From CNY Solidarity Coalition:
Next Meeting: Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021, 3-4 PM. Zoom Link to come.
AGENDA: Announcements; Committee Meetings about 3:15
The State/Local Action Team will meet as the local Invest in Our NY. group
Upcoming Meetings: 3/7, 3/21, 4/11, 4/25, 5/9, 5/23. Committee meetings will take place at our second meeting each month: 2/21, 3/21, 4/25, 5/23
Feb. 7 Meeting: Approved donations to: The CNY Workers Center, Syracuse Peace Council, National Action Network, Urban Jobs Task Force, RiseUP (Listserv service, SIRDN,, NY Immigrant Coalition
Presentations from the CNY Workers Center; New York Immigrant Coalition, and SIRDN (Syracuse Immigrant Refugee Defense Network)
SPECIAL: See our updated section on donations below, if you’re wondering how to put your Covid stimulus payment or tax return to good use!
Invest in Our New York seeks to tax New York’s wealthiest residents. The six bills proposed will raise between 50 and 75 billion dollars in annual revenue, and our goal is to include all six in the state budget as it is negotiated over the next few months.
Updates/Upcoming Events. This is a very short term campaign, and help is really needed.
· Letters to Constituents. One initiative is writing letters to voters, encouraging them to contact their Senator or Assembly member. IONY provides a letter to print out and to personalize with a handwritten message and addresses for voters in key districts. Your investment is some time and postage. John Sheridan (johnbsheridan@gmail.com) is serving as the Central NY coordinator. Contact him, if you can help.
· Email your Assembly member: And if you don’t know your Assembly District, find it Here
o Pamela J. Hunter, 128th District: HunterP@nyassembly.gov
o William B. Magnarelli, 129th District: MagnarW@nyassembly.gov
o Al Stirpe, 127th District: StirpeA@nyassembly.gov
· Two local representatives and two from the statewide coalition met on 2/9 with representatives of Assembly Member Magnarelli. We asked that he sign the Pledge to support the campaign by 2/19. More news to come.
· Join the Invest in Our New York Phonebanks:
o Feb. 20, 1-4pm https://actionnetwork.org/events/invest-in-our-new-york-phonebank?source=direct_link&
o Feb. 24, 6:30-8:30pm https://actionnetwork.org/events/invest-in-our-new-york-phonebank-2?source=direct_link&
o Feb. 27, 1-4pm https://actionnetwork.org/events/invest-in-our-new-york-phonebank-3?source=direct_link&
· Next Planning Team Meeting: Feb. 21. At the 3 Pm CNY Solidarity Meeting.
Contact Peter (pmccar1100@gmail.com) or Keller (Keller.shelton@gmail.com)
· Please respond: Assembly Members Hunter and Magnarelli have constituent surveys on their sites that directly address the Invest in Our NY issues.They need to hear from us:
Al Stirpe’s office says they are working on a survey.
· Sign the petition at http://investinourny.org This gives the statewide campaign evidence of broad support
To Learn more:
· https://www.cnysolidarity.org/2021/02/02/invest-in-our-new-york/
· http://investinourny.org (scroll down past the petition to the slideshow, or keep going to the Act Summary
· Read this for some background: The Socialists vs. Andrew Cuomo Read it in The Nation
Articles of the Week:
Syracuse Police Reform Reinvention Draft Plan
You can read and comment at the link above. Pubic Hearing Feb. 18, see below.
50 years of tax cuts for the rich failed to trickle down, economics study says
Tax cuts for the wealthy didn’t boost the economies of the U.S. and 17 other countries — but they did worsen income inequality. (99 kB)
In New York, Calls to Tax the Superrich Are Gaining Ground in Jacobin
The “billionaires’ tax” bill they support (S.8277 / A.01041) would tax the unrealized capital gains of New York State’s 119 billionaires, whose net worth grew from $521.5 billion to $600.7 billion during the period from March to June, according to the New York Times. Meanwhile, their tax obligations are 79 percent less than they were in 1980…
Break ’em Up: Recovering Our Freedom from Big Ag, Big Tech, and Big Money
Zephyr Teachout (Author) Bernie Sanders (Foreword by) BOOK: Buy it Here
[We need] a grassroots, bottom-up movement that understands the challenge in front of us, and then organizes against monopoly power in communities across this country. … In these pages, you will learn how monopolies and oligopolies have taken over almost every aspect of American life, and you will also learn about what can be done to stop that trend before it is too late. –From the foreword by Bernie Sanders.
