Whereas, Assemblyman Vito J. Lopez was found in violation of the Assembly’s Sexual Harassment/Retaliation Policy by the New York State Assembly Standing Committee on Ethics and Guidance and was censured on behalf of the Assembly by Speaker Sheldon Silver; and

Whereas, it has been revealed that Assemblyman Lopez sexually harassed and created a hostile work environment for no less than four (4) female staffers; and

Whereas, investigations by Special District Attorney Daniel M. Donovan, Jr. and the New York State Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) investigated any possible wrongdoing by various officials and agencies as well as Assemblyman Lopez; and

Whereas, though Special District Attorney Donovan did not find sufficient evidence of criminal wrongdoing within the confines of Kings County, JCOPE did find indisputable proof of violations of the Public Officers Law by Assemblyman Lopez; and

Whereas, JCOPE has publicly documented many instances of unwarranted sexual activity and language by Assemblyman Lopez to female staffers; and

Whereas, JCOPE has publicly documented that said female staffers were afraid of employment retaliation by the Assemblyman should they have reported the harassment; and

Whereas, JCOPE has publicly documented that said female staffers resigned due to said harassment they feared employment retaliation; and

Whereas, it has become obvious that Assemblyman Lopez is a serial sexual harasser; and

Whereas, Assemblyman Lopez has announced his intention to run for the New York City Council, therefore

Be It Resolved, that the Brooklyn Young Democrats, the official youth arm of the Democratic Party in Kings County, New York find Assemblyman Vito J. Lopez to be unfit to serve as a Member of the New York State Assembly and should resign as a Member of the Assembly immediately and retire from public life as an elected official.

Be it Further Resolved, that if Assemblyman Vito J. Lopez chooses not to resign, then the Brooklyn Young Democrats officially support voting in favor of expelling Assemblyman Lopez from the New York State Assembly.

Brooklyn Young Democrats, Dan Donovan, JCOPE, Kings County, New York State Assembly, Public Officers Law, Sexual Harrassment, Sheldon Silver, Vito Lopez

At our next meeting on Wednesday, February 13^th, we will be holding our annual elections. After a week-long open application period, we have our eligible candidates. Their responses are below. You should also review the proposed changes to our Constitution and Bylaws.

To be eligible to vote, you must be a member in good standing, have attended at least one event in the past year, and paid your membership dues. If you are unsure about how many meetings you have attended in the past year, you can check using the form located at http://www.brooklynyds.com/misc/eligibility-lookup/.

Amanda Pizzuti

Position for which you wish to run?
President

Why are you seeking this position?
I am seeking re-election to the presidency of the Brooklyn Young Democrats to continue the work we as a chapter have begun together to grow and thrive. We have made great strides in becoming a more active and prominent organization, and I plan to oversee our expansion in the areas of membership numbers, fundraising, and overall political influence. I think our partnerships with both other Young Democrats’ chapters and the Democratic Party at all levels, can help us continue to build a strong chapter and develop exceptional leaders in every corner of our borough.

What previous and/or relevant experiences would you be able to draw from, and what strengths would you, given your particular background, bring to position you are running for?
I have worked in politics and on campaigns for over 6 years. My professional experience as a political fundraiser can help us obtain the financial resources we need to continue to grow and be successful. Additionally, the work I have already done with the Brooklyn Young Democrats gives me ideas to work with to continue to expand and improve the chapter in terms of membership, fundraising, and political impact. I have served as Council of Presidents’ Chair, National Committeewoman, and a Fundraising Co-Chair for the New York State Young Democrats. These positions have further helped me to develop relationships with elected officials and party leaders across the borough, city, and state.

