Lansing is at a turning point, with zoning laws that need to be updated and the ongoing need for conservation to protect our natural resources. Acknowledging these issues, the town will begin revision of the zoning laws in 2022. This includes the zoning revisions of the rural agricultural area, which encompasses about two-thirds of the northern part of the town. It is also an area where development pressures are conflicting with resident’s expectations on a regular basis. Lansing’s Comprehensive Plan calls for new zoning to preserve the agricultural nature that Lansing was founded on. Often, developers who reside outside the town want to build storage facilities, small discount stores and solar panels on the town’s open farmlands and along scenic corridors. Oftentimes, these developers look for two criteria: where traffic flows and where land is available. -Lansing residents want and deserve more. Zoning laws need to reflect demand but also residents’ wishes. The recent Bell Station land controversy highlights how important natural areas such as Cayuga Lake’s beautiful gorges and diversity of plant and animal life are. The limited public access to the lake guards against access. If these precious lands are developed into homes or inappropriate commercial use, the […]
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Chair’s October Message
Hello Tompkins County Democrats and welcome to Campaign Season, October is the height of campaign season: putting up signs, doing voter mailings, door to door canvassing and calling voters. It’s when you can have the greatest impact with your volunteer work. We have competitive county races in three districts, city council contests in three wards, and serious races in three towns. The details are listed here in the Newsletter and we would appreciate your volunteer support in any of these contests that interest you. Please contact our volunteer organizers at tcdcvolunteers@gmail.com. You can also help by donating to the TCDC. The Tompkins County Democratic Committee is contributing $12,000 to the candidates in these contested races. This money is used to send mailings to voters, lawn signs, door hangers for canvassing, some ads in local papers and so on. Postage is expensive when you start mailing to thousands of voters in a town or county race. So please consider donating to the TCDC. You can use the ActBlue button our TCDC website ir send in your contribution by mail. See https://tcdemocrats.org/tc-democrats/donate/ Thanks and Happy Halloween. Jim Gustafson, TCDC Chair
Continue readingPeter Stein
It is with deepest sadness, we write to you this evening of the passing of Peter Stein on Friday, September 17th, 2021. Peter was a life-long member of the Tompkins County Democratic Committee and the TCDC representative to the NYS Democratic Committee. Many of us remember Peter’s contributions as the committee parliamentarian and his passionate interventions during our meetings. He was also a County Legislator from the Town of Ithaca for almost a decade, and before that a member of the Ithaca Town Board. He had a deep understanding and commitment for social justice and the need for Democratic principles within governance. Professionally Peter was an esteemed professor emeritus in the Cornell Physics and Nuclear Studies Department with publications and research that were seminal to his field. Peter was married for 65 years to Irene Stein, our long-time Chair of the Tompkins County Democratic Committee. Our entire committee extends our deepest condolences to Irene and their children, grandchildren, and newest great grandchild. Due to the current situation, there is no memorial service planned at this time. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to the Union of Concerned Scientists, the Alzheimer’s Association, or Cornell University. A link to Peter’s […]
Continue readingNovember 2, 2021 is Election Day: News from the Tompkins County Board of Elections
In Tompkins County more than 300 people are needed to work as election inspectors and operate the polls on Election Day. In order to be a Democratic Poll Watcher you must be 17 or older, a registered Democratic voter in Tompkins County (or pre-registered if under 18), and enjoy people and service to others. https://www2.tompkinscountyny.gov/boe/pollworker Voter Registration for the General Election MAIL REGISTRATION (N.Y. Election Law Section 5-210(3)) Applications must be postmarked no later than October 8, 2021 and received by a board of elections no later than October 13, 2021 to be eligible to vote in the General Election. IN PERSON REGISTRATION (N.Y. Election Law Sections 5-210, 5-211, 5-212) You may register at your local board of elections or any state agency participating in the National Voter Registration Act, on any business day throughout the year but, to be eligible to vote in the General Election, your application must be received no later than October 8, 2021. If honorably discharged from the US Military or have become a naturalized US Citizen after October 8, 2021, you may register in person at the Board of Elections up until October 23, 2021. CHANGE OF ADDRESS (N.Y. Election Law Section 5-208(3)) Notices of change of address from registered voters […]
Continue readingNewfield and Enfield Districts 1 and 3 to vote for Vanessa Greenlee on November 2
submitted by Jim Gustafson for the Democratic View in the Tompkins Weekly, August 2021 One of the most rewarding parts of being chair of the Tompkins County Democratic Committee is meeting people with good ideas and a record of accomplishment, and helping them put their talents to work for the whole community. Vanessa Greenlee, who is running for the Newfield/Enfield (District 8) seat on the Tompkins County Legislature, is one of those people.A former middle- and high school teacher, Vanessa grew up at the opposite end of Appalachia from here in a small town called Dalton, Georgia. She, her husband and their two sons moved to Newfield in 2013 and fit right in. “I really love small towns and rural living,” she told us. Vanessa’s job at Cornell focuses on agriculture and food security. “I have a small role in a big project,” she says, with typical modestly. “We’re working to ensure that the food system can withstand pressures from climate change, and that food remains affordable.” She is running for the County Legislature in part because she feels it’s important for the county and the towns to explore how the covid-19 pandemic has changed our communities and individual lives, and […]
Continue readingVolunteering Opportunity: We Need You!
