Preserving Democracy and Citizens' Rights in New York City
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Please READ and SIGN THIS PETITION
by scrolling down to the link below the signatories.
Click the "Sign Petition" link and fill in the form, then click "Send"
"The people are in truth the only legitimate proprietors of the soil and government." --Thomas Jefferson
Please SIGN this PETITION to The 29 City Councilmembers who voted to ignore the term limit law twice approved by New York voters, and to Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who led the effort to undermine democracy.
Dear Mayor Bloomberg and The 29 City Councilmembers:
Democracy is a gift for which countless have made great sacrifice. Not so long ago two New Yorkers, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, were murdered in Mississippi working to extend the right to vote to all Americans. Not so long ago, many marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Junior, risking their lives to extend the right to vote to all Americans because, as one said, “…our march was worship. I felt my legs were praying." Not so long ago, women’s suffragists in the United States were jailed and starved themselves for the right to vote. Not so long ago the color of one’s skin determined the right to vote, and countless died to change this disgrace.
How can it be, in this city and this country, where two wars have been fought to give us voice, that you ignore ours’ called twice so clearly?
No effort was made to bring a new term limits referendum to the people, though much time existed.
No effort was made to live according to moral right. Under the Charter of the City of New York and related case law, it has been determined that City Council does have the legal right to make legislation amending voter referenda. However, where City Council is voting on its own tenure ignoring two previous term limit referenda, unbridled self-interest should have given pause to grace and good judgment. Your right is legal, but not moral. Only the people of New York have the moral right to determine this law – not you, who are extending your own jobs; 76% of you City Councilmembers who approved this bill, and Mayor Bloomberg, would not have otherwise been allowed to seek reelection.
The creep of totalitarianism starts with a tiptoe of intolerance for the will of the people. It is thus a tragic day when the leaders of New York pursue the letter, and not the sanctity, of the law. Please respect the trust of democracy and announce that you will not seek reelection beyond the two terms twice approved by the voters of New York. Please respect the honor of our legislative branch and pursue no retribution against those Councilmembers who voted “No” regardless of backroom City Hall pressure.
Councilmember Bill de Blasio, who voted against the term limit change, said in City Hall:
“The people will long remember what we have done here today, and the people will be unforgiving... We are stealing like a thief in the night their right to decide the shape of their democracy. We are forgetting who we work for.”
Sincerely,
The CITIZENS OF NEW YORK WHO HAVE SIGNED THIS PETITION BELOW
To sign the petition please scroll down to the bottom, click the link "Sign Petition" and fill in then submit the form. You will receive an email confirmation -- click the link in your email to verify your signing and post it to the petition.
The COUNCILMEMBERS who Ignored Democracy:
Maria del Carmen Arroyo
Maria Baez*
Leroy Comrie*
Inez Dickens
Erik Martin Dilan*
Simcha Felder*
Lewis Fidler*
Helen Foster*
Alan Gerson*
Sara Gonzalez
Robert Jackson*
Melinda Katz*
G. Oliver Koppell*
Miguel Martinez*
Darlene Mealy
Michael Nelson*
Christine Quinn*
Domenic Recchia*
Diana Reyna*
Joel Rivera*
James Sanders*
Larry Seabrook*
Helen Sears*
Kendall Stewart*
James Vacca
Al Vann*
Peter Vallone, Jr*
Tom White**
David Yassky*
* These Councilmembers would have been term-limited out of office in 2010 had the measure not passed.
** This Councilmember was term limited in 2001 & elected to same seat in 2005.
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