Did you know that participatory budgeting will be on the ballot November 6? New York City voters have an opportunity to raise the bar for PB by voting for ballot proposal 2. If approved, it will launch the largest PB process in North America – likely bigger than all other programs in the US and Canada combined! Will you help New Yorkers say YES to this and two other exciting ballot proposals?
In case you missed it, the Mayor’s Charter Revision Commission reviewed the New York City Charter and gathered public input over several months. Based on what New Yorkers told the Commission, it put forward three recommendations to strengthen democracy in NYC.
The Participatory Budgeting Project endorses all three ballot proposals.
These changes to the City Charter will:
- get big money out of politics
- expand civic engagement*
- make local community boards more diverse.
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*Of course we’re especially excited about proposal #2, which will launch citywide participatory budgeting!
We’re not the only folks supporting all three proposals. We’re proud to stand with an incredible coalition of organizations and officials who are saying #YesYesYesNYC!
Want to help participatory budgeting and democracy win on November 6?
Sign up to receive email and social media content to share with voters. Like and share the YesYesYesNYC Facebook page.
Join us in person the evenings of November 1 & 5 to text voters. Or, help remotely from anywhere. No experience needed – it’s a fun and easy way to help grow democracy.
Join us in saying YES to democracy and YES to all three ballot questions, regardless of where you’re based. Say #YesYesYesNYC.
For immediate release: Oct. 25, 2018
For more information: Rob Duffey, Working Families Party, at 646-463-3267 or rduffey@workingfamilies.org
Newly-formed “Democracy Yes” Coalition Announces Campaign to Support New York City Charter Revision Commission Ballot Questions
NY Working Families Party, SEIU Local 32BJ, CWA District 1, Demos, Patriotic Millionaires, NY Civic Engagement Table, NY Immigration Coalition, Participatory Budgeting Project, Transportation Alternatives, and a growing list of others will ask New Yorkers to improve our democracy by voting Yes, Yes, Yes on NYC’s three ballot proposals.
New York, NY (October 25, 2018) – Today, leading labor, advocacy, good government and community groups announced a newly-formed campaign to support proposals that would improve democracy in New York City. The new coalition, “Democracy Yes”, will urge New Yorkers to vote yes on ballot questions proposed by the City’s 2018 Charter Revision Commission. These proposals, which will appear on the November 6 General Election ballot, would take big money out of politics by improving the City’s campaign finance system, create a civic engagement commission, and make changes to strengthen and diversify community boards.
Details of the proposals can be found here.
The coalition’s membership is growing quickly. It currently includes the Advocacy Institute, African Communities Together, Arts & Democracy, the NY Civic Engagement Table, Chhaya CDC, CWA District 1, Demos, EveryVoice, Generation Citizen, Korean Americans for Political Advancement, MinKwon Center for Community Action, NY Immigration Coalition, Participatory Budgeting Project, Patriotic Millionaires, ReInvent Albany, SEIU Local 32BJ, Strong for All Coalition, Theater of the Oppressed NYC, Transportation Alternatives, UNITE-HERE Local 100, and the Working Families Party.
“Across the country union members have born the brunt of a political system that is rigged. In NYC we’re fighting to build a stronger democracy. The three proposals on the ballot are an important step in that direction and we wholeheartedly urge New Yorkers to vote Yes, Yes, and Yes on November 6.”
– Dennis Trainor, Vice President, CWA District 1
“As our democratic institutions are threatened by widespread voter disenfranchisement and restrictions to access our government, the Charter Revision proposals will put New York at the forefront of the movement to expand democracy and promote participation of individuals and groups that seek to engage in our democratic process.”
– Hector Figueroa, President, 32BJ SEIU
“Albany campaign finance laws are broken, but in just a few days New Yorkers have a chance to strengthen democracy in our own city while sending a powerful message that we need to unrig the system statewide. We’re asking all WFP voters to vote yes on the charter questions on Nov. 6.”
– Bill Lipton, State Director, New York Working Families Party
“We strongly support these three ballot proposals because they amplify the voice of everyday New Yorkers, and create new opportunities for injecting fresh perspectives into the public debate over how to make our city better for everyone. “
– John Kaehny, executive director of Reinvent Albany
“Government needs to do more to engage people in our democracy. By investing in civic engagement, New York City can empower millions of residents to get more involved, step up as leaders, and help government make better decisions. These ballot proposals can help turn New York City into a global leader in democracy.”
– Josh Lerner, Co-Executive Director, Participatory Budgeting Project
“Transportation Alternatives strongly supports a YES vote on Proposal 3 on this year’s general election ballot, instituting terms limits on New York City’s community board system. Term limits have been shown to improve representation, equity, and fairness in offices nationally, and right here in the five boroughs. Such a change would not just match electoral standards common throughout the city, but would also bring new perspectives and voices into our city’s community boards. As we fight for safer and better walking, biking and public transit, we hope every New Yorker will flip their ballot and vote in favor of a more inclusive, democratic New York on election day.”
– Marco Conner, Deputy Director, Transportation Alternatives
“I’m all for getting big money out of politics — especially my money. These proposals will allow anyone, not just millionaires and people who can make friends with millionaires, to participate and run for office. More importantly, it will allow people running for office to hold meetings with regular New Yorkers rather than calling me to ask for $5,000. In a city as rich as ours, we need to ensure that our leaders don’t need to spend all their time with wealthy benefactors in order to get the resources they need to share their platforms.”
– Morris Pearl, chair of the Patriotic Millionaires, former managing director, BlackRock, Inc.
