Dear friends,
The Senate managed to confirm Merrick Garland as Attorney General yesterday and the House passed the Senate version of the relief measure, which Biden will sign after a brief effort to promote the bill to the public. Biden is trying to learn from one of Obama’s political mistakes (failure to toot own horn sufficiently). He won’t delay past tomorrow, though, because he knows it’s urgent.
The perversity of the US Senate continues to undermine democracy. The arcane rules of the Senate enable the minority of Republicans to block legislation. They’re game to block anything (ahem, COVID relief!?), including a bill to secure voting rights. Meanwhile, Georgia’s legislature is about to reconcile the voter suppression measures that have passed their two houses, including one that would prohibit offering water to someone waiting on line to vote. We urgently need the Senate to pass the new voting rights legislation.
DC Statehood is not a remedy for Senate dysfunction, but it is still a very good thing to work for. There are so many compelling reasons to do this. I will cite only one:
As a state, D.C. would have the autonomy to act on the will of the people and enact policies that reflect the wants and needs of its residents.
The residents of Washington DC deserve representation.
Please sign this petition to Congress to make the District of Columbia a state.
Fighting for voting rights and representation is going to take many forms. One of the lessons I took away from the November and January elections was that funding grassroots organizations that build community power is a far better investment than supporting individual candidates. Secure the Ballot is working to educate and register young people who are reaching voting age in time for the 2022 election.
Please donate to Secure the Ballot to sustain their targeted canvassing efforts.
Those of us who are registered to vote and unencumbered by efforts to suppress our voices have a duty to inform ourselves before we vote. This has never been more important in New York, where ranked choice voting makes our choice a little more complicated…and also, simpler! Vote for your true first choice, even if it seems like a long shot. That’s the simple part: you can stop feeling that you are throwing your vote away on a long shot. Then, rank your second through fifth choices like it matters, because it does. And that’s where our civic duty gets more demanding.
Nonetheless, it’s an exciting time to be a NYC voter. As one progressive politico described the situation:
We’re at a rare moment where the vast majority of Council members will be replaced all at once… And right now, the field of Council candidates is racially, economically and generationally diverse; there are more women running for office, people are running for office at a younger age, and there are more people of color, immigrants and children of immigrants, and socioeconomic diverse candidates in the field.
If you need to get up to speed on who’s running for city council in your district, start here. There are links to candidate websites, all in one place!
One final reminder: Yesterday I called attention to a bill before the NYS Senate that would create a housing voucher program, similar to the federal Section 8 program. This program is another route to making housing affordable, and does not require the tiresome hostage negotiations with real estate developers who offer a paltry number of units in exchange for zoning changes and tax breaks.
Contact your NYS Senator and ask them to support S2804A to provide rent vouchers to people who have lost their homes or are at risk of losing them.
Please go out and enjoy some of this beautiful day, even if you have to work.
with love,
L