The Independent View: 2013 National Conference of Independents

Independents Rising
I attended the all day conference on February, 16th, 2013 at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, New York University, across from Washington Square Park. This is my 5th conference, and it was great to connect with my independent activist friends and meeting new ones.

The conference is sponsored by IndependentVoting.org and the conference theme "Independents Rising" comes from a book by Jacqueline Salit, President of the organization.

Hundreds of independents gathered from all across the country to take stock of a growing movement that is reimagining America along nonpartisan and developmental lines. The independent movement is raising a broad social reform question; should political parties be the singular vehicle for political participation and representation, or do we need new forms of political expression, forms that transfer political power from the parties to the people?

The morning panel discussion, Changing the System to Change the Culture, was moderated by Jackie and Harry Kresky, Esq. the Counsel for IndependentVoting.org and a leading expert on Election Law. The panel consisted of independent activists, current and former legislatures, and the former campaign manager for Mayor Bloomberg's last mayoral election. The panel also took questions from the attendees.

We had a chance to meet some of the seventeen activist from North Carolina, Co-led by Dr. Omar Ali (Associate Professor of African American Studies at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro) and Donna Moser. The North Carolina Independents delagation featured young leaders who have been polling independents across college campuses in North Carolina.

The afternoon ended with a speech and then a conversation with the independent Adolfo Carrion, Jr. who the New York City Independence Party is working with to become an independent candidate for mayor. The former New York City Council member, served six and a half years as the 12th Borough President of the Bronx, Obama's White House Office of Urban Affairs Policy Director, Regional Director for HUD's New York and New Jersey Regional Office, and an independent since October, 12th, 2012.

As a member of the New York City Independence Party's Executive Committee representing the Eastside of Manhattan (73rd AD), I had a phone conversation with Adolfo on Sunday, February 10th about his run for mayor. I first met Adolfo at the party's December 2012 Anti-Corruption Awards. After his speech, I heard someone with a fire in their belly and someone who understood independent politics.

On our conversation about Political Reform, he said, "I'm writing a piece on nonpartisan municipal elections. The parties are always running on "litmus test" issues, rather than focusing on how to fix things. We should be focused on public safety, education, and building the economy. As Fiorello LaGuardia said, there's no Republican or Democratic way to pick up the garbage. The political process needs fixing. My candidacy gives us the opportunity to advance that. This campaign can disprove the notion that independents can't succeed."

The Executive Committee will meet soon to take the official vote to give Adolfo our ballot line and the necessary Wilson Pakula (the document that lets a non-party candidate run on a party line). But then the fun begins. Will he also get the ability to run in the Republican Primary? We also will need to spend June through July to get the number of signatures needed to get on the ballot.