Senator Velmanette Montgomery--Working for Central Brooklyn!

MLK 2011 -- Building on the Dream

2011-01-19T00:08:00.003-05:00

BUILDING ON THE DREAM

On this Martin Luther King Jr. Day, 2011, I am mindful that it is now 42 years since Reverend King was struck down but that our struggle for equality for all continues.

I attended two Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations in mydistrict that were especially meaningful because they were symbols of whatReverend King stood for: creatingopportunities for a more just society in the future.

The first, held on Sunday, January 16th, was organized by Habitat for Humanity and held at PS 54in Bedford Stuyvesant. Habitat for Humanity has built thousands of affordable housing units mostly with volunteer labor organized in communities around the world, literally Building the Dream.

But there was more. The whole program was centered around commemorating Dr.King in recitations by students of the school

as well as in cultural expressions by young dancers from theschool...

...from the Restoration Dance Company...

...and with music from the Young Acolytes of St. Stevens Steel Drum Band.

The faces of the audience say everything about the power of this commemoration.

The event the following day, January 17th, was a basketball tournament organized by theBrothers of the Alpha Upsilon Chapter “Brooklyn Omega," that combines sportswith social responsibility. All the men of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, ahistorically black fraternal organization, are college educated and a greatrole model for the young men who competed at MS 113 in Fort Greene. Among them is Robert Cornegy, an electedofficial Democratic State Committee Man. The fraternity promotes social andcultural programs that help to uplift communities.

These are not large events, but they are meaningful becausethey educate young people about the meaning of this special holiday and Dr.King who fought for a better future for coming generations. It has been my privilege to support these organizations and I am grateful for having been part of these events which have shown me that we continue Building on the Dream.

World AIDS Day, #22

2010-12-01T20:05:00.000-05:00

Dear Neighbors,

Today is the 22^nd observance of World AIDS Day.

Many of you have grown up in a world where this terribledisease has always been a fact of life. But it hasn’t always been here, and itwon’t be around forever. There have been remarkable acheivements that haveallowed for long term survivors, and more discoveries are just around thecorner. But at the same time, the number of people contracting this preventabledisease continues to climb around the world, in every country, throughout allsocieties. Gay, straight, young, old, black, white…AIDS doesn’t discriminate.

Please, do your part to end AIDS.

Educate yourself.There’s no fooling around about this, and you can’t depend something you heardfrom someone. Learn the facts.
Protect yourself. For the most partthis is a preventable condition. Learn how to avoid it.
Gettested. The days of stigma are behind us. Knowing if you have AIDSallows you to get treatment, and keeps it from spreading further.
Gettreatment, and stick with it! There are programs that make maintainingyour health affordable. And not taking care of yourself is just too high aprice to pay.
Be good to each other. Kindnessis catching. Mother Teresa once said, “The biggest disease today is not leprosyor tuberculosis <or AIDS>, but rather the feeling of being unwanted.”

I hope this day, and tomorrow, and all the days after findall of you and your loved ones in the best of health.

Sincerely,

NYS Senator Velmanette Montgomery
18^th NYS Senate District

ELECT TONY AVELLA TO THE NYS SENATE!

2010-11-01T00:16:00.001-04:00

ELECT TONY AVELLA TO THE NYS SENATE!

Voters in Queens (11th NYS Senate District) have an opportunity to do themselves and the rest of NY State a big favor by sending Tony Avella to the NYS Senate! Tony has been a courageous voice for his district while he was in the NYC Council and will bring that same courage and integrity to the NYS Senate! See what Senator Montgomery had to say about Tony during a recent rally, in the YouTube segment below.

And get out and VOTE on November 2nd! Column A, all the way!

Thank You All! Now the Work Continues

2010-09-15T15:09:00.000-04:00

THANK YOU ALL! NOW THE WORK CONTINUES!

