Community Events & Newsletter – February 23, 2021 to March 2, 2021

From CNY Solidarity Coalition:

Next Meeting: Sunday, March 7, 2021, 3-4 PM. Zoom Link to come.

AGENDA: Announcements; What’s Up with the County Leg?

Upcoming Meetings:, 3/21, 4/11, 4/25, 5/9, 5/23. Committee meetings will take place at our second meeting each month: 3/21, 4/25, 5/23

Invest in Our New York While millions can’t make rent or put food on the table, the wealthiest billionaires in New York have grown $87.7 million richer during the pandemic. And that is why we have joined a growing number of organizations that are endorsing and supporting the Invest in Our New York Campaign, a campaign that supports a package of 6 bills that ends tax breaks for the wealthiest New Yorkers and raises $50 billion to invest in our housing and healthcare, our schools and teachers, our towns and our cities, our workers and our youth.

Updates/Upcoming Events. This is a short term campaign, and help is really needed.

· Here’s the quickest, easiest action step: Just send a quick email to your legislators:

NEW! IONY action link: https://investinourny.org/take-action OR sign up to call, write, donate, or volunteer.

· Letters to Constituents. 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.

· Senator Rachel May has signed on to sponsor four of the six IONY bills

· Assembly member Updates: And if you don’t know your Assembly District, find it Here

o Pamela J. Hunter, 128th District: HunterP@nyassembly.gov THANK YOU to Assembly Member Hunter for signing on to the six-bill package!

o William B. Magnarelli, 129th District: MagnarW@nyassembly.gov Four representatives of IONY (2 local constituents, 2 statewide reps) met with two staffers 10 days ago. Still no response to our phone calls asking for a response on the IONY package. We must assume that the Assembly Member still stands by his previous statements resisting raising taxes on the wealthy. Sign up for Feb. 25 and March 4 Information Meetings below.

o Al Stirpe, 127th District: StirpeA@nyassembly.gov. See Town Hall Feb. 25 below

· Join the Invest in Our New York Phonebanks:

o Feb. 24, 6:30-8:30pm Link

o Feb. 27, 1-4pm Link

· Next IONY of CNY planning group: Feb.28, 3 PM Respond to this email if you would like an invitation. 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:

https://nyassembly.gov/mem/William-B-Magnarelli/story/95148

https://nyassembly.gov/mem/Pamela-J-Hunter/story/94718

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

Articles of the Week:

Millionaires’ empty threats to move out of state have been described as “Extortion by the wealthiest”

The truth about millionaires and taxes – New York Daily News

NY DAILY NEWS – Cristobal Young – 2/23 Written and study by sociology professor at Cornell

“It turns out that place still matters for the rich — much more so than we might think.

The rich may travel a lot, but they rarely change the state where they live and file their taxes. Only 2.4% of millionaires move across state lines in a given year.”

“And for good reasons. The poor are searching for economic opportunity, but the rich have found it.”

“Tax migration is not like other forms of tax avoidance. The main thing rich people do to avoid taxes is hire accountants, lawyers and wealth managers, who engage in paper games with the tax authorities. But migration is not something your accountant can do on paper for you — there is no avoiding the life disruption.”

“The reality is that most millionaire migration, when it happens, has nothing to do with taxes. Some 85% of these moves are tax-neutral. Most of the anecdotes we hear are quietly counter-balanced by rich people moving to higher-tax places.”

“All told, when millionaires change their state, my research found only 15% of these moves come with a net tax advantage. Tax-motivated movers are a small fraction of a small fraction: Of the 2.4% that move, only one in eight were chasing lower taxes — that’s 0.3% of millionaires.”

“So tax flight is not a figment of our imagination, but it is greatly exaggerated. This fraction of moves is too small to matter, especially as New York continues to grow new millionaires faster than any leave.”

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…

Opinion: Proposed State Budget Cuts Would Dismantle Care for New Yorkers with Disabilities

CITY LIMITS – Rachelle Kivanoski – 2/23

Lawmakers seek hikes on high earners
http://enews.syracuse.com/data/1184/reader/reader.html?social#!preferred/0/package/1184/pub/1481/page/1/alb/42682

North American Cities Are Replacing Cops With Civilians And It’s Working

Toronto is the latest city looking to replace police with mental health crisis workers on non-violent 911 calls.

Read it Here

The Most Ambitious Effort Yet to Reform Policing May Be Happening In Ithaca, New York Link

Mayor Svante Myrick’s new proposal would replace the city’s existing police department with a “Department of Community Solutions and Public Safety” intended to reduce the involvement of armed officers in disputes.

