S.I.D.A. Picnic Sunday, July 19, 2015, 11:30 A.M.. - 5:00 P.M. (see page 3)

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1 July 2015 Staten Island Democratic Association est as Staten Island s reform Democratic Club At our Next Meeting: Hon. Michael McMahon Candidate for District Attorney Tuesday, July 21, 2015, 8:00 P.M. Charlie Brown's Steakhouse, 1001 Goethals Road North S.I.D.A. Picnic Sunday, July 19, 2015, 11:30 A.M.. - 5:00 P.M. (see page 3) S.I.D.A July 2015 Page 1

2 Editorial Policy Items for publication must be submitted to the newsletter no later than the last Friday of the month before the meeting. Please send items to: Unless explicitly stated, the views herein are those of the authors and not of S.I.D.A. Chris Bauer, Editor (917) Table of Contents S.I.D.A. Picnic...3 Michael McMahon...4 S.I.D.A. President s Statement...6 June 2015 Minutes...8 Congressman Donovan Votes...10 Letters...12 Banquet Save the Date...13 Letter to Cuomo...14 Bulletin Board...15 Peace Action...16 Upcoming Meetings...17 Join/Renewal Form...17 I hold it, that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms are in the physical. - Thomas Jefferson 1787 S.I.D.A. Executive Committee President... Joann Olbrich Member at-large... Rosemary Palladino Vice President... Susan Chew Ex Officio...Michelle Akyempong Executive Secretary... Mark Herman Ex Officio... Dennis Brown Corresponding & Ex Officio... Gary Carsel Recording Secretary... Marie Dwyer Ex Officio... Paul Cinquemani Treasurer... Bonita Rothman Ex Officio... Belinda Dixon Social Secretary... Roy Moskowitz Ex Officio... Rosemarie Mangano Member at-large... Carl Chew Ex Officio... John Mastellone Member at-large... Bobby Digi Ex Officio... Richard McMahon Member at-large... Bryan Ellicott Ex Officio... John Sollazzo Member at-large... Mary Kain Ex Officio... Tom Shcherbenko S.I.D.A July 2015 Page 2

3 July 19 S.ID.A. Picnic S.I.D.A Picnic Sunday, July 19, :30a.m. 5:00p.m. Willowbrook Park Barbecue Area Driving Directions: Richmond Avenue, turn east on Eton Place Barbecue area is behind the carousel. Celebrate summer! For information contact Roy Moskowitz S.I.D.A July 2015 Page 3

4 Democratic candidate for District Attorney will be the guest speaker at our July 21 General Membership Meeting. His campaign provided the following statement for our newsletter. D ear S.I.D.A. It s a pleasure to once again come before you as a candidate for office! I want to first thank all of the club s members who worked so hard to collect petition signatures to help get my name, as well as the slate of Democratic county committee members, on the ballot. As you know, these efforts are crucial to keeping our Party strong and they are the very heart and soul of what keeps us going. I m proud to announce that we submitted around 7,500 Democratic signatures well over the 4,000 required by law. I hope that our campaign can continue to count on this amazing level of grassroots support throughout the next few months. Keeping the momentum building is going to be critical to our success in November! On a personal note, I also want to acknowledge that I have had friendships with members of the S.I.D.A. since I was a young busboy and bartender at Demyam s Hofbrau in Stapleton, where the group held its monthly meetings back in the late 1970s. I observed early on the passion of the member s convictions and belief that through democratic activism our community and country can be made better. As I did then, I continue to be in your gratitude for all that you have achieved. Thank you again for your hospitality this week. Onwards to victory in November! - Mike McMahon Early Years Michael McMahon has spent his whole life living and working on Staten Island. He was raised with his six brothers and sisters by his parents who moved to Stapleton after his mother immigrated to the United States. The home was filled with love and excitement but money was tight and the kids all began working at early ages. Michael had two paper routes with his brothers in the Grymes Hill Houses and when their mother went to work as a waitress at the old Demyan s Hofbrau, Michael followed, sweeping floors, washing dishes, busing and waiting tables, and bartending. Like his brothers before him, Michael contributed to his tuition at Monsignor Farrell and worked his way through college and law school using some student loans and by working weekends as a bartender at the Hofbrau and then the Beachcomber Catering Hall. Michael S.I.D.A July 2015 Page 4