Senator Montgomery, the morning after her stunning 4 to 1 victory over her well-financed opponent in yesterday's primary, sent this blog the following statement:

"I would like to thank all the people of the 18th District for again giving me the opportunity to work for them in the New York State Senate. Despite the silly misrepresentations and personal attacks the opposing camp sunk to in the final week, I had confidence in the intelligence, commitment and heart of the voters in Brooklyn. We're smarter than that and better than that. We're not about big money interests; we're about our families and doing the right thing for everybody, here, upstate, and around the world. With the support of people of that integrity and quality, the outcome was never in doubt! So again I humbly thank you, and look forward to the important work we have in front of us."

This blog will continue as a public communication from Senator Montgomery to the 18th District. We look forward to many years to come!

Let's Clean Up Some Smears...

2010-09-13T14:24:00.002-04:00

LET'S CLEAN UP SOME SMEARS...
Senator Montgomery's primary challenger, who initially promised a "respectful" campaign (and that lasted about a quick sneeze, didn't it?) has gone totally dirty with a mailer sent out under his name. (It's still unclear how much control he has over his own campaign and how much he's being controlled by the Charter School HedgeHogs who are bankrolling him. If he's a puppet, he's certainly a willing puppet, and we can't have that in the Senate, ever!)

In this sleazy mailer, in addition to the typical foggy nothing statements about his goals, background, and beliefs, readers are for some reason treated to some juvenile artwork about the 80's. Maybe he has fond memories of that decade. BUT...then there are some serious misstatements about a tiny fraction of Senator Montgomery's voting record. Let's clean up those smears.

POLLARD SMEAR ATTEMPT #1
“Senate Bill 6418A: Making it acrime to cause the death of a person by the sale of a controlled substance.”(2010)

REBUTTAL:
Mr. Pollard doesn’t mention that the bill onlyaddresses one controlled substance: heroin. Not that being more specific wouldhave improved the bill…

This bill was a double stinker.

1. It’s based on the misconception that increasing thepenalties for drug use and sale actually acts as a deterrent. It has beensolidly proven that beyond a much lower threshold this is not the case. It isRockefeller Drug Law thinking. The bill was opposed by the NY Civil LibertiesUnion and the Drug Policy Alliance on that basis.

2. It already IS a crime to cause the death of anyone by anymeans! This is the kind of grandstanding duplicative legislation the 2004Brennan Center report roasted NYS on, and the Senator is very careful not tosupport this sort of bad legislation. Not only is it duplicative but it burdensthe courts and sometimes creates loopholes in existing laws.

POLLARD SMEAR ATTEMPT #2
“Senate Bill 1862: Establishing thecrime of facilitating a sexual performance by a child with a controlledsubstance or alcohol.” (2008)

REBUTTAL:
Again, a totally duplicative law. It’s alreadycriminal to offer a minor alcohol or a controlled sustance for ANY reason, andof course sexual performance by a minor (kiddy porn) is a high crime. This billadds nothing but deadweight to the legal system and may, in the hands of aclever defense attorney, offer a loophole in pleading for clemency before ajury. “At least I didn’t use alcohol…!” Stranger pleas have been made becauseof deadwood like this.

POLLARD SMEAR ATTEMPT #3
“Senate Bill 1687: Prohibitting asex offender from being granted unsupervised visitation with a child.” (2010)

REBUTTAL:
This bill never made it out of Committee. It isalso grossly simplified and mischaracterized by Pollard. The bill didn’t justaddress visitation, it forbade custody of children by a sex offender. Thedefinition of sex offender is distressingly broad and many times does not focuson children. This bill would have unnecessarily required the breaking up offamilies. If a man (or woman) is convicted of hiring a prostitute they aretechnically a sex offender: under this bill anyone so labelled would losecustody of their children. Can you say “Elliott Spitzer?”

POLLARD SMEAR ATTEMPT #4
“Senate Bill 406: Increasingpenalties for those convicted of sex crimes where the victim is less thaneleven years old.” (2009)

REBUTTAL:
This bill never made it out of committee. Nocredible evidence was presented that passage of the bill (which merelyincreases penalties for already existing violations of the criminal code) woulddo anything to deter the offenses or make children safer in any way. And theprovisions stipulated would have been enormously expensive.

