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  • Vote Green, Peace, Flower by Shawna Cole

    The Green Party of New York State regained automatic ballot status by getting over 50,000 votes for their Governor candidate in 2010. Look for us soon on your voter registration form and your ballot.

    Gaining ballot status enables the Green Party to run more peace candidates, more single-payer candidates, more anti-fracking candidates, and more sustainable energy candidates.

    The last time that the Green Party of New York State had ballot status it set the record for running the most Green candidates of any state.

    The Green Party is an alternative party to the Democrats and Republicans. The four pillars of the Green Party are: Nonviolence/Peace; Grassroots Democracy; Social and Economic Justice; and Ecological Wisdom.

    If you are interested in getting involved in the Green Party of Suffolk,you can call 631-351-5763 or email info@gpsuffolk.org

    You can enroll in the Green Party by checking the box marked "Green Party" on the voter registration form and writing in the word "Green" on the line next to it. Click here to find a voter registration form.

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Yet (Dewdrop) by Wilder & Frazzitta

Posted on May 28, 2012 by wilderside

The poem Yet by Ian Wilder appears on the last track of Jim Frazzitta’s first solo album, Twenty Years Below. The poem is read over an acoustic composition, Dewdrop. Recorded live at Frazzitta’s Folk Groovin’ Cafe on May 26, 2012. Vox: Wilder, Acoustic Guitar: Jim Frazzitta, Handmade 12-string Hollow Body Electric Guitar: Paul Fiemanhttp://www.myspace.com/jimfrazzitta  Read more »

Filed under: Art, local, long island, Long Island Music, music, poetry, suffolk county, video | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Memorial Day Weekend: Think PEACE events on Long Island

Posted on May 26, 2012 by kwilder

Memorial Day weekend offers many chances for people who cherish peace to reach out to their neighbors, and discuss the importance of ending war. This morning, Long Island activists demonstrated for peace at an annual air show, which glorifies military might. That story below. Afterwards, two Long Island peace events you can still attend this holiday weekend.

An excerpt from Newsday:
(Newsday is subscription-only)

…About 35 demonstrators stood at the entrance to the show [The Air Show at Jones Beach] near pink ribbons they’d tied to a railing. They stood in a line holding photos of members of the U.S. military who have died in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Judy Gardner, 65, of Huntington said, “I want people to remember Memorial Day isn’t a day to glorify war but to remember people who’ve lost their lives. The air show, she said, “leads young people [to] think war is a game. It’s not a game.”…

[Note on crowd estimate: The demonstration lasted several hours. An activist report says there were 60 peace demonstrators there. Newsday says 35. Discrepancy could be in time counted.]

Sunday, May 27th, demonstrate for peace in Patchogue
Monday, May 28th, demonstrate for peace in Bellport

See details at readmore… Read more »

Filed under: Action Alert!, activism, local, long island, Long Island news, Long Island Politics, News, Peace, progressive politics, US Politics, war | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Is there a coming Reverse Mortgage Crisis?

Posted on May 24, 2012 by wilderside
Sign of the times - Foreclosure

I spent a dozen years in private practice as an attorney.  During that time, I was engaged in residential real estate.  It is a pleasant practice, helping people buy the home they want.  I especially enjoyed working with first-time  home-buyers.  It was gratifying to guide people through the financial and legal paths to their goal.  I don’t claim to have any exceptional financial savvy.  I merely had the benefit of seeing the same transaction of home purchasing in innumerable different circumstances.

Helplessly Hoping

I would say around 2007, I became concerned about patterns I saw developing in the housing market.  I tried to warn my clients, but it is human nature to expect good times to last forever and bad ones to pass quickly. Unfortunately, neither is axiomatic.   In fairness,  I do not know if I came across as having any more of an authority than the pollyanna media of the time.  I had, and still have, no impressive financial credentials to burnish my observations.

I watched as home prices rose meteorically.  Builders’ profits increased 10-fold. Read more »

Filed under: activism, economy, News, politics, US Politics | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Budget decisions in Nassau County: On 5/21/2012 Battle to keep important, human services

Posted on May 20, 2012 by kwilder

[As many of our readers know, The Wilders have little faith in Democratic politicians or Republican politicians to decide things fairly and for the 99%. Though, people in Nassau County should definitely pay attention to this struggle and express their interest in well-funded health and welfare services for those in need. Please consider lobbying Nassau County legislators and/or activating your neighbors to demand fair funding.] [Consider going to the Nassau County Legislature on Monday, May 21st.*]

On Monday, May 21st, the Nassau County Executive is asking the legislature to vote to totally end funding for essential human health and welfare services for its citizens. This will include:

The Office of Youth Services;
The Office of Senior Affairs;
The Office of Mental Health, Chemical Dependency and Developmental Disabilities Services;
Elimination of the Red Light Camera Dedicated Fund (currently dedicated to the above)
[Editor's Note: Currently, the proposal would not eliminate red light cameras, it would simply change where the money from them goes.] Read more »

Filed under: activism, local, long island, Long Island Politics, News, progressive politics | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

No NATO protests in Chicago: Police move in, updates, etc.