5 graduated from New York Law School, cum laude, in 1985 and was admitted to practice in the state and federal Courts of New York and New Jersey in He also met his wife, Judith, in law school and they will celebrate their 29th wedding anniversary with their two children, Joseph and Julia, and their dog Scout, this August. Legal Career Michael started work as a trial attorney upon admission, doing defense work for insurance companies. He tried dozens of cases and held hundreds of depositions, motion arguments, and appeals. He then was offered and accepted a position as part-time legislative council to then Assemblyman Eric N. Vitaliano in Albany. Michael also became an associate at the Staten Island Boutique firm of Decker, Carasaniti and Barone. He continued his civil trial work, but also came under the mentorship of leading criminal trial attorney Michael A. Barone. For three years, Michael represented criminal defendants in all levels of the courts and in all proceedings. Thereafter, Michael became a Senior Trial Counsel in the firm of Bombara & McGlynn, trying all types of cases in the courts throughout New York City. Then, in 1993, Michael founded the law firm of O Leary & McMahon with his lifetime friend, John G. O Leary. The partnership grew to include Maria D. Spero. For more than 15 years, Michael was managing partner at the law firm and continued his trial advocacy, throughout New York State and especially in all the courts of Staten Island. In 2008, when Michael was elected to Congress, he had to leave the partnership because of the Congressional Rules. In 2011, when he returned to private life, he joined the regional firm of Herrick, Feinstein LLP where he is a Partner. Civic Life When Michael and Judy moved into their current home 27 years ago, they quickly became involved in local community action. He became president of the neighborhood civic association and led the campaign against graffiti and nuisance crimes that sparked the Renaissance of Forest Avenue. Michael reclaimed the neighborhood parks and engaged better City services as a member of Community Board One. In 1991, Michael became local counsel to Assemblywoman Elizabeth Connelly helping her with constituent issues and her work on behalf of the Special Needs Community. After her retirement, Michael assisted Councilman Jerome X O Donovan with his legislative work. Michael was also active in parish and sports life with his children, serving as a lector at Blessed Sacrament Church and as a Staten Island Soccer League and Snug Harbor Little League coach for over a decade. In 2001, Michael ran for and won the election for the North Shore City Council seat. Immediately, he became part of the leadership team, which worked closely with Mayor Bloomberg to rebuild the City, restore its finances, and comfort the families who were directly impacted by the horror of 9/11. Michael became the first Chairman of the Council Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Management and promulgated the City s first ever 20-year solid waste management plan. This included the concept of borough self-sufficiency, effectively putting a lock on the gates of the Fresh Kills Landfill, which Michael helped convert to Parkland. Moreover, Michael s plan, which included containerization of the trash, has saved 300 Staten Island jobs at the New York Container Terminal. S.I.D.A July 2015 Page 5

6 In the Council, Michael passed laws mandating increased ferry service and the presence of a nurse in every school. He rebuilt all of the schools and parks in his district and secured over 70 acres of open space by purchasing Jones Woods, Goodhue, Fort Hill Park, and the Blissenbach Marina. Michael also secured additional funding for the District Attorney s office and the criminal justice system. He secured the capital monies to provide a home for Safe Horizon victim services in St. George and brought an office of New York Legal Services to Staten Island as well. Michael was a leader in downzoning much of the Island to combat rampant overdevelopment. He secured operating and capital dollars for Staten Island s cultural institutions, schools, afterschool programs, anti-domestic violence and crime prevention programs. He rose to be the head of the Island s Council delegation and a ranking member of the powerful Finance, Budget Negotiating, and Land Use Committees. In 2008, Michael was elected to represent Staten Island and Brooklyn in the United States House of Representatives. As a Member of Congress, he received a seat on the critically important, for Staten Island, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee. He secured the funds to rebuild the Staten Island Expressway and the steel understructure of the Ferry Terminal ramps. He was a prime sponsor of key pieces of legislation such as the Iron Dome Defense Program for Israel and the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act to provide benefits to the heroes of Ground Zero. Michael is now seeking to put his extensive legal experience and knowledge of the communities of Staten Island to work for the people as the next District Attorney of Richmond County. S.I.D.A. President s Statement July 2015 Raising the Minimum Wage T he issue of the enormous and still growing disparity in income and the share of the wealth held by the wealthiest members of our society and that held by everyone else finally has become a topic of wide discussion. One way that this huge disparity could begin to be rectified is by raising the minimum wage to an amount that provides a living wage for all workers doing full time work. The minimum wage became national law in 1938, under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, to insure that all would earn a living wage, one that provides the basic necessities of life. The federal minimum wage in the United States is $7.25 an hour. Because this wage has not kept pace with the cost of living, many individual states have raised their state minimum wages. In New York, the minimum wage is $8.75, and scheduled to go up to $9.00 in December In January 2015, New York Governor Cuomo proposed raising the minimum wage to $11.50 in New York City and $10.50 elsewhere in the state. Because the New York State legislature did not act on this proposal, Governor Cuomo directed the labor commissioner to impanel a Wage Board, to examine the minimum wage in the fast-food industry. The board will return with its recommendations, which do not require legislative approval. S.I.D.A July 2015 Page 6

