How are you doing today? After watching Hillary Clinton drag the Donald across national television, I must admit that my heart is at ease. Seriously guys, I knew he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but it was surreal watching him struggle to put together a coherent statement. The debate was filled with plenty of highlights, but this was my favorite moment. Did you watch the debate, what were your favorite moments? Hillary’s performance at Love and Hip Hop D.C reunion episode the debate was exactly what I needed to see to get the blood flowing and was a great reminder of all of the work we have ahead of us. Speaking of work, we were our usual awesome selves. Check it out below.
-Stanley
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Debate Crashers: The presidential debate wasn’t the only interesting thing that took place at Hofstra University. On September 26, hours before Hillary Clinton was forced to go toe to toe with bankruptcy’s human form, members from Citizen Action’s Capital District Chapter and the Long Island Progressive Coalition joined forces with Fight for 15 workers to demand a $15 minimum wage increase at the federal level. Both candidates have promised to look after struggling families, one of the best ways to do that is to give them a raise. Click here for the news story.
National Voter Registration Day. A day after watching our future president debate a dried up orange on national television, Citizen Action members hit the streets on National Voter Registration Day and did their part to activate voters. Mass voter registration drives took place in New York City, Kingston, New York, the Hudson Valley, Capital District, Utica and every single nook and cranny of New York State. The voter registration deadline is around the corner and we did our part to make sure each and every person is equipped to perform their civic duty. Don’t believe me? Just take a glance at the fiery intensity in our state board member Margaret Segall’s eyes. She’s so focused on registering voters, she didn’t even notice me snapping this photo of her, and now her magnificent image belongs to the interwebs.
Sara Niccoli is Bad Ass. Well technically, that’s not the subject of this update. The update is that members from the Hudson Valley Chapter, hit the streets of Kingston, to speak to their community about Sara and flipping the New York State Senate. But let’s get back to Sara, and how bad ass she is. As we speak, she and her husband are on their farm chasing coyotes off their property. Yes, you read that correctly, Sara is being all kinds of bad ass protecting her sheep from coyotes, while I sit here trying to find a way to avoid the squirrel that hangs out on my front porch. Teach me Sara… teach me.
Close Rikers Island. On September 24, Citizen Action members from across the state joined protestors in Queens to demand the closure of Rikers Island. The jail complex has had a poor reputation for its treatment of prisoners and notoriously poor lodging conditions. In response to years of turmoil and unnecessary deaths, these protestors are demanding that Mayor de Blasio close the jail down.
BLOGS
On August 5, the Movement for Black Lives released an extensive policy platform that details tangible legislative and social demands for black lives. After going through their demands, I wrote a blog sharing my thoughts on how we could support them as allies. Click here for that blog.
IN THE NEWS
Politico: Frustrated with the media’s attempt to hold them accountable for troubling classroom practices, charter school organizations, Success Academy and Families for Excellent Schools, have decided the best way to show they prioritize “quality education” over everything, is to organize a rally during a school day, close all of their schools and have the students attend that event instead. Seems legit. Click here for more.
EVENTS
2016 marks the tenth year since New York State’s highest court ruled on the Campaign for Fiscal Equity (CFE) school funding lawsuit. In 2006, the NYS Court of Appeals ruled in CFE’s favor and found that New York State is violating students constitutional right to a “sound and basic education” by leaving schools without the funding necessary. 10 years later high needs school districts are still denied the funding they are owed. On October 2, Join the Alliance for Quality Education, as they begin a nine-day march to the capital to demand the state pay the $3.9 billion they owe schools. Now it’s time to deliver the bill! Click here to RSVP
On October 20, Join us for the 20, Annual Jim Perry Progressive Leadership Awards. This year’s honorees include; Taina Asili, Taina Asili y La Banda Rebelde, Patricia Cuomo, CWA, Mark Emanatian, CDALF, Dr. Alice Green, The Center for Law and Justice Albany, Becky Meier and Robert Connors, Stop NY Fracked Gas Pipeline. Click here to RSVP
TAKE ACTION!
Payday loan sharks are taking advantage of working class families struggling to make ends meet.They do this by trapping families in debt by charging over 300% in annual interest. Tell the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to close the loopholes and create strong protections that end this debt trap! Click here to take action.
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