Posted on May 20, 2012 by kwilder

NATO protest Live Streaming from Chicago:

At Tim Pool’s Timcast: here

At OccupiedAir: here

FrontLine Tweeting by Occupied Air:
@occupied_air

It is 6:19pm local time in Chicago/7:10pm EST. Some updates: Read more »

Filed under: Action Alert!, activism, News, Occupy Wall Street, progressive politics | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

This is Not Cool: Murderers, Tyrants, and Madmen

Posted on May 20, 2012 by wilderside

Recently, the Heartland Institute, a hotbed of Climate Contrarianism, posted a billboard near a Chicago freeway. The Billboard suggested that those who accept mainstream science in regard to climate change, are like Ted Kaczinsky, the Unabomber.
Heartland promised to follow up with similar billboards featuring Fidel Castro, Osama Bin Laden, and Charles Manson.
When a scathing barrage of internet protests and parodies went viral, Heartland was forced to withdraw the billboard, and post a defense on its website. Even then, they continued to maintain that “the most prominent advocates of global warming are not scientists, they are murderers, tyrants, and madmen.”

IW:  Unfortunately Thatcher did not recognize that her militarism was the greatest contributor to global climate change.

Filed under: Action Alert!, activism, Ecology, economy, energy, Environment, Global Warming, grassroots democracy, News, politics, video | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

No NATO and G8 Protests: Updates, info, and reflections

Posted on May 20, 2012 by kwilder

Live Streaming from Chicago. (Active as of 6:26 EST):
www.ustream.tv/occupiedair

Live Streaming from Timcast (Tim Pool) in Chicago: http://www.ustream.tv/timcast
Just started streaming at 12:30 local, Chicago time/1:30 EST
Tim Stream live as of 6:27pm, though in and out with wireless zones

_____________________________

The powers that be had originally scheduled The NATO Summit and THE G8 to happen around the same time, in the same city, Chicago. When it appeared that the American people would respond with massive demonstrations and righteous anger about war and exploitation, the powers that be changed the G8 meeting to Camp David, which is a secure, military installation. Many activists, and especially the Occupy movement, decided logistically to focus on Chicago and NATO. Though, you can see a great flier that shows how NATO and The G8 are similar problems: here.

With the tactical decision to focus on Chicago, the protests in Camp David, Maryland have been much smaller. Here is an article covering both events at The Guardian UK.

Photos from G8 at Camp David: here. (Includes image of lots of politicians, and one protester.)

_____________________________

For information about events in Chicago, where NATO is meeting, you can got to Occupy Chicago: here.

Two important events:

The big march of the No NATO events seems to be today, Sunday May 20th, starting from Grant Park/Chicago. We have heard a start time of 2pm or 3pm.

Shut Down Boeing demonstration will happen on Monday, May 21st.

As of 6:15pm EST in Chicago: Reports are that the march has been mostly peaceful. But, there have been some clashes with police and some arrests. Currently, the police are moving at the end of the march, as it were. Reports that the Chicago Police has warned they will use noise weapons. Read more »

Filed under: Action Alert!, activism, afghanistan, Anti-War, News, nonviolence, Occupy Wall Street, politics, progressive politics, US Politics, war | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

No Impact Man running for Congress on Green Party line

Posted on May 19, 2012 by wilderside

INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED ENVIRONMENTALIST
LAUNCHES RUN FOR U.S. CONGRESS
CITING NEED FOR MASSIVE REORGANIZATION
OF GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS TO DEAL WITH WORLD CRISES

No Impact ManA New York City author whose book and documentary film No Impact Man helped bring climate change into popular consciousness today announces his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives. Colin Beavan PhD will run on the Green Party ticket in New York’s 8th Congressional District, following the vacancy left by the retirement of Representative Edolphus Towns.

