New York Gov. Cuomo yesterday signed into law an Ethics bill he says will increase accountability and transparency.
Cuomo signed the bill over the objections of Government Reform groups who… Read More
One corollary to the political-money obsession is the complaint that Federal Election Commission (FEC) enforcement for alleged wrongdoers is too feeble. Critics say its bipartisan structure… Read More
Three years after the 2013 Elections revealed serious flaws in New York City’s Campaign Finance laws, the City Council may finally be moving to fix some of the worst problems, but not… Read More
Within the next two months, the New York City Council is expected to vote on a large Legislative package that would alter the City’s Campaign Finance system in a variety of ways and re… Read More
>“What can I do?” That’s been the most asked question since the Election among those who cherish the inclusive rights affirming American Democracy that Common Cause/NY a… Read More
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, during his State of the State tour early this month, proposed a trio of major reforms hailed as important steps toward modernizing New York’s antiquated Ele… Read More
The New YorkcCty Board of Elections (BOE) has improperly removed more than 200,000 Voters from its rolls since 2014, according to an investigation by the Office of State Attorney General Eri… Read More
This November, New York Voters will get to decide whether State Officials who are convicted of Public Corruption can be stripped of their Pensions.
A Government Ethics Reform Bill, jointly… Read More
When State Senator Bill Perkins won a Special Election last week for an empty seat on the New York City Council, he became the first in a wave of State Legislators who are expected to ask vo… Read More
In January, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed Reforms aimed at increasing low turnout in New York Elections.
On Tuesday, Cuomo said that the measures may have to wait until after this yea… Read More
On April 5th I attended a Panel discussion sponsored by The Gotham Center For New York City History at the Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY).
The Title of the Panel was Fi… Read More
A Bill heard by the New York City Council’s Committee on Governmental Operations aims to further Limit the Influence of Big-Dollar Donations and Special Interests in City Elections. Th… Read More
More than 168,000 people cast Paper Ballots at the Polls in the 2016 Presidential Election because their names did not appear on the Voter Rolls. The New York City Board of Elections (BOE) d… Read More
New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo appears in a Video Promoting his Immigration Policies, and his critics say it indicates he is Skirting Campaign Finance Rules. At the end of a video promoti… Read More
Lois Lerner, the former Internal Revenue Service Official who was at the heart of the Investigation of the Scandal that was erupted after it was revealed that the Internal Revenue Service (I… Read More
The New York City Board of Elections (BOE) Admitted it Broke State and Federal Law when it Improperly Removed Voters from the Rolls ahead of the 2016 Presidential Primary, including more tha… Read More
Just four days before Voters head to the Polls on Tuesday, November 7th, New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer released a damning Report highlighting the Dysfunctional Election Operations… Read More
Is New York ready for an Election Cyber-Attack? Are the State’s Voting Systems Vulnerable to Hacking?
The New York State Assembly’s Election Law Committee heard Testimony from S… Read More
Suffolk would be the first New York County with Public Financing of Campaigns under a Bill that Passed a Legislative Committee on Tuesday.
Modeled on New York City’s Public Financing… Read More
With a current 16-hour Workday, soon to change to Split Shifts, Compensation at $200, and the Monotony of sitting in what is often a stifling, Public-School Gymnasium, New York City’s… Read More
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo unveiled his “2018 Democracy Agenda,” a plan to create more transparency in Political Advertising and require Online Platforms to archive Political… Read More
The New York City Charter Revision Commission called by Mayor Bill de Blasio convened to collect Expert Testimony on ways to foster increased participation in Municipal Elections. Eleven of… Read More
Barbara and I voted today in the NY State Primary. Our polling place was a School with Classes going on and we went during a Class change, what a Mess. There was six scanners, but only One w… Read More
Participatory Budgeting (PB) is a different way to Manage Public Money, and to Engage People in Government. It is a Democratic Process in which Community Members Directly decide how to Spend… Read More
A Federal District Court in New York agreed that Common Cause New York, Represented by the: Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Lawyers’ Committee, LatinoJustice PRLDE… Read More
A Top Good-Government Group demanded on Tuesday that New York City Board of Elections Executive Director, Michael Ryan, Abdicate his Office, after it was Revealed he holds a Perk-Laden Post… Read More
The Trump Administration deployed Military Forces to Block Asylum Seekers from Crossing the Southern U.S. Border and is Indefinitely Detaining more than 14,000 Migrant Children, so it’… Read More
If they didn't know already, the Breakdowns on Election Day reminded Voters that New York has some of the most Antiquated Voting Laws and Processes in the Country.
