On Valentine’s Day, concerned citizens of Harlem took to the streets against Columbia University's. As a Columbia Graduate and a Harlem Native, I am against the current Columbia Expansion Plan. At Columbia I obtained my master's in Real Estate Development and we studied the expansion plan as a part of our curriculum. A majority of the students were against the expansion. After Columbia I worked in the construction industry for 5 years. As part of the expansion plan Columbia has pledged to hire local labor forces to construct the project. Unless Columbia has struck a deal with the local unions to expand their training programs to residents of Harlem, Columbia will not be able to commit to this pledge. Columbia has the right to obtain properties through the normal channels but it is insulting they are using Eminent Domain to obtain a majority Manhattanville. Columbia's expansion would bring obvious benefits but it will also bring heartache & displacement to many New Yorkers. Harlem needs more schools. Columbia is only building one school for the community, on a 33 acre parcel. As a beacon of education Columbia should have at least built 3 schools for the community. Columbia should also offer 50 full scholarships a year to original residents of Harlem. 30 undergraduate Scholarships
I am not sure how we can stop the Columbia Expansion or 125th Rezoning Expansion since City Councilman Jackson & Dickens have basically given Harlem away in a gift basket. They can at least attempt to care about the community and force Columbia to take Eminent Domain off the table.
I think it is time that a new leadership stand up in Harlem. We need someone who will fight for the people.
This Upcoming Wednesday there is a Civic Awareness Seminar located at PS.92 222 W.134th St
Some of these pols will be on the panel. I will also be speaking at the event. If you come please look for the Uptown Dems Table.
Here's a little inspirational poem to encourage you folks to join the canvass day trip I am running this Sunday:
Please get off the couch
McCain is an ouch
You need to join in
If we're going to win
The campaign can't wait
so please save the date
We're going on Sunday
It will be a fun day
email me for more information jsh2124@columbia.edu. So far 15 people are signed up. We are leaving at 7:30 am from 445 Riverside Drive.
JSH
We can send a strong message to his lobbing friends and the companies supporting these lies by boycotting them. We need a list of companies to target until he retracts.
Remember this is our campaign its notjust Baracks job to fight back.
John McCain would like to persuade voters that Barack is a Super Star and he is also to blame for the price of gas.
John needs to talk about his "plans" for the country. Oh, that's right, his only plan is to stay in Iraq for up to 100 years if necessary.
The sad thing is that there are some uneducated people out there who will believe him.
Knocked on 100-125 doors in Cranston, RI, on Saturday. Slightly disappointed that I wasn't able to attend the rally in Providence, but accepted that making personal contact with undecided voters was ultimately more important.
Had a rich conversation with one guy toward the end of my tour who had bought the rumor that Barack was sworn in with a Koran. I disabused him of that notion, after which we engaged in a productive conversation about the issues.
His good buddy had just been shipped off to Iraq, so he wasn't too fond of the war. I reminded him that Obama was against the war from the beginning, and encouraged him to read O.'s plan for withdrawing our troops.
He was also concerned about health care and criticized the current system in which many of the working poor and middle class struggle to climb out of medical debt while the government picks up the tab for those on welfare. I assured him that Obama's healthcare plan would lower healthcare costs for everyone and require all adults to pay according to their income.
Finally, I explained that I'm supporting Obama for a number of reasons, his superior education platform (http://www.barackobama.com/issues/education/) at the top of the list.
Our conversation ended with a handshake, and I walked away convinced that the Team Obama had just grown by one Rhode Islander. However, there are thousands more voters like hime who are either underinformed or misinformed about our candidate. Our phonebanking, canvassing, and one-on-one conversations leading up to Super Tuesday, Jr. should help to remedy that, but there is still much more work to do.
I, for one, am planning for a victory celebration tomorrow! A victory celebration AND launch party for the next phase of our campaign.
-Joe
Today marks one of the greatest days of opportunity for the people of Cuba and the Americas. Fidel Castro has resigned after the longest Head of State service to a nation in modern history. The people of Cuba can finally see their opportunity to lift the oppressor’s hands, foreign and domestic from off their lives. We here in America have the opportunity to do what leaders of this great nation have not done, which is to open the doors of unrestricted travel and a normalization of trade with the government and people of Cuba. It has been much too long that this great nation has stood by and allowed the pride of a few men to destroy the lives of so many.
A country only ninety miles from our borders; and Iraq was a priority? Hopefully our new president will not espouse them same rhetoric and policies that prior administrations and show our readiness and sincere desire to help this nation and its people.
Cuba must begin down the path to free and fair elections, release of all political prisoners who stood against the injustices of that government and seek justice for all in that country.
Change is taking place all around the world. Will the USA be part of this change in 2009?
YES WE CAN!!!
Big shout out to Irene Lin for organizing the event, to Tony Cheng's for hosting, to Jenny Jiang for taking the photos, and to all the folks who represented Team Obama to the fullest in the parade!
Check this out:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2158270&l=4c129&id=1813327
p.s. A HUGE shout out to my mom for caucasing in northern Maine yesterday and bringing home the final V of the weekend!
Headed to D.C. Friday evening to reinforce the efforts of our southern compatriots. Nashua in December, Harlem in January and February, nation's capital in February . . . burnin' up the East Coast for Obama!
On March 25, 1965, at the end of the march from Selma to Montgomery, MLK, Jr. said, "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice." Today, the arc is bending towards a leader who stands for justice. Our time is now . . . let's seize it.
Abyssinian Baptist Church (if not it's pastor) for Obama! Yours truly quoted in paragraph 5.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/04/nyregion/04harlem.html?ex=1202792400&en=3ccac6a195817762&ei=5070&emc=eta1
Also, please join a dedicated crew of supporters tomorrow from 7:00a.m.-9:00a.m. at 145th & St. Nicholas, just outside the A/B/C/D subway stop. I should have plenty of flyers, but bring extra signs if you have them. We've got work to do!
