It’s May now, the flowers are blooming, new life and energy is upon us, and the pollen is making us sneeze. But that doesn’t stop the Brooklyn Young Democrats, does it? Nope. We have a lot going on in the next few weeks, so here is the rundown.

This Saturday, May 5 (yes, ‘Cinco de Mayo’ or as Twitter has dubbed it ‘Cinco de Derby’), our friend (and Brooklyn Young Democrats member) Andrew Gounardes, whom is currently running for the New York State Senate, will launch his Volunteer Kickoff. It is imperative that a strong showing is made so Andrew’s campaign will snowball to victory in November against 10-year incumbent Republican Senator Marty Golden. If you can help out, please RSVP by calling 347-422-7422 or emailing volunteer@andrewgounardes.com. There will be two volunteer shifts: 11AM-1PM and 1PM-3PM. The meeting place is the campaign’s headquarters at 351 87th Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11209 (the office is located in the basement). For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/events/295944473820446/.

Not to be out done, our friends at the White Roof Project will be having their Kickoff Backyard BBQ on Sunday, May 6 from 1 to 5pm at 11BC Garden (626 East 11th Street, New York, NY, 10009). For a suggested donation of just $10, you can spend some time with some friends and make some new ones. Did we mention it will be all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink? And it all goes towards reducing greenhouse gas. How can you not attend? To RSVP, please do so via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/337358759652976/.

Finally, next Wednesday, May 9, 2012, we will he holding our May meeting. We will be holding it at Floyd, NY (131 Atlantic Avenue) at 7:30pm. With the NYSYD 2012 Convention just 2 weeks away and petitioning season right around the corner, we will have a lot to discuss. And when we’re done, we can all play a few rounds of bocce! For more information, please check out the Facebook event at https://www.facebook.com/events/227867043988955/.

That’s all we have for you for now. Hopefully, these cloudy days will pass soon so we can get an early tan since summer is just around the corner. Just make sure to not get burned.

11BC Garden, Albany, Andrew Gounardes, Bocce, Cinco de Derby, Cinco de Mayo, Floyd, Marty Golden, NYSYD, NYSYD 2012 Convention, White Roof Project

On April 28, 2011, the Brooklyn Young Democrats were dealt a devastating blow: our Northern Regional Vice President Hope Reichbach passed on. We still remember her tireless work of public service and community organizing.

As such, we feel that it is necessary to commemorate all of her passion and service by raising funds for the organization she helped build and the memorial fund in her name. Money raised will help pay for the Brooklyn Young Democrats’ delegation to the NYSYD Convention as well as the Hope Reichbach Memorial Fund (donations to the latter are tax-deductible).

We will be meeting at one of our favorite restaurants, Eamonns (174 Montague Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11201), at 5:30 on Saturday, April 28, 2012. For more information and to RSVP, please check out the Facebook event at https://www.facebook.com/events/276734722418184/. The suggested donation is $20 with half going to the Brooklyn Young Democrats and the other half going to the Memorial Fund.

Our table will be downstairs. We can order a la carte and there is also an Early Bird dinner special from 4pm to 6pm which is $14.95 for a 2 course meal including coffee.

See you on Saturday.

Eamonns, Hope Reichbach, Hope Reichbach Memorial Fund, NYSYD

Thank you to everyone who came out to last night’s Keep the Change II: The Change Strikes Back event. We had a great turnout and had a great time. If you want to see some photos of the event, please check out http://www.brooklynyds.com/media/photos/keep-the-change-ii-change-strikes-back/ or the photos taken by my friend, Jon Reznick at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.261774907199303.60615.100001003878236.

Below, I have posted the audio of the opening remarks by NYSYD Downstate Vice President Ben Yee. I also have, below that, remarks by NYC Comptroller John Liu, community activist Majora Carter, and Assemblyman Matt Titone, all of whom were given awards for the work in exposing the CityTime scandal, cleaning up the South Bronx, and figting for marriage equality, respectively.

Ben Yee, CityTime, John Liu, Jon Reznick, Keep the Change, Majora Carter, Marriage Equality, Matt Titone, NYSYD, South Bronx

This week, we were dealt a rough hand with Bob Turner winning the special congressional election in the 9^th Congressional District. But, being a Young Democrat is more than winning elections, it is also staying true to core Democratic issues like the environment, charity, and an appreciation for the arts. And this weekend is filled with events that help those causes flourish.

Tomorrow, Saturday, September 17, Assemblyman William Colton and his office will be running a community clean-up. Keeping our streets clean ensures that we will take pride in our community and do our best to keep our city prosperous for generations to come. If you are interested in attending, please meet up at 155 Kings Highway, cleaning up Avenue X, Avenue U, McDonald Avenue in Gravesend, Brooklyn. For more information, please visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=112733835497714.

