News

We invite your members to join us for a series of talks to learn how the federal, state, and city government are structured and how you can make an impact. Classes will be taught by political scientists and/or elected officials, and people who have served in office.  Drop in on any talk in the series or come to them all. No RSVP is necessary.

Let’s Talk Democracy is a grass roots, non-partisan organization dedicated to educating people about our government, encouraging dialogue about the basic foundations of our democracy, and empowering citizens of NYC and beyond to make their voices heard.  They provide classes, seminars, and discussion forums in the belief that informed knowledgeable residents emerge energized to actively participate in the democratic process. 

Schedule of classes (see below):

• Wednesday, March 14, 6:30- 8pm
  Federal Government: Separation of Powers among the Executive, Congressional and Judicial Branches
• Wednesday, March 21, 6:30- 8pm
  State Government: Role of Governor, State Senate and State Assembly 
• Wednesday, March 28, 6:30- 8pm
  The Electoral System and Roles of Citizens/Local Residents –Advocacy and Lobbying
• Wednesday, April 4, 6-7:30pm
  City Government Part 1: Structure and Elected Officials, City Council
• Wednesday, April 11, 6:30- 8pm
  City Government Part 2 – Community Boards, Advocacy and Lobbying
• Wednesday, April 18, 6:30- 8pm
  Book Talk @ 53rd Street Library
• Wednesday, April 25, 6:30- 8pm
  GOLES – Housing and Land Use
• Wednesday, May 2, 6:30- 8pm
  Advocacy Fair

Council Members Margaret Chin and Peter Koo invite you:

Wednesday, March 7, 2018 | 5:30 PM

Council Chambers, City Hall

Seats are limited — RSVP by Monday, March 5 to LNY2018@council.nyc.gov

Emma Gonzalez, David Hogg,Cameron Kasky, Alex Wind and Jaclyn Corin teenagers who survived the school shooting massacre in Florida last week:

From ABC News Martha Raddatz:

“They are determined to use protests and political action to make the mass shooting …in Parkland, Florida, a turning point in the national debate over gun control.

Cameron Kasky, an 11th-grader:

“People keep asking us, ‘What about the Stoneman Douglas shooting is going to be different, because this has happened before and change hasn’t come? This is it.”

“People are saying that it’s not time to talk about gun control. And we can respect that.

Here’s a time. March 24th in every single city. We are going to be marching together as students begging for our lives.”

Called “March for Our Lives,” the demonstration should transcend politics, according to Kasky and four of his classmates:

Kasky:

“This isn’t about the GOP. This isn’t about the Democrats. This is about the adults…at this point, you’re either with us or against us.”

“Any politician on either side who is taking money from the NRA is responsible for events like this. At the end of the day, the NRA is fostering and promoting this gun culture.”

…the point is to “create a new normal where there’s a badge of shame on any politician who’s accepting money from the NRA.”

Gonzalez:

“the student activists from Parkland want to have conversations about guns with President Trump, Sen. Marco Rubio and Gov. Rick Scott”

“We want to give them the opportunity to be on the right side of this”

“The kids who need to take part in this are kids, everyday kids just like us. They are students who need to understand that this can very quickly happen to them … They need to join us, and they need to help us get our message across. All students should realize that a school shooting could happen anywhere.”

Neighbors to Save Rivington House appreciates the support of the community, the Community Board, all of our local elected officials, the Comptroller’s Office, the Dept. of Investigations,  the NY State Attorney General’s Office, the US Attorney Generals Office for the Southern District of NY, neighbors, not-for-profits, CBO’s, Mobilization for Justice and others in this 3 1/2 year fight to return the building and to get restitution for those who were treated as expendable.  was meant to be, in perpetuity, a resource on behalf of the NYC public as a health facility.

To stay updated please check our Facebook page. More to come.

Our letter to China Vanke [buyer of Rivington House and the richest real estate company in the world] of August 4, 2016. English and Chinese versions:

Request for Mayor to Call Promised Meeting with Buyers of Rivington House: Slate Property Group, Adam America, China Vanke.

Statement on the Attorney General’s Settlement with Allure:

Statement in Response to Recent Permits Filed by Slate Property Group, Adam America, China Vanke:

In November 2017, UN climate observers reported that the past three years have all been in the top three years in terms of temperature records. They also reported temperatures topping 50C in Asia, record-breaking hurricanes in rapid succession in the Caribbean and Atlantic, devastating monsoon flooding affecting millions, and a relentless drought in East Africa. The World Meteorological Organisation has stated that indicators up to this point suggest that 2017 will actually be the hottest year since records began. The concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is now estimated to be higher than at any time in at least 800,000 years. Bearing in mind our species has been on the planet for only about a quarter of that time, this is clearly a crisis of unprecedented magnitude for humanity.

Although the existential threat to life on Earth by climate change becomes increasingly apparent year by year, the capacity of capitalist politicians to respond appropriately remains pitifully inadequate. Trump’s stated goal to take the US out of the 2015 Paris climate deal is only the most egregious example. Supporters of renewable energy estimated earlier this year that UK government funding of wind, solar, biomass power and waste-to-energy projects is set to fall by 95% over the next three years.

Creating an Ecological Society: Toward a Revolutionary Transformation
By Fred Magdoff and Chris Williams
Monthly Review Press, 387 pages
Hardcover:  $95.00; Paperback:  $25.00; E-book:  $21.25

More information and links to details on Festivities: The Lo-Down