Tricounty DFA Update: Invitation to Uncounted Film, Election Machine Confusion & More
Hello Everyone!

In This Update:

1. Special Invitation: Join Us To See New Film On Election Fraud, Uncounted, Wednesday
2. NY Vote Machine Confusion & News
3. NY Primary Delegate Proportionment Explanation
4. Vigil For Iraq War 5th Anniversary
5. Links: Iraq About To Explode?
6. Friday Night Film Festival
7. Local Food


1. Special Invitation: Join Us To See New Film On Election Fraud, Uncounted, Wednesday

At our meeting Wednesday night we decided to join DFA groups across the nation in hosting a special showing of Uncounted, a new film by David Earnhardt on election fraud in America. The film will be followed by a live, national wide conference call with DFA Chairman Jim Dean and filmmaker Earnhardt.

The film event will be next Wednesday, Feb. 13th at 7pm at the Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe in downtown Glens Falls, one block east of the roundabout. The showing is free and open to the public.

"Uncounted is an explosive film that shows how the election fraud that changed the outcome of the 2004 election led to even greater fraud in 2006 -- and now looms as an unbridled threat to the outcome of the 2008 election. This film examines in startling terms how easy it is to change election outcomes and undermine election integrity across the U.S. The film ends with a call to action to take our elections back, while offering ideas, identifying possible coalition partners, and providing the tools to get the job done. "

If you think you want to come, please RSVP at http://www.dfalink.com/register.php?c=e&id=96747aa763359ba9&eid=27847&email=%%EMAIL%%


2. NY Vote Machine Confusion & News

The timing of Uncounted couldn't be more timely, because New York State is still locked in the throes of picking new election devices to replace our aging lever action machines.

As I noted in an earlier posting, the New York State Board of Elections recently rejected the use of the controversial Direct Recording Entry vote machines, or DRE's, colloquially known as touchscreens, because of their failure to meet certification standards established by the Legislature. That was a great victory.

However, in a last minute move, manufacturers of some of DRE machines went to court earlier this week and secured a restraining order against the state BOE, asking that their machines be used as ballot marking devices for the handicapped. This is widely regarded as an entering wedge to get touchscreen machines reestablished.

However, according to Bo Lipari, of New Yorkers For Verified Voting, most New York counties have already adopted safe optical scan paper ballot technology. (I am sure many of us remember Bo's great presentation at the Crandall Library two years ago, which we were privileged to sponsor.) Bo sent out a flash update tonight: check it out at http://www.nyvv.org/boblog/quick-news/


3. NY Primary Delegate Proportionment Explanation

At our meeting Wednesday, there were questions asked about how many votes the two candidates actually won in New York's Presidential Primary on Tuesday. That's actually a surprisingly difficult question to answer. However, John McBride of DFHMR and Democracy For Westchester recently, and an attorney, recently sent out an explanation of New York's incredibly Byzantine and arcane process.

"The state has 280 delegates, 232 will be pledged the rest will not be pledged. Not pledged delegates are free to vote as they choose. Pledged delegate are expected to vote in good faith for the candidate they are pledged to support. "

"151 of the pledged delegates are selected based upon the election results in each congressional district. There are 29 CDs, some districts having 5 delegates and some have 6. To get a pledged delegate a candidate has to get at least 15% of the vote in that CD. For each candidate that is over the 15%, the number of delegates is allocated according to the percentage of the vote they receive and the percentage received by other candidates above the threshold, obviously they have to round up or down to a whole number, there a no fractional delegates. "
"There are also 81 pledged delegates which are allocated based upon the statewide vote. The same method more or less is used."
"Assume that the state wide result is Clinton 55%, Obama 40% and others adding up to 5%. The others get no delegates since they did not exceed the threshold of 15%. Then the number of delegates is determined by multiplying the vote percentage by the number of delegates to be allocated. The result is 44.55 (81 * 0.55) for Hillary and 32.4 for Obama. Right of the bat, Hillary is allocated 44 and Obama gets 32. That leaves 5 more to allocate. Because Hillary has the larger fraction of a remainder (.55 compared to .4) she gets the next delegate, Obama gets the second and then back and forth until they are all used up. So in the end, Hillary has 47 to Obama’s 34 for the state wide pledged delegates."
"The same procedure is used on the CD level, based upon the number of delegates allocated to that CD and the voting results in that CD."
"Hopefully you can see that your vote matters. I would also point out that if you vote for one of the non-contenders, it is possible that your last choice will benefit from your vote. "
"John McBride"

Hopefully you can all follow that!



