8/14/2019 Tasini Letter to Wright

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February 8, 2010

Keith Wright

Chair

New York County Democratic Committee461 Park Avenue South

New York, New York 10016

Dear Keith:

I am writing to inform you that I am weighing whether to attend the executive committee

meeting of the County Committee scheduled for February 11th 2010. While I would verymuch like to explain to the county leaders the agenda and vision of my campaign, I

believe that the process you are engaging in is a mockery of democracy. I am asking that

you postpone any endorsement vote for the U.S. Senate seat until a later dateafter atransparent and honest process takes place.

Recently, at your invitation, my opponent, the appointed senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, wasgiven a forum at the executive committee meeting to discuss her agenda with county

leaders. As you know, I requested a similar forum, in the interest of open and fair debate.

Instead, last week, I was informed that the Executive Committee had scheduled an

endorsement vote on the race, with each candidateincluding candidates who have not

even declared their intention to actually run in the racebeing given FIVE minutes to

speak and answer questions, according to an email from one of your aides.

Over the past few days, I have had a number of conversations with Democratic district

leaders, as well as other leaders, including party state committee members. They weresurprised to hear about the proposal for the consideration of the endorsement in the

Senate race; some did not even know such a vote had been schedule. The majority of the

people I spoke to were, in fact, dismayed, that such a vote was being held so early in theprocess.

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It is clear that the February 11th vote is being held for one purpose only: to

undemocratically ram through an endorsement for my opponent. Ironically, however,

your very attempt to strengthen my opponentwho has never come before the voters ofManhattan in any electionwith an endorsement shows her weakness and the lack of

commitment our party has to serious debate.

Our country is in a serious economic crisisyet there is not a serious debate underway in

the country, in my opinion, about how to address that crisis. United States Senators have

an important role in addressing the crisiswe have the greatest divide in our nationbetween rich and poor in 100 years, one in five Americans does not have decent paying

work, one in four children are on food stamps, and millions of people working for the

minimum wage fall below the poverty line.

You apparently value the position of U.S. Senator so highly that you are allocating five

minutes for each candidate to explain his or her vision and agenda. Five minutes.

Furthermore, you have refused to supply our campaign with full contact information,

making a fair exchange of ideas impossible.

And, sadly, you are acting with a tone deafness to what the voters are saying. People arefed up with the dysfunction of the political system. They are fed up with both political

parties and a sense that political leaders act only in their own self-interest and in the

interest of preserving political machines. The process you are proposing for consideration

of the U.S. Senate seat endorsement only reinforces that sentimentand I will make thatclear to the voters and the press.

In asking that the vote be postponed, I would propose a different process. Each declaredlegitimate candidate in this race should be invitedif they have not already had a chance

to do soto present their case before the Executive Committee in the same fashion that

was extended to Kirsten Gillibrand. After such a series of presentations, at a later date, adebate should be heldopen to the public, all county committee members and the media

between the declared candidates; the debate should be moderated by independent

questioners. After that debate, at a future date, an endorsement vote should be held.

Let me conclude with this observation. In our different capacities, we have both worked

on the effort to pass a Domestic Workers Bill of Rightswhich is urgently needed. I

know that you have put great effort into pushing the bill, which, ultimately, is aboutjustice and democracy. Because of that commitment to domestic workers, I thought your

recent ascension to the role of county leader would herald a different chapter in party

politics and a departure from the past. I hope you will prove that that is true.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Tasini

Cc: Country leaders, Media representatives