping Mayor Michael Bloomberg run as an independent in past elections, and seeing the appeal of the non-affiliated label, they wanted to get an honest gauge of public opinion on the possibility that New Yorkers would vote for a third party candidate.
They asked two questions to voters leaving the polls. First, voters were asked what they would do in the November election if their candidate did not win the primary. And second, they were asked if voters would consider voting for Adolfo Carrion, the former Bronx borough president, who is also the endorsed representative of the New York City Independence Party.
What the survey found was pretty astounding. In an exit survey of 2,039 primary day voters in all five boroughs, 30.8 percent of respondents said if their candidate did not win their party’s nomination, they wanted to see who all the candidates were in the November election before deciding and would consider all options—including voting for an independent.
When asked if they would consider voting for Carrion, an established presence in the New York City political scene, 39.9 percent of respondents said “yes.” In the Bronx, where Carrion is a former borough president, this number rose to 48.5 percent.
Cathy Stewart, the citywide coordinator for the New York City Independence Party, said that she was “happy to see the level of openness among primary voters.”
She explained that while the media has been treating Bill de Blasio’s win in the democratic primary “as a coronation,” it was important to remember that Carrion is a serious candidate who many voters want to learn more about. As the survey shows, many voters are also open to voting for him as well.
The New York City Independence Party intends to make sure his voice is heard throughout the rest of the campaign season, including in the critical mayoral debates.
While Carrion spent 20 years inside the Democratic Party, which included a stint in the Obama administration, his run as an independent centers on his desire to rid himself of the stranglehold of the two-party system. He felt partisanship was standing in the way of innovation and real solutions.
And, according to this new survey, it seems voters are willing to hear him out.
Fulani: Mayoral Candidate Bill de Blasio Can Be Proud of Progressive Activist History
From today's Capital New York:
Bill de Blasio's opponents in the mayor's
race are trying to broaden the narrative about his work in Nicaragua, in
support of the Sandinista rebels in the 1980s.
After attacking de Blasio yesterday, Republican candidate Joe Lhota issued another statement this morning, saying de Blasio "needs to explain himself [to] the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who escaped Marxist tyranny in Asia, Central America, and from behind the Iron Curtain in Eastern Europe."
Lhota sought to connect de Blasio's work in Central America to his current mayoral agenda, saying de Blasio's "class warfare strategy" is "directly out of the Marxist playbook. Now we know why."
Independence Party mayoral candidate Adolfo Carrion criticized de Blasio too, saying in a statement yesterday that de Blasio was "busy propping up a brutal dictatorship in Central America" in the 1980s, and that "in the early 90’s he even chose to honeymoon in Cuba in what would appear to be a violation of Federal Law. It may not seem as important today, but it sends a clear message about who he is and his worldview."
But de Blasio has one defender, from a surprising corner.
Lenora Fulani, one of the city's best known Independence Party figures, released a statement today criticizing the New York Times, which reported on de Blasio's work in Nicaragua, and "some mayoral candidates" for "political mudslinging" against de Blasio over his Sandinista advocacy.
"Mr. de Blasio's history as a progressive activist who spoke out against reactionary policies of the U.S. government in Latin America and its support of brutal and greedy dictatorships is something he can be proud of," Fulani said.
Fulani has her own controversial past in her own right, having briefly embraced Pat Buchanan as a presidential campaign, and sought elected office herself. She apologized in 2007 for anti-Semitic comments she made back in 1989.
11:39 am Sep. 24, 2013
After attacking de Blasio yesterday, Republican candidate Joe Lhota issued another statement this morning, saying de Blasio "needs to explain himself [to] the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who escaped Marxist tyranny in Asia, Central America, and from behind the Iron Curtain in Eastern Europe."
Lhota sought to connect de Blasio's work in Central America to his current mayoral agenda, saying de Blasio's "class warfare strategy" is "directly out of the Marxist playbook. Now we know why."
Independence Party mayoral candidate Adolfo Carrion criticized de Blasio too, saying in a statement yesterday that de Blasio was "busy propping up a brutal dictatorship in Central America" in the 1980s, and that "in the early 90’s he even chose to honeymoon in Cuba in what would appear to be a violation of Federal Law. It may not seem as important today, but it sends a clear message about who he is and his worldview."
But de Blasio has one defender, from a surprising corner.