What is your vision for the Brooklyn Young Democrats in the coming year?
I envision this organization to be much more than it is now. It is a continuation of the task I embarked upon almost 4 years ago, when I led a group of people who had one vision – to establish an official Young Democrats chapter in the largest Democratic county in the nation. Through hard work and dedication, and help from several colleagues, we have twice chartered the Brooklyn Young Democrats to the New York State Young Democrats convention, with 3 delegates in 2010 and 6 delegates in 2012. My goal is to once again double that number in 2014, and also to send a large number of Brooklynites to the Young Democrats of America convention this summer, where we can make connections with like-minded young people from around the country. I would like to continue to grow our chapter with members from around the borough, especially in the underrepresented areas of Central and Southern Brooklyn. Also, I want us to bring in younger members from colleges and even high schools. I believe we can also grow members through creating more issue-based committees, like the Women’s Committee which was created and has thrived under my tenure as President. We also need to make this a financially secure and sound organization. I believe that I am the right person to help lead that charge. I have spent my entire professional career as a political fundraiser. Through my contacts with elected officials and Democratic donors, I want to implement a fundraising plan which includes having multiple fundraisers a year. It is my goal to raise $2,500 dollars by the end of my term, to help fund membership growth, to aid in leadership development, and to help elect Democrats. We must be a resource for the Democratic party just as much as they are a resource for us. That is why engaging the county Democratic Party is vital to our success. The new leadership there has already expressed an interest in working with us, but we need to solidify that relationship, and show them that we are a powerful voice for the youth of our borough. Although we cannot endorse in primaries, I want to make sure we have a large role in the citywide elections this year. We need to host as many city candidates as possible at our meetings, bring back the New York State Young Democrats Straw Poll, and even try to host all of the candidates for one of the citywide offices for a debate or forum.

Stefan Ringel

Position for which you wish to run?
President

Why are you seeking this position?
I believe that all good democratic organizations need to embrace change as a way to encourage current and prospective members to be innovative and aspire to leadership. Brooklyn Young Democrats should reflect this ideal in an effort to invigorate the club.

Brooklyn Young Democrats has not come close to untapping its potential in the political world of Kings County and beyond. With a new chair on top of our county party, I believe the moment is now to make bold moves and be a galvanizing force for young people from Greenpoint to Gravesend, from Bedford-Stuyvesant to Brighton Beach.

We must build a Young Democrat chapter worthy of the largest Democratic county in this country. I believe I have the energy, the focus and the experience to bring together key resources and develop this organization. Brooklyn Young Democrats should grow into a must-join for any young person in this borough. It should be a resource for every local campaign and a driving force behind issue advocacy. This club can drive a progressive conversation and put boots on the ground to affect real reform.

This vision won’t happen overnight, but I believe that as President I can put us on this path towards stability and strength. I am pursuing this position because I believe in the mission of this organization, and working with our partners across Brooklyn I am confident we can unlock its potential.

What previous and/or relevant experiences would you be able to draw from, and what strengths would you, given your particular background, bring to position you are running for?
Since May 2011, I have served as Media Relations Director to Council Member Jumaane D. Williams, who represents East Flatbush, Flatbush, Flatlands, Midwood and Canarsie. My work and organizing in this often undeserved part of Brooklyn makes me keenly aware how this club needs to broaden and deepen its reach into every neighborhood, which is why I drove the organizing of Brooklyn Young Democrats’ "invasion" of Brooklyn College last September.

I have a good pedigree in communications strategy and implementation, including in print, radio, television and online outlets. This was recognized by City and State last year when I was named one of their "40 Under 40" Political Rising Stars. It is my hope that I can leverage contacts I have built in the media to bring positive publicity to Brooklyn Young Democrats. I also have built relationships with elected officials, labor leaders, political clubs and advocacy groups in our borough, and I feel confident I can establish partnerships for us to work together on various initiatives.

I have worked and continue to work on political campaigns throughout Brooklyn, covering areas that include Park Slope, Borough Park, Coney Island and Crown Heights. This experience has taught me the importance of outreach and how to get it done with our progressive partners across the borough. Be it organizing rallies, canvassing neighborhoods or working the phones, I believe we can train and mobilize young people to be the catalysts of change.

Since September, I have served as treasurer for Brooklyn Young Democrats. Before my appointment, the organization had no financial structure and limited resources. In the past four months, I have established our bank account, completed our first-ever filing with the State Board of Elections and helped arrange a winter party that raised hundreds of dollars and brought in dozens of new dues-paying members as well as visits from local and citywide elected office. As president, I will continue to grow the account with creative fundraising opportunities, an aggressive drive to increase membership and smart financial choices.

