Grand Street Democrats had its first regular meeting Monday night with about 100 neighbors in Seward’s community room.

Thank you to Councilmember Margaret Chin and Councilmember-elect Carlina Rivera for kicking off the meeting (and for sticking around!).

We heard from a number of you about what issues you think GSD should be standing up for, and, importantly, what we can all do to help. Those comments encouraged us to set up several initial committees, including Political & Social Action, Outreach, Big D (electing Democrats everywhere), and our Student Committee.

Incredible turnout at our 1st Meeting! Over 90 people signed up, discussed goals & joined committees to make them happen. You can still join us online (see link in bio) – this is just a grand beginning. #changeishere #togetherwebuild #grandstreetdems

A post shared by Grand Street Democrats (@grandstreetdems) on Nov 14, 2017 at 5:32am PST

What’s next?

We are already working on organizing a public meeting in December to take our concerns about Grand Street & Clinton Street traffic directly to local elected officials as well as the NYC Department of Transportation and our local 7th Precinct of the NYPD.

And we will be in touch after Thanksgiving with dates for initial meetings of our different committees, so that each group can start to set its own priorities.

For many people, the most important items on Tuesday’s ballot are the three ballot proposals. You’ll need to flip your ballot over to vote Yes or No for these three items.

Here is some information prepared by Grand Street Democrats for voters in the neighborhood.

Residents of Seward building 1 were surprised in September to find that their regular polling site in the lobby had been moved to the second floor of PS 134 on East Broadway. The official reasoning from the Board of Elections was hard to believe, that a crack in the sidewalk outside was a burden for disabled voters. (Leaving the building, crossing two streets, and reaching the second floor polling site was obviously a much bigger burden for voters than just coming downstairs.)

Fortunately, the crack was easily repaired by Seward management, and the Board of Elections has approved voters’ requests to bring the polling site back home. On Tuesday, November 7 Seward building 1 residents can easily vote again in their own building, in the community room.

On November 7 there will be three state proposals on your election day ballot. Grand Street Democrats voted Monday to recommend a “Yes” vote on Proposal 2.

It’s hard to believe, but elected officials convicted of corruption charges get to retire with full benefits in the state of New York.

A 2011 state law allowed for judges to reduce or revoke the public pension of officials convicted of crimes related to their office, but because the state constitution protects public pensions as contracts, only officials elected starting after the law went into effect are subject to its restriction. Ballot proposal 2 would amend the state constitution to give judges the power to punish officials even if they were elected before 2012.

There are still two caveats to this proposal, even if it passes:

First, as with the existing state law, pension forfeiture would not be automatic but rather would be at the discretion of a judge.

Second, this amendment would apply only to crimes committed on or after January 1, 2018. That creates a hard-to-resist window of opportunity between November 8 and December 31 of this year when veteran law makers can go all-out on corruption without worrying about risking their pensions. It also means that a certain neighbor of ours, even if re-tried and re-convicted, will continue to receive $79,222 per year from New York taxpayers for his many years of service.

On November 7, don’t forget to turn your ballot over and vote “Yes” on Proposal 2.

Monday night in the Seward Community Room, Grand Street Democrats founding members approved bylaws for our new local Democratic club, and inaugural club members elected officers to help guide the club for its first year.

Jeremy Sherber … President
Nina Watkins … Vice President
Daria Segalini … Treasurer
Judith Wind … Secretary

Bylaws will be posted soon to this website, and we’ll have a formal announcement soon about our first public meeting on November 13.

Our historic win is reported on in The New York Times! Read about the “End of an Era” and what District Leaders can do to make change –> LINK.

Caroline Laskow and Lee Berman scored a major upset Tuesday over the Harry S. Truman Democratic Club, a longtime base of support for disgraced former Assemblymember Sheldon Silver.

Their Grand Street Democrats running mates also won 16 out of 22 Democratic County Committee seats. These victories give this new political organization immediate relevance in the selection of a new State Senator, following Daniel Squadron’s abrupt resignation.

In the six months since its founding, Grand Street Democrats has earned a wide base of grassroots support from Lower East Siders looking for an active, inclusive, progressive political community.

Caroline Laskow said, “Trump’s win last year was a call to action for anyone with a political ethical conscience. The Truman Club’s silence in the face of Trump’s campaign and administration signalled not only their apathy but complicity. Our community deserves better, and voters today made clear they are looking for new local leadership ready to organize resistance to Trump’s radical agenda.”

Lee Berman said, “Locally, this is big news. Silver and his allies have acted as gatekeepers to local officials for decades. We are determined to celebrate the diversity of our neighborhood and make sure that everyone has equal access to their elected officials, from City Hall to Albany to Washington DC.”

Grand Street Democrats plans to hold regular open meetings, neighborhood events, and forums with elected officials for the entire community.

For more information follow @grandstreetdems on social media.

New York’s premier citywide LGBT political club has endorsed Caroline Laskow and Lee Berman for Democratic District Leaders in Assembly District 65 Part A representing the neighborhoods of Grand Street and the Lower East Side.

The Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, named for the legendary gay rights pioneer Jim Owles, was formed in 2004 as a citywide political activist club with a mission to secure human rights, dignity, and freedom for all people.

Laskow and Berman earned their endorsement because of their strong commitment to LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, immigrants’ rights, and social justice causes.

Caroline Laskow said, “Our local Democratic Party should be organizing local progressives to join the fight for social justice everywhere. We can hold our elected officials accountable to make your progressive voices heard in City Hall, Albany, and Washington. I’m so proud to be on the same side as the great Jim Owles.”

Lee Berman said, “Our incumbent District Leaders have been invisible, controlling access to our elected officials and forfeiting any leadership in the resistance to Trump. We need to elect new District Leaders who are committed to protecting civil rights.”

Caroline Laskow is a documentary filmmaker and author who has lived in Seward Park Co-op since 2003. Her two children attend NYC public schools. Lee Berman is a lifelong resident of East River Co-op, current member of Community Board 3, and has been a member of school leadership teams and PTAs for nine years at his daughters’ public schools.

Laskow and Berman are challenging incumbent District Leaders from the Truman Club, the “base of operations for former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.” (link)

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