Beavan rose to prominence as a spokesman for the international environmental movement after worldwide press and media interest followed the release of his film and book. His campaign, citing “growing world crises” in climate, environment, economics, and energy production, calls for a complete change in economic priorities including an end to consumption-based economics, massive decentralization of government and business, and huge investment in local communities.

“The economic system is supposed to make people safer and happier, but it can no longer do that because it wasn’t designed to deal with our new planetary crises,” says Beavan. “The tired old Democratic/Republican debate over taxation isn’t going to fix it. We need to create a new, more stable system based on investment in people and local communities instead of shareholders and corporations. We have to face up to climate change, the end of oil, and the failure of consumption to make people happy. Robust local economies help solve all these problems.”  Read more »

Filed under: 3rd party, Action Alert!, activism, Election 2012, grassroots democracy, Green Party, new york, New York State Politics, News, politics, third party | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

NYCLU: Kelly’s Stop-and-Frisk Letter is PR, Not Reform

Posted on May 18, 2012 by wilderside
Report: NYPD Stop-and-Frisk Activity in 2011

Report: NYPD Stop-and-Frisk Activity in 2011

 Until the mayor and police commissioner recognize that the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk program is fundamentally broken, the steps outlined today by NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly to “increase public confidence” in the Department will do nothing to reform a practice that regularly violates the constitutional rights of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers from communities of color, said the leadership of the New York Civil Liberties Union.

NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman said:

It’s clear the police commissioner is feeling political pressure around the NYPD’s abusive stop-and-frisk program, but this response is nothing more than a desperate public relations attempt. The mayor and commissioner need to give up the spin and recognize that the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk program is fundamentally broken. The NYPD is out of control, and the culture and practices of the Department need a full-scale overhaul so that the fundamental rights of all New Yorkers are respected and all communities can trust and respect the police.

In response to discriminatory policing practices like the abuse of stop-and-frisk, the NYCLU and our allies in Communities United for Police Reform are working to pass the Community Safety Act, a series of City Council bills that would strengthen the definition of discrimination, ensure that New Yorkers understand their right to not consent to searches where no probable cause or warrant exists, and require that NYPD officers identify themselves when conducting stop-and-frisks or engaging in other police activities. In the coming weeks a bill will be introduced creating an NYPD Inspector General’s office.

The NYCLU is also helping to organize a Father’s Day march with 1199 SEIU, the NAACP, the National Action Network and dozens of other labor, civil rights and community organizations to demand an end to the NYPD’s abuse of stop-and-frisk.

Related articles  Read more »

Filed under: Action Alert!, activism, grassroots democracy, new york, New York State Politics, News | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Live: RobinHood Tax March: First, big anti-NATO demonstration in Chicago

Posted on May 18, 2012 by kwilder

Update on Sunday May 20th:

It is 6:22pm local, Chicago time, and 7:22pm EST.

Police and the end of the protest march are facing off in Chicago.

Our post with links and updates: here.

Or, go straight to Timcast Live Stream: here.
____________________________

Robin Hood Tax March post from 5/18/2012:

At 2:30pm EST Tom Morello takes the stage!

If the video below cuts out, here is another link for Live Streaming:
www.livestream.com/globalrevolution

Today in Chicago is a march initiated by a nurses union, National Nurses United. The National Nurses United group is seeking a financial transaction tax on Wall Street. This is a kind of opening event for the upcoming demonstrations against NATO. The event has been mentioned in USA today already. Tom Morello is on the stage, singing “This Land is Your Land” (with the secret verses!).

More info, and live blogging at OccupyWallSt.org:
LIVE: #RobinHoodTax March in Chicago

Enhanced by Zemanta

Filed under: activism, News, nonviolence, Occupy Wall Street, politics, progressive politics, social & economic justice, US Politics | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Green Party of Suffolk Joins Move to Amend: Brookhaven

Posted on May 17, 2012 by wilderside
Green Party of Suffolk

Green Party of NYS ballot symbol

The Green Party of Suffolk has become a part of Move to Amend: Brookhaven (movetoamend.org/ny-brookhaven).  Spearheaded by Lauren Carmichael, Brookhaven‘s division of Move to Amend, like others throughout the country, is seeking to proclaim:

• Corporations and unions are not people and are not endowed with inalienable human rights.

• Money is not speech (money is property), and therefore, regulating political contributions and spending is not equivalent to limiting political speech.

• Communities have the right to protect, our land, our environment, our homes, our health, and all of our citizens (children, elders, workers, the sick and the poor) against actions which overturn our democratically enacted laws.