What is your vision for the Brooklyn Young Democrats in the coming year?

1. Provide key assistance to establish and/or strengthen College Democrats chapters at every major college and university in Kings County.
2. Decentralize organizational power and empower regional vice presidents to have stronger roles that key in on their strengths, namely by holding meetings and establishing local agendas to bring back to the larger body for taking action.
3. Grow the membership of the organization significantly.
4. Invite candidates for local and citywide office, as well as pushing to hold debates hosted by our organization.
5. Increase the bank account through creative and targeted fundraisers.
6. Partner with local clubs and advocacy organizations to tackle issue campaigns that affect Brooklyn and its future.
7. Build relationships with other local democratic clubs in the borough and across the city in an inclusive manner, to help push a broad progressive vision.

Is there any other information that you want to share?
As a leader, I am genuine in my interactions and interested in everyone’s input. I am not afraid to take decisive action or to reach out on difficult issues. I value good relationships and hard work, and I seek to empower anyone that carries a similar passion for seeing a better and brighter Brooklyn Young Democrats.

Ted Anastasiou

Position for which you wish to run?
Executive Vice President

Why are you seeking this position?
I am seeking this position to continue my work organizing on behalf of all young Democrats in Kings County. I believe that BYD, in addition to other prominent and progressive Democratic clubs in Brooklyn, has a significant role to play in advocating for young Democrats in the nation’s most Democratic county. The coming year is a crucial one in New York City politics, and I believe we need to continue to ensure that the concerns and ideas of young Democrats are heard and represented.

What previous and/or relevant experiences would you be able to draw from, and what strengths would you, given your particular background, bring to position you are running for?
I currently serve as BYD’s Northern Regional Vice President, and have previously served as Treasurer.

I have worked as a staffer for the Obama campaign for the 2008 and 2012 cycles.

In 2012, I served as the statewide Deputy Voter Protection Director for Pennsylvania for the Obama presidential re-election effort. There, I assisted the Voter Protection Director successfully create and execute the statewide voter protection program in Pennsylvania in coordination with the Obama for America national voter protection team, the Obama for America state counsel, and state Organizing for America operations in New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware. I also worked closely with campaign finance leaders, including the principals of Lawyers for Obama, New York Democratic Lawyers Council, Gen44 and members of the campaign’s National Finance Committee, to help successfully execute fundraising events for the campaign. In 2008, I served the campaign as a Deputy Field Organizer in Dayton, Ohio.

Before that, I served as the Chair of the Law School Democrats of America, the Democratic National Committee’s official law student arm, state chair of the New York Democratic Law Students Council, and President of the Brooklyn Law School Democrats.

I have extensive experience developing and implementing campaign initiatives, managing a large group of team members, and fostering and maintaining relationships with elected officials, campaign donors and community leaders. In addition to my politically-oriented work experiences and extracurricular activities, I broadened my knowledge of political advocacy and management by taking, and excelling in, courses related to the legislative process and election law. I am confident that my strong background in politics will prove beneficial to BYD’s work in the coming year.

What is your vision for the Brooklyn Young Democrats in the coming year?
I believe that there needs to be closer collaboration with all Democratic clubs and organizations in Brooklyn, such as organizing joint events and working together on important projects (e.g., voter registration, election law reform). I also believe that BYD should co-sponsor candidate forums with other Democratic groups for Brooklyn-specific and citywide races, and work to organize and drive youth turnout for the general election in November 2013.

Is there any other information that you want to share?
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to e-mail me at ted.anastasiou@obamaalumni.com.

Thank you!