7 [ ] The governor is targeting the fast food industry because it is one where many workers labor for subsistence wages, even though the industry makes billions in profits. Those opposed to raising the minimum wage claim that most of those who earn the minimum wage are teenagers, students working for pocket change. However, the facts are that most minimum wage earners are adults, often the sole support of themselves and their families. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, three quarters of minimum wage earners are 20 or older. According to the Economic Policy Institute s State of Working America, 35 million Americans, 26 % of our workforce, earn less than $10.55 an hour. [ Women make up a large percentage of those who earn the minimum wage. While men make up a larger share of the U.S. labor force than women (53%-47%), among those who earn the minimum wage or less, 62% are women and 38% are men. [ ] The large numbers of Americans earning such low subsistence wages causes numerous problems for our economy. The American taxpayers are forced to subsidize the workforces of those employers who do not pay adequate wages and benefits with such programs as SNAP (food stamps) and Medicaid. The subsistence wages also do not provide those employees with spending money to be used to stimulate our economy. Major corporations are sitting on trillions in assets that they are not reinvesting in their corporations because there is very little demand due to the American workers lack of purchasing power. Those who oppose raising the minimum wage claim that doing this would cost jobs. But studies have found that the opposite occurs when the minimum wage is raised: the extra money is spent immediately, providing such a stimulus that it more than pays the cost, and creates jobs. [ ] This stimulus effect can be seen in those states that recently raised their minimum wages: every state that recently raised its minimum wage experienced job growth significantly higher than the job growth in every state that did not raise its minimum wage! New data released by the Department of Labor shows that raising the minimum wage in some states does not appear to have had a negative impact on job growth, contrary to what critics said would happen. In a report on Friday, the 13 states that raised their minimum wages on Jan. 1 have added jobs at a faster pace than those that did not. [ ] When those who do not earn enough money for the basic necessities of life get more money, they spend it immediately, stimulating the economy. On the other hand, when those who already have more than enough money for everything they want as well as everything they need get more money, for example by cutting the taxes of the wealthy, it does absolutely nothing to benefit the economy. Yet many of those who oppose raising the minimum wage to a living wage advocate for cutting the taxes of the wealthy as a prescription for all that ails our economy! The United States has fallen behind many of the modern, industrialized countries of the world in the rate of its minimum wage. Such countries as Australia, Luxembourg, Belgium, Ireland, France, Netherlands, New Zealand, Germany, Canada and the United Kingdom have higher minimum wages. [ ] S.I.D.A July 2015 Page 7

