In This Issue
President's Report
Get Ready for Fall Campaigning with Three Parks
Keep Your Eye on These Down-Ballot Races Around the Country
A Changing Political Landscape and Primary Wins Shape Long Island Congressional Races
Three Parks Campaigners Helped Our Candidates Win Their Primaries
Rep. Jamie Raskin Receives Three Parks Public Service Award
Join Us on Sept. 28 for an End-of-Summer Get-together in Riverside Park
The Best-Kept Secret Behind High Gasoline Prices
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STAY HEALTHY!
STAY SAFE!
For the latest official information on the coronavirus, click here
or text COVID to 692-692
To see the percentage of the residents in our area who have been vaccinated, click here. (data updated daily)
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ONLINE CLUB MEETING
Wednesday, September 14, 2022, at 8:00 pm
Hear From Our Primary Winners!
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Jerry Nadler (invited)
US Congress
District NY-12
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Plus: Focus on Key NYS Races
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Robert Zimmerman
Democratic Candidate for Congress
NY-3 (Nassau County)
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Ashley Fry
Regional Organizing Director
New York State Democrats
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Join the meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
You may also either click on the link below or paste it
into your browser:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88154699667?pwd=UzBDK09vZ2pWY0xMSmFjUVg4UEdWUT09
If you are asked for a PASSWORD, enter:
540140
You may also join by using your phone to dial in.
Meeting ID: 881 5469 9667
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AGENDA
7:45--8:00 pm: Log On / Dial in
8:00 pm: Call to Order
Speakers: Primary winners Nadler, Cleare, Hoylman
Speaker: Robert Zimmerman
Questions and Answers
Speaker: Ashley Fry
Questions and Answers
Adjourn
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President's Report
By Lorraine Zamora
Summer’s over. I hope you all had time to get away from the city fray. I hope, too, that you voted in the August 23 primary for congressional and state senate candidates. It marked New York’s second primary election of the year—the first was in June for statewide and Assembly races—due to a bungled redistricting that led the courts to step in and take over the once-in-a-decade process.
Generally, citywide turnout was dismally low. Only 13% of the 2.6 million voters eligible to cast a ballot on August 23 went to the polls, and absentee ballots are still trickling in. The two districts with the highest voter turnout were in Manhattan: District 10, where Dan Goldman squeaked ahead of Yuh-Line Niou, had a voter turnout of 19%, and our own District 12, where our very own Jerry Nadler soundly defeated Carolyn Maloney with a winning turnout of 24%!
But though Three Parks has good cause to boast and cheer, the low overall voter turnout leaves a lot to ponder.
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Get Ready for Fall Campaigning with Three Parks. Watch Your Email for Details.
From early October until Election Day, Three Parks will be campaigning for progressive Democrats in the Midterms. Watch our website (threeparksdems.org) and your email for dates, times, and locations, then join us to help our candidates on to victory!
Our campaigning will have two goals. First, we will work for the candidates we endorsed in the local primaries – Kathy Hochul, Jerry Nadler, Cordell Cleare, Brad Hoylman – to ensure their success in the General Election. Starting on Saturday, Oct. 1, our sidewalk tables will be back out on Broadway on a regular schedule with candidate literature and other information. Volunteers are welcome!
Second, we will work for progressive candidates in crucial races in swing districts outside of New York City. Activities can include phone banking, postcard writing, texting, and canvassing trips. Watch for details about dates and locations, then join us and help Democrats hold the Senate and House!
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Keep Your Eye on These Down-Ballot Races Around the Country
By Elizabeth Kellner
Here in New York and in most of the rest of the country, our primaries are behind us and we are moving on to the November general election. Much national attention and huge amounts of dollars are now rightly focused on the midterm Senate and House races, always a risk for an incumbent President. However, there are other down-ballot races around the country that are crucial for ensuring election integrity and an honest, fair election in 2024, including the vote for President whoever runs. It is important that we focus our efforts on these races as well.
In 2020 in several key battleground states, election integrity -- which made a huge difference for the Democrats – was ensured only because of the honesty and integrity of the then-incumbent Republican and Democratic officials in charge of overseeing the vote. But this past year, Trump-supporting 2020 “election deniers” have received the Republican Party’s nomination for those key administrative positions. These candidates subscribe to the falsehood that the 2020 election was not valid and that therefore, draconian disenfranchisement measures are needed.
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A Changing Political Landscape and Primary Wins Shape Long Island Congressional Races
By Wendy Diller
Thanks to redistricting and changing national political dynamics, New York State has multiple competitive races for Congress, including key races for “open” seats on Long Island. Each victory will be crucial to retaining Democratic control of the US House of Representatives. The United States Supreme Court decisions on abortion and gun control could energize independents and infrequent Democratic voters, in a scenario that until recently looked bleak for Democrats on Long Island.
You will learn more about Three Parks Democrats’ plans to support Long Island Democratic candidates this fall at the upcoming September 14 meeting. Meanwhile, below are some updated insights on Long Island congressional races:
What’s new: The landscape has changed, and for an expert take on Long Island politics we turned to Lawrence Levy, executive dean of the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University and the university’s Vice President for Economic Development and Professional Studies. The following is based on his comments.
