Good afternoon unicorns and activists, and welcome to the end of the week! So far, 2017 feels like a mixture of the best decision of my life and that time I convinced myself to sign up for the New York City Marathon. It’s a great idea in theory, but then you get there and realize most participants don’t survive on a diet of hot wings and Coors light. I think Citizen Action’s 2017 will be a tale of breathtaking actions and hard fought victories. What makes me so sure of this? Well, we already started. Just look at what we accomplished this week.
-Stanley
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Demand Everything Action at the Capital. On January 12, we joined the Alliance for Quality Education, Long Island Progressive Coalition, Metro Justice, VOCAL-NY, New York Communities for Change, 20 other organizations and hundreds of New Yorkers from across the state to participate in direct actions throughout the New York State Capitol. Calling on New York’s leaders to address the concerns facing communities across the state, the day of action culminated with a rally at the Million Dollar Staircase where participants released a new issue platform under the banner “My Family, Our New York.” Have you ever participated in an action on the Million Dollar Staircase? It gets hot by the middle of the action, I was sweating harder than Paul Ryan at an NAACP meeting. Check out the full issue platform here.
Sanctuary Cities are for the Cool Kids. On January 12, the Hudson Valley celebrated a huge victory for our undocumented allies. After weeks of protesting and grassroots organizing, Kingston Mayor Steve Noble signed the Memorializing Resolution to affirm Kingston as a Welcoming and Inclusive Community! Click here to read the story behind this decision.
Anti-Racism Workshop. On January 12, the Southern Tier brought in Debby Irving to speak with the chapter and community members about white privilege and racism. Debby’s resume is amazing. She brings the perspective of working as a community organizer and classroom teacher for 25 years without understanding racism as a systemic issue or how her own whiteness was an obstacle to grappling with it. With these lessons in hand, she’s sharing her knowledge with all who are willing to listen.
Defend our HealthCare. January 12, the Long Island Progressive Coalition, with the help of their friends at SEIU, protested in front of Congressman Zeldin’s office to let him know that Long Islanders can not afford the health care chaos that would occur if he and the Republican party repeal the Affordable Care Act. The health care bill has expanded coverage to millions of people, including 152,631 Long Islanders who would be at risk of losing their coverage if Donald Trump and friends kill the bill. Click here for a video from the action.
BLOGS
Check out this awesome post from Citizen Action Campaign Manager and local rockstar, Blue Carreker. “Leaders like Cuomo tell us that resources are limited; we have a deficit budget, and so modest advancements for the middle class are the most we can expect. But New York’s wealth is vast. New York includes a large percentage of the wealthiest people and companies in America.” Click here for the full text.
PODCAST
In New York State, 16 and 17-year-olds arrested or detained can be sent to adult prisons and jails. Despite multiple studies that show a teenager’s brain functions are not fully developed, our state insists on charging young people like adults, creating a generation of over-incarcerated youth in New York. We sat down to speak with Justice League Member Angelo Pinto about the campaign to raise the age. Click here to listen.
IN THE NEWS
Research. A new report released in collaboration with our partners makes the case for making an increased investment in quality early learning programs in the 2017 New York State budget. Click here to check out the report.
Daily Gazette. The Daily Gazette sat down with our awesome Executive Director, Karen Scharff, to discuss Governor Cuomo’s plan for the child care tax credit. Click here to see what she had to say.
My Twin Tiers. Members of the ‘Citizen Action of New York Organization rallied residents of Steuben County to voice their concern against the repeal of Obamacare. Frustrated citizens gathered at the First United Methodist Church, in Corning, to hear what’s at stake if Obamacare is completely repealed without a replacement plan.Click here for the story.
Time Warner Cable. Citizen Action’s, Metro Justice Chapter, organized about 35 high school students, parents and education advocates are at the New York State Capitol Tuesday for a big speak-out and rally for quality public education. Click here for the story.
Capital Press Room. Michael Kink, the executive director of the Strong Economy for All Coalition, and Jessica Wisneski, the Legislative and Campaigns Director for Citizen Action of New York, made the case for creating a movement in New York to defend against President-elect Trump’s policies. Click here for the story.
EVENTS
January 19. Come together and take action – weekly, we will be doing an overview of what’s happening, taking actions that will make a real difference in the lives of people in the Hudson Valley, and building our community so that we are so powerful, we can’t be ignored.Click here to sign up.
January 21. Join millions of people in Washington to advocate for Women’s Rights and protest the Trump agenda. Call the Southern Tier Citizen Action at 607.723.0110. Seats limited.
January 26. Are you in Binghamton and want to learn how to get involved in the movement? The Southern Tier chapter is holding training’s to give you the tools you need. Organizing 101 – How to Organize – basic organizing skills. For information, call Citizen Action at 607.723.0110.
TAKE ACTION!
While most of us were sleeping after midnight on Thursday, U.S. Senate Republicans took the next step toward repealing the Affordable Care Act and leaving 30 million people without insurance. They think we aren’t watching. They’re wrong. Add your name and stand for health care for all! Click here to take action.
With the potential repeal of the Affordable Care Act (both houses of Congress took the first steps this week), Citizen Action members are firing on all cylinders to publicize the consequences to New Yorkers of repeal and to urge Congress to stop this madness. One thing you can do from your living room is provide us with leads on stories of people who benefitted from Obamacare. Do you have an uncle, sister, friend or colleague who enrolled in the NY State of Health Marketplace coverage and is willing to speak out? If so, please provide their name, city, phone and email to our Policy Director, Bob Cohen, 518.465.4600 x 104 or [email protected] and he’ll follow up.
It has been ten years since a New York court ruled in favor of a lawsuit lead by parents that the state of New York must pay $5.5 billion in funding owed to public schools. Ten years later, well over a million students are attending schools still owed over $4.3 billion in funding.we are asking you to join with us in demanding an end to the terrible racial injustice in the funding of our public schools. Click here to take action.
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