Downtown Independent Democrats Announce 2010 Candidate Endorsements, Resolutions

Votes were cast by secret ballot at a meeting of the full club. DID President Jeanne K. Wilcke presided.

 

NYS Governor - Andrew M. Cuomo

 

U.S. Senate (Class 1) - Kirsten Gillibrand

 

U.S. Senate (Class 3) - Charles E. Schumer

 

Lieutenant Governor – Bill Samuels

 

NYS Attorney General - Eric T. Schneiderman

 

State Comptroller - Thomas P. DiNapoli

 

U.S. House (8th District) - Jerrold Nadler

 

U.S. House (14th District) - Carolyn B. Maloney

 

NY State Senate (25th District) - Daniel L. Squadron

 

NY State Senate (29th District) – Thomas K. Duane

 

NY State Assembly (64th District) - Sheldon Silver

 

NY State Assembly (66th District) - Deborah J. Glick

 

Female State Democratic Committeemember (66th AD) - Rachel Lavine

 

Male State Democratic Committeemember (66th AD) (M.) – No Endorsement

 

Civil Court, District 1 – Joan Kenney

 

Civil Court, District 1 – Carol Feinman

 

Civil Court, Countywide – David Cohen

 

Civil Court, Countywide – Matthew Cooper

 

Civil Court, Countywide – Leticia Ramirez

 

The below resolutions were passed by the club in open session.

 

1) ST. VINCENT’S HOSPITAL

“St. Vincent’s Hospital provided essential care to all our community, and in particular to seniors, the poor and the uninsured. Its closing is a tragedy. Downtown Independent Democrats calls upon all our elected officials to convene a thorough investigation into St. Vincent’s management, bankruptcy and closing. We further call upon our elected officials to ensure that a full service hospital replaces the old St. Vincent’s on that site. Specifically, we call upon the City Planning Council, Community Board 2 and the New York City Council to zone the land under the old St. Vincent’s Hospital exclusively for community hospital use – and pledge not to allow any variances in the absence of a full service hospital.”

 

2) CORDOBA HOUSE

"In recognition of Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf and his congregation's good neighborliness since at least 1983, in appreciation of the large investment in our community it represents and in celebration of our community's and our city's traditions of tolerance and pluralism, Downtown Independent Democrats warmly welcomes Cordoba House to our neighborhood."

 

3) CHARTER REVISION

"The Charter Revision process being essential to our city and our democracy, Downtown Independent Democrats calls upon the Charter Revision Commission to follow these guidelines:

 1) Frequent, open public forums in every corner of the City;

2) Outreach in various languages using internet, multi-media/webcasting technology and community & religious institutions;

3) Transcribing and posting all testimony and meeting/hearing information online;

4) Clear and concise ballot questions and extensive, multi-lingual public education about what voters can expect to see on the ballot on Election Day.

5) Any future changes to the City Charter as passed by the voters of New York City be subject to ratification by the voters. "

 

4) HUMAN TRAFFICKING

“Downtown Independent Democrats (DID) support Mayor Bloomberg’s new public education campaign to end human trafficking. DID calls upon the next NY State Attorney General join with the 39 other state Attorneys General to monitor Craigslist for human trafficking ads and to set rigorous screening standards. Behind the facade of these ads lies a well-documented world of human trafficking and child exploitation. In addition, we ask that other publications and sites, such as Backpage, be held to the same accountability. DID also commends Brooklyn District Attorney Hynes’ announcement of a new unit and hotline to crack down on such trafficking.”