Lenora Fulani, one of the city's best known Independence Party figures, released a statement today criticizing the New York Times, which reported on de Blasio's work in Nicaragua, and "some mayoral candidates" for "political mudslinging" against de Blasio over his Sandinista advocacy.
"Mr. de Blasio's history as a progressive activist who spoke out against reactionary policies of the U.S. government in Latin America and its support of brutal and greedy dictatorships is something he can be proud of," Fulani said.
Fulani has her own controversial past in her own right, having briefly embraced Pat Buchanan as a presidential campaign, and sought elected office herself. She apologized in 2007 for anti-Semitic comments she made back in 1989.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Fulani: The Real Progressive in the NYC Mayoral Race is Adolfo Carrion
In case you missed the Black Star News today, read here:
The
Democratic Party's de Blasio will ask you to celebrate the return of
progressivism to City Hall. Don't be fooled. Progressivism is
something born in the streets, not in the centers of power.
There
is a new progressivism being built in New York today. It is visionary,
it is nonpartisan, it is inclusionary, it is multi-racial, it is
Independent. Its mayoral candidate is Adolfo Carrion.
Give him your vote on November 5th.
Now
that the mayoral race has taken shape, it's time to take a harder look
at the candidates, the choices, and the politics built into this race.
I
am a supporter of Adolfo Carrion, the Independence Party's mayoral
candidate. He is neither a Democrat nor a Republican, he's something
else altogether and that is a good thing. Unless we can create a new
way of doing things politically, we will not be able to touch the
problems that New Yorkers face, let alone solve them.
The
Democratic Party and its nominee, Bill de Blasio, have put themselves
forward as that new and "beautiful" thing. At the unity rally on Tuesday
where Bill Thompson folded his campaign even though the votes had not
been fully counted, de Blasio said, "There is nothing more beautiful
than Democratic unity."
I
have to admit, I was taken aback by this pronouncement. There are so
many things on this earth more beautiful than that. When poor Black
kids who have been struggling to achieve in the classroom and in life
manage to get the support they need to learn to read, that is a
beautiful thing. When a life is saved by a first responder, that is a
beautiful thing. When a child is born, or people fall in love, these are
beautiful things. When violence is averted because people in the
neighborhood had the skills needed to step back from the edge, that is a
beautiful thing. (By the way, I include President Obama's recent moves
in Syria as an example.)
You
get my point here. I have met Bill de Blasio. We've seen each other
in the streets for years. He has visited my youth programs, the All
Stars Project, and we've discussed the importance of afterschool and
youth development. He cares about these things and I respect that. But
my problem with Bill de Blasio's mayoral campaign is that it is based
on the idea that what we should care about most of all is the Democratic
Party. This is something that every New Yorker, but particularly the
communities of color, need to be very concerned about.
Putting
your political party above all else is no way to run a city. It leads
to bad decisions. It invariably leads to the poor being left behind.
The Democrats always take care of their organized constituencies at the
expense of the poor and unrepresented.
I
was struck by several other things at the unity press conference. Bill
Thompson expressed his outrage at the failure of the Board of Elections
to have counted all the votes, one week after the election. He said,
"This electoral process has to be improved, there has to be fundamental
reform." Of course, he's right, there does have to be fundamental
election reform. I've fought for that for decades, prompting bitter
opposition from Democrats, including Bill de Blasio and Bill Thompson.
When
you think about it, the results of the Democratic primary were deeply
influenced by flaws, faults, even fixes by election bureaucrats. When
the CFB withheld matching funds from John Liu, they substituted
themselves for the voters and destroyed Liu's campaign. When the Board
of Elections couldn't manage to count the votes on Primary Day, the door
was left open to party bigwigs muscling Thompson out of the race, which
they promptly did. In neither case did the voters get to decide.
Rev.
Al Sharpton played a part in the Democratic Muscle Machine, tamping
down any potential anger or frustration in the Black community at
Thompson being sidelined. He made an appeal to moving beyond "identity
politics" by pointing out that half of Black voters had cast ballots for
de Blasio rather than Thompson. Of course, I completely support
Sharpton's call to move beyond identity politics. I've been telling the
Black community that for years. However, let's not forget that when I
organized 47 percent of Black voters to abandon the Democratic Party in
2005 and vote for the independent Mike Bloomberg, no Democrat gave any
grand speech about moving beyond identity politics; no Democrat called
me up and said, "Dr. Fulani, thank you for moving us to a new place!"
