We are reaching out for people to attend our second meeting, where we will get into the business of setting a policy agenda. Whether you plan on making the meeting or not, please take a minute to fill out our policy preference survey- this will inform the areas we intend to focus on.
We will take the results of the policy survey and debate the results, the hope is to set the main policy areas we want to focus on. Once we have determined those, we will create sub-groups to focus on formulating policies around these issues.
Deliberative Policy Meeting: RSVP here.
7:00pm - 9pm
TUESDAY OCT. 5th
Location:
RH Gallery
137 Duane Street
New York, NY 10013
(map)
The space is an art gallery is a few blocks North of the Chambers St. 1,2,3, A & C station on Duane between W. Broadway and Church St.
During this meeting we want to explore what issues we should begin focusing on and how we can organize ourselves into deliberative bodies to try and harness the smarts, knowledge and talents of New Yorkers in formulating better solutions for policy problems. RSVP here.
If you have any questions or are having trouble locating the event, please call me at (917) 412-1529.
Evan Hutchsion
Executive Director
Real Deal Democracy PAC
evan@realdealdemocracy.com
"This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy."
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, August 28, 1963
Although it has been nearly five decades since MLK's urgent call to action, it is as relevant as ever to New Yorkers.
Real Deal Democracy has been founded to unseat dysfunctional politicians and replace them with a caucus of reformers dedicated to the decentralization of power in NY State. We aim to implement new means of participatory democracy towards the realization of Dr. King's vision. Our mission has three primary components:
1. Recruit and elect a caucus of reformers who embrace a coherent and unified reform platform. We will help them build highly competitive, technologically cutting-edge campaigns to defeat dysfunctional incumbents and build a lasting caucus dedicated to accountability, efficiency and decentralization.
2. Advocate for the rights of New Yorkers. First things first, we will fight to make real Marriage Equality in New Yorkbecause tolerance is a pillar of a fair and decentralized democracy.
3. Empower communities by decentralizing power and allowing them to formulate their own policies as well as organize electorally by providing the training, technology and support to deliberate, formulate and act.
From top to bottom the promise of democracy has not been realized in New York. We live under a dysfunctional state government; suffer from shady and wasteful public authorities and, in NYC, we must settle with toothless community boards to represent our local interests.
We are very excited to announce our first grassroots and policy meetings at the following locale and times.
Even if you can't make the meeting, we want to accommodate you as well- please contact me directly at evan@realdealdemocracy.com
Once you have decided which sessions you want to attend, please be
sure to RSVP here RSVP here - we need your name so that the front desk will let you up.
Location:
Kirby McInerney LLP
825 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10022
The office is near the E,M,4 and 6 Trains at the corner of 50th and
3rd Avenue.
Meeting Times:
2 Grassroots Meetings -
6pm - 6:45 pm &
6:45pm - 7:30pm
We have setup these two times so people can come and learn how to turn out voters both on the phones and in the field. If you want to help and can’t make the sessions, write us at evan@realdealdemocracy.com so we can get you involved. RSVP here
.
Deliberative Policy Meeting
7:30pm - 9pm
During this meeting we want to explore what issues we should begin focusing on and how we can organize ourselves into deliberative bodies to try and harness the smarts, knowledge and talents of New Yorkers in formulating better solutions for policy problems. RSVP here
DJ Rabbi Darkside will be spinning, $8 at the door for beer and wine.
If you want to contribute more, please visit here.
Place: 5 Crosby St, #5G New York, NY (map)
Time: 6pm - Midnight
If you have trouble getting up, just call (917) 412-1529
PLEASE RSVP HERE
The Big Problem
There are a lot of political reform groups out there right now, yet politicians like Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Finance Chair Carl Kruger are running unopposed in a year that saw our state legislature fail us repeatedly. Politicians like them have cost New York billions of dollars through their ineptitude and pursuit of personal interest.
Silver and Kruger thrive in the den of Albany because a real support network for challengers does not exist. Real Deal aims to change that. Your contribution will be used to help us defeat Sheldon Silver and his ilk in the State Assembly, where bills are debated for less than 1 minute; less than most developing countries. These men control the legislative bodies that failed to approve congestion pricing and lost the city $380 Million in Federal transportation funding. They violated the will of the City Council and the mayor without even letting the bill go to a vote. Albany has robbed us of representation for years. That can all end now.
It is time to Free New York!
The Solution
The solution is simple: make sure Silver, Kruger and the worst of the New York State Legislature face stiff challenges from professional campaigns that mobilize the grassroots and leverage technology incumbents have never needed to use because they have gone unchallenged for so long. We want to begin recruiting our candidates two years ahead, and begin their professional campaigns 18 months before the primary.
Real Deal Democracy will be endorsing existing candidates in 2010 and building a slate for 2012, in the meantime, take a look at this summary of most (if not all, let us know what we missed!) of the competitive races in the New York metro area in 2010 and see what you think. Follow our site for more coming news, or sign up, we'll be in touch soon to ask your preference.
SD-12
State Senator George Onorato (D) is not running for re-election, and is instead endorsing Assemblyman Michael Gianaris (AD 36 -D) in his bid to replace him. Gianaris is also supported by “virtually every elected official whose district encompasses the 12th SD” (Queens Gazette). Gianaris is running on a reform platform with a special interest in energy issues and is credited with contributing to the Airline Passengers Bill of Rights and NY State’s Energy Security Act, and working against Con-Ed on behalf of consumers. Gianaris recently signed the New York Uprising pledge to reform Albany and stated his commitment to independent redistricting legislation (r8ny) and received the endorsement of NARAL Pro-Choice NY (NY Senate Dems).
No other candidates announced.
SD - 31
Senator Eric Schneiderman (D) is running for Attorney General while four Democratic candidates are vying for his open seat: Adriano Espaillat, Mark Levine, Anna Lewis, and Misotis Munoz.