The Internet has made this the age of the instant political movement. Like-minded people (and even unlike-minded people) can find one another and quickly create a kind of critical mass. The hope, often the expectation, is that these new aggregations can bring positive change to the body politic. This includes seizing new opportunities for democratizing communication and communicating democracy, both of which are urgently needed.
About Me
Michael H. Drucker
New York, NY, United States
Member of the New York State Committee of the Independence Party (73rd AD - Eastside Manhattan) and New York County Independence Party Executive Committee
I've just taken action with the ONE campaign and asked my senators to set an example for the world by fully funding President Obama's request for $1.36 billion in global agricultural development funding.
This action couldn't be more urgent. Next week, President Obama and world leaders will meet in Rome for the G8 Summit. If we can convince the senate to step-up the fight against hunger now, America will set an example for the world and put pressure on other countries to invest in a global effort to end hunger.
I hope you'll join me, use the above link to tell your senators to join the fight against hunger.
The U.S. Supreme Court's opinion on the federal Voting Rights Act on June 22 is already having an impact on Georgia voter registration. Earlier this year, the Georgia legislature passed a bill requiring new registrants to provide proof of citizenship when they register.
Under the Voting Rights Act, Georgia cannot implement that new law until the U.S. Justice Department approves it. Georgia had been hoping that the U.S. Supreme Court would invalidate Section 5 of the federal Voting Rights Act, but that didn't happen, so now the state must submit the 2009 change.
Odds are it will not be approved. Under the federal Voting Rights Act, though, Georgia is free to bring a lawsuit to approve any election law change that the Justice Department won't approve. Georgia is already thinking about doing that.
The Voting Rights Act, the government's chief weapon against racial discrimination at polling places, survived a Supreme Court challenge on Monday, but questions are being raised about what could happen to the landmark law in the future. NBC's Pete Williams reports.
The court said that the Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District No. 1 in Austin, Texas, could apply to opt out of the advance approval requirement, reversing a lower federal court that ruled it could not. The district appears to meet the requirements to bail out, although the high court did not pass judgment Monday on that point.
"It leaves the courts wide open to another challenge. If someone files a new lawsuit, I think there's a very good chance that down the line they might find it unconstitutional," said Hans von Spakovsky, a legal scholar at the conservative-oriented Heritage Foundation.
States covered in whole or part by the provision of the Voting Rights Act (Section 5) that calls for federal approval before any changes in election procedures can take effect:
States covered in full:
Alabama Alaska Arizona Georgia Louisiana Mississippi South Carolina Texas Virginia (with the exception of 15 cities and counties that no longer have to submit changes for approval)
States covered in part:
California (four counties) Florida (five counties) Michigan (two townships) New Hampshire (10 townships) New York (three of New York City's five boroughs) North Carolina (40 counties) South Dakota (two counties)
If the IL budget does not change, it could possible happen that the Illinois School for the Deaf (ISD) will be closed. Governor Quinn supports ISD! He does not want to see it closed. 75 members of the Illinois House of Representatives said NO to his budget plan, which would have provided FULL funding for ISD. If you live in IL I urge you to contact the your State Representatives below and politely explain that you support a small increase in the income tax so the state can pay its bills, keep ISD open and be fair to people who need help the most!
Use the above link to find their phone numbers.
This video shows some of the students including my grandson, Joel Dramin, explaining why ISD should not be closed.
If lawmakers don't support a tax increase, thousands of state employees could be laid off. Essential services will be slashed. Pensions may be cut, creating two tiers. Yet many legislators, even some of our most reliable allies are saying they won't support the tax increase needed to close the $12 billion budget gap. They claim they are only hearing from tax-increase opponents. We've got to turn that around! Our message to Springfield:
"I support raising taxes and fees to prevent cuts to vital services, stop layoffs and protect pensions. Consider the consequences!"
Who to call:
Springfield and District office numbers
Representatives Jill Tracy 217-782-8096 and 217-223-0833 fax 217-223-1565 email: jiltracy@jiltracy.com
Jim Watson 217-782-1840 and 217-243-6221 fax 217-245-2071 email: jimwatson@localnetco.com
Senators Deanna Demusio 217-782-8206 and 217-854-4441 fax 217-854-5311 email: ddemuzio@senatedem.ilga.gov
John Sullivan 217-782-2479 and 217-222-2295 fax 217-222-2944 email: jsullivan@senatedem.ilga.gov
Tell them to raise revenue - NOW!
Failure to do so will hit needed services at our schools and health care facilities for the disabled. It will affect services needed in this crisis.
Big Rally on the Capital in Springfield
June 23, 2009 at 12 pm
Front Lawn at State Captial
Thank you, Lisa Dramin, secretary of PTSO ISD, and is my daughter.
As a member of the NYC Independence Party Executive Committee, I endorsed Mayor Bloomberg in his campaign for Mayor of NYC as an independent. I collected signatures for him in 2001, 2005 and again this year in my district (the Eastside of Manhattan).
Here is a video of his appearance at our:
Eleventh Annual Spring Chairman's Reception Sunday, June 7, 2009
I just watched a video from charity: water, in which Jennifer Connelly shows us the terrible plight of the hundreds of millions of people who live without access to clean water and sanitation.
Then I took action with ONE and asked my senators to cosponsor the Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act of 2009 (S.624), which will help bring first-time, sustainable access to clean water and sanitation to a hundred million of the world's poorest people. Check out the video and then make that commitment, too, by using the above link and adding your voice.
On June 16, the New York Assembly passed A1224 by 135-11. It says that when term limits already exist in any local government, if the elected officials of that local government pass a bill or resolution to repeal term limits on themselves, the repeal won’t go into effect unless the voters also approve the repeal.
The bill, if signed into law, would not be retroactive. However, if such a bill had been part of the state election law last year, New York City would have been forced to hold a new referendum on repealing term limits for Mayor and City Council.
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