And so, to protect our democracy, our health, our lives, our families, our communities and our futures, we move to amend the United States Constitution to affirm that only real people - human beings - are sovereign and entitled to inalienable human rights protected under the Constitution.

According to Carmichael,

We at Move to Amend Brookhaven are committed to mobilizing, educating, and involving folks in our community to join us in asking our council members to show support for the 28th Amendment movement by passing a resolution that states that money is not speech (money is property) and therefore regulating political contributions and spending is not the equivalent to limiting political speech; corporations and unions are not people and are not endowed with inalienable human rights.  After researching what the Greens stand for, I came to the conclusion that the Greens are the party that can move our country forward.  The Greens are not bought and sold by the corporations that are driving our country into a death spiral.  

Read more »

Filed under: 3rd party, Action Alert!, activism, buy local, Corporations, economy, Election 2012, grassroots democracy, Green Party, independent politics, Long Island news, Long Island Politics, new york, New York State Politics, News, Occupy Wall Street, presidential race, suffolk county, third party | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

2012 Long Island School Election Results

Posted on May 16, 2012 by kwilder

Results are posted at Newsday (which is, unfortunately, a subscription-only website). Link to Newsday story: here.

According to Newsday, over 90% of school budgets on Long Island passed. Though, the school budget failed in:

Center Moriches Schools
Comsewogue Schools
East Islip Schools
Elmont Schools
Floral Park-Bellerose Schools
Mount Sinai Schools
Oysterponds Schools
Three Village Schools
Tuckahoe Schools

The big news of the day is that high school senior Josh Lafazan won a seat on the Syosset School Board. Part of Josh Lafazan’s campaign was a complaint about the Superintendent’s $500,000 salary/beneifts annualpay. The budget did pass in Syosset Schools.

Miscellaneous School Election Results: Read more »

Filed under: Education, Election 2012, elections, local, long island, Long Island news, Long Island Politics, Long Island schools, News | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

A Long Island HS senior becomes one of our youngest, elected officials in NY State

Posted on May 16, 2012 by kwilder

Josh Lafazan of Syosset Schools

Website of Josh Lafazan, NY’s youngest, elected official: joshlafazan.org

Story with video at NBC News: here.
“An 18-year-old high school senior has won a seat on his Long Island school board, becoming the youngest elected official in New York state…” [Correction: Another HS senior, younger than Joshua Lafazan, was also elected in NY State yesterday.] “…winning by over 2,000 votes…”

Story, with fuller election results details, at The Syosset Patch: here.

So, Joshua Lafazan, a student at Syossett public schools, won the school board election in his district. Lafazan will be [among] the youngest elected official[s] in New York State.

Joshua Lafazan’s story reminds us of the biography of documentary producer Michael Moore, who also won a seat for school board when he was 18 years old. The reaction to Moore’s tenure is quite a saga, and can be read at Michael Moore’s website: here. Let’s hope Josh has an easier time of it!

Read more »

Filed under: activism, Education, Election 2012, elections, grassroots democracy, local, long island, Long Island news, Long Island Politics, Long Island schools, new york, New York State Politics, News, politics | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Wild Election Antics: Battle for records in a local school board race

Posted on May 15, 2012 by kwilder

Update: Josh Lafazan wins! Syosset high school student is youngest elected official in NY State!
Story at NBC: here.
_____________________________________
Trees grace an elementary schoolA public relations battle about voter records rages in Syosset, Long Island, today.

If you reside in the Syosset School District, you may want to figure out today who was wrong and who was right: The local school board, or the father of a young candidate.

For people not in the Syosset School District, the most important part will be figuring out the truth after the election. And, making sure that justice is served, and the system fixed, so that something like this does not happen in your school board or other local elections.

The school district is accusing the father of wrongly taking the only copy of some election records.The main point this story underscores is: Elections matter! Anytime there is an election, there is power and/or money at stake. For a school board election, you can add into the mix that community pride is at stake, the well-being of children is at stake, and the direction of local taxes is at stake. So, it matters a lot. And, when at lot is at stake, people will fight hard, and possibly cheat.

This election matters enough that either the Syosset School District played games with records and/or the father of a candidate played games with records. (My guess is, it was both of them. But, depending on how wrong the school district was, the father’s defensive maneuvering may be somewhat justified, if technically wrong.)

Josh Lafazan, a student, is running for school board for Syosset Public Schools.

His father, Jeffrey Lafazan has been involved in a controversy with the school district.

Below are some highlights of what probably happened, according to Newsday and other media outlets: Read more »

Filed under: local, long island, Long Island news, Long Island Politics, News | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

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