8 It is time for the United States to reclaim its place as an economic leader in the world, and one way to do that is by raising the minimum wage to a level where it provides a living wage. A rising tide raises all boats when the lowest paid workers in our society do better, the benefits spread upwards to all. - Joann Olbrich June 2015 Minutes P General Meeting June 16, 2015 resident Olbrich called the meeting to order at 8:07 p.m. President Olbrich thanked Vice President Susan Chew for chairing May s Executive Committee meeting while she was out of town. Guest Speaker Susan Chew introduced our guest speaker, Claire Donohue, of the Sane Energy Project. Ms. Donohue, told members that she is one of the co-founders of Sane Energy project which was founded to oppose the Spectra pipeline in The group realized that pipelines and shale gas infrastructure were likely to be a bigger ongoing issue in NY State than even fracking, They have since been working to transition the city and state to renewable infrastructure. Sane Energy project has founded multiple alliances, including the NYC Grassroots Alliance and the Northeast Pipelines Coalition. The group is currently working to stop the Port Ambrose LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) project, which conflicts with the Rockaway wind farm. Ms. Donohue explained that the primary goal of the organization is to replace the drive to build shale gas infrastructure with a drive to build renewable infrastructure. In order for that to happen, movement building must facilitate a widespread call for system change in several areas i.e., the need to reinforce work done to educate the public about the risks of high-volume hydro fracturing, which doesn t stop at drilling. We also need to alert the public and elected officials to the risk that shale gas infrastructure may have a cumulative impact on the climate, public health, regional character,economies and ecosystems worse even than drilling. We also need to alert the public and elected officials about the non-democratic way shale gas infrastructure is reviewed and rubber stamped by agencies. We need to correct the false scenarios advertised by the industry implying that shale gas is a climate solution, or safe, or a jobs creator. The group also wants to reinforce the understanding that a rapid switch to renewable energy is possible and already under way. Ms. Donohue also gave us a slide show presentation of the youareherenymap.org, an online tool that allows users to see the entirety of the fracking infrastructure in New York State. Ms. Donohue pointed out that Port Ambrose is on hold and she urged members to call Gov. Cuomo asking him to stop it. She had Post Cards available for members to send as well. After the presentation, Ms. Donohue took questions from several members in attendance. President Olbrich thanked Claire Donohue for her informative presentation and urged members to take the various handouts that Ms. Donohue made available. President Olbrich thanked Bryan Ellicott for providing the laptop for Claire Donohue s slide presentation. S.I.D.A July 2015 Page 8

9 Vice President s Report Vice President Susan Chew presented highlights from the recent Executive Committee meeting. Joy Robins made a motion to accept the minutes as published in the current newsletter. David Jones seconded the motion. The motion carried. Executive Secretary s Report Dennis Brown reported for Executive Secretary Mark Herman. Dennis said that Mark sends his best and asked that we keep him in our thoughts and prayers. He told Dennis he is trying to do everything he can to get better. In the interim, he urges S.I.D.A. members to continue to bring in petitions and support Democrats. Social Secretary s Report Social Secretary Roy Moskowitz reminded members that the annual picnic is scheduled for Sunday, July 19, at Willowbrook Park. He urged members to sign-up to help. Roy said that he is still working on getting honorees for the annual banquet. He asked for suggestions for 2-6 honorees and said that we can also establish new awards if we wanted to do that. The discussion about whether to have an open bar at the dinner was tabled for the June Executive Committee meeting. Treasurer s Report Treasurer Bonnie Rothman reported a balance as of May 28 of $9, Bonnie reported that she is shifting funds from the Chase Bank Account to the new Santander account. Bonnie reported as of the meeting a balance in Chase of $5, and a balance in Santander of $3, for a total $9, Bonnie reported that she recently contacted our printer, Blue Label because she hadn t received any bills for the newsletter. The Printer told her they had fallen behind with billing and planned to send invoices soon. There was some discussion about One on One Internet and it was tabled for the Executive Committee meeting. Issues Committee Committee Chair Richard Reichard told members that he would like to have a rally outside Congressman Donovan s office to mark the 50 th Anniversary of Medicare and the 80 th Anniversary of Social Security. He set a tentative date for September 19. He said that it is important for people to show up for this event and he plans to speak to the other Democratic Clubs on Staten Island and hopes to get commitments from each of them. Richard also spoke about Congressman Donovan s voting record on TPP. He said that it is important to monitor Congressman Donovan s voting record and that we cannot allow him to establish himself. Pride Fest Bryan Ellicott mentioned that he needs someone to pick up voter registration forms for the table that S.I.D.A. is staffing at the Pride Fest. He is looking for six volunteers to man the S.I.D.A. voter registration table at the Pride Fest on July 11 from 11:30 6:00 pm S.I.D.A July 2015 Page 9

