New York State is worth saving.
Help Reform Albany!
 CFBNY
expresses outrage at State Legislature's Task Force on Redistricting July
20, 2011
Make your vote count... not the
votes of men in smoke filled rooms!
 Voters
powers are systematically stripped away from New York
State voters by gerrymandering... a technique to stop
challengers from competing during elections. This means
incumbents get a free ride back into office.
Wonder why our State continues to lose jobs? Because
legislators do not care.
CFBNY testified on July 20,
at 10:00 am in Rochester's City Council Chambers.
Watch video here:
Click. A new window will open.
What did we
say? To stop our formerly great New
York State from further decline, we need an
independent
redistricting commission.
Our legislators need to pass the
Governor's Bill (A.5388/S.3419) that would do this.
Other meetings are also happening around the state;
a full schedule is available on the LATFOR site.
Did you tune in? Also, members of CFBNY,
the Rochester Chapter of the League of Women Voters, and
Citizens Union (the organization behind ReShape NY) were
on the Bob Smith on AM 1370, WXXI's show on Monday, July 18, at 1:00 pm.
Public Forum on
State Redistricting held at MCC in Rochester on
May 12, 2011
President of CFBNY, Neil Jaschik
reports that "While competitive districts are
nice, it seems to me the more important thing is having
them drawn in a way so that people who win elections in
those districts are going to be responsive to their
constituents ... that there is a chance if they don't
pay attention to their constituents, they're going to
get thrown out of office in the next election".
Read more in the Rochester Democrat and
Chronicle newspaper:
Panel ponders complexities of redrawing election
districts. (Sorry, the D&C has removed the
article from their website as of July 2011.)
Do you know how
to find out government secrets in New York State?
It's hard to do... but
Sunlight New York can help. Another way is for
you to personally attend meetings: your city, school
district, fire department, town, and more of the many
agencies which regulate our lives, and usually tax us for
the privilege.
For 2011, the most important action relates
to Independent Redistricting. You can take action
in three areas:
a. call your local state Senator on the telephone.
Personally ask him / her to live up to
Koch's pledge
:
institute independent
redistricting now.
b. call up the Majority leaders of the Senate
and Assembly:
In the senate: Dean Skelos: (518)
455-3171
In the assembly: Sheldon
Silver: 518-455-3791
Tell each that you expect him/her to meet with the
Governor, and push through the Governor's version of
independent redistricting.
Save New York
State! Make votes count. Voters in Cuba (the
country) should not have more power in state elections
than citizens of New York State.
The time for Redistricting Reform is now!
 We have a
non-partisan
presentation which can be made to your
Rochester area group on how redistricting is now done
behind closed doors, and how it is being done in many
other states. One of our basic freedoms and rights
is a vote that counts. We in New York State are
being denied this right. Contact us at
cbgnyinc@gmail.com,
or use our
contact form, and one of our members will get back
to you. You can also phone us on 585-672-7052 and one of
our volunteers will get back to you.
Key Points!
- Lines will be redrawn between now and the 2012 election.
- Only current bills A03432 (Sponsor: Jeffries) and
S02543 (Sponsor: Gianaris) are acceptable. All others
are unacceptable.
- Without
the right Reform, voters will be cheated
for another 10 years.
- See the distorted and unfair districts here.
- Join us in
pushing our legislature to fix the process.
- Tell your legislators, friends, neighbors, peer groups and local
officials.
Kill Gerrymandering before it kills democracy.
The Key: You may hold one key piece to the puzzle so
please, step up!
Here is how!
|
| CFBNY joins in
mourning the passing of Jay Gallagher, on
May 24, 2010. His helping many understand
the decay in Albany will ultimately help New
Yorkers escape the grasp of the underworld. |
Broken Legislature:
The legislature has led the state to the brink
of the financial precipice.
Who cares? We do! And
we think millions of other New York State's residents
do! We've had discussions with other voting groups
who are furious with the childish behavior of our
elected officials.
You can help by signing
up for our emails on specific actions, and
by contributing dollars. Your
dollars will help us return representative
democracy to this formerly superb state! |
General Important Concerns of New York's
Citizens
People are concerned about Education, Jobs, Health
care, Property
taxes, and other important issues.
Serious problems are not being addressed because
the machinery of government in Albany is broken.
The first step to fixing New York's problems
is to fix Albany. The health of New York cannot
be restored unless the legislative process is open,
fair, democratic, deliberative, transparent, effective,
and accountable to citizens. Healthy government
is the prerequisite for a healthy State. (Why
This Matters) |
Fundamental Process Reforms
CFBNY is campaigning for fundamental process reforms
which will put our State on the road to recovery. Now is
the ideal time to press legislators for commitment
and action on reform.
Citizens demand action by our Legislature.
CFBNY is a non-partisan, statewide citizens organization
dedicated to changing New York State's government.
Our State's legislative process has been described
as the "most dysfunctional in the nation."*
Working together, citizens can help to fix our State,
and build a better future. Our ultimate goal is a healthy
State where all citizens can prosper.
* Brennan
Center for Justice at NYU School
of Law, Press Release dated 7/21/04, accompanying
publication of its report: "The New
York State Legislative Process: an Evaluation
and Blueprint for Reform" Only small changes have
been made since then. |