Read Stacey Abrams: Our democracy faced a near-death experience. Here’s how to revive it.
“…Time is short. The forces standing against a democracy agenda seek to preserve and expand paths to power by shrinking the voting pool rather than winning voters over. …already this year more than 100 bills have been put forward in state legislatures seeking to restrict voting access. Those efforts will not end without a fight.
Want to Reduce Sex Trafficking? Decriminalize Sex Work.Read it Here
The argument that decriminalization of the sex trade will increase sex trafficking is a myth. In fact, the opposite is true.
“… some human rights organizations are also calling for decriminalization. In 2016, Amnesty International called for the decriminalization of the sex trade, in part because it’s most effective in reducing sex trafficking. The World Health Organization also supports decriminalization and has held this stance since 2012.”
The Wall Street tax New York Needs Now Read in the New York Daily News
“In New York, bodegas collect sales taxes and send them on to local and state governments. Grocery stores and dry cleaners and restaurants do the same. So why, in a state whose largest single industry is finance, are purchases of stocks, bonds and similar instruments exempt?”
EVENTS/ACTIONS CALENDAR
SIRDN Bi-Weekly General Meeting – (Syracuse Immigrant Refugee Defense Network)
Tuesday, February 16 from 5:3–7:30pm
Join SIRDN for our next bi-weekly general meeting! We will be providing updates on our campaigns and the activities of our working groups, including solidarity fundraising, ongoing legislative advocacy campaigns, and other efforts to support the work of the Workers Center of Central New York. New members are always welcome. Spanish translation is provided.
For Zoom information, please send us a Facebook message or email us at sirdn315@gmail.com.
Invest In Our New York: Education, Housing, Food, Jobs, and Health
Tuesday, Feb. 16 AT 7 PM EST
Event by Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) – NY Metro Chapter, New York State Nurses Association and Campaign for New York Health
RSVP: www.bit.ly/Feb2021ForumPNHP
People in New York are hurting. Millions of New Yorkers can’t make rent, put food on the table, are watching their jobs disappear, while some NY politicians are calling for further austerity cuts threatening education, housing, transit, public health infrastructure and Medicaid. Meanwhile, New York’s 120 billionaires grew their wealth by an additional $77 billion just during the pandemic, and now have a total net worth of over $600 billion. The top 1% have the lowest tax burden of any income bracket. Governor Cuomo has cut taxes for the wealthiest New Yorkers, corporations, multimillionaires estates, jets and yachts.
The Invest in Our New York Act raises $50 billion to rebuild New York’s economy by ending tax breaks for the richest New Yorkers.
The Invest In Our NY Campaign is a coalition founded by the Strong Economy for All Coalition, Alliance for Quality Education, Vocal-NY Housing Justice for All Citizen Action of NY, Democratic Socialists of NYC, Make the Road NY, NY Communities for Change, Empire State Indivisible and the Working Families Party). Hundreds of other organizations have signed on including PNHP NY Metro and many allies including Campaign for NY Health, NYSNA, Metro New York Health Care for All.
Ballad of an American: What does Paul Robeson’s life teach us?
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2021 AT 7:30 PM EST – 9 PM EST Register.
Democratic Socialists of America and DSA International Committee
Paul Robeson was the pre-eminent Black, left-wing figure of U.S. popular culture during the 1930s-40s. Concert singer, film actor, public personality, his “Ballad for Americans” was heard by millions of radio listeners. Idolized across large parts of Europe, his records heard widely in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, Robeson was struck down by McCarthyism. His legend and his lessons remain.
