Long Island

Long Island needs to be improved, everyone is putting their two cents in so we shall as well. The biggest problem is being a part of New York State itself and dealing with the dysfunctional  government there. To be a part of a state which is segregated by "Upstate", "The City", and "Long Island" is pathetic. There's no unity anymore the state is separating gradually and it needs to either be brought together or finally separating.

Well what does Long Island need? It needs to prevent businesses from leaving. That is the number one priority, jobs bring residents and bolster the economy with money flowing through everyone. A region cannot last without business because who would want to live there? Long Island used to be known for a lot of things remember Grumman and duck farms? Well we need to fight to keep major businesses and identities here. We cannot let taxes force business out of here because it just hurts Long Island in the end. Luckily businesses are still coming here like Canon which is building it's American Headquarters on the island. It's a great thing because it will bring jobs and another identity here.

Long Island still needs to keep being it's strong identity as we push towards statehood. The rest of the country needs to see the self sustaining government being implemented here to keep Nassau and Suffolk country running while Albany runs around in circles. Things need to be done before it becomes irreversible, remember the fight may seem impossible but one day Long Island can be it's own state.

Politicians

Sometimes don't you ever wish you knew who you were really voting for? Not just what they did wrong through opponents attack ads? Sometimes it's hard to tell what someone is about from a sign on someones lawn or just accusations. We can easily learn when a candidate does something wrong whether they say it or publicly make a mockery of themselves. But how do you really know of all the great things they've done?

There are some Long Islanders who will go to the polls and not know who half the  candidates are and it's a shame. Some candidates have fought hard to protect their constituents and sometimes they are never recognized for it. They have helped protect our youth, cleaned and protected  our beaches and are just overall good people. Not all politicians are scum bags and not every person has their constituents in their best interest .

There really should be a better way and easier way for people mainly young people to learn about candidates and their history. How they've helped their local area and will alway fight for something they care about. The positives need to be talked about more, the negatives are important but it shouldn't overshadow a campaign.

The Focus of Long Island 51st State

The idea behind the creation of a new state for Long Island is not one that is merely based on political ideology, but for perfectly practical reasons.  In one sentence, the mission of this movement can be explained: The mission of the LI51 Movement is to making living on Long Island more affordable to residents both upstate and downstate and continue to provide the high quality of life expected here on the island without sacrificing resources to benefit those outside the realm of Long Island.

However, it seems as if the mission has become lost in this ideological preaching that has occurred from a variety of sources within the movement that are disturbing for those interested in this movement.  This movement is not a movement to create an anarchist society.  It is not a movement to create an entirely private school system.  And it is not a movement to redefine how Long Islanders handle business.  The is not a libertarian (or Libertarian) movement, nor is it an anarchist movement or the bullshit voluntaryist movement based out of the Free State Project.  To make everyone clear about what political ideologies are behind this movement, I will break it down.  William Cerf is a staunch libertarian who is a firm supporter of the Modern Whig Party.  Tim Foley, from what I can tell, is a pretty strong liberal and a supporter of the Democratic Party.  And I (what I like to call an adjunct supporter of LI51) am a moderate/centrist and cherry pick between the Democrats and the Republicans.  And I have no clue who the other contributor is, so he'll introduce himself when he walks in.

So, now you have met us.  You know how our minds work ideologically.  What I want everyone to know is that LI51 is NOT an ideological movement, it is a movement based on practicality and government business, not an attempt to eliminate government.  With that, I will say that I am extremely disappointed with the actions one of our contributors has taken within the group and I am calling on this person to take a step down from a contributor and organizer within the LI51 movement as his actions have become irrational and have stepped outside of the mission of the movement.  William Cerf has used this movement as a soundboard for his own personal propaganda and thoughts rather than actually stepping forward to promote the LI51 movement.  He has connected this movement to other movements that are completely irrelevant to this group and has circumvented the established leadership of this movement regarding his promotion and interactions of LI51.  It is an absolute disappointment that he has chosen to promote his own ideologies ahead of the thoughts of the actual Long Islanders who will actually be affected by this move.  As a Brooklyn resident, there is no guarantee that he will actually become a resident of this new state because of the complicated process of Queens and Brooklyn to secede from the Greater City of New York.  As someone who has leadership aspirations in outside organizations, I understand the necessity to listen to people and work with the people that will be affected by changes and movements like this.  William unfortunately hasn't.  So today, after his irrational actions to promote groups like the Free State Project, I will officially ask William Cerf to step down as a contributor to the blog and as a representative of this movement.  

Governor of New York?

Happen to see the debate?

Ever wonder what it takes to run for governor?

