Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 09:27:49 -0700 (PDT) From: Dan.Cantor at igc.org, Executive.Director at igc.org, New.Party at igc.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Precedence: bulk Sender: owner-np-build at igc.apc.org Subject: NP in NY. URGENT. WE MEAN IT. To: Members.and.Friends at igc.org X-Sender: natint at pop.igc.org (Unverified)
RE: WE REALLY NEED YOUR HELP, AND I DON'T MEAN MONEY
Here's the deal.
The New Party is deep into an effort to establish a "qualified" new political party in New York State. It's called the "Working Families Party," and we're one of the driving forces behind it .
The state law requirement for a new party is 50,000 votes on our own ballot line in the November election.
It's safe to say that this is the most serious effort to build a progressive ballot-line party in New York since the demise of the American Labor Party in the 1950s. It is backed by the United Auto Workers, Communications Workers of America, Citizen Action, ACORN, and dozens of other local unions and community groups. Prominent individual supporters include David Dinkins, Ruth Messinger, Sal Albanese, and Nydia Velazquez.
This is going to take some real and sustained work.. We've got our usual small amount of money, and need to spend it on organizers, targeted mail pieces, and African-American radio buys.
But we also think there's a very cheap, very powerful way to reach a large number of good people in New York -- namely, e-mail. THERE HAVE GOT TO BE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE VERY HAPPY TO VOTE ON THE WORKING FAMILIES PARTY LINE, IF THEY HEAR ABOUT IT.
Here's where you come in - whether or not you live in New York.
We'd like you to send us the e-mail addresses of ANYONE and EVERYONE you know who lives in New York State who considers themselves a Democrat, a progressive, a leftist, an independent or even a bored and disgusted non-voter. We will send them a polite, totally non-obnoxious message describing the Working Families Party and its values. And we'll ask them to make their vote REALLY count this November by casting it for our Gubernatorial candidate -- a fusion candidacy with the Democrat, so not a spoiler run -- in November. Send two names or two hundred, it doesn't matter.
Our message to your friends will be straightforward. Vote for Vallone and McCall (the Democrats), but vote for them on the Working Families Party line so that we can send the Democrats (and the Republicans) a message.
It will NOT be a PERMANENT list, and it will NOT be cluttered up with lots of messages. You have my word on this.
This will take you a few minutes, but only that. PLEASE -- look through your e-mail list or address books right now, and PLEASE send us the e-mail addresses of your favorite New Yorkers. If that's too much hassle, send us your entire e-mail list and we'll make it "For New Yorkers Only" in the subject line.
+++ If you actually live in New York, you can also help a bit more by joining the WFP "COMMITTEE OF 1000" - a core group of citizen activists who will contact 5-20 other voters and urge them to vote on the Working Families Party line on November 3.
But no matter where you live, we KNOW that you probably know someone who lives in New York -- friends, relatives, colleagues, admirers, you name it -- who you think might support a political party that stands for living wage jobs, universal access to health care, better public schools, and real campaign finance reform.
With your help, we can make history this fall!
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Don't click off. Help us find the 50,000 votes we need to qualify as a new independent political party this year!
____Attached is my list of New Yorkers who should know about the Working Families Party effort. (Please include names, not just the e-mail moniker, and phone numbers if you can).
Copy names here:
____ Put me on the "Committee of 1000." Here's my name, phone, and address. Get in touch with me ASAP to follow-up.
Name: Phone:
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This could be a very cool use of the internet. PLEASE help us get it together. We have 3000 addresses so far, and want another 22,000.
Again, you have my word that we will not abuse this list. It will expire on November 3rd. And you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that even from afar you played a role in what will probably be this November's most important political development in New York or the nation.
p.s. If you're interested, we'd be happy to send you more information on the Working Families Party. Just let us know. And please send us your New York e-mail addresses today!