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August 10, 2009
Today we began the signature review, and with much promise! The first step: to do a recount of the signatures the Board of Elections did validate. And, after counting only 5 out of 52 volumes, we have found the Board of Elections reported 229 signatures fewer than what they actually validated inside the volumes. If their count continues to be off at the same rate, we will gain some 2,300 signatures - SIMPLY BY RECOUNTING THE ONES THAT WERE ALREADY VALIDATED. And we have already identified one petitioner who collected hundreds of signatures and was wrongly invalidated, along with all the signatures he gathered! And there are thousands of invalidated signatures ripe for challenging because the signer is on the voter roll but put their wrong address - these signatures will also be deemed valid if the signature on the petition matches the signature on their voter registration form.
In short, we have every reason to be optimistic that we will eclipse the 30,000 requirement, and that we will have our day in court to argue our right to establish a new commission to investigate 9/11.
We need help. We have 9 more business days to finish our review, and we have no more than 8 volunteers signed up to help on any day. We can use 20 volunteers per day, and we will need that many to get the job done. If you live in or around NYC, please give just one or two business days between now and next Friday, August 21. Whether you can give one day or five days, please email us at volunteer@nyccan.org with your name, phone number and schedule of availability, and please put VOLUNTEER in the subject field. Come get a free lunch and be part of this historic recount!
The last month has seen some very positive coverage, and it will grow after we prove valid the thousands of signatures wrongly invalidated by the City Clerk and Board of Elections. If you haven't read this great coverage, take a look! Below the headlines is our most recent press release, which should also give you a much clearer picture of what is going on legally.
And, we are in negotiations with an outstanding election lawyer to represent us in court after we eclipse the 30,000 requirement. We will update you as soon as the agreement is finalized.
Together we are making history. Thank you!
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A Star Ledger Reporter, August 9: click here
The Villager, July 28 - August 4: click here
The New York Post, July 14: click here
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New York Supreme Court Orders Review of 24,000 Petition Signatures Invalidated by New York City Clerk; Petition Calls for Local Commission to Investigate 9/11
New York City This week a New York Supreme Court referee ordered a line-by-line review of petition signatures that were declared invalid by the New York City Clerk and Board of Elections. The review is the next step in challenging the City Clerk's rejection of the NYC CAN petition for a local independent commission to investigate 9/11 and comes after the group filed a Verified Petition/Order to Show Cause with the Supreme Court on July 29. NYC CAN originally filed the petition containing 52,000 signatures at the City Clerk's office on June 24.
At a meeting on Thursday the Referee allotted an initial two-week period from August 10 to August 24 for the signature recount and review process. NYC CAN has assembled a staff to begin recounting the already validated signatures and reviewing each of the 24,664 invalidated signatures against an April 2009 Board of Elections database of registered voters. All disputed signatures will be made part of a Bill of Particulars and presented to the referee for review.
The NYC CAN petition was rejected by the City Clerk on Friday, July 24, who validated 26,003 signatures 3,997 shy of the benchmark minimum of 30,000 signatures of qualified voters prescribed in the applicable Home Rule Law.
If the threshold of 30,000 qualified electors is reached as a result of the recount, lawyers for the petitioners and the City will argue the fine points of the Home Rule Law and Election Law in a later proceeding. If the courts rule in favor of the petitioners and validates the Petition, the City Council is compelled to vote on whether to put the referendum before the voters this November. If the Council votes against it, the Home Rule Law allows NYC CAN to submit another 15,000 signatures to move the question directly to the voters in November.
Paralleling the recount, NYC CAN is actively lobbying members of the City Council who can of their own volition independently work with the petition to establish the proposed independent commission. Each member of City Council will be presented with a copy of a documentary film, 9/11 Press for Truth, which tells the story of the 9/11 family members who were betrayed by the 9/11 Commission in its failure to answer most of the questions posed by the 9/11 families. NYC CAN is calling upon its supporters to continue the flood of phone calls City Council has seen over the past two weeks.
"One day our elected officials will have to accept it is our right not a privilege to get a real investigation into the death of our loved ones", said Donna Marsh O'Connor, mother of Vanessa Lang Langer, who died on September 11th.
Thinkers think and talkers talk. Patriots ACT.
New York City This week a New York Supreme Court referee ordered a line-by-line review of petition signatures that were declared invalid by the New York City Clerk and Board of Elections. The review is the next step in challenging the City Clerk's rejection of the NYC CAN petition for a local independent commission to investigate 9/11 and comes after the group filed a Verified Petition/Order to Show Cause with the Supreme Court on July 29. NYC CAN originally filed the petition containing 52,000 signatures at the City Clerk's office on June 24.
At a meeting on Thursday the Referee allotted an initial two-week period from August 10 to August 24 for the signature recount and review process. NYC CAN has assembled a staff to begin recounting the already validated signatures and reviewing each of the 24,664 invalidated signatures against an April 2009 Board of Elections database of registered voters. All disputed signatures will be made part of a Bill of Particulars and presented to the referee for review.
The NYC CAN petition was rejected by the City Clerk on Friday, July 24, who validated 26,003 signatures 3,997 shy of the benchmark minimum of 30,000 signatures of qualified voters prescribed in the applicable Home Rule Law.
If the threshold of 30,000 qualified electors is reached as a result of the recount, lawyers for the petitioners and the City will argue the fine points of the Home Rule Law and Election Law in a later proceeding. If the courts rule in favor of the petitioners and validates the Petition, the City Council is compelled to vote on whether to put the referendum before the voters this November. If the Council votes against it, the Home Rule Law allows NYC CAN to submit another 15,000 signatures to move the question directly to the voters in November.
Paralleling the recount, NYC CAN is actively lobbying members of the City Council who can of their own volition independently work with the petition to establish the proposed independent commission. Each member of City Council will be presented with a copy of a documentary film, 9/11 Press for Truth, which tells the story of the 9/11 family members who were betrayed by the 9/11 Commission in its failure to answer most of the questions posed by the 9/11 families. NYC CAN is calling upon its supporters to continue the flood of phone calls City Council has seen over the past two weeks.
"One day our elected officials will have to accept it is our right not a privilege to get a real investigation into the death of our loved ones", said Donna Marsh O'Connor, mother of Vanessa Lang Langer, who died on September 11th.
Thinkers think and talkers talk. Patriots ACT.