10 years ago this week, a tragedy hit our nation that we will never forget. With understanding that friendly rivalries can be used as a source of good the New York State Young Democrats and New Jersey Young Democrats have organized a charity softball game. The proceeds will go to the 9/11 Widows Foundation. In attendance will be Ken Zebrowski of Rockland County (NY), who plans to play shortstop, and Assemblyman Ruben Ramos of Hoboken (NJ). The game will be held on Sunday, September 18, at
Mamma Johnson’s Field in Hoboken, NJ with opening pitch at 3pm. For more information, please visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=243346212366460.

For those of you who do not want to travel out to New Jersey, there is an great event right in our backyard. On Sunday, from 10am-6pm, Borough President Marty Markowitz and the Brooklyn Literary Council will be hosting the 6^th Annual Brooklyn Book Festival at Borough Hall Plaza. With over 250 authors and 12 different stages, the Brooklyn Book Festival highlights the literary culture of Brooklyn and has grown to be the biggest book festival in the north-east. And as its PSA that you may have seen on television recently says, “It’s hip! It’s smart! It’s diverse! And it’s free!” Featured authors for this year’s festival include Pete Hamill, Eoin Colfer, Senator Joseph Liberman, former Brooklyn Congressman Major Owens, Joyce Carol Oates, Toure, Adam Mansbach, Wallace Shawn, and Colson Whitehead. Also, be sure to vote for your favorite author in the AT&T Brooklyn Book Festival Fan Fave contest; the top three authors, as voted upon, will get, respectively, $3,500, $2,500 and $1,500 toward the charity of their choice. Go to BrooklynBookFestival.org for more information.

Finally, for months now, the Brooklyn Young Democrats have been staunch advocates of redistricting reform. We have held rallies calling on Senators Jack Martins, Greg Ball, and Marty Golden to keep the promise they made when they signed the NY Uprising pledge. We have told our elected officials that we will hold them accountable for their actions. But now, it is time for us to tell them what the effect redistricting without an independent commission will have on our say in our democracy. On Tuesday, September 20, the NYS Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment (LATFOR) will hold a public hearing regarding redistricting and they want your input on how the legislative district lines should be drawn. The LATFOR public hearing will be held from 8am to 6pm at Brooklyn Borough Hall (209 Joralemon Street). For more information, please visit http://www.latfor.state.ny.us/hearings/20110912/.If you wish to testify before the task force, you must sign up beforehand by filling out and submitting the form found on that page.

We may have lost one battle this week, but the war to promote and protect our values and issues continues on and we won’t stop fighting.

Adam Mansbach, Bob Turner, Brooklyn Book Festival, Brooklyn Borough Hall, Brooklyn Literary Council, Colson Whitehead, Eoin Colfer, Greg Ball, Jack Martins, Joseph Liberman, Joyce Carol Oates, Ken Zebrowski, LATFOR, Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment, Mamma Johnson's Field, Marty Golden, Marty Markowitz, New Jersey Young Democrats, New York State Young Democrats, NYSYD, Owens, Pete Hamill, Ruben Ramos, Softball, Toure, Wallace Shawn, William Colton

One year ago today, the Brooklyn Young Democrats were officially chartered as a chapter at the New York State Young Democrats’ convention. Since then, we have campaigned for State Senate candidates and Mike McMahon, held a straw poll for the state Attorney General race, participated in rallies for redistricting reform, hosted a fundraiser for our state organization, and co-sponsored numerous events across the city and state, but we’re just getting started. Here’s what we have going on over the next few weeks:

Tomorrow evening, the NYSYD High School Caucus is having a comedy show fundraiser that BYD is co-sponsoring. All proceeds will empower them to help organize young people around a common desire for progress in our state and across the country, and the belief that no one is too young to make a difference. Tickets are just $15 for Young Democrats. You can register at https://secure.actblue.com/page/nysyd_hc_comedy. For more details, please go to http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=152317988167532.

On Thursday, we will be having a small get together at Apartment 138 (138 Smith Street, Brooklyn) at 7:30. For more details, please check out the Facebook event at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=166030770126854.

This Friday, May 27, at 10 AM, at Columbus Park-Brooklyn Borough Hall Plaza, a tree will be planted in memory of our late Northern Regional Vice President, Hope Reichbach. This event is being sponsored by the Offices of Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and Councilman Stephen Levin.

