Thursday, February 26, 2009

The Job


The Job, was created by Screaming Frog Productions. Written & Directed by Jonathan Browning and acted & crewed by some of the most amazing people on the planet!

The Job has played at over 135 film festivals around the world and has been honored with 28 international awards.

Michael H. Drucker
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Wednesday, February 25, 2009

NY State Lawmakers Mull Overturning Term Limit Change

A bill that could end Mayor Michael Bloomberg's bid for a third term is reportedly picking up steam in Albany.

According to the New York Times, the State Assembly Committee on Election law has enough votes to approve a bill that would effectively undo the law that allows the mayor and City Council members to run for a third term.

The Senate Elections committee is set to vote on the bill on March 10th.

The bill would apply retroactively, and would require a public referendum on term limits in the city.

The committees are just the first step in the process. It would still have to be approved by Governor David Paterson – who has expressed support for the mayor's efforts to run for a third term.

Update
On February 25, the New York State Assembly Election Law Assembly passed A1224. If it is signed into law, it would require New York city voters to vote in May 2009 on whether they approve of abolishing term limits for the city’s Mayor, city councilmembers, and the other two citywide executive elected posts. The chief sponsor is Assemblymember Hakeem Jeffries (D-Brooklyn). The Senate has an identical bill, S1536, whose chief sponsor is Senator Kevin Parker (D-Brooklyn).

Michael H. Drucker
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Saturday, February 21, 2009

More New York Ballot Access Bills

From Ballot Access News:

A4161 cuts the number of signatures needed for all petitions (except statewide petitions) in half. The bill covers petitions for candidates seeking a place on a primary ballot, and also petitions for independent candidates and the nominees of unqualified parties seeking to qualify for the general election. It is sponsored by Assemblymembers Barbara Clark (D-Cambria Hts.), Sandy Galef (D-Ossining), and Mike Spano (D-Yonkers).

S1366 and its companion bill, A4959, delete the requirement that independent candidate petitions can only be circulated by people who live in that district. The bill merely conforms the law to current policy, since the district residency requirement was declared unconstitutional in 2004 in Chou v New York State Board of Elections.

Michael H. Drucker
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Thursday, February 19, 2009

NY Mayor Now Woos Political Parties

From February 19, 2009 article in the New York Times by MICHAEL BARBARO:

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has denounced political parties as a "swamp of dysfunction," has bankrolled a campaign to eliminate them from the New York City elections and has dismissively cast off his own party affiliations like ill-fitting garments. (Democrat? Been there. Republican? Done that.)

But now, in what may rank as the most humbling experience of his mayoralty, Mr. Bloomberg is pleading with those same scorned parties to put his name on their ballot lines this fall, dispatching aides to apologize for past offenses and arguing that he cannot win re-election without their support.

Mr. Bloomberg faces the unenviable prospect of running without the backing of a major party, something no victorious candidate for mayor has pulled off in the last half century. Even if he spent the money to create his own party, his name would appear in what one Republican operative called "ballot Siberia," about six rows over to the right — traditionally home to the Socialist Workers and Marijuana Reform Parties, a potential turnoff to voters.

Bradley Tusk, Mr. Bloomberg's campaign manager, has visited the West Village home of two founding members of the Independence Party, Fred Newman and Jackie S. Salit. According to Mr. Newman, Mr. Tusk's message was, "We don't think the campaign can make it without the Independence Party."

Under NY city's election system, a candidate can appear on multiple ballot lines, improving the odds of capturing votes. To run on a party's ballot line, a candidate must secure support of three of a party's five county committees (for the Independence Party you need the majority vote of the five Borough Executive Committee members). If Mr. Bloomberg does not secure a party line, he will be forced to collect 7,500 signatures to get on the ballot.

Last year, Mr. Bloomberg and his aides stepped into a messy battle between factions of the Independence Party. In a risky move, they sided with the state party chairman, Frank MacKay — a Bloomberg presidential booster — who tried to oust the party's leadership in New York City.

But a series of court cases left the city's party leaders in power and livid with Mr. Bloomberg. In interviews, at least three of the Independence Party's five county leaders expressed objections to nominating the mayor, even as they praised his record in office. "He regarded us as a group of people he needed, could use, and then he could walk away from," Mr. Newman said.

This year, both the Independence and Working Families Parties may end up nominating a Democrat, said people briefed on the situation. One Democratic mayoral candidate, William C. Thompson Jr., has already approached the Independence Party, according to party members.

Use the above link to read the entire article.

Use these links to read more about New York City/State Politics

Villiage Voice Blog
The New York Observer
The New York Times City Room
Newsday
NY1

Michael H. Drucker
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Wednesday, February 18, 2009

OK Citizen Bill Advances

Thanks to Ballot Access News for this post:

On February 5, the Oklahoma House Rules Committee passed HB 1329, which requires candidates to arrange to have a copy of their birth certificate sent directly from the issuing agency to the Election Board, and also requires a government photo ID. The author is Representative Mike Ritze (R-Broken Arrow).