10 Old Business President Olbrich reported that Mike McMahon will be speaking at the July meeting and she suggests holding the endorsement vote in August. She also urged registered Democrats to get petition signatures. Susan Chew and Richenda Kramer spoke about the HALT Solitary Confinement Act, which is a bill to significantly limit use of solitary confinement in NY State prisons and local jails, Senate Bill S2659/Assembly A4401. They urged members in Senator Lanza s District to take a form and ask the Senator to sign the bill. In May the club voted to send a letter to Governor Cuomo asking him to appoint someone to fill the District Attorney seat which was vacated by Dan Donovan. Cindy Lowney questioned whether Dennis sent the letter to the Governor and Dennis said he didn t because he didn t think it was timely at this point. After some discussion, President Olbrich felt we should send the letter. Dennis said he would work on the letter and send it out. The meeting was adjourned at 10:25 p.m. Respectfully submitted Marie Dwyer Corresponding & Recording Secretary Congressman Donovan Votes The following list of votes by Congressman Daniel Donovan was compiled by Richard Reichard. On May 12, 2015 Congressman Donovan voted yea on the Regulatory Integrity Protection Act, H.R (roll call vote 219). This legislation would require the EPA and the Army Corp of Engineers to withdraw a proposed rule that would expand the number of bodies of water covered under the Clean Water Act. This new rule would require a permit by the Corps to dispose of dredged or fill material from development projects near regulated waters. On May 13, 2015 Congressman Donovan voted yea on the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, H.R. 36 (roll call vote 223). This legislation would outlaw abortions after 20 weeks unless the life of the mother is in jeopardy or the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. On WNYC s Brian Lehrer show on April 30, 2015 when asked whether he (Donovan) would vote to put more federal restrictions on abortion he said No. On May 14, 2015 Congressman Donovan voted yea on the Brooks amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016, H.R (roll call vote 229). This amendment would eliminate language from the defense authorization establishing a sense of Congress calling for the secretary of Defense to consider allowing recipients of President Obama s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to serve in the military. On June 9, 2015 Congressman Donovan voted yea on the Commodity End-User Relief Act, H.R (Roll Call Vote 309). This legislation will weaken Dodd-Frank by making it more burdensome for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to regulate derivatives and swaps (two financial instruments at the center of the 2008 financial meltdown). This legislation will also open every proposed CFTC rule to lawsuit and would also prohibit S.I.D.A July 2015 Page 10

11 regulation of transactions booked by foreign subsidiaries of U.S. banks, including transactions that have a direct and significant connection to the U.S. economy. On June 10, 2015 Congressman Donovan voted yea on the Country of Origin Labeling Amendments Act of 2015, H.R (roll call vote 333). This Act repeals the country of origin labeling requirements for beef, pork, and chicken. On June 18, 2015 Congressman Donovan voted yea on the Protect Medical Innovation Act, H.R. 160 (roll call vote 375) which repealed the 2.3% excise tax on the sale of medical devices. Repealing the excise tax will increase the national debt by 24.4 billion by About half of medical devices are exempt from the tax including eyeglasses, contact lenses, hearing aids, wheelchairs, or any other medical device that the public generally buys at retail for individual use. A January 2015 report by the Congressional Research Service determined that the effect of the tax on the price of healthcare is negligible and that there would be fairly minor effects on the U.S. medical device industry and on jobs. The legislation adds to the national debt because it does not contain any revenue offset. On June 23, 2015 Congressman Donovan voted yea on the Protecting Seniors Access to Medicare Act of 2015, H.R (roll call vote 376). This Act repeals the provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that established the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). If the projected per capita growth rate for Medicare exceeds the target growth rate, IPAB must develop a proposal to reduce Medicare spending. Under the law "the proposal shall not include any recommendation to ration health care, raise revenues or Medicare beneficiary premiums, increase Medicare beneficiary cost sharing (including deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments), or otherwise restrict benefits or modify eligibility criteria." The IPAB proposal could only be overridden with a three-fifths majority of both houses of Congress, or Congress could institute its own reductions of an equal amount to what the IPAB proposed. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that H.R would increase direct spending by $7.1 billion over the period. The Act also cuts $8.25 billion from the Prevention and Public Health Fund. The Fund was established to provide for expanded and sustained national investment in prevention and public health programs to improve health and help restrain the rate of growth in private and public health care costs. On June 24, 2015 Congressman Donovan voted yea on the Ratepayer Protection Act of 2015, H.R (roll call vote 384). This legislation undermines the public health protections of the Clean Air Act (CAA) by threatening to slow or stop U.S. progress in cutting dangerous carbon pollution from power plants. On June 25, 2015 Congressman Donovan voted yea on a motion by Congressman McCarthy, House Resolution 341 (roll call 385) to refer to the Committee on House Administration the privileged resolution by Congressman Thompson of Mississippi directing the Speaker of the House to remove any state flag containing any portion of the Confederate battle flag, other than a flag displayed by the office of a Member of the House, from any area within the House wing of the Capital or any House office building, and shall donate any such flag to the Library of Congress. Every Republican but one voted yea, All Democrats voted nay. On July 9, 2015 Congressman Donovan voted yea to table House Resolution 355 (roll call vote 426) and refer it to Committee. Resolved, That the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall remove any State flag containing any portion of the Confederate battle flag, S.I.D.A July 2015 Page 11

