New York City's New Congressional Maps

The new Congressional maps are finally finished!  You must check these out because there is a chance you have a new Congressperson.  Some of the districts have changed dramatically. 

Every 10 years new maps are drawn because of the Census.  Populations change and demographics shift to different areas.  In an effort to make sure people are equally represented the maps a redrawn to adjust to changes.  Sometimes this process can turn into a dramatic partisan battle as one party or another is upset about losing control over a district.  New York was particularly bad this year as map after map was rejected by Democrats and Republicans.  In the end, a panel of federal judges had to draw the new maps.   

Compare Your Old and New District

Newsworthy and Neglected: 2/13/2012

News stories from the past week that flew under the radar.  

NATIONAL

• Chicago Pays Protesters  The city of Chicago is shelling out millions to protesters who were wrongfully arrested or detained. 
• Purple Squirrels? In Pennsylvania, a purple squirrel mysteriously appears.  Could this be the result of fracking?

INTERNATIONAL

• Brazilian Cops Arrested 17 police officers in Brazil were arrested for supporting a strike.  
• Pink Drones Maybe a bad attempt at humor, but Iran intends to return the drone it hijacked from the United States, kind of. 
• Chile Rising  The student uprising in Chile, over the rising cost of education, continues. 

 NEW YORK CITY/STATE

• Speak Quinn Addresses Stop and Frisk  After the shooting death of Ramarley Graham by the police and beating of Jatiek Reed by the police, City Council Speaker addresses "stop and frisk"
• NYPD, Race, and Marijuana How the NYPD's petty pot arrests hurt black and latino communities 
• NYPD and the Transgendered While in police custody, transgendered people are often harassed and abused. 

OPINION

• Occupy Wall Street Will Occupy Oakland's more confrontational style influence Occupy Wall Street in NYC?
• Obama's New Education Plan No child left behind is being phased out, but is Obama's new education plan just as bad.

ART/CULTURE

• Wall Streets First Occupation   VIDEO
• Food Inc. Trailer
• Prison Printshop Goes Guerilla 

Scenes from Occupy the PEP

What a scene tonight at Brooklyn Tech High School in Fort Greene as thousands came out to fight the closure of 23 schools.  As the Bloomberg appointed Panel for Education Policy sat awkwardly on stage, students, parents, teachers, and community members sang, chanted, and attempted to render the public microphone inept in favor of the "people's mic."  Anyone who did not speak through the people's mic was booed, including several government officials.

When the students present decided to gather in the lobby and decide on what their next move would be.  Without any assistance they had their own general assembly and decided their objective was to take the mic.  As they attempted to re-enter the public meeting, they were stopped by the NYPD.  No one was allowed in and noone was allowed out.  After almost inciting a riot among energized students ready to rejoin the meeting, the NYPD stopped with their nonsense and let everyone back into the meeting.  The DOE could not explain why the students were not initially let back in.

Much of the anger and frustration comes over the failure of the public schools under Michael Bloomberg.  Recently released figures show that only 25 percent of those who graduate from NYC public schools are ready for college.  Only 13 percent of black and latino kids  Many feel that Michael Bloomberg has ignored the community who can best help him run the schools opting for a dictatorial type management style that has been ineffective.  

Another problem was the undemocratic process of closing the schools.  Since he became mayor, Bloomberg has closed 117 schools without any opposition from the P.E.P.  This is because the panel is appointed by Bloomberg.  Citizens tonight urged the panel to take the hand out of their back and do what is right from the students.  Carlos Ruiz, co-president of Manhattan High School Presidents Council, summed up many sentiments when he said, "it is all about money and politics.  Bloomberg shuts down a lot of schools to bring in charters that bring in a lot of money but they do not provide the services needed or accept all special education students.  Where are these kids going to go?  They are out in the streets or in jail and we as parents are not doing to take this anymore."

In the end the panel voted to close ALL 23 schools without any consensus from the public.  This was expected.  Regardless, the huge presence at the meeting accomplished a lot.  I'm not sure when the last time people were so energized over education.  Tonight's meeting must have sent a message to Michael Bloomberg and his panel that the people are ready to take back their schools.  Under the mayor's leadership the have been a failure.  

Newsworthy and Neglected: Worthy News Uncovered

Here is your weekly roundup of stories that didn't seem to make mainstream media, but still seem pretty important.  With all the time spent on celebrities, fear mongering, and cheap diversions, there's not a lot of time for real news.  No worries, we got you covered.  

NATIONAL

• Google Embraces Censorship  Following Twitter's decision last month to censor tweets based on restrictions of their respective countries, Google has followed suit and announced it will begin a similar practice
• Police Commit Murder in California An officer in Monterey Park, California shoots an unarmed man 10 times (5 times while he's down), killing him.  
• Senate Passes STOCK Act The STOCK Act bans members of Congress from trading stock based on privy information that gained behind closed Capital Hill doors, otherwise known as inside trading. 
• Journalists Arrested at Public Hearing Documentary filmmaker and ABC News are removed from public hearing by Republicans who objected to them being there. 