In addition it would have limited a judge’s discretion insentencing. Any judge can increase penalties with good cause unless restrictedby legislation: this sort of bill would require actions that may not beindicated and preclude other actions by a judge. The Senator routinely opposesbills that limit judicial sentencing discretion, like the Rockefeller DrugLaws. It’s somewhat surprising that a supposed defense attorney like Mr.Pollard would argue against judicial discretion…

POLLARD SMEAR ATTEMPT #5
“Senate Bill 6259: Requiringtransfer of campaign funds to the state treasury or a charitable organizationupon the death of an elected official” (2010)

REBUTTAL:
The Senator argued that the funds should first bereturned to the people who donated to the campaign, or that the donors shouldbe part of the discretionary decisions.

POLLARD SMEAR ATTEMPT #6
“Senate Bill 1319B: Mandating lifeimprisonment without parole for a conviction of a murder committed in the courseof a sex crime where the victim is less than fourteen years old.” (2004)

REBUTTAL:
Again, a grandstanding duplicative bill. “Joan’sLaw.” Murder during a sex crime is mandatory life sentence regardless of age.There were other technical problems with the bill, which BTW the Assembly neverpassed.

POLLARD SMEAR ATTEMPT #7
“Senate Bill 3479A: Providing thatassaults against MTA employees be classified as criminal assaults.” (2003)

REBUTTAL:
This bill also contained acurious removal of the publication requirement advertising the higher penalty,which might have acted as a deterrent. Instead, it was fashioned as a “gotcha”law for prosecutors. So, no deterrence, more prosecution. Hard to defend thatand again, a possible loophole for a clever defense attorney.

Smears. Slimy and desperate. And such a good use of CharterSchool money!

COME OUT AND VOTE FOR SENATOR MONTGOMERY ON PRIMARY DAY!

SEPTEMBER 14TH!

REAL Facts About REAL Albany Reform!

2010-09-07T17:00:00.000-04:00

REAL FACTS ABOUT REAL ALBANY REFORM!
"Albany is dysfunctional and needs reform! Now!"

You certainly won't get any argument from Senator Montgomery! Throughout her career she has worked against the stranglehold of dysfunction engineered by the Republican party over the last 70 years.

In 2004 the NYU Brennan Center for Social Justice published a damning assessment of the state of the Legislature, and over half of its recommendations have been acted on by the Senate in the last 2 years. This is despite the attempts by the Republican party to turn back the clock by disrupting the process last year and hypocritically refusing to enact further reforms, all the while cheering on so-called reform advocates who have their own agendas.

There has been more positive reform in the New York Senate in the last 18 months than in the previous 72 years. Those are the facts.

The Way Things Were...
It was a complete and total mess. Nothing was able to be voted on unless the Republican Majority Leader allowed it on the floor. Committees were toothless. The only power a Democratic Senator had in that system was negotiation and the persuasion of a principled argument. Even during this difficult time Senator Montgomery was able to effectively represent the people of her District through her drive and her unimpeachable character. It was during this difficult period that Senator Montgomery was first called the Conscience of the Senate.

...What It Cost...
It cost us all plenty, both upstate and in New York City. Billions of dollars that should have been used downstate were redirected to benefit connected upstate political patrons. Unregulated suburban sprawl bankrupted and emptied upstate cities while requiring billions from New York State for infrastructure investments which primarily benefited real estate developers. Upstate economies were ruined by a profound lack of vision and a neglect of productive development; farms and manufacturing were sent out of state and replaced with a new type of farm--prisons and "youth camps" filled with the poor of greater New York City swept up in the draconian Rockefeller Drug Laws and inequitable judicial practices. And the legislature was twisted into the knot that is still being untied.

...And What Still Needs Doing
The ethics reforms passed by the Senate have been vetoed by the Governor, and the Republicans who initially voted for the package flip-flopped away from reform when it came time to overcome that veto. Hopefully the new governor will see the value in these bills when they are re-introduced in the next session.

