Queens, NY Focus

Queens Blogs:

Queen's Crap: Shining a spotlight on overdevelopment and corruption in Queens and beyond

LIQCity: Long Island City Neighborhood blog

href="http://davidmquintana.blogspot.com/">Lost in the
Ozone: local Politics, Education, Community Affairs,
Environment, History, Birding,Jamaica Bay,Ridgewood Reservoir, Forest Park, and other assorted items of interest... Concentrating on the Borough of Queens

Willets Point United: Business and land owners dedicated to fighting eminent domain abuse at Willets Point in Queens, NY.


LYNN NUNES FOR NY STATE SENATE (District 10)

Democracy for NYC endorsed candidate Lynn Nunes is running against the DINO incumbent Shirley L. Huntley. Huntley is one of the more conservative Democrats in the State Senate and getting rid of her would help clear up some of Albany's dysfunction. From Nunes's website:

Like many New Yorkers, Lynn’s parents were immigrants who came to the United States seeking new opportunities and better lives. His Brazilian father and Chinese mother instilled a strong work ethic in Lynn from an early age. His mother worked odd jobs and his father served with the property service workers union, 32BJ, for 10 years, including a tenure as a shop steward.

Lynn is a proud product of Southeast Queens – he grew up in Richmond Hill and attended elementary, middle and high school in the community. As a teenager, he found his public voice by attending community board meetings and writing to elected officials. After graduating from college, Lynn decided to start his own business in the community

where he was raised. He began selling products at local flea markets and later would form the real estate company that he currently owns and operates on Jamaica Avenue in Richmond Hill, Queens.

Public service has always been a priority for Lynn. In response to the foreclosure crisis in Southeast Queens, Lynn founded Save Your Home, an organization that helps families in risk of losing their homes. He is co-founder of The New Progressive Democrat Club and has been actively involved in his Community Board as well as a number of local civic associations. In 2009, Lynn decided to take the leap into politics by running for City Council. Over the course of the campaign, Lynn and his volunteers knocked on thousands of doors of households in the district, listening to voters concerns and suggestions. Lynn and his team did not have the backing of the county party, the Working Families Party, any

prominent elected officials or local civic groups, but came within four votes of an unprecedented upset against the incumbent Council member.

Since that time, Lynn has continued to fight for the issues that mostly affect his community, such as unemployment and quality of education. At the urging of local residents eager for real political representation and change, Lynn has decided to run for State Senate. Always a fighter, Lynn is driven by his love of Southeast Queens and his commitment to the people of the community.

Lynn Nunes has been endorsed by:

* Democracy for New York
* 504 Democratic Club
* New York Uprising
* South East Queen Civic Society
* Clifton Stanley Diaz, Chairman of the Board of the Board of Rochdale Village
* Councilman Daniel Dromm
* Lynn Schulman, Community Activist
* Stonewall Democratic Club
* Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club

And I am happy to add my endorsement to the list. To get involved, please visit Nunes's website.


Steve Behar for NY State Assembly (District 26):

Steve Behar is a Democrat who believes that together we can work to make our district and our city a better place to live. Steve promises to fight for better schools, safer streets, a strong economy, a better environment, better services for seniors and responsible development that retains the character of our community.

Steve Behar is an attorney, a small business owner and a political and community activist who grew up in our community and will always put our district first.

Steve believes that if we work together to ensure that parents have good jobs, that children have good schools and that families live in clean, safe communities we can solve most of the problems that plague our community.

Some info on Steve Behar's dedication to the community:

Steve has been active in state, local and national politics for many years. Since 2004 Steve has been President of Democrats for New Politics. Democrats for New Politics is a progressive Democratic club based in Northeast Queens. Steve is also a founding member of Democracy for America and its local group Democracy For New York City. Democracy for America was started by Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean to foster progressive political activism. Steve has been a member of the Saul Weprin Democratic Club for 23 years and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Queens County Progressive Democratic Club. Steve is also an active member of several other grass-roots/net-roots groups locally and nationally.

Over the years Steve has worked to make Northeast Queens a better place to live and work. He has done this by working to ensure that the citizens of Northeast Queens are informed of the critical issues that face our neighborhood, our city,our state and our nation. Through Democrats for New Politics, Steve has worked to bring elected officials, candidates, community leaders and renowned experts to Northeast Queens to teach and inform the community of the issues we face. Steve's community activities also include organizing graffiti clean-up events and working with groups such as Friends of Cunningham Park on "Community Volunteer Days" to clean up the park. In addition, through voter registration drives, Steve has helped register hundreds of new voters in Queens. Steve firmly believes that registering citizens to vote and giving them a voice in who is elected to public office is the only way to ensure that our democracy is truly the will of the people.

Steve is also President of Northshore Anti-Graffiti Volunteers, Inc. Northshore Anti-Graffiti Volunteers, Inc. is a non-profit volunteer organization working to clean-up and eliminate graffiti in Northeast Queens that was founded by Councilman Tony Avella.

Democracy for NYC in Queens:

Democracy for New York City (DFNYC)
is a volunteer-driven non-profit political action committee. We are
part of a national coalition of local groups committed to the ideals
espoused by Democracy for America, the organization founded by Howard
Dean.

We work both locally and nationally to ensure that
fiscally-responsible and socially-progressive candidates win elections
at all levels of government. We develop innovative ways to advocate for
the issues that matter to our members and promote legislation which has
a positive effect in our communities. We engage people in the political
process and give them the tools to organize, communicate, mobilize, and
enact change on the local, state, and national level.

Currently there are three Queens chapters: Each meets the First Wednesday of every month.

Astoria, Queens - 7:30pm, - Ommonia Cafe 32-20 Broadway, with host Jeremiah Frei-Pearson and Costa Constantinides.

Sunnyside, Queens - 7:30pm, Bliss Street Station restaurant, 47-02 Greenpoint Ave., with host Dan Jacoby.

Bayside, Queens - 7:00pm, The First Edition, 41-08 Bell Blvd, right near the LIRR stop, with host Steve Behar of Democrats for New Politics.


DRINKING LIBERALLY IN QUEENS:

An informal, inclusive progressive social group. Raise your spirits
while you raise your glass, and share ideas while you share a pitcher.
Drinking Liberally gives like-minded, left-leaning individuals a place
to talk politics. You don't need to be a policy expert and this isn't a
book club - just come and learn from peers, trade jokes, vent
frustration and hang out in an environment where it's not taboo to talk
politics.

Queens
* Second and Fourth Friday of each month, 7:30 pm
* Studio Square Beer Garden, 35-33 36th Street, Long Island City, NY ((Look for our signs or ask the helpful staff))
* Hosted by Donald Graff, queens (at) drinkingliberally.org


Lesbian & Gay Democratic Club of Queens

The Lesbian & Gay Democratic Club of Queens (LGDCQ) is the only lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender independent Democratic club in the Borough of Queens.

The LGDCQ
was founded eleven years ago to increase the visibility of the lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender communities in the political arena of
Queens, New York City, New York State and the nation.

To receive the monthly newsletter or to be put on the Club's mailing list contact;
Democratic District Leader Daniel Dromm at
Write "LGDCQ Newsletter" in subject title.