INTERNATIONAL

• Palestinians Return Lost Israeli Soldier An Israeli soldier who became separated from his unit in the West Bank, was safely returned to his unit by local residents
• What's Happening in Syria? Mother Jones breaks down this country ripped apart by internal strife

NEW YORK CITY/STATE

• Police Brutality In The Bronx 4 Officers, from the 42nd precinct in the Bronx, savagely beat 19 year old Jateik Reed
• Midtown Alone Uses More Energy Then Kenya Check out this interactive map
• Students Fight To Save Their School Students in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx called for changes to their school, not closure
• Occupy Wall Street  This week Occupy rallied for Food Justice and against Monsanto and generically modified seeds, held a flash mob at Grand Central, organized a High School student walk out, rallied for the 99% at Bloomberg's budget address, and fought with the students of Sam Gompers High against closure. 

OPINION

• President Fails to Address Record High Black Male Unemployment Even though black male unemployment is at record highs, it remains beneath the notice of the first black president
• Gold Prices Could Surge Peter Hambro, the founder of one of Russia's largest gold producers, predicts a huge jump in the price of gold as economies decline and people look for a safe asset.  
• Why Are So Many Americans in Prison?  The US has the highest prison population in the world, 730 for every 100,000 people.  No other country even comes close.  Why?
• Using Alcohol to Combat Alcoholism A shelter in Seattle is giving it a shot, with surprising results. 

ART & CULTURE

• Trailer GasLand  If you haven't already seen this 2010 documentary about "fracking" check it out
• Russian Banksy  Street artist P183 decorates the streets of Moscow

Please submit any stories you feel are newsworthy and neglected to homebase@theaardvarkmovement.org

History Repeats: NDAA vs Espionage Act of 1917

Knowing the future doesn't require the help of a fortune teller, you simply need to know the past.  Human nature leaves us destined to repeat the same patterns of behavior throughout history.  Only by learning about our past and acknowledging our successes and failures can we do better in the future. 

Let's compare a past event and a recent event in order to see similarities

ESPIONAGE ACT OF 1917

In 1917, President Woodrow Wilson passed the Espionage Act.  From it's title you would think it was about spying.  However, it had a clause that provided penalties up to twenty years in prison for "Whoever, when the United States is at war, shall willfully cause or attempt to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty in the military or naval forces of the United States, or shall willfully obstruct the recruiting or enlistment service of the US."

The act was used to imprison Americans who spoke or wrote against the war.  In 1917 Charles Schenck spent 6 months in jail for printing and distributing 15,000 leaflets that denounced the draft and the war.  In 1918 Eugene Debs, a great orator, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for giving speeches against the war.  Poet E.E. Cummings spend 3 and a half months in jail for speaking about his lack of hatred for the Germans in WWI.  In 1953, communists Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed under section 2 of the Espionage Act, for apparently passing information about the atomic bomb.  The case against them has been controversial for it's lack of evidence.  In 1971, Daniel Ellsberg and Anthony Russo were arrested for publishing the Pentagon Papers, which exposed the truth about the Vietnam War.  More recently in 2010, Bradley Manning is currently being held for violations of the Espionage Act for releasing diplomatic cables and military video.

NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2011 (NDAA)

On December 31st 2011, President Barack Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act.  Who doesn't like national defense?  The bill will allow the government to lock up any American Citizens that dissent against the government, indefinitely and without trial.  While it states that it only pertains to those associated with Al-Qaeda and terrorism, without a fair and speedy trial, you have no way of defending yourself if you are innocent.

What do you predict will come next?

Summary of New York City Council Stated Meeting

Stated Meeting of the New York City Council.

Held June 4th, 2012 at City Hall

RESOLUTION 1172

Following behind Los Angeles and Madison, Wisconson, New York City became the next city to officially declare that they do not support the Supreme Courts ruling in the landmark Citizen's United case that established corporations as people.  

Mark Weprin (23rd District) Voted YES - "A government of the people, by the people, and for the people.  I don' think Abraham Lincoln was discussing a corporation when he made that statement."

Jumaane Williams (45th District)  Voted YES - Gave a shout out to Occupy Wall Street who was present to support the amendment.  "Too often we heir on the side of money and not the side of people". 

Daniel Halloran (19th District)  Voted NO - Believes the bill is hypocritical because unions are allowed to give money.  Also believed the bill should be a campaign finance amendment.  Says he opposes the bill "not in principle but in specifics".

Charles Barron (42nd District)  Voted YES - "Unions are regulated, there is no comparison."

Eric Ulrich (32nd District)  Voted NO - "Corporations are people because everything that is earned is returned to the people via dividends."

RESOLUTION 1122


Council voted in favor of opposing the National Right to Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011, which allows residents from one state who have a licensed gun to carry his or her handgun into another state, regardless of the states licensing procedures and laws.  

Charles Barron (42nd District)  Voted YES - "The most violent act against a community is economic oppression."  Noted that people in districts most plagued by gun violence do not buy their guns with a permit.  Called on the police chief to target low level dealers as well as corruption within the department as NYPD officers have been arrested for illegally trafficking guns.  

Daniel Halloran (19th District)  Voted NO - Believes that it is a second amendment right to carry guns within any state.  Also noted that if driver's licenses have reciprocity, so should guns.  "Only way to get a gun permit is to be rich.  If you have 5000 dollars in the bank you can get a gun permit and that is discrimination."

Jumaane Williams (45th District)  Voted YES - "I'm in favor of anything that gets guns off the streets."

INT 0567


Requires the Department of Transportation to provide online access to street resurfacing and capital improvement information for city blocks.  This bill is cool because it's leverage to underserved communities who often see the roads go unpaved and potholes not repaired.  Citizens can now go online and see when their road was last paid, and also see when others have been paved in order to see if they're being neglected. 

Agenda For The Meeting

Meeting Details