Priscilla Consolo

Position for which you wish to run?
Southern Regional Vice President

Why are you seeking this position?
As a resident of southern Brooklyn my entire life, I have seen first-hand the continuous Republican attempts to take over our traditionally Democratic community. To be quite frank, I am absolutely tired and disgusted with the Republican party’s mud-slinging, lie-spreading, manipulative and ethically-questionable games they persistently play with our residents. To me, this position is much more than just a place on this club’s executive board. Rather, it is a way for me to stand up and take action against the Republican party’s ceaseless scheming political tactics. I refuse to let southern Brooklyn turn red, especially with its high volume of Democratic voters. However, that threat – "a sea of red"- is becoming more and more desired by the Republican party, who are willing to deceive voters and play dirty tricks in order to achieve this goal. By being elected to this position, I believe I will help motivate my fellow young Democrats in Southern Brooklyn to take a stand against the Republicans. As the Southern Regional Vice-President, I will be able to expose the untruths and falsifications infecting the southern part of our borough by this red-colored disease. Southern Brooklyn has never been and will never be dominantly Republican – even in the GOP’s wildest dreams.

What previous and/or relevant experiences would you be able to draw from, and what strengths would you, given your particular background, bring to position you are running for?
I have lived in southwest Brooklyn my entire life, and have been involved in the southern Brooklyn community for most of my life. I am well known within southern Brooklyn for my community service work.

Deeply rooted in her Catholic faith, I have been an extremely active member of her parish, Our Lady of Grace Church. I have been an Altar Server since she was in the fourth grade. As a veteran server in her teens, I was selected to help train and guide new servers. In addition, I have been a Lector, or lay reader, since the eighth grade. I also have been volunteering as a Teen Leader in the parish’s Teen Group Youth Ministry program since her freshman year of high school, in which I help mentor fellow adolescents and takes part in various community service activities.

In 2011, I took action against an unjust NYC Dept. of Education co-location plan that impacted her alma mater, I.S. 303. I helped lead and organize a grassroots campaign to halt the co-location proposal and protect the well being of the students of I.S. 303. The campaign was supported by Advocates for Justice, a nonprofit public interest legal firm, who then sued the city and state on behalf of the school’s parents and students. Ultimately, revisions were won for the plan, making sure that special programs, resources, and opportunities that I.S. 303 had provided in the past would remain in place, allowing our neighborhood’s children to receive the quality public education they deserve.

Currently, I am Assemblyman Colton’s Special Assistant, a position I’ve held since September 2011. Working in Assemblyman Colton’s office, I help constituents on a daily basis. I contact city, state, and federal agencies to try to solve the problems and address the concerns of local residents and businesses. Some of my victories include pressuring the Dept. of Sanitation to place additional trash receptacles in commercial areas and parks; urging the Dept. of Transportation to install speed bumps, stop signs, and traffic lights; and pushing for the repaving of uneven streets and fixing potholes.

In addition to helping constituents, I also serve as an important aide and organizer for many of Assemblyman Colton’s grassroots efforts. I have gained recognition in her community for her work with the ongoing "Speak-Up & Clean-Up" campaign sponsored by Assemblyman Colton. This grassroots initiative aims to keep our neighborhood clean and spread awareness about environmentalism. In total, it has acquired the help of over one-thousand local youth volunteers and covered over two-hundred streets in the neighborhood. As the lead organizer of the project, volunteers and I have not only physically cleaned up the community, but have also spread the word about protecting the environment and battling uncleanliness. Volunteers and I have passed out flyers and pamphlets describing sanitation laws, guidelines, and information intended for different groups in the community, such as small business owners, shoppers, residents, and home owners. The campaign has been featured in several media outlets, including in the local newspapers, and on television and radio news stations.

As part of another grassroots campaign initiated by Assemblyman Colton, I was the Project Coordinator to restore the B64 bus line to Coney Island. I attended meetings of local community boards and organizations where she discussed Colton’s plan for the restoration. On behalf of Colton, I also created and circulated petitions, acquiring close to five-thousand signatures. I obtained letters of support from neighborhood groups and leaders, and organized a rally to push the restoration, in which several hundred people attended. The Transit Workers Union-Local 100 also supported and helped with the crusade. In addition, I spoke at the July 25, 2012 MTA Executive Board Meeting, explaining the importance of restoring the vital bus line. Ultimately, the MTA announced in July 2012 that the B64 bus route to Coney Island would be restored in January 2013.

I am currently the co-chair of Assemblyman Colton’s Transportation Improvement Coalition, which aims to improve public transit in southwest Brooklyn.

