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Meeting Notes
August 17, 2006
Present: Ed Lentz, Paddy Lane, Dave Grodsky,
Nick Albaugh, Leslie Albaugh, Kathy Shimberg, Dick & Betty Stinson
Plus Guest: Mary Clark, from Citizen Action NY, Binghamton office
Welcome & self-introductions around the assembled multitude.
Agenda review; Kathy agreed to take notes. Minutes of last
meeting were approved.
Treasurer's report: $25 fee for Grand & Glorious Garage
Sale table
Paddy reported:
Hartwick contact -- will reimburse us (Ed) $600 -- yay!
Received enormous tax bill from IRS -- we will contest
it.
New info about CfD:
New mailing address, P.O. Box 526, Morris 13808-- 3 households
will check it periodically.
New flyer (hot orange!) with some wording and other changes
-- 100 copies printed.
Healthcare forum -- Wed, Sept. 27 Speakout -- Elm Park Methodist Church
reserved.
Candidate report card -- We reviewed Nick's idea further. People
can fill this out individually, and we can take an average of what scores
people come up with. If we can do this process, we can put out a press
release about the report card.
Mary Clark (Citizen Action NY):
Offered to print stuff for CfD for free
CANY wants to use issue work to take back Congress --
2 hottest races in NY State: Boehlert's
seat, and Sweeney/Gillibrand race
Dem. Party wants to get "lazy Dems" = who don't vote in midterm elections;
+ how to get people to vote outside their usual party line.
For this campaign, CANY is targeting over-60 people on issues re (1) Soc.
Security, and (2) Medicare -- identify 10,000 voters in this area. They
have a petition campaign among seniors (blue petition) in each of these 2
districts (24th CD and 20th CD). They are also adding to phone banks.
CANY also has a petition re: general issues (red) like budget cuts, social
programs, etc. Petitions can be circulated at fairs; also door-to-door
on Sept. 16.
CANY will circulate these 2 petitions. The general petition will be
submitted to Congressional reps from this area during the budget battle (after
the Nov. election). CANY will also follow up with mailings to petition
signers and targeted phone calls.
There is a lack of voter excitement in this area currently -- how motivate?
The Washington DC Citizen Action office has packaged a campaign -- Target
education, health care, and clean energy.
Make connections between the candidates and the issues.
Make connections to money, huge tax giveaways -- e.g.,
estate tax cut.
Seniors are the greatest voting bloc in U.S. today
For those who would like to assist this campaign by telephoning, there are
phone lists available (or web-based dialer for high-speed)
Must accomplish this w/in next 2 months.
Need people from CfD to coordinate: (1) Media
campaign; (2) Door-to-door petitioning; (3) phone campaign --
Approach: "Are you concerned about
...." re the several issues.
Petitions signed will go into CANY database in Binghamton
office and also to Albany office -- Keep them on file.
"Invest in America's Future" will be launched in NYS
the week of Aug. 29 (launched nationally on Aug. 21) -- a coalition of various
organizations, including unions, etc. Focus on Healthcare, Education,
Clean Energy.
Ed and Paddy will be coordinators for media
Have petitions at Grand & Glorious Garage Sale.
Grand and Glorious Garage Sale:
We need volunteers to sit at CfD table at GGG Sale -- Sat., Sept. 9 -- 9
a.m. to 4 p.m.
Restore the Soul of America -- is having its kickoff event Sept. 11
-- Paddy & Dave are talking with First United Methodist Church about
this -- with Rev. Tom Clemow on board.
Letters will be taken personally to Clinton, Schumer,
Sweeney, Boehlert focusing on RSA's three immediate priorities:
--US out of Iraq
--Stay out of Iran; NO PRE-EMPTIVE WAR!
--Pledge to get big money out of elections: support public
funding of election campaigns and real lobby reform.
**CfD endorses, supports and encourages participation in Restore the Soul
of America.
Grand and Glorious Garage Sale table: Ed Lentz, Suzanne Miller & Walter
vom Saal already signed up for 2 hrs. each. Paddy suggests 2 tables
-- One large one with display of our major issues, one smaller one with anything
else that people want to bring. The space will cost $25.
CfD website -- Walter vom Saal has set one up -- we need a name/URL (www.coalitionfordemocracy.org is
already taken) -- several possible alternatives were suggested at the meeting
-- Kathy S. will research on web to see what variations are available and
get back to Walter on it. We choose democracycoalition.org if that
is available.
Voting machines update: We're going back to Otsego County Board
of Reps on this -- NYS may require 2 DRE machines for every current lever
machine. Board meets the first Wed. of Sept. IGA (Intergovernmental
Affairs) Committee meets Sept. 12.
Meeting adjourned at 7:15 pm. Forum on Catalyst Renewable
woodburning plant begins at 7:30 PM next door; we are co-sponsors.
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