CD1: This area covers the far eastern parts of Suffolk County, including the Hamptons and much of Brookhaven. It was a 0.2%+ for Biden in 2020. The seat is open, thanks to Lee Zeldin’s bid as the Republican candidate for New York State Governor. Bridget Fleming, a Suffolk County legislator and former prosecutor and Southampton Town Councilwoman, is the Democratic candidate against Republican Nick LaLota, who has served in a number of local Republican positions and is currently chief of staff to the Suffolk County Legislature. Read More
CD2: This district stretches across the southern parts of Suffolk and Nassau counties. It went for Trump 1.6+ in 2020. Andrew Garbarino is the first-time Republican incumbent and is considered to be comparatively moderate in that he has not supported Trump. He will face Democrat Jackie Gordon, an Army veteran and former high school guidance counselor, who has served on the Babylon Town Council. Read More
CD3: This area covers the entire North Shore of Nassau County and dips into northeastern Queens. It went for Biden 8.1+ in 2020. Robert Zimmerman, a former Congressional aide who runs a marketing and communications firm and is a well-connected local and national Democratic donor, is the Democratic candidate, running for public office for the first time. Read More
CD4: This area covers the South Shore of Nassau County. It went for Biden 14.6%+ in 2020 and has been considered “safely” Democratic, but Democrats face headwinds here. Both Laura Gillen, the Democratic candidate, and her opponent, Republican Anthony D’Esposito, have served as Town of Hempstead Supervisors. Read More
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Three Parks Campaigners Helped Our Candidates
Win Their Primaries
In the weeks leading up to the Aug. 23 Primary, Three Parks members campaigned hard for our endorsed candidates.
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(Above) Every Tuesday and Thursday morning, Club members handed out leaflets and other materials to voters at the W. 96th St. subway station. Here we are joined by NYS Sen. Brad Hoylman (fourth from left), who won re-election in NY Senate District 47, and by City Council Member Shaun Abreu (third from right), who was elected in 2021.
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(above) With signs and t-shirts, Three Parks showed our support for Rep. Jerry Nadler at a W. 72nd St. rally.
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Rep. Jamie Raskin Receives Three Parks Public Service Award |
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At a ceremony in July, Club member Judy Wood (right) presented Congress Member Jamie Raskin (MD-08) with the Three Parks Ted Weiss Public Service Award in recognition of his service as a member of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the US Capitol. The award had been initially announced earlier this year at the Club's Annual Event held on May 22.
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Join Us on Sept. 28 for an End-of-Summer Get-Together in Riverside Park
See your Three Parks friends, enjoy a late-summer evening in beautiful Riverside Park -- and hear about our campaign plans for the coming election season!
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When: Wednesday, Sept. 28, from 5:30 to 7:00 PM
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Where: Ellington in the Park, lower level; inside Riverside Park at 104th Street
- First drink and appetizers are on us!
In case of inclement weather, check the Three Parks website here or watch your e-mail for an alternate date
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Monnie Callan
Three Parks mourns the passing of Monnie Callan, mother of Lyndie Callan and mother-in-law of Robert Bardin (Three Parks member since 1985), who died on August 28, 2022, at the age of 96.
Monnie was a community organizer, an advocate for tenants rights and an early champion of local leaders such as Ruth Messinger and Jerry Nadler. Her activism was a powerful force for good!
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The Best-Kept Secret Behind High Gasoline Prices
By Steve Max
09/07/2022
We won’t keep you in suspense: it isn’t Russia, it isn’t Ukraine, it isn’t the Arabs, nor is it the frailty of human nature which afflicts us all. No, while these contribute to the situation, the best kept secret is that the US is the world’s largest exporter of gasoline! Total motor fuel consumption in the US is about 8.8 million barrels per day while exports, mainly to Mexico and Canada, are about 6 million.
The American Journal of Transportation said in May, “Record fuel exports from the US Gulf Coast are eating into domestic supplies, leaving gasoline and diesel tanks on the East Coast emptier than they have been in decades.” To which Forbes added in July, “With prices for gasoline still elevated, US exports of refined petroleum products should smash the 2013 record-setting total easily this year.”
President Biden has lashed out at the oil companies saying, “We’re going to make sure everyone knows Exxon’s profits. Exxon made more money than God last year.”1 He wrote to each of the major oil companies urging them to cooperate with his Administration by increasing refinery capacity and lowering prices.2
The President had entertained the idea of requiring a reduction of exports, but with heavy lobbying by the industry and a June 22 meeting with oil company CEOs, he appears to have backed off. The Administration seems to prefer voluntary cutbacks in exports.3 In August, US energy secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a letter to industry leaders, "Given the historic levels of US refined product exports, I again urge you to focus in the near term on building inventories in the United States, rather than selling down current stocks and further increasing exports."
The Industry response sounds almost threatening. “Not only will limitations or outright bans of petroleum products have the exact opposite effect than intended – raising fuel prices instead of lowering them and placing additional refining capacity at risk … .” a spokesperson for the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers said.4 No doubt they would claim that this wasn’t a threat but merely a prediction.
Indeed, it appears that the Industry has Biden over the proverbial barrel. Presidential approval ratings have historically correlated with fuel prices as the chart below shows. We must remember the principle of logic, “Correlation does not imply causality.” However, with the elections upcoming, correlation itself is scary enough.
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President
Lorraine Zamora
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District Leader
Cynthia Doty
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State Committee
Daniel Marks Cohen
Lynn Thomas
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Read more about our grassroots activities.
Follow us on Facebook/Meta here
Follow us on Twitter here
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Read the Mid-Summer Newsletter here
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Print, cut out, and mail this form.
2022 MEMBERSHIP FORM
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Mail to: Three Parks Independent Democrats
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Attention: Treasurer
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