Tag Archives: Kirsten Gillibrand

Hempstead NY, Oct. 5, 2018. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) speaks at podium at start of Town Hall Meeting at Hofstra University, Long Island.

Gillibrand Town Hall at Hofstra: YES to Affordable Health Care & Education; Diversity & Hope

From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (annparry.com)
October 6, 2018

Hempstead NY, USA, Oct. 5, 2018. Sen. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND poses with, L-R, MARIA TERESA ROMERO, ELSA FORD, and MILLIE MOTA, members of Brentwood Bay Shore Breast Cancer Coalition, at end of Town Hall at Hofstra University. (Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Hempstead, NY, USA. Oct. 5, 2018. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), 2nd from right, poses with, L-R, Maria Teresa Romero, Elsa Ford, and Millie Mota, members of Brentwood Bay Shore Breast Cancer Coalition, at end of Town Hall at Hofstra. (© 2018 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s Town Hall at Hofstra University last night, Oct. 5th, landed at the start of the Columbus Day holiday weekend. But midterm elections were only 31 days away, and the Student Center Theater was packed.

After Dean Meena Bose, the moderator, introduced Gillibrand, the senator spoke to the largely supportive audience.

Anyone who wanted to ask Senator Gillibrand a question had taken a red raffle ticket, and put half of it in a glass bowl before the Town Hall began. Tickets were drawn at random for the Q&A. 

Judge Kavanaugh

Not surprisingly, an early question was about the highly controversial Supreme Court nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh – which the Senate was voting on the next day.  

Gillibrand said she planned to vote against his confirmation because she thinks he’d put Roe VS Wade in danger, and “Judge Kavanaugh, he doesn’t value women, does not respect women, or listen to them.” 

Young Voters:

To a politically active but frustrated young voter, Gillibrand stressed the importance of being heard, voting, fighting for our country and values, and not giving up hope.

Excerpts from Gillibrand’s response:

“Don’t lose hope. Truth is, our Democracy never works unless regular people stand up and demand action….

“And, if we can really be heard and talk about our values and our priorities and how disappointing it is to have someone like Brett Kavanaugh serve on the Supreme Court, if we articulate that by voting, and organizing our communities, and even running if you think we must –

” – You’re gonna transform government, you’re gonna flip the house, and you’re gonna flip the senate, and that will create enormous oversight and accountability over the Trump administration, and give us a chance of unwinding some of the horrible things this president has already done, so do not lose hope.

“And most successful movements in this country have been student lead movements. So when young people care deeply, their parents care deeply, and so do their communities.

Opioid Crisis:

When a Hofstra alumnus asked what actual approaches were going to be taken to effectively deal with the opioid crisis, Senator Gillibrand said, “Children are dying all across this country,” and discussed how more, and more effective, Prevention, Intervention and Response were needed.

Trump 2020:
An audience member asked, “For those of use who are on the ground, and are working hard everyday, and are gonna keep on working, what can we do so we can make sure we don’t end up with another Trump or somebody worse in 2020, outside from asking people like you to run in 2020, in all sincerity?”

Excerpts from Gillibrand’s response:

“I believe we will win, in both ’18 and ’20 because I think America believes in a set of values that President Trump doesn’t believe in…. We believe in the Golden Rule…. Making sure everyone has a chance at the American Dream.

“So whether you believe that health care is a right, not a privilege – clean water is a right – every kid should have access to a good education – that people shouldn’t be with laden with debt after college – that people should have the training to get a good job to earn their way to middle class, those four values will be on the ballot 2020.

“Those are American values I believe New Yorkers and people across the county will vote for, and that will be very different leadership than today.”

Immigration:

The last question was a long, multi-part one about immigration, and the audience softly booed when the questioner said the parents of Dreamers should never get citizenship.

When Senator Gillibrand’s response started with “I disagree,” the audience cheered. She then added, “That was a heartfelt question, so let me tell you why I disagree,” and responded energetically. [Video starts during audience member’s question]

Gillibrand concluded with a rousing message about diversity:

“Fundamentally, do not be afraid of people who need our help. We are rich. We are powerful. We can create a growing economy.

“And the things that create a growing economy is diversity – is ingenuity – is entrepreneurism – is innovation, and that comes from the beautiful panoply of America.”

Q&A topics also included:

  • Support of Senate bills protecting wildlife whose numbers are dangerously low.
  • Support of Peace legislation: Senate Bill S.2047, Preventing Preemptive War with North Korea Act of 2017, which has 13 out of 100 senators currently backing it.
  • Fighting hunger, including through food stamps – whose main recipients are children, seniors, and veterans – and through non-profit programs such as Island Harvest – Long Island’s largest hunger relief organization – which, as Gillibrand explained, “marshals food and supplies from people who have offered it to those who need it most.”

The audience applauded enthusiastically at the end of the Q&A.

Gillibrand promised to stay as long as it took for everyone who wanted a selfie with her to get one. (Well, they were sort-of selfies, since an aide took them, using audience members’ cell phones.)

The line for photos stretched from the stage to halfway across the back of the theater. 


Gillibrand Town Hall, Hofstra: PHOTO GALLERY

All my Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand Videos: vimeo.com/channels/gillibrand

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Politics 101 – TWWLI Workshop

From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (annparry.com)
April 2, 2017

Last Sunday, when I entered Our Lady of Miraculous Medal Church in Wyandanch and saw the stage had a huge banner above it with the message  “to believe  – to belong  – to be compassionate,” it struck me as a fitting place for the Together We Will Long Island (TWWLI) group to hold their Politics 101 Activists Training workshop.