I have also been involved in local political causes, where I have been able to use her leadership positions to help improve the southwest Brooklyn community. At present, I am the Southern Regional Vice-President of the Brooklyn Young Democrats. I am also the Vice-President of Membership for the United Progressive Democratic Club, as well as a member of Brooklyn Democrats for Change.

What is your vision for the Brooklyn Young Democrats in the coming year?
I believe we need to start reaching out to the younger generation of Brooklyn Democrats within our greater community. The majority of members in this club are in their mid-to-late twenties and early thirties – college graduates and full-time workers. However, we’re forgetting about the younger Democrats in Brooklyn. What about those in high school or college? Aren’t their support and help just as valuable? If I’m elected to this position, I would contact and invite students living in Brooklyn and/or attending Brooklyn high schools and colleges to join our organization. Most high schools and colleges already have democratic clubs and/or other political organizations. I would contact those clubs and organizations and inform them of the BYD’s and the importance of joining our group. The more we expand our influence, the more new members we recruit, and vice versa.

My second initiative is to gain more media coverage of the BYD’s – especially with our events. The only way to make people aware of our club and our work is to have press coverage. The local news channels and newspapers would certainly be interested in hearing about our club, especially different events we have throughout different neighborhoods in Brooklyn. As the Southern Regional Vice-President, I would set up a “Press/Communications Committee" to handle contacting the local media. This committee would be responsible for making phone calls, distributing press releases and advisories, and most importantly, developing relationships with local journalists. By gaining media exposure, we would make more people aware of our efforts, which will only further help us increase our influence and membership.

Seamus Campbell

Position for which you wish to run?
Secretary

Why are you seeking this position?
I help found the Brooklyn Young Democrats and built the groundwork for it back in 2009. I want to ensure that the organization will be in good hands with the next generation of leaders and will continue to thrive.

What previous and/or relevant experiences would you be able to draw from, and what strengths would you, given your particular background, bring to position you are running for?
I have a BS in Information Science from Fordham University have served as Webmaster to the Brooklyn Borough President and Communications Director to former State Senate candidate (and BYD member) Jason Otaño. My skills in the IT field. It forces me to me meticulous in data gathering and integrity while never overlooking even the smallest of details.

What is your vision for the Brooklyn Young Democrats in the coming year?
Ensure that the infrastructure via donations, membership lists, contact people, elected officials, etc. are in place so that all future leaders of the Brooklyn Young Democrats will be ready to take over on day 1.

Is there any other information that you want to share?
The work I have put into the Brooklyn Young Democrats is almost that of a full-time job. I love the organization and will always be there for it.

Kai Feder

Position for which you wish to run
Treasurer

Why are you seeking this position?
I believe my budgetary, project management, economic development and business development experience, in addition to my previous roles with Young Democrat organizations provide me with a substantial background to contribute to the financial management, organization growth and financial capacity of the Brooklyn Young Democrats.

I see the role of treasurer as one that will allow my strengths to benefit the organization. I hope to grow the organization’s financial capacity through strategic partnerships and a more robust fundraising program.

What previous and/or relevant experiences would you be able to draw from, and what strengths would you, given your particular background, bring to position you are running for?
As Capital Budget and Economic Development Coordinator for Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, I have actively managed of a capital budget of more than $50 million dollars. These dollars have been allocated to diverse organizations reaching across the Borough, from Greenpoint to Canarsie to Coney Island to Red Hook. I have an intimate knowledge of community organizations across the Borough, as well as the technical know-how to effectively manage organizational assets.

Furthermore, my experience in business development, gained in part from my role as a marketing associate for a premier class action litigation firm, provides me with ample background in strategic partnerships.

What is your vision for the Brooklyn Young Democrats in the coming year?
Most fundamentally, I would like to see the Brooklyn Young Democrats grow as as organization on three fronts: financials, exposure and membership. This begins with growing strategic partnership across the Borough with community, business, and political organizations. Additionally, I would like to explore other methods of collecting financial contributions to maximize membership contributions and retention.