On Thursday, June 2nd, at 7 PM, the Thomas Jefferson Democratic Club (77 Conklin Avenue, Canarsie) will be having a ‘Law Night.’ Attendees will include Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes, President of the Metropolitan Black Bar Association Joe Drayton, Kings County Civil Court Judge Betty Williams, Kings County Law Chairman Frank Carone, and TJ Club Law Chairwoman Lara Genovesi. We encourage all of you to attend.

If you are interested in being a delegate at the YDA National Convention (July 28, 2011 – July 31, 2011 in Louisville, Kentucky), please fill out the sign-up form located at http://www.nysyd.org/blog/register-for-the-yda-convention-in-louisville-july-28-2011-july-31-2011-53/ before June 3rd.

Make sure to mark your calendars for June 11th. We are in the process of organizing a Rally for Redistricting Reform, this time focusing on Brooklyn’s own Senator Marty Golden, with our friends from the other Downstate Young Democrats chapters. More information to follow.

Finally, tomorrow is the special election to fill the vacancy in New York’s 26th Congressional District. If you have a few free minutes in the next day, please go to http://www.dccc.org/page/contact/splash/ny26 in order to make calls for Kathy Hochul.

Apartment 138, Borough Hall, Charles Hynes, Downstate Region, High School Caucus, Hope Reichbach, Kathy Hochul, Louisville, Marty Connor, Marty Markowitz, Mike McMahon, NYSYD, Redistricting Reform, Stephen Levin, Thomas Jefferson Democratic Club, YDA

Last Saturday, the Brooklyn Young Democrats joined the New Roosevelt Initiative and over a dozen other groups that included the Dutchess County Young Democrats, Westchester Young Democrats, Queens County Young Democrats, Manhattan Young Democrats, New York State Young Democrats, New York State Young Democrats Caucus of Color, College Democrats of New York, New York Civic, Act Now, New York Democratic Lawyers Council, New York Democratic Law Students Council, Peekskil Democratic City Committee, and Tribeca for Change to send Senator Greg Ball a message: keep your word.

While running in the 40th State Senatorial District, Senator Ball signed Mayor Ed Koch’s NY Uprising Plan, which included redistricting reform. In fact, the sign I was holding was a copy of his signed pledge. Senator Ball, yesterday, said in a statement on his blog "I think they are either misinformed or lost, because I have supported and passed constitutional, fair, non partisan redistricting in the Senate and I would further support truly independent redistricting based upon geography and demographics." However, what he fails to point out is that the plan that he signed on to does not go into effect until 2022! Mayor Koch himself has said that the Senate Republicans’ plans are contrary to his intent. In other words, he (and we) want redistricting reform NOW!

Us rallying for Senator Ball to keep his promise

Us rallying for Redistricting Reform

Me speaking

Ted Anastasiou, Democratic Law Students Council President (and a Brooklyn Young Democrat) speaking.

Us holding copies of Senator Greg Ball’s pledge

Following the rally, during lunch, yours truly was "tiger pinned" by Bill Samuels, founder of the New Roosevelt Initiative. In other words, I am officially a hero of reform. (Bill wanted me to kneel since he find pinning someone to be like a knighting ceremony. I complied.)

Photos from the rally can be seen at http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.199931866716185.48239.120449921331047 (photos used here are copied from there (Photos Courtesy Jackie Topol at JackieTopol.com))

News about the rally:

• A Dozen Local and Statewide Activist Groups Rally to Demand Putnam State Senator Greg Ball Pass Independent Redistricting
  (Press Release)
• Activists Call on Ball to Honor Redistricting Pledge – Chappaqua-Mount Kisco, NY Patch
• Ball not fulfilling redistricting pledge, groups say | Politics on the Hudson
• Groups to protest Ball’s stance on redistricting | Politics on the Hudson
• Groups to rally Saturday against Ball | Politics on the Hudson
• Redistricting talks at a standstill as end of session nears | Press & Sun-Bulletin

Act Now, Benjamin Kallos, Bill Samuels, Brooklyn Young Democrats, College Democrats of New York, Dutchess County Young Democrats, Ed Koch, Greg Ball, Manhattan Young Democrats, New York Civic, New York Democratic Law Students Council, New York Democratic Lawyers Council, New York State Young Democrats, New York State Young Democrats Caucus of Color, NY Uprising, NYSYD, Peekskil Democratic City Committee, Queens County Young Democrats, Seamus Campbell, Ted Anastasiou, Tribeca for Change, Westchester Young Democrats

May 1^st is International Workers Day and this year New York’s labor, religious, and immigrant communities will be joined by Young Democrats from across the region to rally for workers rights, immigrant rights, and jobs for all. If you can make it, please come to Foley Square at 1pm for a May Day Rally. Labor leaders, members of the faith community, immigrant rights advocates, and others will speak to the crowd and entertainment will be provided. Wear blue and come show your support for workers.