Commercial Energy Audits
THURSDAY Feb. 18, AT 1 PM EST – 2 PM
Event by Heat Smart Mohawk Valley, Cornell Cooperative Extension Herkimer County and HeatSmart CNY
Come learn about low-cost/no cost energy audits for businesses, houses of worship and other not-for-profits, farms, even schools from the folks who do the audits. Energy audits identify ways to reduce your energy costs while increasing occupant health and safety as well as building durability. This presentation includes a 30-minute presentation followed by 15-20 minutes for Q&A. Participation is free but requires registration. Sign up information on our website at https://www.heatsmartmv.org/energy-audits-for-non…/
Public Hearing on the Police Reform and Reinvention Plan
Thursday, February 18 at 5pm via webex.
Comment on the draft of the plan. The draft is in response to Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order regarding the New York State Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative. In order to get state money for their police forces, municipalities needed to seek community input and create a plan. For more background on how the plan came to be, click here. To see who was on the committees for its creation, click here.
Housing Justice In Onondaga County: A Panel Discussion
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 AT 7 PM EST
Housing Justice In Onondaga County: A Panel Discussion
Event by Syracuse DSA and Syracuse Tenants Union
Online: dsausa.zoom.us
A Panel Discussion about our current eviction and housing crisis, what can we do locally and how do we unite statewide?
Medicare for All – DSA Q&A
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 AT 9 PM EST – 10 PM EST RSVP Here
Interested in DSA but haven’t joined yet? Looking to get involved in the fights to stop evictions, win Medicare for All, or defund the police, but unsure how to get started? Frustrated with the limited possibilities of national, top-down politics and looking for an alternative?
Join DSA leaders from across the country to talk about how organizing as socialists and engaging in mass, bottom-up movement struggle is the best path forward to winning our demands and building a better future, together.
We’ll also have leaders from our national Medicare for All committee on to talk about the next steps for winning Medicare for All under a Biden administration and how you can plug in to get involved!
Black History Matters
Where: NAHOF’s YouTube channel Tickets: Free to view!
Black History Matters is a series of twenty-eight virtual introductory short “crash courses” addressing various aspects of Black American history and culture. The videos will provide critical context for the ongoing racial justice movements and the persistence of racism in America. No registration is required for these free sessions.
The videos will be released on NAHOF’s YouTube channel and will be shared on NAHOF’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. A new video will be made live every day in February. Learn more about the program and see the complete list of themes covered by the videos.
Assemblyman Magnarelli’s Community Information Meetings:
Feb. 25, 7 Pm for VanBuren and Geddes
March 4, 7 Pm for Syracuse
Register here; https://nyassembly.gov/mem/William-B-Magnarelli
Or contact the office at abdelld@nyassembly.gov
Witness to Injustice – Understanding the Effects of Colonization on the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2021 AT 3 -5:30 PM
Witness to Injustice is a unique interactive presentation and teaching tool that helps participants deepen their understanding about the European colonization of Turtle Island and the denial of Indigenous peoples’ nationhood throughout U.S. history up to the present time. Using participatory education to explore the shared history that non-Native people rarely learn in school or other settings, Witness to Injustice aims to foster truth, understanding, and respect between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in the part of the world now known as the United States; with a focus on the territory stewarded by the people of the Onondaga Nation and other Haundenosaunee peoples.
We hope this program will stimulate deep discussion and reflection, and will point the way toward ongoing steps to righting the wrongs which have been done.
Join Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation (NOON) and Haudenosaunee facilitators as we participate in learning and dialogue through this virtual presentation.
Fee: $15 Register
Your fee will be used to support our Native Knowledge Keepers, the work of NOON, and educational programming at the Skӓ•noñh-Great Law of Peace Center.
How to get on the ballot 2021
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2021 AT 4 PM EST
Event by Dustin M. Czarny
Welcome to the the beginning episode of my 2021 Sunday Seminar series. As Onondaga County Elections Commissioner (D) I want to make sure the voters and candidates get all the information they need to navigate the 2021 Election Season. The first seminar is on how to get on the ballot for 2021.
I will host this online Zoom Call explaining Designating petitions, Independent nominating petitions, Caucuses, and what pitfalls to avoid while doing this in 2021 among Covid 19 concerns.