Our February meeting will be at the United Progressive Democratic Club (29 Bay 25th St Brooklyn, NY 11214, 1 block away from the D train) at 7:30pm. For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/events/470654079665360/. If you have any questions regarding getting to the election, our Facebook page is a great forum to post and share!

No tags

Below you will see a copy of the proposed changes to our Constitution and Bylaws that are to be voted upon by our members at our next meeting, which will also serve as our elections, on February 13, 2013 at 7:30 PM at the United Progressive Democratic Club (29 Bay 25th Street, Bensonhurst).

Changes that are highlighted in green were proposed by President Amanda Pizzuti. Changes that are highlighted in yellow were proposed by Secretary Seamus Campbell. Changes that are highlighted in blue were proposed by Treasurer Stefan Ringel.

Amanda Pizzuti, Bensonhurst, Seamus Campbell, Stefan Ringel, United Progressive Democratic Club

Last night, at the Brooklyn Young Democrats 2013 Winter Party, we were presented with a proclamation from Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz by his current Chief of Staff and BYD member Jon Paul Lupo.

The text of the proclamation is as follows:

Whereas, it is a time-honored Brooklyn tradition to recognize those rare and extraordinary individuals and organizations whose steadfast commitment to public service greatly improves the quality of life of all Brooklynites; and

Whereas, President Amanda Pizzuti, and the members of the Brooklyn Young Democrats – an organization that offers ordinary people – particularly our young people – an opportunity to participate in the political process – gather with friends and supporters for their Winter Party to celebrate their accomplishments, and to reaffirm their dedication to public service for the betterment of our great borough – through advocacy and the sharing of information with the people of Brooklyn – and to carry out the democratic principles; and

Whereas, on behalf of all Brooklynites, I salute and commend President Pizzuti for her leadership, and the members of Brooklyn Young Democrats for their commitment to the mission of the organization and for all of their hard work in organizing this event, and I thank all those present for believing in the democratic process by supporting this important organization and for making Brooklyn a better place to live, work and raise a family;

Now, therefore, I, Marty Markowitz, President of the Borough of Brooklyn, do hereby proclaim Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Brooklyn Young Democrats
Winter Party Celebration
in Brooklyn, USA

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Borough of Brooklyn to be affixed this 16^th day of January 2013.

Amanda Pizzuti, Brooklyn Young Democrats, Jon Paul Lupo, Marty Markowitz

And you thought the holiday party season was OVER?

Good news, Brooklynites and Brooklyn-lovers alive! The Brooklyn Young Democrats will be holding their 2013 Winter Party on Wednesday, January 16th from 7:00 PM until 10:00 PM at Downtown Ale House, located at 121 Livingston Street!

This bar is right in the heart of Downtown Brooklyn and is the perfect location for us to enjoy food, drinks and each other’s company as we formally welcome in 2013. Current members and newcomers are more than welcome to attend! We are expecting a number of notable elected officials, as well as a veritable who’s who of young progressives here in Kings County!

Tickets will go towards 2013 membership dues for BYD. The member rate is $20 ($25 at the door), while the non-member rate is $30. For students, the cost is only $10. Eligible BYD members are registered Democrats between the ages of 16 and 36 who either live, work, or attend school in Brooklyn.

You can pre-register at https://secure.actblue.com/page/byd2013winterparty. For more information please visit our Facebook event at https://www.facebook.com/events/315388988561655/ or our event flyer below.

ActBlue, Downtown Ale House

2012 has been quite a year.

We started out with a headline-grabbing viral YouTube video made at our event then a contentious state senate race. We hosted candidates for political offices in the city, state, and federal offices. Some of our own members even ran for political office. We even had members and friends of the organization attend and even serve as delegates to the Democratic National Convention!

We helped elect Democrats across the state and nation. We may not have won every race. We may not have taken back the House nor (technically) the State Senate, but we have kept the Senate and the Presidency.

Of course, we were hit with a heavy blow when Hurricane Sandy hit. Some of us still have not yet fully recovered. But, being New Yorkers, we are bouncing-back with a force and we will be stronger than ever.

However, 2012 was a year of growth for our organization. Attendance at meetings is higher than ever before. A new Kings County Democratic Chairman was elected whom has said he wants to work to unite all of us as a party. And, just this month, we officially became a political action committee.

