“CHALLENGE BRINGS OPPORTUNITY: HELP BRING A REPUBLICAN TO THE SIDE OF TOLERANCE, COMPROMISE, AND PROMISE”
Scozzafava’s Record and Issues in the NYS Assembly Line Up with the Democratic Party Platform
If you want the next Representative from the 23rd Congressional District to serve as a fiscal and social progressive who will increase federal revenues through sales taxes, legalize marijuana use, subsidize and sustain government programs and jobs, accept modern approaches to traditional marriage and give federal benefits to same-sex couples, be involved in redistricting with the Democratic Party, and legislate like our great former Senator, Hillary Rodham Clinton, then please take a close look at Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava and join our coalition.
We are a broad group of private citizens encouraging Scozzafava to make a formal announcement of her intention to run for Congress (as a Democrat). We will be there for her and we know that she can win this special election which will garner significant national attention for our issues and ideas. Our coalition is currently working with some select members of the Scozzafava leadership team. We are also working with outside activists and national Democratic Party leaders to encourage and garner the much needed public support for Scozzafava to resign her Assembly seat, as Jim Tedisco did while running for NY 20th district, and change her party affiliation to run in the NY-23rd district. This initiative became increasingly popular among our current group of progressive when it became apparent that our best name-ID candidate, State Senator Darrel Aubertine, would not enter his name into the contest in order to maintain our current political advantage for Democrats in the NYS Senate.
We can trust Scozzafava to advocate for our values in the US Congress on a whole range of issues, and with her as our candidate we can ensure a new Democrat advantage in many down ticket races with Scozzafava’s name at the top of the ballot in future local elections. One line of reasoning is that in the fall Republicans will assuredly remember Scozzafava as a Republican from previous election cycles, but at the same time Democrats will vote for her as our leading candidate, thus ensuring our taking back the 23rd Congressional District for the first time since the Civil War, and despite an almost 50,000 disadvantage in voter registration. We are excited at the prospect of this upcoming campaign and look forward to hearing Scozzafava’s moderate message, which we believe will resonate with voters similar to the way former Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s message resonated with the North Country. Simply put, we need your help to improve the district and for the complete Democratic political takeover of the state.
OUR AGENDA RAISING TAXES FOR COMMUNITY GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS AND SERVICES: Just two weeks ago Scozzafava sponsored and introduced legislation (A08477) to raise the sales tax on Lewis County, “to extend the authorization granted to Lewis county to impose an additional three-quarters of one percent of sales and compensating use taxes…” (Scozzafavalegislation A08477 introduced to the Ways and Means Committee in the NYS Assembly on 5/21/09).
ACCEPTING THE MARGARET SANGER AWARD & SOCIAL PROGRESSIVE IDEAS YOU CAN COUNT ON: We are pleased to note that on March 10th, 2008 Dede Scozzafava accepted the Margaret Sanger Award at the Empire State Plaza in Albany, NY. Most Republicans would never accept such an award, and for that Scozzafava should be applauded. The Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) presented Secretary Hillary Clinton with the Margaret Sanger Award at its annual awards dinner on March 27, 2009 in Houston, Texas. Sanger founded an organization in 1916 that became Planned Parenthood, a strong ally for the Democratic Party and its candidates. Margaret Sanger’s crusade to legalize birth control and promote abortion around the world spurred the movement for women's liberation. (Scozzafava Remarks at the Empire State Plaza in Albany, NY, 3/10/08).
AN ETHICS AGENDA & DEMOCRAT PLANS ON REDISTRICTING AND PUBLIC FINANCE FOR ELECTIONS: One of Scozzafava’s official NYS Assembly publications states, “The residents deserve true representation through redistricting and finance reform and with the new governor’s help [Former Gov. Elliot Spitzer], I am confident we can deliver.” You can also trust that Scozzafava supports strict ethical guidelines in government. She strongly supports the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), a measure that helps assist African Americans and Hispanics in urban areas bolster the Democratic turnout in general elections. During her time in the state legislature Scozzafava was in full support of Former Governor Elliot Spitzer’s proposed government and ethics reform agenda. (Scozzafava OfficialNYS Assembly Publication, “Governor Spitzer Discusses Welcomed Change,” 1/5/07).SUPPORTING SAME-SEX MARRIAGE (SSM) & OPPOSING THE DEATH PENALTY: On a core social issue for our party Scozzafava is 100% with us, and 100% against the Republican Party. She was one of only three members of her party in New York State to be recognized by the Log Cabin Republicans for her support of SSM. Scozzafava is also heavily supported by NARAL, (again) is pro gay-marriage and pro civil union, and even against the death penalty (our tri-fecta). Scozzafava would be a great pick for our party because at least four members in the Democratic legislature caucus are on record against marriage equality in New York. And despite being a registered Republican right nowScozzafava said in an interview that “the ‘easy vote politically’ would have been to oppose the bill and tell her gay constituents in her hometown of 5,000 that she would work to win them civil unions.” Scozzafava would be a key Democratic leader for GBLT issues, and vote as a moderate on other key social issues in the US Congress, including the legalization of marijuana in New York. (The Villager, “Scozzafava Publically Announces Support for Homosexuality,” 6/27/07-7/3/07 / The Oswego Democrat, “Scozzafava Supports Marijuana Use in New York,” 4/22/09).
Join us by e-mailing our team at draftdede@gmail.com.