A zoom link will be posted in the event the morning of the seminar.
Community Forum: The Warrior Cop Mentality in our Schools and Community
Thursday, March 4, 6-7:30 p.m.
The first in a series of community forums in March, hosted by SPAARC. Syracuse Police Accountability And Reform Coalition
ONGOING EVENTS:
DEADLOCKED AND LOADED: Disarming America Curated by Karen M. Gutfreund
February 11 to April 18, 2021
ArtRage Gallery – https://artragegallery.org Make your reservation for in-person gallery viewing HERE!
The need to address gun violence is more urgent than ever and in response, artists from across the United States have used their artistic voices to address issues related to our culture of gun violence particularly how it affects women, children and marginalized peoples.
Deadlocked and Loaded: Disarming America is a “locked and loaded” conversation through art, showcasing art in all media that addresses the culture of violence, systemic racism, police brutality and gun issues in the United States—particularly in how it affects women and children with lasting impacts.
This exhibition is presented in collaboration with Community Folk Art Center and Point of Contact Gallery in Syracuse. A catalog representing all 36 artists exhibiting in the three galleries can be viewed HERE.
Street Heat – Weekly Protests are back with Physical Distancing!
HANCOCK: our decade-long protests against Hancock’s piloting killer reaper drones over the Islamic oil lands continue. 6000 East Molloy Rd from 4:15 to 5 p.m. For the winter months, we will reduce our schedule: the first Tuesday of every month: same time 4:15 to 5 p.m. Dec 1; Jan 5; Feb 2; March 2; April 6.
DEWITT: Weekly protest against IDF terrorism, maiming and killing of Palestinians. Fridays NEW TIME: 4:00 to 4:45 p.m. at Erie Blvd E and E Genesee, Dewitt. Park in the nearby mini-mall parking lot.
REGIONAL FARMERS MARKET: Protests are off until April.
COVID-19 INFORMATION:
Onondaga County Vaccine Information: https://covid19.ongov.net/vaccine/
DONATIONS NEEDED:
Using your stimulus or tax return check for good:
Some of us are in the privileged position of expecting a check that we don’t need because we still have adequate income. We have compiled a list of organizations that do important work and are in need of assistance. We will update and reprint this periodically. You can respond to this email with your suggestions. Our emphasis is on local groups providing services and advocacy in our community.
Workers’ Center of Central New Yorkis a grassroots organization focused upon workplace and economic justice. Through community organizing, leadership development, popular education and policy advocacy, the Workers’ Center of Central New York aims to empower marginalized, low-wage workers to combat workplace abuses and improve wages and working conditions throughout the community. Donate Here
NYIC: Fund the fight to protect and empower immigrant New Yorkers.
The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) is an umbrella policy & advocacy organization that represents over 200 immigrant and refugee rights groups throughout New York. Donate Here
We work on behalf of New York’s 4.4 million immigrants, one third of whom are on the frontlines of COVID-19 taking care of our loved ones, picking our produce, and sanitizing our essential businesses.
SIRDN Syracuse Immigrant and Refugee Defense Network
Donate Here Contact us at SIRDN315@gmail.com OR call our warmline 315-552-1670
This fund supports undocumented workers and families who are ineligible or unable to receive governmental relief funds during the COVID-19 pandemic. We allocate the funds in coordination with the Workers Center of Central New York to assist individuals with paying rent, buying food, accessing transportation, and meeting other basic needs.
Syracuse Peace Council is in need of regular contributions. CNY Solidarity Coalition, since its inception, has benefited not only from SPC’s direct support, but especially from its years of accumulated wisdom and experience. The CNY Solidarity Coalition absolutely would not be here we are without that support.
Now it’s our turn. SPC has historically depended on the Plowshares Craftsfair for a large portion of its operating budget. Plowshares incomes was reduced greatly due to operating online only. Please consider a generous donation or ongoing pledge to support this essential voice in our progressive community!
From Syracuse National Action Network: Many Syracuse City students are in need of computers to complete their work. NAN has requests for assistance in obtaining devices for high school and middle school students. Some have immediate needs and some are students with disabilities.