It
was Governor Cuomo, though, who provided the grand finale to the
Democratic unity rally. Having spent close to two terms repressing any
semblance of Black and Latino empowerment in the state legislature,
Cuomo arrived on the scene to tell New Yorkers that the suffering is
over because we can now put a progressive in City Hall. What is Cuomo's
progressive agenda? Improving public education, passing sensible gun
laws, having an open immigration policy, and making the city the capital
of commerce and diversity.
For
the record, that was Mike Bloomberg's agenda. However, because the
Democrats are poised to retake City Hall, the past must be rewritten to
fit their script. The main thing that distinguishes Mike Bloomberg's
agenda from Cuomo's "progressive agenda" is that Bloomberg fought
alongside me (not always comfortably!) for the electoral reform that
Bill Thompson, in his farewell address, finally said we desperately
need. Bloomberg wasn't a perfect mayor. But he sure as hell was an
independent one.
At
the risk of being branded a radical (actually there is no risk because
it's already happened and it's true) let me remind us of the cautionary
words of Malcolm X. He said to us, "You put the Democrats first and the
Democrats put you last." In this election, more than any other in my
lifetime, we need to take those words to heart.
Adolfo
Carrion, a former public school teacher, from humble beginnings, rose
through the ranks of the Democratic Party to serve on the City Council,
as Bronx Borough President and in the Obama White House. For his entire
career, poverty, the lack of opportunity and the need to create
economic and social development that benefits everyone have been his
life's mission.
He
was considered a model Democrat, a pro-growth, anti-poverty activist, a
man of color, the son of a man of the cloth. Everyone believed he
would go far. Last year the Democrats offered him the comptroller
position in this year's election, having heard rumblings he might want
to run for mayor. It wasn't his turn, they said. (Sound familiar?) He
turned it down.
Adolfo
Carrion didn't want to wait. He believed, based on his experience,
that far from being the embodiment of progressivism, the Democratic
Party had become its greatest obstacle. And so, he became an
independent. He came to the Independence Party, to me, to ask for our
support. He said to us that we must have a new progressive coalition in
New York City and I want to help lead it. We said yes.
For
the next seven weeks, you will hear a lot from the Republican Joe
Lhota. Many say that Lhota is a capable person. But the New York City
Republican Party is dead as a doornail. Its vision is non-existent. It
barely exists. It is no threat.
The
Democratic Party's de Blasio will ask you to celebrate the return of
progressivism to City Hall. Don't be fooled. Progressivism is
something born in the streets, not in the centers of power.
There
is a new progressivism being built in New York today. It is visionary,
it is nonpartisan, it is inclusionary, it is multi-racial, it is
Independent. Its mayoral candidate is Adolfo Carrion.
Give him your vote on November 5th.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Como Unir la Comunidad Hispana
En la prensa de Puerto Rico tambien estan al pendiente sobre las elecciones para alcalde de Nueva York (leer mas)
Pros y contras de los candidatos a la AlcaldÃa de NYC
Los Pros y los Contras sobre los tres candidatos para alcalde Noviembre 5, 2013.
Una muy pequena lista, pero ahi vamos.(leer mas)
Una muy pequena lista, pero ahi vamos.(leer mas)
Un Dia Fabuloso en Queens
El dia Septiembre 8, participe en un evento en casa de un joven miembro de el Partido Independiente. El se llama George (Lyric) Pedraza, y nos abrio su casa para recibir a nuestro candidado Independiente para Alcalde, Adolfo Carrion.
El dia comenzo muy lindo, primero hablo George, dando las gracias por venir al evento.
Despues llego Adolfo Carrion y se sento con todos nosotros para hablar de sus ideas para convertir en esta ciudad, Nuestra Ciudad.
Sus ideas son refrescantes, y nuevas como solamente un candidato Independiente lo podria hacer,
Aqui hay algunos retratos para que disfruten.
El dia comenzo muy lindo, primero hablo George, dando las gracias por venir al evento.
Despues llego Adolfo Carrion y se sento con todos nosotros para hablar de sus ideas para convertir en esta ciudad, Nuestra Ciudad.
Sus ideas son refrescantes, y nuevas como solamente un candidato Independiente lo podria hacer,
Aqui hay algunos retratos para que disfruten.