The Committee amended the bill slightly, to say that the government photo ID requirement is also met with a photo ID issued by an Indian Tribal government.

Ritze says he will become a co-plaintiff in a proposed new lawsuit, demanding that President Obama reveal his birth certificate, if the Legislative Counsel tells him that nothing in Oklahoma legislative rules forbid him from doing so.

Michael H. Drucker
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Monday, February 16, 2009

D.C. House Member

The U.S. Senate will vote on S160 on Monday, February 23. This is the bill to expand the size of the U.S. House permanently, by two seats. In the short run, D.C. would get one of the seats and Utah would get the other.

Michael H. Drucker
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Tuesday, February 10, 2009

NY Mayoral Race Update

Thanks to Ballet Access News for this:

A New York Daily News story of February 9 says Mayor Mike Bloomberg still has bleak prospects for winning the nomination of any of the state’s ballot-qualified parties. The story quotes the Mayor as saying at this point he has no idea how he will run for re-election. If he petitions as an independent candidate, he will be at the bottom of a confusingly laid-out ballot. It is always possible he could file a lawsuit, and potentially win that lawsuit, that the Constitution requires a random order of candidates on the ballot. Such lawsuits have won in the 7th circuit, the 8th circuit, and in U.S. District Courts in New Mexico and Oklahoma, as well as in the New Hampshire Supreme Court.

Since New York State has not finalized its new voting machines, the ballot format is still up-in-the-air.

Stories state he needs three of the five County Chairs to get acceptance to appear on a party line. As a member of the Executive Committee of the Independence Party Manhattan County, the entire Executive members of all five boroughs will decide who will appear on our line and if we will require a primary.

Michael H. Drucker
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Oregon Bill to Legalize Fusion

Thanks to Ballot Access News for this:

Ten Oregon legislators are sponsoring HB 2580, which would legalize fusion and even provide that a voter could vote for the fusion candidate under either party label. The sponsors are these Republicans: Senator Brian Boquist and Representative Vicki Berger; and these Democrats: Senator Diane Rosenbaum and Representatives Peter Buckley, Chip Shields, Jeff Barker, Ben Cannon, Michael Dembrow, Chris Garrett, and Arnie Roblan.

Now that 40% of voters are independents, there is hope that legislatures realize they need to find ways to get all involved in the political process.

Michael H. Drucker
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Monday, February 9, 2009

SC Bill to Ban Fusion Advances

Thanks to Ballot Access News:

On February 4, the South Carolina House Judiciary Committee passed H3067, the bill that makes it illegal for two parties to jointly nominate the same candidate. The bill is sponsored by 7 Republican representatives, including the Majority Leader.

The South Carolina House has always seemed more interested in eliminating fusion than the South Carolina Senate has. Back in 2006, the House had passed a similar bill on January 27, but when the 2006 bill got to the Senate, it did not advance any further.

Here in NY we use fusion very successfully. The NYC Independence Party (Column C) with 59,000+ votes was the deciding factor for Mayor Bloomberg's margin of victory in his first campaign and 47% of the African American vote in his second.

Michael H. Drucker
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Friday, February 6, 2009

New York Bill to Double Vote Requirement for “Party” Status

From Ballot Access News:

New York Assemblymember J. Gary Pretlow (D-Mt. Vernon) has introduced A2681, to change the definition of “political party” from a group that polled 50,000 votes for Governor, to a group that polled 100,000 votes for Governor. Assemblymember Pretlow has been in the legislature since 1992 and is a member of the Puerto Rican and Black Caucus.

The New York definition of “political party” is already constitutionally suspect. New York and Indiana are the only states in which it is impossible for a group to attain status as a “political party” during presidential election years. Also, New York is one of eleven states in which it is impossible for a group to transform itself into a qualified party in advance of any particular election.

WE NEED TO STOP THIS!

Michael H. Drucker
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Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Open Primaries Petition

During the presidential primary season, independents played a crucial role in bolstering the change-oriented movement that led to Obama's nomination. By virtue of being able to vote in the primaries and caucuses in 33 states, independents cast the votes that gave his campaign its margin, and continued to support him in the general election.

This petition asked Obama to support Open Primaries.

• In states with partisan registration, unaffiliated voters are now 24.8% of the electorate, up 36% since 1992;

• Nationally, nearly 40% of all voters self-identify as independents, regardless of whether they are registered into a party;

• In Presidential elections, independents can participate in primaries and caucuses in only 33 states. In 17 states, they are denied access;

• In numerous states, independents can vote in the presidential primaries, but not in other statewide primaries. Only 21 states ensure the inclusion of independents in Congressional primary elections;

• As independents gain in numbers and influence, there has been an intensified effort by major party leaders in states that have open primaries — e.g., Idaho, Mississippi, Virginia and Washington — to close the primaries to independents.

If you agree, please use the above link to Sign the Petition.

Michael H. Drucker
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