If you have a laptop to donate, or if you would like to contribute towards one for a student, please respond to Twiggy Billue at twiggybillue@gmail.com
Please make all donations via Cashapp $syracusenan or via mail to: National Action Network, 159 South Ave. 13204
Save the Cayuga SHARE Farm: Support the Sovereignty of Native Nations
Our friends at NOON (Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation) forwarded this appeal, last week: From the letter: “We hope this announcement finds you well. You are invited to support an online fundraiser to save the Cayuga SHARE Farm in the interest of the traditional people of Cayuga (Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ- People of the Pipe), a sovereign nation of the Haudenosaunee confederacy. It is an urgent need to ensure that Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ traditional leadership of chiefs and clan mothers can keep SHARE Farm, the only land which they currently have stewardship rights to within their people’s homeland. Donations made through Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming will be used to ensure the farm continues to be a place for education, healing, and Haudenosaunee culture….” Continue reading. See also the website, the GoFundMe page or the Facebook page.
Friends of Dorothy is an initiative to be supportive of people with AIDS. Since October of 1992 we have offered home-based care to people with AIDS in a variety of ways, including recuperative or hospice care, supportive housing and emergency assistance. Donate:
Food Bank of CNY Donate or Volunteer
Rise Above the Streets provides support for people who do not have housing.
For monetary donations: Use PayPal weriseabovethestreets@gmail.com
Cashapp: $Alamin44 #IfWeEatTheyEat
See this article. We will continue to serve our homeless friends and the under represented but volunteering will be by scheduled appointments only. If you would like to volunteer please contact me at 315-491-7164.
OG’s Against Violence is proud to serve the City of Syracuse and Central New York to reduce the violence that has afflicted our community through grassroots outreach and a boots on the ground effort to reach out to people and bring positive change.
Support Organizations during Black Futures Month Donate Here
(This link is from the national Indivisible folks.) \
The impact of Black-led organizations cannot be overstated. If we just look at what they’ve done in the last year, Black activists have been at the front lines of the ongoing struggle for racial and economic equality. All the while, they had the vision to organize, register, and activate voters across the country. The work is only just getting started, which is why these organizations deserve all the support we can give.
174 Ways to Donate in Support of Black Lives and Communities of Color
From New York magazine
The 50 Best Charities to Give to Right Now (from Good Housekeeping, Here. NOTE: Charity Watch and Charity Navigator rate organizations on financial health and transparency, not on social justice goals or impact.)
INTERNATIONAL DONATIONS
Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors without Borders: https://www.msf.org Doctors Without Borders is expanding our global response to the coronavirus pandemic, providing on-the-ground medical care to the people who need it most— from Italy to Iraq, Spain to Syria. We provide medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare. Our teams are made up of tens of thousands of health professionals, logistic and administrative staff – most of them hired locally. Our actions are guided by medical ethics and the principles of impartiality, independence and neutrality.
OXFAM We help people build better futures for themselves, hold the powerful accountable, and save lives in disasters.We are working with our partners, government health ministries, and key UN agencies in more than 50 countries to determine how best to respond to the crisis (despite limitations on travel in some areas), especially given our expertise in public health, water, and sanitation. Many of our staff and partners are increasing the delivery of soap, clean water, and sanitation services, including building and upgrading hand-washing facilities with a special focus on people in higher-risk areas and at health facilities. https://www.oxfamamerica.org
Want to fight climate change effectively? Here’s where to donate your money. From Vox. Here
These are six of the most high-impact, cost-effective, evidence-based organizations. You may not have heard of them. “Founders Pledge, an organization that guides entrepreneurs committed to donating a portion of their proceeds to effective charities, used these same criteria to assess climate organizations. Its comprehensive report, released in 2018, informed my research and the list below. As in that report, I’ve chosen to look at groups focused on mitigation (tackling the root causes of climate change by reducing emissions) rather than adaptation (decreasing the suffering from the impacts of climate change). Both are important, but the focus of this piece is preventing further catastrophe.”
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Peter McCarthy
pmccar1100@gmail.com