Redistricting reform is long overdue! Senator Montgomery has long said that if there had been a fair and independent process for drawing legislative districts, the Democrats would have controlled the Senate by the year 2000. (FYI, the majority party redraws the lines under the current system, and while upstate counties seem to have some geographic coherence, the Republican Majority went to absurd lengths to cobble together districts to enhance their elections chances.) The formation of a redistricting process that ensures fairness and accountability, and that does not devolve into some level of "shadow government" is as complicated as it is necessary. Senator Montgomery shares the concerns the Brennan Center voiced in an April letter to Mayor Koch (which has never gotten a public response) concerning the difficulties in getting this exactly right, and she is committed to ensuring its development.

Anyone can sign a flawed paper and be called a hero. But it's years of experience, commitment, sacrifice, and outstanding ethics that make a real hero, like Senator Velmanette Montgomery.

More Endorsements!

2010-09-03T12:57:00.000-04:00

Individuals and organizations from across the State are coming together to support Senator Montgomery's re-election! Please visit our Endorsement page (on the tab above) to see the most up-to-date list and to see the wonderful things they have said in their endorsement letters!

Upcoming Fundraiser--Tuesday, September 7th!

2010-09-01T17:54:00.000-04:00

FUNDRAISER!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

6PM - 8PM

At the home of

Susan O'Malley

271 St. James Place

Brooklyn, New York

(Between Atlantic and Lefferts Place)

Co-hosted by

Tim Winters, Dr. Charles Grannum, Job Mashariki, Virginia Candy

RSVP: Susan (718) 638-2105 or Ms. Jenny (917) 340-8909

Make check payable to:

18th Friends of Senator Montgomery

Mail to:

Arzora O'Neal

195 Willoughby Avenue, Suite 305

Brooklyn, NY 11205

2 Upcoming Fundraisers!

2010-08-24T17:26:00.000-04:00

Reception with NYS Senator Velmanette Montgomery!

Hear what she has to say on:

The Smart Growth Development Bill
The State Budget
The MTA Utica Station Elevator
Charter Schools
Juvenile Justice
And Other Community Issues!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

6PM - 8PM

At the home of Heloise Gruneberg

167 Bergen Street

Brooklyn, NY

(Between Hoyt & Bond)

Co-hosts
Olga Alfred, Sandy Balboza, Mary Powell Thomas, Terry Urban, Helen Ruddy, Chester Lindsay and friends

RSVP
718-596-9443

______________________________

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

5:30PM - 8:30PM

At the home of Robert and Michelle Cornegy

653 Putnam Avenue

Brooklyn, NY

(Between Stuyvesant and Lewis Avenues)

Co-hosts
Sheila Kennedy, John McAllister, and Fannie Dickerson

Featuring the Dynamic Sounds of Brooklyn's own

Danny Mixon

International Pianist and Organist

RSVP

(917) 586-7444, (347) 385-8074, (718) 624-1863, (347) 440-5731

Make checks payable to:
18th Friends of Senator Montgomery

Can't attend? Mail checks to:
Arzora O'Neal
195 Willoughby Avenue, Suite 305
Brooklyn, NY 11205

Home

2010-08-17T14:32:00.007-04:00

Welcome to the campaign!
Your support and efforts have made it possible for me to serve the people of the 18th District in the New York State Senate. At last, with a Democratic majority in the Senate we have been able to effect real social change and a true progressive agenda! I have continuously stood up to the big money special interests, and in this election they are once again trying hard to keep me from doing YOUR work in Albany.

With your support I am confident it will continue to be my privilege to serve you in the New York State Senate where I will continue to work hard on behalf of the people of the 18th Senate District.

On this blog you'll find SUBSTANCE.

The truth about my record and what we have achieved together in Albany
Discussion about the Issues
Information on Fundraisers and other Meetings
Who is Endorsing my re-election
Information on how and where to vote
How to get involved in the campaign or to contribute

Just click on the links above.

And remember,
The Democratic Primary is September 14th!