If you love to produce graphics, the TCDC needs you. This is a great volunteering opportunity to help our TCDC Committee as well as local candidates who need help with election materials. We have the software platform, Canva, that is quite intuitive. If you have a little experience doing graphic work and enjoy it please contact Renate Ferro, Director of Communications. renateferroTCDC@gmail.com.
Continue readingChair’s September Message
September is always an exciting month in politics since it is the start of campaign season in even years and odd years. This year we have a full slate of important local elections, including all the county legislative seats and five Ithaca City Council seats.. There are hotly contested races in several of our towns as well. The details about these contests over the next three months in this newsletter. We encourage you to get involved in the local races where you live and if there isn’t a local contested race then consider volunteering in one that is. Running successful campaigns requires good organization, volunteers and money. Please consider contributing to your local committee and to the TCDC so we can help fund these candidates, and one of the most valuable contributions you can make is to volunteer. You can help with mailings, phone calls and door to door canvassing. Thanks and see you on the campaign trail.
Continue readingStatement from NYS Democratic Chairman on Incoming Governor Kathy Hochul
New York will finally have its first female Governor and we could not be in better hands. From assisting her mother run a transitional domestic violence shelter to helping make the property tax cap permanent, Kathy Hochul has always and relentlessly fought for the people of New York. Her experience at all levels of government – Town Board Member, County Clerk, Congresswoman, and Lieutenant Governor, makes her uniquely well-equipped to effectively govern the State at this time. I am confident that incoming Governor Hochul’s empathy, work ethic and authentic concern for the welfare of its citizens will make her an outstanding Governor for our State. Jay S. Jacobs NYS Democratic Chairman
Continue readingThe Tompkins County Democratic Executive Committee calls for the immediate resignation of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
The Tompkins County Democratic Executive Committee unanimously calls for Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s resignation immediately considering the New York State Attorney General Letitia James’ announcement on August 3rd. The five-month investigation of outside investigators concluded that Cuomo sexually harassed at least eleven women. We are in complete solidarity and fully support these women who have been harassed in a hostile and toxic workplace, and we thank them for having the courage to come forward with their testimony. Though the Governor has over the years championed important social causes and reforms, our confidence in Governor Cuomo’s leadership has been compromised irreparably and we urge him to resign immediately. We have full confidence in Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul and her abilities to govern our state effectively, and to also fulfill the high standards that we all expect in our democratically elected officials. Contact: Renate Ferro, TCDC Communications Director, or James Gustafson, TCDC Chair
Continue readingCounty Legislator Forums – 6/10 and 6/16
Hello TCDC Members and Volunteers, June is Primary month, and on June 22nd, Tompkins County Democrats will have the opportunity to choose their nominees in several contests. For the county legislature there are primary races in LD1 and LD2 in the City of Ithaca, in LD8 in Newfield and southern Enfield, and in LD13 in Dryden. There are also primary races in Ward 1 and Ward 5 of the City of Ithaca for the Common Council, and in Danby for the Town Board. If you live in any of these districts, please do your homework about the candidates and issues, and then be sure to vote on the 22nd. To help the voters in these contests be better informed, and to get to see the candidates in person virtually, the TCDC and the City of Ithaca Democratic Committee are hosting candidate forums for the county legislature and Common Council respectively. The Common Council forum was on Monday June 7th, so it will have happened by the time you get this message, but it will be live streamed on YouTube and you can watch it there anytime. Here is the link for the YouTube recording of the Common Council Forum: https://youtu.be/wEuFJQbAC0I […]
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