  • Click “i” under SLIDESHOW for info about each image:


And more to the point, this location that Suffolk County Legislator DeWayne Gregory helped secure for the event checked three crucial boxes: it safely accommodated at least 70 people (in fact, it could fit hundreds); it was reasonable for members coming from Nassau and Suffolk Counties; and it was free.

Wyandanch, New York, USA. March 26, 2017. At podium, DuWAYNE GREGORY, Presiding Officer and Suffolk County Legislator (Democrat - District 15), is speaking at Politics 101 event, the first of series of activist training workshops for members of TWW LI, the Long Island affiliate of national Together We Will. Speakers seated right of him are, L-R, LAURA CURRAN, JAY JACOBS, and LAUREN CORCORAN-DOOLIN. (Ann Parry/Ann Parry, FromLongIsland.com)

Wyandanch, NY, USA. March 26, 2017. At podium, DuWAYNE GREGORY,  Suffolk County Legislator & Presiding Officer (D – D15), speaks at TWWLI’s Politics 101. Speakers seated right of him are: LAURA CURRAN, JAY JACOBS, & LAUREN CORCORAN-DOOLIN. (© 2017 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

TWW Background

TWW, which began in late 2016 and is run by volunteers, has four Core Values: to have Strategic Impact, Respect, Solidarity, and to Cultivate Action.

TWWLI, which began in January 2017, has been focusing mainly on making its concerns clear about Trump’s Cabinet appointees, Executive Orders, and ACA repeal & replace to Long Island’s federal elected officials:  Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Rep. Lee Zeldin, Rep. Pete King, Rep Tom Suozzi, and Rep. Kathleen Rice.  (Their official online contact info is at end of this post.)

The group’s approaches include organizing protests; sending messages; participating in Town Halls of reps who hold them; and visiting the Long Island offices, if access permitted.

Wyandanch, New York, USA. March 26, 2017. GENNA HANAN, in audience, asks question during Politics 101 event, the first of series of activist training workshops for members of TWW LI, the Long Island affiliate of national Together We Will. (Ann Parry/Ann Parry, FromLongIsland.com)

Wyandanch, NY, USA. March 26, 2017. Audience member GENNA HANAN asks speakers a questions during TWWLI’s Politics 101 event. (© 2017 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

All Politics is Local

The March 26th Politics 101 event was the first in a series of Together We Will Long Island workshops to help members be the most informed, effective activists possible.

TWWLI administrator Beth McManus introduced the program, and admin Sue Moller, my daughter, introduced each of the speakers, who spoke in this order:

Wyandanch, New York, USA. March 26, 2017. At center, JAY JACOBS, Chairman of Nassau County Democratic Committee, holds Certificate of Appreciation and American Flag presented by, (L) BETH McMANUS, and (R) SUE MOLLER, two administrators of Together We Will Long Island. Jacobs spoke at Politics 101 event, the first of a series of activist training workshops for members of TWW LI, the L.I. affiliate of TWW. (Ann Parry/Ann Parry, ann-parry.com)

Wyandanch, NY, USA. March 26, 2017. At center, JAY JACOBS, Chairman of Nassau County Democratic Committee, holds Certificate of Appreciation for speaking at Politics 101, a TWWLI event. (L) BETH McMANUS and (R) SUE MOLLER are two admins of the network. (© 2017 Ann Parry/AnnParry.com)

After the five presentations, audience members asked questions to the speakers and TWWLI admins. Based partly on the questions, it seemed some audience members had already been involved for months with TWWLI events and facebook discussions, and others were newcomers.

During Q & A, the speakers stressed the importance of focusing not only on national politics, but also having a strong presence in local politics – from school boards and library boards, to town councils, legislators on up.

What’s the Message

When one of the speakers said how important it was to make the network’s message heard, an audience member asked, “What’s our message?” 

Here are excerpts from Jay Jacobs’ answer:

Local message: It’s going to be about cleaning up our government, and putting back into place people who will run government for the purpose of delivering efficient services the best way they can, instead of taking care of the chosen few, their family and their friends….

Nation-wide basis:  [We have] always fought for average citizens, fought for those who couldn’t fight for themselves….  [introducing] social security, unemployment compensation, disability insurance… Medicaid, Medicare… Obamacare.

We have to be about making government more responsive to the needs of people, less responsive to special interests and a lot of money from corporate interests….  It’s going to be about going back to our roots….

Contact Info – L.I.’s National Reps

Contact Info for each U.S. Senator and Congress member who serves Long Island, NY, constituents (link will work while a Rep’s still in office):

  • Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D)  –  gillibrand.senate.gov/contact/email-me
  • Sen. Chuck Schumer (D)  –  schumer.senate.gov/contact/email-chuck
  • Rep. Lee Zeldin (R)  –   [Update: didn’t seek reelection in 2022]
  • Rep. Pete King (R)  –  [Update:  didn’t seek reelection in 2020]
  • Rep. Tom Suozzi (D)  – [Update: didn’t seek reelection in 2022]
  • Rep. Kathleen Rice (D)  – [Update: didn’t seek reelection in 2022]

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TWWLI facebook page:  facebook.com/groups/TogetherWeWill.LongIsland/

‘Politics 101’ Workshop:  my PHOTO GALLERY

CONTACT ME