4. Vigil For Iraq War 5th Anniversary

Also discussed at our meeting was the upcoming fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. We decided to schedule a vigil type event for Wednesday, March 19th at 6pm. Kate Austin will be working on getting some appropriate music for this sad commemoration.

We will be discussing this more at our monthly March meeting on the 5th.

Personally, I find it just stunning that this is still going on, especially after all the efforts of so many people, both here and across the country. One just has to ask, how could this have happened?



5. Links: Iraq About To Explode?


Particularly relevant to that anniversary is this article on the situation in Iraq. We are told, falsely, that violence in Iraq has declined. Some of this has happened by simply redefining the killings that occur-- famously, in US statistics taking today, if you are shot in the back, you are the victim of terrorism, but if you are shot in the face, you are classified as the victim of a civil crime!

The other part of the decline in violence is due to a unilateral cease-fire declared at the end of August by Moqtada-El Sadr, leader of the largest and most powerful Shiia militia. If this article is correct, the lid is about to come off Iraq, which will probably result in a huge increase in violence.

Unsurprisingly, US efforts to "win" the war via the surge and the arming of the so-called awakening councils, instead of seeking a political solution, is actually increasing the danger of a major blow-up. It will not have been the first time US policy crafted by dunderhead neocons made everything worse: http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=5286&l=1

Also, as you problem know, Obama crushed Clinton in the primaries and caucuses yesterday. Maybe the most salient comment comes today from Frank Rick of the NY Times, who asks, how far will the Clintons go on their drive to reclaim power? http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/10/opinion/10rich.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin

Also, Drew sends this piece on a creepy government/industry program to create a network of corporate police type forces in the event of a declaration of martial law: http://www.alternet.org/rights/76388/?page=1



6. Friday Night Film Festival


The Rockhill Bakehouse Cafe's Friday Night Progressive Film Fest continues:

Fri Feb 15 7:30 pm Adirondack Progressive Film Forum
HUEY LONG (1985) Ken Burns 88 min. No RT Rating
A fascinating documentary portrait of Louisiana politician Huey P. Long, known to many as "the Kingfish." Filmmaker Ken Burns tells the complex story of Long through the use of archival footage, insightful and often entertaining narration, and interviews with some of the people who knew the politician best. We also meet residents of the state who recall Long's many years in the public eye. The movie traces Long's life, from his middle-class childhood spent on his family's Louisiana farm, through his long career in politics which was cut short in 1935, when an assassin murdered him. Although "the Kingfish" is portrayed as a ruthless politician who often sacrificed justice to get what he wanted, the film also explores some of his many accomplishments, including his success in providing education and jobs for the poor.


7. Local Food

Ruth sends this along about local food:

On Tuesday, FEb. 12 at 6:30 local farmer Jen Ward will be at the Unitatarian Universalist Church at 21 Weeks Road to talk about membership in Our Farm during 2008. People who would like to receive fresh produce weekly during the months of June, July, August, September, and October, pay Jen at the start of the growing season. The cost for a full share is $400, for half-a-share, $200. Twenty of us received Wednesday deliveries worth $16 from the farm last year.
Anyone interested in learning more is invited to join the discussion.


Thanks everyone! See you all Wednesday at the showing of Uncounted.

Larry Dudley

Labels: Bo Lipari, Democracy For America, Democracy For The Greater Glens Falls Area, Hillary Clinton, Iraq, Jim Dean, local food, Obama, Uncounted Film

- posted by Larry Dudley @ 9:16 PM