12 other than a flag displayed by the office of a Member of the House, from any area within the House wing of the Capitol or any House office building, and shall donate any such flag to the Library of Congress. Every Republican but one voted yea. All Democrats voted nay. Letters We in S.I.D.A. like to make our views known. The following are some of the letters written by S.I.D.A. members that have appeared in print. Unless otherwise indicated, all letters were in the Staten Island Advance and/or posted on the Advance s website Unless explicitly stated, the views herein are those of the authors and are not the views of S.I.D.A. Online June 23, 2015 Bush Not Obama Set Iraq Withdrawal Date ritics of President Obama say that the violence we now see in Iraq is the result of him setting C a premature date for the withdrawal of American forces. However, these critics ignore the facts as to who set the withdrawal deadlines and that Iraq denied our request to grant American troops immunity from prosecution. On Dec. 14, 2008, President Bush signed the security agreement (Status of Force Agreement) with Iraq. The agreement set June 30, 2009, as the date for withdrawal of American combat forces from Iraq and a complete withdrawal of American forces from Iraqi territory by Dec. 31, On Feb. 27, 2009, President Obama announced that he had pushed back the date set by President Bush for the withdrawal of combat troops, 10 months to Aug. 31, President Obama said he would keep the date set by President Bush for the complete withdrawal of American troops. Between Aug. 31, 2010, and Dec. 31, 2011, President Obama said that the U.S. would keep a "transitional force" of 35,000 to 50,000 troops to train, equip, and advise Iraqi Security Forces. Prior to Dec. 31, 2011, the Obama Administration negotiated with the Iraqi government to keep American forces in Iraq after Dec. 31 st. However, the Iraqi government denied the U.S. demand that American troops be granted immunity from prosecution by Iraqis. S.I.D.A July 2015 Page 12

13 The date for the complete withdrawal of American forces from Iraq was set by President Bush, not President Obama. Those arguing that the U.S. should have kept American forces beyond the Dec. 31, 2011, date set by President Bush need to justify why they would place our forces in the position of being prosecuted by the Iraqis. - Richard Reichard S.I.D.A. Banquet Save the Date! Staten Island Democratic Association 54 th Anniversary Banquet Thursday, September 10, :00 11:00 p.m. The Crystal Room 67 Olympia Boulevard Honorees still under discussion For information contact Roy Moskowitz r2ceo@aol.com, S.I.D.A July 2015 Page 13

