KANGAROO COURT

Yes Virginia, today it was like a Kangaroo Court at the Board Of Elections and they kicked me off the ballot for a chickenshit, what they called, a "Prima Facie" fatal error. They said my petitions didn't let the signers know what district I was running for yet, ironically, when the called me to the podium I was called as the candidate from the 32nd Dist. Aren’t they saying “the hell with the voters in the NY City council District 32?” I guess they don’t read the newspapers naming me as one of seven candidates running for office in, again, the 32 District, Queens NY!

The Board Attorney sat there like Madam Defarge in “A Tale of Two Cities” and instead of "off with his head" it was "off the ballot!" And cut me short? Heck, they were afraid to let me speak my piece and called a guard to threaten and push me off my stand! Now I know what Jesus must have felt as he stood before Mr. P. Pilate!

It was like a gray suited lawyers convention, or more accurately, like a gathering of sharks at feeding time and oh don’t they love the smell of blood in the water! Those who hired the Attys with the biggest and loudest mouths made it onto the ballot. It was like the board and the Attys have a language and partnership of their own—their own club so to speak! Today I witnessed Attorney’s and Board Members arguing aloud about nick names and stars on petition sheets and I expected an argument of “how many angels can you fit on the head of a pin!” I'm going to fight and appeal but this kind of action should be totally unnecessary in a Democratic Society—the outcome of an election should NOT BE DECEIDED BY A BOARD OF ELECTIONS; IT SHOULD BE DECEIDED BY THE VOTERS—BY THE PEOPLE. I personally took the time and made the effort to put together a campaign for public office-- that I spent countless hours and, I went out and gathered signatures in the coldest and meanest of weather conditions just to be dismissed like some minor irritation to the Board Of Elections comprised of members from just the two and only two major parties. Who are they trying to kid? That Independent guy be damned!


Finally, let me point out that some Candidates backed by the Republican and Democratic Party’s sailed through the BOE’s hearings right onto the ballot with barely a whimper by board members although they are not safe either; one of the Candidates placed a shark in the water with them too! Do I have to draw you a picture? The score now—three down and four to go from the original seven candidates. At this rate who knows where it will end and this is why I believe the power to remove a candidate from the ballot be taken away from the BOE and that they be commissioned to act solely as an instrument to provide information and opinion to the public! Yes, this would mean more Candidates on the ballot and more freedom of choice for the Voting Public…

Folks, nothing is going to change unless people like you and I speak up and start to gather the supporters for meaningful change. God knows it is needed! Come on people, get behind me and let’s strike another blow for Democracy!!!

Write me and let me know how you feel.


Sam DiBernardo