A LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL FOR PUBLIC FINANCING OF ELECTIONS FOR
STATE POLITICAL OFFICES IN NEW YORK

In recent months, we have partnered with the newly formed Citizen Action Network [CAN] to jump start political activism in our region. Michael Sussman is serving as Chair of the Political Action Committee of CAN and the committee has committed to two major initiatives:

First, it has drafted and is now circulating proposed legislation [attached] to assure public financing of statewide political campaigns, to set limits on the obscene expenditures in such races, to level the playing field so that people from all walks of life can more fully participate in the political process. Ending the domination of our politics by monies interests remains a critical priority and passage of this legislation would go a long way toward achieving this objective.

CAN also is sponsoring with numerous co-sponsors massive voter registration drive in the county's three cities: Newburgh, Port Jervis and Middletown. Volunteers are needed to assist on the following weekends:

April 8-9 - Middletown

April 22-23 - Port Jervis

May 6-7- Newburgh

We will conduct these drives working in teams, wearing clearly identified t-shirts and with walking lists which make the task easier. But, we need as many people as we can get to help. If you want to help, please call Sally Porter at 294-3991.

Ending racism and sexism in NY state courts and in the administration of justice are stated institutional objectives of our courts. But, is this happening or do these pernicious and undermining qualities still characterize the administration of justice in New York?

The Democratic Alliance has initiated a new court watching program to help find out. The program is relatively simple: groups of 2-3 people attend court sessions in local Justice Courts, County Courts and Family Courts and carefully chronicle what happens in each case. The teams note the race, national origin and gender of the defendant, the charge[s], the bail set, the disposition of the case and anything noteworthy about the attitude of either the Judge, the Prosecutor or the defense lawyers. All this data is then sent to a central office for processing and analysis and a report is drawn setting forth empirically-derived conclusions.

The system then, we hope, will self correct as necessary. Judges who have expressed bias need to be counseled and/or removed. Biases in any facet of the administrative of justice system should be discerned through these intense and decentralized volunteer effort to observe, record and hold accountable.

Attached is the sheet which each volunteer will use in court watching. All these forms will be returned to sussman1@frontiernet.net and analysis will be forthcoming. Anyone interested in this program should email sussman1@frontiernet.net and indicate which court/she/she will be monitoring.