And don’t miss the Downstate Young Democrats Young Workers After Party at 4pm at the Reade Street Pub and Kitchen. We’ll throw back a pitcher and continue to rally for workers rights only a few short blocks away from Foley Square. For more information, please contact Ben Yee, NYSYD Downstate Region Vice President at ben@nysyd.net or check out the Facebook event at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=182309268483869.

Ben Yee, Faith, Foley Square, Immigration, Labor, NYSYD

You hear right, this weekend (April 9-10), you, the Young Democrats, can get tickets to the New York State Young Democrats fundraiser “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn; Planting the Seeds of Tomorrow, Today” (which is happening in our backyard at Brooklyn Brewery) for only FIVE DOLLARS!

If you want to jump on this offer, please register at https://secure.actblue.com/page/nysyd-tree

But just remember, this price is available for this weekend only, so act now. For more information, please go to http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=183607668349945

ActBlue, Brooklyn Brewery, Jay Jacobs, NYSYD, Young Democrats

Thanks to everyone who braved the elements last night and made it to our January meeting. This blog post is meant as a follow-up about what we discussed and what we plan to do moving forward.

Recently, the New York State Young Democrats (the parent organization of the Brooklyn Young Democrats) launched a podcast. The first episode features NYSYD President Kevin Lawrie interviewing New York Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs about various things ranging from an average day in the life of a party chairman to the interaction between the national, state, and county Democratic committees to the recent tragedy in Tuscon (you can download the first episode at http://www.nysyd.org/podcast/Podcast-01-20-11-edited.mp3). You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes at http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/nysyd-podcast/id415978706 or at http://www.nysyd.org/podcast/nysyd-podcast.xml.

Also, NYSYD recently created a RSS feed of its blog, to which you can subscribe at http://www.nysyd.org/rss/rss.php.

If you wish to start receiving emails from NYSYD. You can do so by going to http://www.brooklynyds.com/join-us/join-nysyd-mailing-list/.

The Young Democrats of America will be having their 2011 Winter Meeting will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada from February 25 – 27, 2011. Regular registration will then open and remain open until February 11, 2011 and can be done online at https://yda.wiredforchange.com/o/720/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=13240. At that time pre-registration will close.  After February 11, 2011, you may only register on-site for a fee of $75.00.

Furthermore, the YDA 2011 National Convention will be held July 27 – 30, 2011 in Louisville, Kentucky. For all of the latest updates, please go to http://www.yda2011.org/.

As we go into our first full year as an officially chartered young democrats chapter, we need to start focusing on what type of chapter we will be: what we will do, advocate, teach, etc. However, we cannot start to build that framework without your input. That is why we ask that you go to http://www.brooklynyds.com/events/were-open-for-new-ideas/ and submit your ideas in the comment box at the bottom of the page. If you wish to get notifications about further responses and/or you want to start a dialogue with other people that also submit ideas, please check the box where it says “Notify me of followup comments via e-mail.”

We will be having our elections on February 23, 2011. The positions that you can run for are President, Executive Vice President, Northern Brooklyn Regional Vice President, Central Brooklyn Regional Vice President, Southern Brooklyn Regional Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The requirements to be eligible to run and/or vote in our elections is that you must have paid your dues and have been to one previous meeting in the past year. Our dues are $5/year/member, however, an extra $5 donation is suggested (bringing the dues up to a whopping $10). Please pay your dues at our next meeting.

Once the details regarding our elections are finalized, the details will be emailed to all of you and posted on our website.

Enjoy the snow!
Brooklyn Young Democrats

Elections, iTunes, Jay Jacobs, Kentucky, Kevin Lawrie, Las Vegas, Louisville, Nevada, New York State Young Democrats, NYS Democratic Party, NYSYD, Podcast, RSS Feed, YDA, Young Democrats of America

Our friends at the New York State Young Democrats (NYSYD) have debuted their brand new podcast. The first episode has NYSYD President Kevin Lawrie interviewing New York State Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs.

The link on the NYSYD blog can be found at http://www.nysyd.org/blog/nysyd-podcast-a-discussion-with-jay-jacobs-42/, but if you want to hear it directly, please go to http://www.nysyd.org/podcast/Podcast-01-20-11-edited.mp3.

The podcast is also coming to iTunes in the next coming days. When it is live, I will post a link for you to signup for it on iTunes.

iTunes, Jay Jacobs, Kevin Lawrie, New York State Young Democrats, NYS Democratic Party, NYSYD, Podcast