14 Letter to Governor Cuomo The following letter was sent to Governor Cuomo. June 22, 2015 STATEN ISLAND DEMOCRATIC ASSOCIATION P.O. BOX STATEN ISLAND, NY Honorable Governor Andrew Cuomo State Capitol Albany, New York Dear Governor Cuomo: As a consequence of the special election for the congressional seat in the 11 th Congressional District of New York State, the position of District Attorney was vacated by Dan Donovan, the elected District Attorney. At our monthly Staten Island Democratic Association meeting of May 19, 2015, the following Resolution was passed: Resolved that S.I.D.A. send a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo asking him respectfully to appoint a highly qualified, experienced and eminently competent Democratic attorney to fill the position of Richmond County District Attorney forthwith. There is a long tradition of the Democratic District Attorneys of Richmond County setting the gold standard for District Attorneys throughout the country. John Braisted, Thomas Sullivan, and Bill Murphy made us proud of their renown, integrity and expertise. The tenure of Dan Donovan in that office was a disappointment: many people not only in Staten Island but throughout the United States were shocked and dismayed at the outcome of the Eric Garner Grand Jury. Now that Donovan has vacated that seat, there is an opportunity to restore the office of District Attorney of Richmond County to the honor it once held. It is ironic that the very same people who brought suit to force you to call for an early special election to replace our disgraced Congressman Michael Grimm, have publicly counseled you in the Press, (i.e. the Staten Island Advance) that there is no need for you to appoint an interim or acting District Attorney for our County. We in the Staten Island Democratic Association feel it is appropriate for you to exercise your right to appoint a highly qualified, experienced and eminently competent Democratic attorney, to fill this position. In 1983 your father, the great Governor Mario Cuomo, appointed Bill Murphy as D.A. following the election of Thomas Sullivan to the Supreme Court. Thank you for your consideration of this matter; we hope that you will act in the interest of good government, especially at this crucial time given the recent history of Staten Island Grand Jury actions. Sincerely, Joann Olbrich, President S.I.D.A July 2015 Page 14

15 Bulletin Board Forum of ECONOMIC JUSTICE The Economy is just not doing it s JOB! Income Inequality just keeps getting worse. Working citizens continue being squeezed. Student debt is a national disgrace. Many are just left-behind. TPP is a huge threat on the horizon. WHAT WILL CHANGE THINGS? Sunday July 19 11:00AM Unitarian Church 312 Fillmore Street (@ Clinton Ave) For more information conact Rich Florentino at Bulletin Board Policy Items posted on the Bulletin Board are done so at the request of an S.I.D.A. member and are for informational purposes only. A posting on the Bulletin Board does not imply endorsement by S.I.D.A. S.I.D.A July 2015 Page 15

16 Peace Action of Staten Island THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 7 PM Screening of Nuclear Savage Staten Island Museum 75 Stuyvesant Place This award winning shocking political and cultural documentary exposé is a heartbreaking and intimate ethnographic portrait of Pacific Islanders struggling for dignity and survival after decades of radiation poisoning from the effects of nuclear testing. SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 11 AM Stories from Hiroshima and Nagasaki Unitarian Church of Staten Island 312 Fillmore Clinton Avenue Seventy years after Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed by atomic bombs on August 6 and 9, 1945, we will honor the spirit of the survivors who have used their stories to build the movement for a nuclear weapons-free world. Our mailing address is: Peace Action of Staten Island P. O. Box 201 St. George Station Staten Island, NY S.I.D.A July 2015 Page 16

17 July 21, 2015 General Meeting 8:00p.m. Charlie Brown s Steakhouse 1001 Goethals Road North District Attorney Candidate Michael McMahon August 18, 2015 General Meeting 8:00p.m. Charlie Brown s Steakhouse 1001 Goethals Road North Guest Speaker TBD It s Time to Join or Renew Your S.I.D.A. Membership! To become a member, renew membership, or make a donation, call Bonita Rothman at (917) , or complete and return the coupon. Voting privileges begin 45 days after joining DUES DONATION $15 - Family $5 $10 - Individual $50 $5 - Senior, Student, or Unemployed $100 Other Check (payable to: S.I.D.A.) Cash I understand SIDA is a Democratic Party club. I (or we, if this is a Family Membership) am (are) at least 17 years of age and an enrolled Democrat, or intend to enroll as a Democrat upon becoming eligible. Signature Name(s) Address Apt # City State Zip Phone Make checks payable S.I.D.A. to S.I.D.A. and send to: P.O. Box Staten Island, NY For internal use only: Comp: Received $: Deposited $: Entered Sht: Computer: S.I.D.A July 2015 Page 17