From a lack of Early Voti… Read More
Das Jahr 2019 fängt digital an: Am 29. und 30. Januar findet in der Realschule Gauting bei München der Lehrerkongress „DigitaleSchule.Bayern“ statt. An beiden Tagen dre… Read More
These are some items in the New York State 2020 Executive Budget that deals with Voting and Campaign Finance.
In the first 12 weeks of the 2019 Legislative Session, New York State made Hist… Read More
The Sunporch
– Non-Fiction by Stephen Beaumont –
“Your garden is like a park,” my mother-in-law would say when she came to visit us in Wisconsin from her home i… Read More
JUNE 2019
For those who haven't heard the sad news: The Grey Horse Tavern, one of LI's most eclectic music venues which is located in Bayport, will be closing this June… Read More
The Syracuse New York Common Council yesterday took historic action toward Creating an Independent Redistricting Commission to draw Districts for the City of Syracuse.
The Common Council Vo… Read More
The New York State Board of Elections (BOE) will be on Trial in Federal Court, facing Allegations that Current State Law Violates the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).
The Good Govern… Read More
With 2019 Voting in the Books and a Major Election year on the horizon, a behind-the-scenes effort is underway to Replace the Executive Director of the New York City Board of Elections (NYCB… Read More
A push is now underway to ensure New York City Voters are Educated about the New Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV) system New York City will be Adopting for some Elections starting in 2021, and it… Read More
The way New York City will Vote in Municipal Elections is about to Change and there is Lot to Learn about the New system, Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV).
Lawmakers, Good Government Groups, and… Read More
A Federal Judge has Ruled that New York must provide Local Poll Workers with the Names of, 1,971,543 New Yorkers as of Feb. 21st, 2020, who are Registered to Vote but are considered Inactive… Read More
The New York City (NYC) Board of Elections (BoE) Missed a City Charter-Mandated June 1st Deadline to Issue a Report on how it will Implement the New Voter-Approved Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV)… Read More
Washington, DC, Residents will be able to Vote, at Nationals Park, in November's General Election, the Washington Nationals announced on Monday August 24th.
The Stadium, which has been Clos… Read More
With the Clock ticking down to Election Day, Officials are cautiously Optimistic New York has Fixed Problems with Mail-in-Voting that led to Delays and Disenfranchisement in a rocky June Pri… Read More
Fighting for Automatic Voter Registration
At the beginning of December 2020, S8806/A8280C which would bring Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) to New York, was Delivered to Governor Cuomo (… Read More
As President-Elect Joe Biden continues to decide Critical Cabinet Appointments for: AG, CIA, Commerce, Labor, and SBA, the New Administration will be Confronting Widespread Vacancies in Insp… Read More
Biden and Harris White House/Cabinet Picks:
Position/Senate Confirmation Review Committee
Secretary of Agriculture: Tom Vilsack / Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
Secretary… Read More
The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC), adopted Drafts of New Congressional and Legislative District Maps, Thursday, with only a few Partisan Disputes. The Five-Member Arizo… Read More
Arizona's Independent Redistricting Commission Approves Congressional Map, Unanimously.
Last decade, there was significant controversy surrounding Arizona’s Independent Redistricting… Read More
A rain of rockets from Gaza, hundreds of Hamas militants entering Israel and taking with them more than a hundred hostages… The worst possible scenario for a country that boasts of ha… Read More