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Good Government

As founder of WikiLaw.org, I believe that the Government and its body of law should be transparent for the people it governs. As founder of VoterSearch.org, I believe that protecting your right to vote is essential to an accountable government. As former Co-Chair of Community Board 8's Communication Committee, I worked to open the community board by announcingcommunity board membership applications and ensuring they were widely available at meetings. I have continued my work with Community Board 8's Communication Committee and we have made its television show "Community Board 8 Speaks" available online.

As your City Council member I will continue the work of making City Hall transparent by making its business available online through the web, PDF, podcast, and YouTube like videos. I will openCity Hall by creating NYC.OpenLegislation.org, a local version of OpenCongress.org, where anyone will be able to share their views on all business, in support of the mission of theParticipatory Politics Foundation. City Hall will become accountable to you the people as NYC.OpenLegislation.org, will let you track business before City Hall and how your representative voted on issues of importance to you.

Election Registration Legislation and June 26, 2012 Primary

Submitted by kallos on Wed, 06/13/2012 - 12:00am

 

Earlier this month the Voter Empowerment Act of New York was introduced by Senator Michael Gianaris and Assembly Member Brian Kavanagh and I was proud to join Bill Samuels as Executive Director of New Roosevelt in announcing its introduction at a press conference with Brennan Center, Citizen Action, New York Democratic Lawyers Council, and other good government groups.  The omnibus legislation that includes other legislation that I have had the privilege work on provides for:

  • Automatic registration at government agencies;
  • Pre-registration of 16- and 17-year-olds;
  • Automatic transfer of registration when moving within New York State;
  • Electronic registration and verification; and
  • Changing parties up to 10 days prior to an election.

You can read the announcement at http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/gianaris_kavanagh_brennan_center_introduce_voter_empowerment_act_of_new_yor

If you live in a district with a Congressional Primary on Tuesday, June 26, 2012 please don't forget to vote.

 
Issue: 
Good Government

More Transparency in Albany

Submitted by kallos on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 12:00am

 

 

Something unique happened this legislative session, with Governor Andrew Cuomo’s refusal to use the “message of necessity,” which bypasses the New York State Constitutional 3 day sunlight requirement, for last minute legislation.  This was covered by Ken Lovett in the Daily News and even received praise from Bill Samuels.

Earlier this year, Citizen’s Committee for an Effective Constitution (EffectiveNY.org) founders Bill Samuels and Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb toured Upstate New York presenting to Editorial Boards and at Town Hall meetings on the “message of necessity” and other Constitutional topics.  Learn more at http://EffectiveNY.org.

Citizen’s Committee for an Effective Constitution was also proud to announce the winner of its first Essay Contest, Patrick Woods, Editor of the Albany Law Review, a native of the Bronx and a fellow graduate of the Bronx High School of Science.  You can read coverage in the Albany Times Union or read the winning essay at EffectiveNY.org.

Issue: 
Good Government

New York Observer The Insurgents of 2010 by Editorial Board

http://observer.com/2009/12/the-insurgents-of-2010-2/

Mr. Kallos has kept himself busy, putting his knowledge of technology and geeky insights to use in local government. The result is a series of Web sites that take local political info out of dusty file cabinets and up online. One site lets people see if they’re registered to vote. Another lets users check the attendance records of state lawmakers. His latest creation: a crowd-sourced calendar for political events around New York City and the state.

Issue: 
Good Government