And now, we possibly have a nearly 11th hour deal to the fiscal cliff crisis.

2012, by far, was not an uneventful year.

In just about an hour from now, we will ring in the new year. With every city race up for grabs, 2013 will be the year in which the Brooklyn Young Democrats will shine. And the fun begins on January 16 at our Holiday Party (details TBA).

Have A Happy and Safe New Year.

No tags

It is 6 am now and the polls will be open for the next 15 hours, so make sure that you make your voice heard and vote Democratic!

We have some important election information to share with you, so please read carefully.

As you may know, because of Hurricane Sandy, many voters across the region have been displaced from their homes and many polling locations have been moved. The New York City Board of Elections has you covered. To see if your poll site has moved, please visit http://vote.nyc.ny.us/downloads/pdf/documents/boe/2012GeneralElection/pollsitechangepostsandy.pdf or text “NYCVOTES” or “DONDE” to 877877. If you are registered outside the city, contact the New York State Board of Elections at 1-855-NYS-SANDY.

If you do not know where your polling location is or who is on your ballot, you can find out by visiting http://gis.nyc.gov/vote/ps/index.htm.

If you encounter ANY problems within the five boroughs when you go vote, whether it be electioneering within 100 feet of the site’s entrance, broken machines, or even what you perceive to be someone intimidating voters to cast their ballot one way, contact the Board of Elections IMMEDIATELY by calling 1-866-VOTE-NYC or tweeting to them (@BOENYC) using the hashtag #nycvotes.

If you feel that you or someone that you know is being unfairly disenfranchised from voting please call Election Protection at 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

Yesterday, Governor Cuomo signed an executive order that will allow any displaced voter in Rockland and Westchester counties, Long Island, and New York City to vote by affidavit at any polling site within the state. However, you may not be able to vote in your local races. You will be required to sign an affidavit saying that you are registered to vote in such a location (under penalty of perjury). But, you may only vote in the races that that coincide with those of the place in which you are voting.

To put it another way, if you live in Greenpoint but will be voting in Williamsburg, many races like President, U.S. Senate, Congress, State Senate, and Assembly may be the same and you would be allowed to vote for almost all the same candidates. However, if you will be voting in Manhattan, likely, the only races in which you would be eligible to vote would be for President and U.S. Senate.

For those that want to make sure that they vote in the down-ballot races, the Board of Elections has established a shuttle service to bring people to and from their polling sites. These shuttles are expected to run every 15 minutes but have been rumored to take up to 30 minutes. If you want more information on this service, NY1 has the information posted on their website at http://www.ny1.com/content/politics/political_news/171862/buses-to-polling-sites-in-brooklyn–queens–staten-island.

Again, if you have any questions or concerns regarding voting, please contact the Board of Elections or tweet to us at @BrooklynYDs and we will do our best to provide whatever information and resources you will need.

P.S. DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!

Andrew Cuomo, Board of Elections, Election Protection, Hurricane Sandy, NY1, Voting

It has been a week since Hurricane Sandy has made landfall and we have seen the tremendous courage and strength our first responders and average people in times of need. We wanted to share a few ways in which you can help.

Due to logistical reasons (i.e. transportation and storage), some charities assisting in disaster relief ARE NOT accepting donations of food, clothes, etc.

However, the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn is currently accepting donations of non-perishable food and necessary supplies. They are also coordinating volunteer efforts on the ground. If you want more information on ways you can help, please visit their website.

The American Red Cross is in need of financial donations. To donate, please visit http://www.redcross.org/ or, to donate $10, text REDCROSS to 90999.

Finally, the New York Blood Center is in short supply of donations, so if you wish to donate, please visit http://www.nybc.org/.

As more information on volunteer and clean-up efforts arrive, we will let you know.

American Red Cross, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Brooklyn, Hurricane Sandy, New York Blood Center

This year the Downstate chapters of the Young Democrats are spending $8,000 of our regional fund to train and send people to serve as volunteer leaders in critical swing States for the last two weeks of the 2012 election. For all those people who would take off to make a difference if only they could afford it we’re making it easy – you can get a free ride on us!

