Rodriguez Commemorates the Life of Maria Miolan
City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez (D-Washington Heights, Inwood) paid tribute to the life of famed Dominican activist Maria Miolan at a street co-naming ceremony in her honor.
Miolan came to New York in 1962, seeking refuge from the remnant gangs that survived after the despot Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina was removed from power. After her youngest daughter was born with Down’s syndrome, she turned her home into a “safe haven” for other special needs children. By the end of her life, she had had over 100 children under her care.
In her honor, the northeast corner of W. 184th St. & Audubon Avenue has been co-named “Flor Maria Miolan Way”.
“Mami Flor was an inspiring and nurturing community leader in Washington Heights who brought joy to numerous children in need in New York City and provided them with love, shelter, food and support,” said Rodriguez. “She was a mother to all in the community and a tireless champion for the betterment of all children. She had a heart of gold and a generous spirit, and now on the corner of West 184th Street and Audubon Avenue, we will remember her legacy for generations to come.”
Chin Advises Colleagues to “Stay Vigilant” Against Voter Suppression
City Councilwoman Margaret Chin (D-Battery Park City, Chinatown) was outraged to hear that the New York Board of Elections (BOE) is trying to keep special election translators out of poll sites.
Late last year, Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson (D-Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen) promised to assign translators to work at over 100 poll sites to help voters during the Public Advocate special election. Last Friday, however, the BOE filed suit against the City, claiming that only it has the authority to make such assignments.
“I stand with NYC immigrant voters to reject this ill-disguised attempt to undermine full participation,” Chin said in a tweet. “We’ve been here many times before. I actually had to file a lawsuit against BOE to secure ballots in Asian languages back in the 90s. Today’s threat by BOE is a reminder that we have a long way to go before true electoral reform. In the meantime, we need to stay vigilant.”
Brewer’s State of the Borough Dominates Social Media
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer delivered her State of the Borough address yesterday, to overwhelmingly positive reception.
Over the course of the event, Brewer hosted a panel discussion on present-day urban policy, discussed her plans to ensure that Manhattan Community Boards accurately reflect their respective communities, and detailed her oppostion to NYCHA’s Holmes Tower infill project. Over 300 tweets with the hashtag #SOTB2019 were sent that afternoon, causing the hashtag to trend for a brief period of time.
“Because of you, #SOTB2019 is trending on Twitter,” Brewer said in a tweet. “Thank you to everyone who joined the conversation today!”
Hoylman Writes Op-Ed on How to Get Money Out of NY Politics
State Senator Brad Hoylman wrote an opinion piece for Crain’s New York Business last Friday about how to reduce the extent to which corporations and special interest groups influence elections.
The editorial, which was co-written by Empire State Indivisible co-lead organizer Ricky Silver, argued that the best answer to the problem is extensive campaign finance reform. He suggested a system in which small personal donations are matched with public funding – $6 for every $1 donated.
Hoylman wrote that the progressive wave of 2018 has given the Democratic Party a perfect opportunity to make public campaign finance a reality.
This is a huge opportunity for New York,” wrote Hoylman. “We have the opportunity to lead the nation by becoming the first state since the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling to pass comprehensive campaign finance reform. By matching small-dollar donations with public funding—$6-to-every $1 raised—we can amplify the voices of women; of people of color; of the working and middle classes; and of all under-represented New Yorkers in the political process. For what amounts to the cost of a cup of coffee per person per year, we can build a system that minimizes the influence of special interests and helps hold elected officials accountable to the constituents we represent.”
