If you live in Brooklyn's 57th District, Write-In Metz

I think there may be a fair number of Brooklyn Kossites out there. For those of you who are registered in the 57th Assembly District, I urge you to vote, by write in, for Susan Metz.

Susan Metz is running against the indicted incumbent Roger Green. Roger Green was indicted, and under the pressure of having an Assembly ethics report released, resigned on June 1st. The next day he announced he would be running again. That ethics report has never been released.

The number one issue in this district is the 17 high-rise and basketball arena development proposed by Forest City Ratner.

Roger Green supports this project, while a majority of the district opposes it. The approval process for this proposed development is corrupt and stinks to high heaven. Bruce Ratner, the CEO of Forest City Ratner, is Gov. Pataki's old law school buddy. Mr. Pataki is doing all he can to roll out the red carpet for the development that would use enormous taxpayer subsidies, displace hundreds of residents through the abuse of eminent domain, and would create an environmental and traffic nightmare.

Susan Metz, who gathered 2,000 petition signatures for ballot placement was kept off the ballot due to a very small technicality, but clearly due to the extremely corrupt Brooklyn Democratic machine (its leader, Clarence Norman, is under investigation and is likely to be indicted).

Therefore Susan has run a write-in campaign. Here is an example of how to cast a write-in (its not so simple.)

If you care about the communities of the 57th District, if you care about having an unindicted represenative in the State Assembly, and if you are opposed to a corrupt development process, and opposed to Mr. Ratner's proposal, you have only one candidate to vote for, Susan Metz, independent.

And while you are at, if you are opposed to this development, vote for David McReynolds, Green for Senate, against Schumer. Obviously Schumer will win, but for his support of the Ratner development, and his undying support for the War, I cannot vote for him.

And, GOTV, GOTV, GOTV, GOTV!

•  Thanks.

  I think that's my district (I recall signing her petition to get on the ballot).  Thanks for the tip.

  by Passing Shot on Mon Nov 01, 2004 at 07:40:36 AM PDT

•  what neighborhood is it.

  i have old friends in brooklyn. left there 10 years ago, and still miss it.

  by rhsctt2 on Mon Nov 01, 2004 at 07:48:40 AM PDT

  •  57th District

    Here is a map of the 57th

    The district includes parts of: Prospect Heights, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights, Bed Stuy, Downtown Brooklyn.

    Here is an example of how to cast a write-in (its not so simple.)

    by BrooklynBoy on Mon Nov 01, 2004 at 08:17:37 AM PDT

•  ALL BROOKLYN KOSSITES!

  My wife and I are Democratic County Committee memners in Brooklyn (ED 52).  If you are a registered Dem in Brooklyn and you consider yourself a progressive, we will need your help after the election. I like most of the elected officials in Brooklyn, but there is an entrenched Dem party machine that is fairly corrupt and inattentive to the voters. They are more into keeping power within the County Committee than they are in making a connection with the community.

  My wife and I got on board through the efforts of one of the three independent Democrat clubs in Brooklyn. These clubs (the Central Brooklyn Indpenedent Dems, the Independent Neighborhood Dems and the Lambda Independent Dems) represent the progressive, non-machine Dems. We are trying to make the Dem party in Brooklyn less dominated by the machine and more attentive to progressives and to the voters. People like Assemblywoman Joan Millman and Ken Diamondstone are among our ranks.

  We are not against the Dems, rather we are trying to get the Dems to stop helping the Greens and other third parties by alienating their progressive roots. I will be addressing this issue sometime after the election. But this seemed like an opportunity to introduce myself to the Brooklyn folks. I am hoping to help out the Independent Dems by recruiting Kossites into the clubs or, in 2 years, by recruiting Kossites to run for Democratic County Committee. Please consider being more involved with the local Dems!

  by mole333 on Mon Nov 01, 2004 at 07:59:17 AM PDT

  •  Ken Diamondstone

    YAY!

    can you post further information on:

    the Central Brooklyn Indpenedent Dems, the Independent Neighborhood Dems and the Lambda Independent Dems

    by BrooklynBoy on Mon Nov 01, 2004 at 08:07:20 AM PDT

    •  Diamondstone

      I've met him a few times. He's a bit crazy at times, but good folks. He made the County Committee meeting interesting!

      I wasn't planning on doing this now, but the opportunity presented itself.

      I am directly involved with the Independent Neighborhood Dems (IND). I can't find a website for them, but right now I know they are bussing folks out to Ohio (I think). Joan Millman attends many of our meetings. They seem to cover mainly Park Slope and Cobble Hill areas of Brooklyn, though that just may be where I have interacted with them. If you are interested in IND, you can talk to me and I can hook you up with the core folks.

      Central Brooklyn Independent Dems (CBID: http://www.cbidems.org/ ) strike me as being somewhat more organized and effective than IND, though I don't feel quite as connected with them. I overlapped with some of their Park Slope efforts. Right now I think they decided to focus all their attention on Frank Barbaro's race in Bay Ridge/Staten Island, even though this isn't their normal stomping grounds. Their normal area covers Park Slope, Widsor Terrace and Kensington.

      Lambda Independent Dems ( LID: www.lidbrooklyn.org/ ) are the Gay/Lesbian Democratic Club in Brooklyn. Again, I have overlapped with them in Park Slope events. I think Diamondstone may even have been head of LID at one time, though I'm not sure.

      I would love to recruit you to IND. But since I don't think they have a website, I understand if you'd rather do your own research and hook up with CBID and/or LID since you can contact them directly. With IND I can hook you up after Tues with one of the head guys who is a High School friend of my wife's.

      Let me know if I can get you further info or if you want to be on my list for Progressive Dem activists.

      by mole333 on Mon Nov 01, 2004 at 08:32:40 AM PDT

      •  Thanks

        Thanks for all the information. I will contact you sometime after Tuesday. And yes, put me on your list for Progressive Dems.
        

        by BrooklynBoy on Mon Nov 01, 2004 at 08:49:33 AM PDT

  •  Yes!

    Thanks for that info.  I've been in bkln for five years; I'm almost done unpacking!!  I'd love to get involved.  Is there an email list?
    kgsavoie .at. juno .dot. com
    

    by persimmony on Mon Nov 01, 2004 at 08:38:11 AM PDT

    •  I guess

      I guess I will start an email list. Then when the election has blown over a bit, I can give you info on the next IND meeting or get you in touch directly with my friend in IND. I am really excited about stirring things up in Brooklyn and I am hoping Daily Kos gives me a good tool to use. I may also try to hook into the Dean organization here. But mostly that will be after Tues!

      For now I will take note of your email and put you on the new "Shake up Brooklyn" email list.

      Thanks!

      by mole333 on Mon Nov 01, 2004 at 08:49:55 AM PDT