Without a doubt (and this is from OFA itself) being a GOTV fellow is the most impactful thing a person in a Blue State can do with fewer than 30 days remaining days until November 6.

“Well, I just asked them what the most important thing a person could was. They told me they need people to join the GOTV Fellows Program to get trained, go away to battleground states and serve as volunteer leaders. And I was like ‘oh, hey, we can pay for people to do that.’” – Benjamin Yee, Downstate Vice President

In the past, the Downstate Chapters have been extremely active using the funds raised through their annual Keep the Changeevents; honoring people and organizations which have succeeded in bringing definable change to New York, America and the world. We’ve spent that money giving young people the opportunity to explore ways to make their own change – from giving seed funding The White Roof Project, a Manhattan Young Democrats idea which became its own non-profit; to hosting leadership summits; to sponsoring Young Democrats run canvasses for local Democrats throughout the region.

This year, Keep the Change III won’t just be honoring change makers, it will serve as a farewell bash to our battlegrounders. With free bourbon and moonshine donated by local shop Kings County Distillery, 200-300 of the city’s coolest young progressives a million ways to sign up to help out before E-Day, it should be the biggest GOTV kickoff this side of the aisle. So please join us this year as we honor those who have kept the Change and celebrate as we go off to make more!

To anyone interested in Keep the Change or being sponsored as a GOTV fellow, they should contact Benjamin Yee at ben@nysyd.net. Tickets to Keep the Change can be bought at https://secure.actblue.com/page/ktciii/.

2012 Election, Barack Obama, GOTV, Keep the Change, Mitt Romney, Obama for America, Organizing for America

In the past week, Governor Mitt Romney has been unusually gaffe prone.

In regards to the attacks on Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other officials Romney issued a statement saying “It’s disgraceful that the Obama administration’s first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks.” However, the statement was actually a series tweets and statements from the US Embassy in Cairo to the protesters outside their walls that were angered by the ‘film’ (if you saw the trailer, you too would use that term loosely) The Innocence of Muslims. The official statement (currently down) read

The Embassy of the United States in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims – as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions. Today, the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, Americans are honoring our patriots and those who serve our nation as the fitting response to the enemies of democracy. Respect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of American democracy. We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others.

Even fellow Republicans denounced Romney for his misguided response.

Strike One!

Then, in an interview for ABC’s Good Morning America that aired this past Friday, the Governor provided George Stephanopoulos with his next gaffe.

Romney said “No one can say my plan is going to raise taxes on middle-income people, because principle number one is [to] keep the burden down on middle-income taxpayers.”

Stephanopoulos asked, in response, “Is $100,000 middle income?”

To which, Romney answered “No, middle income is $200,000 to $250,000 and less.”

His campaign sent a clarifying statement that Romney was referring to household income and not personal income. However, the Census Bureau says that the medium household income is just over $50,000.

Strike Two!

Now, today, yet another gaffe has surfaced.

My dad, as you probably know, was the governor of Michigan and was the head of a car company. But he was born in Mexico… and had he been born of Mexican parents, I’d have a better shot at winning this. But he was unfortunately born to Americans living in Mexico. He lived there for a number of years. I mean, I say that jokingly, but it would be helpful to be Latino.

Strike Three!

I am starting to think that Romney, who was known as a moderate until he first starting running for President is PURPOSELY TRYING TO LOSE IN ORDER TO SAVE THE G.O.P.. Think about it, the Republican Party has gone further and further more right over the years to the extent that Sen. Bob Bennett, a Republican with a 100% conservative record lost in a primary to Mike Lee for not being conservative enough. Romney’s statements are consistently either conservative or hypocritical of other statements he has said, much like many other Republicans. My theory is that he is actively trying to destroy the party in order to save it and make it more moderate.

Think about it, I have a point.

Bob Bennett, Cairo, Christopher Stevens, Embassy, George Stephanopoulos, Good Morning America, Latino, Michigan, Mike Lee, Mitt Romney, Republican Party, State Department, The Innocence of Muslims