Put Wall Street Reform Back on the Agenda

JP Morgan Chase announced a $2 billion trading loss in two months from taking risky bets with other people's money.   After the biggest financial crisis in generations, Wall Street has still not been held accountable and does not appear to consider itself responsible.

JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon is also a member of the Board of Directors of the New York Federal Reserve Bank, where he advises the Federal Reserve on the oversight of the financial industry.

Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren is calling on Congress to put Wall Street reform back on the agenda and to begin by passing a new Glass-Steagall Act. This was the law that stopped investment banks from gambling away people's life savings for decades -- until Wall Street successfully lobbied to have it repealed in 1999.

Sign the petition now: http://elizabethwarren.com/wall-street-reform?sc=ems

Vote Today! DFNYC Bylaws Amendment

Attachments:

DFNYC Bylaws Amendment Ballot and Proposal.pdf

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Voting for DFNYC's proposed bylaws amendments opens today, May 2, 2012 and closes on May 23, 2012.  Vote at tonight's Linkup or download and mail your ballot which must be postmarked by May 23 and received by May 26.

You can download the the ballot and details about the proposed changes here.

Chuck Zlatkin Named DFNYC Political Director

Chuck Zlatkin has been named Political Director of Democracy for NYC following a vote of the board of directors.  

The DFNYC Political Director is tasked with, among other things,  coordinating interviews of candidates and the proponents and opponents of ballot measures, selecting and scheduling guest speakers at Organization-wide Linkups and any other special meetings or events, and establishing relationships and coalitions with other organizations and individuals who share a common goal with the Organization.

Chuck looks forward to hearing from and reaching out to candidates whose races will impact our members and joining with like-minded organizations to ensure that fiscally responsible and socially progressive candidates are elected at all levels of government, while promoting transparency and ethical practices.  Email Chuck at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

DFNYC calls for independent oversight of NYPD

Democracy for NYC joins with four NYC Councilmembers and Occupy Wall Street in calling for independent oversight of NYPD
 
New York, May 5, 2012  On Monday, April 30, 2012, a major lawsuit was filed by four City Councilmembers and members of Occupy Wall Street against officials of the New York City government and police department. This case,  Rodriguez et al v Winski, City of New York Et Al, raises very important issues and Democracy for NYC wishes to applaud and announce our strong support for the recommendations requested by the plaintiffs.
 
In recent times, members of DFNYC have witnessed firsthand how the NYPD systematically violates the First Amendment rights of citizens in the name of security. What happened on the night of November 15, 2011, when Occupy Wall Street protesters were evicted from Zuccotti park, was just one in a long line of incidents in recent years where the NYPD has shown an increasing willingness to use force and intimidation to prevent people from lawfully gathering to express their political views and protest. As the lawsuit states, “Police misconduct has flourished over the last twenty years in New York City and is once again reaching critical mass.”  
 
The board of directors of DFNYC joins with New York City Councilmembers Leticia James, Ydanis Rodriguez, Melissa Mark-Viverito, and Jumaane Williams and the other plaintiffs in calling for, in particular, the authorization of a court-appointed monitor/auditor to review the past and present activities of the NYPD.  
 
When the civil rights of our citizens are infringed upon by the government, independent oversight becomes imperative to the preservation of liberty and democracy. We urge all elected officials throughout the five boroughs to speak out in favor of more oversight of the New York City Police Department.
 
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DFNYC Opposes Mayoral Control

March 26, 2012: Following a vote of its board of directors, Democracy for New York City, on behalf of its members, has passed a resolution which both states DFNYC's position against the current implementation of Mayoral Control, and specifically calls for a reduction of the mayor's appointments on the Panel for Educational Policy to a minority status.