Mt. Vernon Independent Democrats "Our Mission"

“If that body of elected officials are ignorant, reckless and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness and corruption. As members of Mt. Vernon Independent Democrats we will demand any fraud of the people be stopped.”

The Mt. Vernon Independent Democrats (MVID) will use innovative grassroots organizing strategies to help candidates break through the political glass ceiling. The MVID will target and mobilize support for all the races (including any important ballot measures) in one coordinated campaign. We also recruit and endorse strong community activist early in their political careers, recognizing that a candidate may have to run more than once to win.

The Mount Vernon Independent Democrats will be the voice for residents of Mt. Vernon in the politics of the Democratic Party. Born from the idea of the need of reform of the usual party boss rule for political gain without gain for the people in Mt. Vernon that includes all ethic groups and economic backgrounds.

As Independent Democrats we will continue to support progressive government and issues, help elect honest and intelligent public officials, and supports deserving and qualified judicial candidates. We serve as a direct conduit to local elected officials, organize forums to introduce prospective candidates to the voters, and then organize support behind our endorsed candidates.

With the MVID dedicated membership, and its network with other grassroots and community organizations, the MVID offers distinct benefits to both the candidates and the causes we support, as well as to the people who contribute to them. This is an organization "For the People and by the People."

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Astorino Uses First Black County Legislator as another Cover for his Separatist Agenda for New York

It is reported that Pearl Quarles, first African-American to serve on Westchester County Legislature, is featured in an ad, criticizing Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Democratic Party calling accountability to Rob Astorino's stance on a federal housing lawsuit.

"Shame on you Andrew Cuomo. Accusing Rob Astorino of discrimination is unforgivable," Quarles says in Astorino's video.

"You obviously don't know what racism is, so don't disrespect those of us who do."
 
For the Astorino Campaign to use Ms. Quarles  to defend his separatist stance is another insult to the Civil Rights movement, Black and White voters that understand the collataral damage of segregation.

Maybe Ms. Quarles does understand racism and so did the Federal Judge that ruled over the case in 2009.
 
In 2009 a Federal Judge ruled that the county had indeed“utterly failed” to meet its obligations and had misrepresented its desegregation efforts when it applied for more than $50 million in grants. 
 
Westchester has dozens of communities where the black and Hispanic populations are negligible. Instead of working to change that, the county left it up to local officials to decide where affordable housing would be built while turning a blind eye to the exclusionary practices white communities use to keep out minorities and the poor — imposing minimum lot sizes, thwarting high-density development and shifting vacant land to other uses.
Mr. Astorino and his allies have been pleading powerlessness, saying state laws granting home rule to local municipalities prevent them from doing anything meaningful to integrate Westchester. But as part of the agreement, the county admitted that it had the authority under state and federal law to challenge zoning rules and compel municipalities to integrate. Mr. Astorino and Westchester have a moral and a legal obligation to live up to the settlement. There is no excuse.
 
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1 comment:

  1. AnonymousMay 22, 2014 at 6:02 PM

    While Mr. Astorino continues to stoke the fires with his "home rule" cries -- i.e. 'HUD wants to dismantle local zoning and allow for high-rises to be built on any street' -- the reality is that Westchester County is one of the most segregated places on earth.

    There are towns and villages in this county which have miniscule populations of African American and Hispanic residents.

    Some commentators have applauded Astornino for defying the federal government under the guise that, “(Astorino) is doing his job by protecting the neighborhoods of those who worked very hard to live where they live!”

    I’m fine with the notion that people ought to be able to live where they want to live.

    However, because New York State allows and encourages public school districts to form around -- and to exclusively serve residents of -- villages, towns and cities, the impact of this ‘home rule’ approach to public education has created de facto segregation which has produced more egregious and dangerous consequences than the issues debated in the Brown vs. Board of Education case which was decided in 1954 - 60 years ago!

    We can clearly witness that "Separate and Unequal" has become the standard in Westchester County; economic and racial segregation in housing translates directly to school inequality, which leads to disparate student outcomes.

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