Nancy Hanks (Fundadora de The Hankster)
Ramon Pena, nuevo blogista de el Hankster
George (Lyric) Pedraza, anfitrion de el evento
Jeffrey Weiss y Margo Grant, dos activistas y fundadores del Partido Independiente
Adolfo Carrion, hablando de su vision para nuestra ciudad
Por ahora esta atras,,,,pero pronto eso cambiara!!!
Según una encuesta hecha por el Partido Independiente durante las primarias, casi un 40% considerarÃa votar por Carrión. (leer mas)
Monday, September 09, 2013
Buenos Dias Hanksteristas
There is a write-in candidate in Utah that you might know:
Also in Utah news, Bob Henline has cut his ties with the Democratic Party (again). "I think we're asking the wrong questions."
I would like to think that most of us are looking for answers, answers to the every day problems that plague our communities, our state, our nation and our world. If we’re not asking the right questions, however, how can we expect to come up with the right answers? Let me be clear, this is not a claim to know those answers, or to even be sure that I’m asking the right questions. What it is, however, is an acknowledgement that the lens through which I’ve been looking for the past several years has not produced those answers. To me, that means it’s time to change lenses, to start asking different questions. Full article
Tuesday, September 03, 2013
HISPANO E INDEPENDIENTE BUSCA ALCALDIA EN NUEVA YORK
“Si la mitad de los votantes hispanos sale a votar, yo soy el alcalde de Nueva York”, declaró convencido Adolfo Carrión Jr., uno de los dos candidatos de origen latinoamericano a dirigir la ciudad más grande de Estados Unidos, que busca al sucesor de Michael Bloomberg. (leer mas)
Desfile Antillano En Brooklyn
"Cada polÃtico debe venir con una agenda para el desarrollo, educación e independencia polÃtica… Yo transformarÃa las escuelas y resolverÃa el costo de vida de esta ciudad", dijo Adolfo Carrión, candidato a la alcaldÃa. (leer mas)
Freddy Galarza, autor del articulo, no sabe que Adolfo No esta en las primarias (Freddy Galarza, the writer, does not know Adolfo is not on the primary ballot)
Adolfo Carrión candidato independiente alcaldÃa NY serÃa una opción
El mismo aspirante a la alcaldÃa de la ciudad Adolfo Carrión, ha señalado que la ciudad necesita resultados reales y una visión para crear un Nueva York, que funcione mejor para todos “ la obligación del alcalde es tomar decisiones que mejoren la vida de sus residentes‘.’
Los neoyorquinos se sienten cansados de los intereses especiales y la dirigencia de la clase polÃtica que por años ha estado manejando a su capricho la economÃa de la gran manzana, haciendo más ricos al cÃrculo de millonarios y empobleciendo a la clase media y trabajadora . (leer mas)
Los neoyorquinos se sienten cansados de los intereses especiales y la dirigencia de la clase polÃtica que por años ha estado manejando a su capricho la economÃa de la gran manzana, haciendo más ricos al cÃrculo de millonarios y empobleciendo a la clase media y trabajadora . (leer mas)
Monday, September 02, 2013
KRESKY and SALIT: Obama 'efficient administration of elections' not sufficient for democracy
Obama Electoral Commission Omission: Our Voting System Needs Real Reform
We all want voting to be more efficient and less time consuming. But these upgrades won’t change what our electoral system produces—a government paralyzed by partisan gridlock.
Our
democracy is in disrepair. The Supreme Court recently crippled the
pre-clearance remedy of the Voting Rights Act. Efforts are underway in a
number of states, north and south, to limit voting by imposing
stringent identification standards. The 40 percent of Americans who are
independents are barred from participating in primary elections in most
states, unless one of the major parties invites them. Our rigged
system of redistricting is manifestly partisan. There is unprecedented
gridlock in Washington and alarming levels of corruption in State
legislatures.
This
sorry state of affairs has not gone entirely unnoticed. Recently,
President Obama appointed a Presidential Commission on Election
Administration, in response to breakdown and conflict in the electoral
arena. Its mandate is to “promote the efficient administration of
elections,” an understatement of the problem if there ever was one.... READ FULL ARTICLE HERE
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
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 John Opdycke on 08/27/2013 in INV |
| 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. |
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
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