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)

The ultra-conservative networks that supported Trump are playing long games with global ambitions. Their threat to democracy is not over “…As Donald Trump faces his second impeachment trial this week, women in Poland are being called in increasing numbers to police stations – accused of accessing medical abortions online, in a country with one of Europe’s most restrictive abortion laws. These prosecutions, an ocean apart, are not unrelated. Until recently, the chief counsel of an ultra-conservative group that argued for further restricting Polish abortion laws was one of the former US president’s personal lawyers…” Read Trump’s allies threaten rights globally – US impeachment won’t change that.

EVENTS/ACTIONS CALENDAR:

A Just Transition to 100% Renewable New York WEDNESDAY AT 7 PM EST

Join us for an Online Forum on “A Just Transition to 100% Renewables in New York” featuring New York Senator Pete Harckham, Peekskill Councilmember Vanessa Agudelo, Courtney Williams of SEnRG, Carlos Garcia of NYC-EJA, and Aneta Voronkova of Pratt NYPIRG. Learn about how we will transition to 100% renewables in a way that supports our communities, workers, and the neighborhoods that are most at risk to dirty and dangerous energy. Hear about exciting new renewable energy projects, initiatives and legislation coming up.

Co-sponsored by Beyond Indian Point, Alliance for a Green Economy, Frack Action, Riverkeeper, Nuclear Information Resource Service, Food & Water Watch, NYPIRG, Safe Energy Rights Group (SEnRG), Resist Spectra and NYC Environmental Justice Alliance.

Stepping Up for Texas!

Event by Liberty Tree Foundation for the Democratic Revolution, encuentro 5 and Shelter & Solidarity: A Deep Dive with Artists and Activists

Online: us02web.zoom.us

Feb, 24 at 6 PM EST

The freeze set in, and the lights went out! And Texans found that free-market fundamentalists can’t keep you warm and definitely won’t keep the water running. Also, climate change does not care about ideology!

It might be too early to talk about the numbers, the suffering, and the resistance, but neighbors are helping neighbors. Even with the pandemic, mutual aid groups and grassroots support have been reaching out, across borders, to stand with Texans.

But far, far more is needed. As with Puerto Rico and other disaster-struck regions, what aid arrives will never replace the structural changes to the economy and to the power structure that are needed to guarantee security for all, not just for those who can jet off to Cancun.

This conversation, guest hosted by David Cobb, long-time Texas organizer now residing in California, will bring impacted community activists, organizers, and policy experts from Texas and Louisiana into the dialogue. We will turn to them to let us know how we can help, what they have learned, and how we can elevate mutual aid to a national and global plane.

Syracuse Onondaga NAACP President’s Address to the Community

February 25, 2021 @ 6:00 p.m. via Zoom!

At our next Syracuse Onondaga NAACP General Membership Meeting our new President, Bishop Colette Matthews- Carter will present her inaugural “Address to the Community,” on Thursday, February 25, 2021 at 6:00 p.m via Zoom. The meeting is free and open to the public. The event will be streamed live here on our website. Select “live events” on our main menu or visit our Youtube page!

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 Stirpe’s budget town hall: Ask him about the Invest in Our New York bills!

Thursday, February 25th. Register

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.

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.

The “Ban Treaty”—What is it and Why is it Important?

February 27 @ 10:00 am – 11:30 am Register

On Jan. 22, a new treaty came into effect that outlaws nuclear weapons. Called the “Ban Treaty” by its promoters, the U.N. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons has been ignored by the mainstream media and undercut by the U.S. government. So, is it vitally important, as its adherents say, or is it a “nothing-burger”?

For our Webinar, we have a world-class speaker, Joseph Gerson, who has worked for decades on ending nuclear weapons. He will help us understand the implications of this treaty, including what we can do to help ensure that nuclear weapons are never used.

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.

WARRIOR COP MENTALITY | Virtual Forum No. 1

Thursday | March 4 | 6-7:30 p.m. EST | Register at: bit.ly/2NKn8Fs

The People’s Agenda for Policing is hosting a series of virtual forums focusing on the warrior cop mentality, police transparency, police surveillance, and the People’s Agenda/2021. The conversation comes as public scrutiny of police officers and state-sanctioned violence is growing nationwide due to more extensive police reform and calls for accountability. Forums are free and open to the community.

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.

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.

DONATIONS NEEDED:

SUPPORT RELIEF EFFORTS IN TEXAS – AOC’s Fundraiser

https://secure.actblue.com/donate/aoc-social-20210218?fbclid=IwAR00j1DolIjoWL8ajZHRR5qgH0xBC5lbBJZZAA2TdWfeOlU7uDL9kctnBXk

Nearly 3 million households across Texas are still without power – and more snow and ice is expected in the coming days.

These groups are working around the clock to assist houseless, hungry and senior Texans in Travis and Dallas County, and beyond.

Please chip in what you can afford today and 100% of your donation will automatically be split between these organizations on the ground providing immediate relief:

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.

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.