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Democratic State Committee Report

By Daniel Marks Cohen

The State Democratic Party finally called a meeting–by Zoom–for early August. The Progressive Caucus has submitted three resolutions for consideration. They are:

1.     Support of actively increasing diversity among DNC members from NYS

2.     Amending New York’s election laws to enable machine counting of absentee ballots 

3.     Calling to sue the Federal government for any unlawful and unconstitutional police action

The first item I have reported on before–that the NYS Democratic Party has about a dozen elected representatives on the Democratic National Committee (“DNC”), and while some of them may make sense (the Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie), others do not (Governor Cuomo’s sister). And with one exception, former State Party Chair Byron Brown of Buffalo, the entire slate is from downstate (NYC and Long Island), and has no Latinx or Asian representation. So for all these reasons, and also for democracy as opposed to gubernatorial whim, we want the process of representing the state to be more open, inclusive and diverse.

Read More.

Join Our Phone Banks for Joe Biden

By Corinne Constantine

Three Parks is teaming up with Joe Biden’s New York campaign organization to phone bank for Biden from now until election day. Let’s do our part to elect Biden and rid our country at last of the current administration! 

To volunteer, please join our first zoom meeting. You will receive training and a script, and you can start phone banking right away. Here are the details:

Phone Banking for Joe Biden Zoom Meeting

Wednesday, August 5 , starting at   6:30 PM

To let us know you are coming, click  here .

To join the meeting on Aug. 5, click   here

Or paste this link into your browser:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85254166452#success

Meeting ID: 852 5416 6452

You can also dial in by calling 929 205 6066.

Create Your Action ID. Prior to the meeting, please create the Action ID that you will need for phone banking. It is an easy process; just click  here . Please remember the password. You will need it any time you phone bank. If you are unable to do this, don't worry. The trainer will show you exactly what to do. 

Read More .

Three Parks members continue to join with our neighbors to demonstrate our solidarity with Black Lives Matter. Since mid June, we have been gathering each evening, now at 6:00 pm, at the corner of 103rd Street and Broadway. Come and join us, bring a sign, and show your support!

The Maine Postcard-Writing Campaign Shifts Into High Gear

In July, Three Parks launched a postcard-writing campaign to voters in Maine to help unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins -- and the response by Club members was tremendous! Even in mid summer, more than 70 volunteers signed up to write postcards urging voters to support Democratic candidates Joe Biden for President and Sara Gideon for Senator. Already they have produced hundreds of cards to be sent to voters in advance of election day.

The electoral race in Maine is among the most crucial in the entire country. Ousting Sen. Collins in November will be key in helping Democrats gain a Senate majority, so this campaign is one where our efforts can have a real impact.

Postcard writing will continue as election day approaches. You can be part of this effort, and you can do it from your own home. We will supply prepaid postcards, a script, and lists of names and addresses. These materials will all be available for easy curbside pick-up at weekly sidewalk tables here in our neighborhood. When you have completed your postcards, you can return them to us for mailing this fall as election day approaches. Watch your e-mail for pick-up and delivery dates and times.

To volunteer, click here. Let's turn Maine blue and help Democrats regain control of the U.S. Senate!

Volunteer for Rep. Antonio Delgado:  Keep a First-term Democrat in Congress

By Miriam Rabban

Antonio Delgado, a first-term Democratic Congressman from New York’s 19th District, is running for re-election−and by volunteering to aid his 2020 campaign, you can help keep this swing district blue! Three Parks is now arranging opportunities for volunteers to phone bank from home in group sessions to support the Delgado campaign. For information on how you can volunteer, click  here . We will provide training and a script. All you need is a computer and your phone. Phone banking is particularly important now that COVID-19 rules out canvassing.

Volunteering for the 2020 Delgado campaign will build on the extensive work that TPID members did for Delgado during his first campaign in 2018. That year, volunteers made phone calls nearly every month to voters in the 19th District, and in the last six weekends before the election, TPID members went in car caravans to the district to knock on voters’ doors. Delgado, who is African-American, won the 2018 election against Republican incumbent John Faso in a district that is over 90% white. To visit Delgado’s campaign website, click  here . To donate to his campaign, click  here . To visit his office website, click  here .

Read More .

The 2020 Judicial Convention

B y Alan Flacks

In 2020, our Party’s Judicial Convention has been overshadowed by other news.

In the First Judicial District (Manhattan), there are four vacancies on the State trial bench. Supreme Court Justices Ellen Gesmer and Marcy Kahn have both reached the State’s constitutional retirement age. Justice Doris Ling-Cohan left as of July 1, and Justice Rosalyn Richter resigned as of July 27.

The Judicial Convention will take place on Monday, August 10, to designate candidates for the General Election in November. 

The election of State Supreme Court Justices can be considered more important than the election of a Governor because those judges are elected to fourteen-year terms and make decisions often followed by other judges.

Three Parks Opposes Proposed Rezoning to Allow High-Rises at 109th-110th Streets

The Three Parks Board has written to Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and City Council Member Mark Levine to express opposition to a rezoning proposal that includes upzoning for our neighborhood, with at least two, and possibly three, tall buildings proposed on either side of Broadway along 109th and 110th Streets. 

Three Parks was a leader in the successful campaign that led to the downzoning and contextual zoning for the area from 96th Street to 110th Street. We are strongly opposed to any construction that does not conform to the size requirements of the current zoning. 

To read the letter from the Three Parks Board, click here .

He called for reinventing the system and creating a new, proactive, and neighborhood-based version of public safety. In his view, the police department could improve personnel management and reduce headcount by using more civilians to staff non-patrol jobs. Budget dollars could then be shifted to other social service agencies. A community-based response system could be developed to handle non-emergency, non-violent situations. Most importantly, money could be allocated to provide a strong community infrastructure to support underserved youth populations. 

Heydari’s organization, the Policing Project, is a nonprofit that “partners with communities and police to promote public safety through transparency, equity, and democratic engagement.”

Read More.

  Upcoming Meetings

The opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors of the articles and are not necessarily representative of Three Parks .

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