I produced this video for New York City is Not For Sale this week, as part of an effort to draw attention to Mayor Bloomberg for his proposed budget cuts. We had a lot of fun putting this together.
Enjoy.
Recently in Local Politics
On Sunday 71st Assembly District Democratic Leader Mark Levine outlined a progressive agenda to help meet the needs of his constituents.
See his remarks below.
On Tuesday Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez and his co-sponsors on Intro 375 took their efforts a step further. New York City alternate side of the street parking regulations could possibly see GPS technology play a role in helping drivers park their cars faster than they can under current regulations.
For the past two months I have been helping the councilman's talented staff with their efforts to set up a website where his constituents, and all New Yorkers, can sign a petition supporting Intro 375: NYCParkingReform.org.
This legislation represents common sense politics that will ameliorate a problem that's existed longer than most New Yorkers have been alive. Councilman Rodriguez and the co-sposnsors are addressing a basic, but often ignored problem. Let's help them see this through.
In the eleventh grade, when my class was studying political science, our teacher had us create campaign videos for a phony presidential election we were doing. While my campaign (our candidate was Pat Buchanan, played by a 17-year old from Harlem) lost the election, we by far had the best videos.
This summer it was eleventh grade all over again.
I signed on to the Mark Levine campaign to produce and direct their videos on a volunteer basis. Once again the campaign with the best videos (and the best candidate) ultimately came second in the race for the state senate's 31st district seat Eric Shneiderman is vacating.
Bragging aside, with the election over exactly four weeks ago today, I finally found time to upload all of the ads for various seats that played on the very Washington-Heights-oriented Queens Public Television's (QPTV) Dominican TV shows produced at DBS Media on 181st street.
These are the ads from the 72nd district state assembly race, 31st district state senate race, and the 15th district congressional race.
All of the ads are in Spanish. Watch them after the jump.
Continue reading Just Like High School.
PEACE, JOBS, demanded the large signs carried by New York City Councilman Robert Jackson and Barack Obama Democratic Club of Northern Manhattan Treasurer Richard Cipolla at the One Nation rally in Washington, D.C. last Saturday. They were joining 175,000 other marchers supporting progressive policies to address national issues. The northern Manhattan participation was organized by a coalition including Northern Manhattan Neighbors for Peace and Justice, the Riverside Edgecombe Neighborhood Association, New York City Councilman Ydanis Rodgriguez, the Barack Obama Democratic Club of Northern Manhattan, and buses were provided by local 1199 of the United Health Care Workers East.
Cipolla, a Washington Heights resident, was one of dozens from the area who packed the two buses, along with elected officials, residents, and students enthusiastic about the message they wanted to bring to Washington. Cipolla elaborated when asked about the two signs he made.
"Jobs and peace, these are probably two of the most important things our country needs right now." With the Washington Monument towering behind him, he added, "Because we have higher unemployment rates than other parts of the city, there's lots of young folks from our neighborhood that wind up signing up for the armed forces. Peace would do a lot for them."
The peacemaking efforts weren't only directed at international conflicts. 71st AD Democratic District Leader and former state senate candidate Mark Levine rode the same bus as City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, who strongly supported and campaigned for Adriano Espaillat during the state senate primary this summer. Levine made his way to the front of the bus, shook Rodriguez's hand, and the two sat together and chatted during the ride. There were no cameras or press encouraging them to smile; they seemed to be relieved to be talking as just two guys with common enthusiasms about the progressive causes being brought to the table that day.
Later, Levine shared his thoughts on the rally as he was marching towards the Lincoln Memorial. "People on the left are as much, if not more, patriotic as any other Americans.... Being patriotic means wanting a united country, where everyone, regardless of their background, has a fair shot, has opportunities."
Councilman Rodriguez also pointed at the ideological divide. "There's a right wing. This time led by the Tea Party, that wants to impose their agenda. And we have to show that nationwide the progressive force has to be part of the debate [on] the future of this country."
Among those on the buses were high school students from Gregorio Luperon High School at 165th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. Many of the students are recent immigrants from the Dominican Republic. As the day was wrapping up David Dubnau, one of the event organizers from the Riverside Edgcombe Neighborhood Association, spoke of what he felt was accomplished. "I think that this huge gathering represents a certain amount of power, potentially."
One needed to look no further than the Luperon students to see that potential power. Clearly the day had an impact on them, a first trip to Washington for some in the group. On the bus ride home some of the boys wanted to come to the front of the bus and freestyle using the bus's microphone/announcement system, something they had likely been eyeing the moment it was first used that morning. While many on the bus were exhausted and wanted to rest, it was not lost on most riders that the excitement of these young people was to be encouraged, that they had asked for opportunity, the patriotic ideal that Levine had spoken of earlier. That, as Dubnau had commented, the accomplishment of the day was potential power, perhaps achieved through the simple empowerment of handing a teenager the microphone. To hand him a voice, an opportunity.
Photos provided by Barack Obama Democratic Club of Northern Manhattan President Nicole Monegro. Video produced by Alex Castex-Porter.