Well as we all learned it doesn't take much to run for governor, but can we imagine some of these people running New York? I think we need some candidates to represent Long Island and not pretend they know what it's like down here. I mean if anyone can run for governor of a state I'm pretty sure Long Island can become one. Except having legitimate candidates that will improve the problems with Long Island.

But there are some things from the debate that make simple sense. Yes rent is 2 damn high but Jimmy McMillan shows that once you have a dream you don't need to give up on it after failing. After all his attempts at mayor, governor, and senator he has his first shot at success. His simple message resonates with voters and it can translate to Long Islanders as well. The dream of becoming a state is there and no matter how many times it can be stopped if you keep trying you can do something to change it.

So what do we say?
Long Island 51st State

I'd Like to Meet

Hi,

I'd like to meet people who are interested in getting the ball rolling a little faster. We could talk on the phone, have a teleconference using freeconferencecall.com or we could meet up at a cafe somewhere in Long Island 51st State (Kings (Brooklyn), Queens, Nassau & Suffolk counties. If you would enjoy doing this you can contact me at the following:

Phone: 718-928-3860
e-mail: william.cerf@gmail.com

Cheers!
William

Why should Long Island even become a state?

Some people may be coming onto this blog not really informed about what is the whole ideal of this movement. We believe in Long Island becoming a state and fixing many of the local and political issues. New York has many problems as it divides politically from the three main regions being upstate, the city, and long island. This has cause many disagreements and calls for secession from each reason. Why? It's because they all feel like they are all being treated unfairly and neglected. What does that mean? Maybe there should be 3 new states not just one because there is so much not being done in Albany.

But what do you the resident of any of these regions think? Is there something local that upsets you? Probably, if your from New York your used to everything costing more than any other state. 8.625% Sales tax? Why are we paying that much? Why are the taxes over ten thousand dollars a home on Long Island? Where is the money going? to our schools? after school programs? why am I not seeing it?

Those are probably some questions you ask. Don't you think they should be answered? Why should someone from Upstate New York affect what goes on in Long Island and vice versa?

A lot of things need to be fixed on Long Island as young people move away because it is hard to start a life paying twice as much as other states. Is there something that you think should be changed on Long Island? Tell us what it is and if Long Island does become a state your problem may be fixed.

Regulatory-Industrial Complex

The Regulatory-Industrial complex is one of a set of interlocking political complexes nurtured by the nanny state to divide We the People along many different lines and to maintain control of OUR lives.

The major thrust of the Regulatory-Industrial Complex is to make sure that citizens DO NOT do the Wrong Thing by making it difficult to do business in most States of the USA. There are a plethora of government agencies, with highly compensated government employees and a powerful union to protect their interests. If you want to build a building and open a business, the nanny state ASSUMES that you will do the wrong thing and put roadblocks in your way; thereby discouraging you from pursuing your dreams.

The State of Long Island - The 21st Century State should be in the business of facilitating the development of project by helping people to Do The Right Thing! Instead of Regulatory Agencies we need to foster Assistance Agencies that operate under the assumption that people really do want to do the right thing.

Pursuing this action will significantly reduce taxes and reduce the influence of labor unions and other special interest groups that are strangling development and investment.

Homeschooling

I personally believe that the State of Long Island should look into ways of getting out of the US Federal Government "public" school system; which is saddled with powerful special interest groups, elected school boards, mayoral interference and labor unions to the disadvantage of our children. Not only that, but this system is hugely expensive, bureaucratic, ineffective and inefficient. You may see banner ads on this site for companies that offer online homeschooling. If you google online homeschooling you will get a ton of references. I believe that the State of Long Island should work with appropriate accrediting agencies to encourage the proliferation of such schools in the State of Long Island and therefore eliminate the need for a "public school system."

Homeschooling - a 21st Century idea for the 21st century State.

The American Legal System

The major focus of the the American legal system  (aka, the rule of law) is two-fold; one is to find the person(s) who did the wrong thing, or is likely to do the wrong thing and then punish them retributively. This is done by sending people to jails, prisons, probation departments and other parts of the Police-Industrial complex. This complex includes the judiciary, prosecutors, jailors and a complex array of lawyers and government agencies. No wonder the United States has one of the highest rates of involvement of citizens in the police-industrial complex ranging from awaiting trial, being supervised by probation and parole, being in jails or prisons, being sanctioned by "orders of protection" and the like.

I have a hard time believing as some people do that our rates of incarceration is actually higher than the Peoples' Republic of China. Let's say the "land of the free and home of the brave" ranks up there as among the most egregious systems in the world.

I believe that the State of Long Island should figure out ways to opt out of this systemic mess. There are systems of Restorative Practice that creates a more humane way of dealing with each other when something goes awry - even seriously awry. I'll post more under the title Restorative Justice Practice.

The Police-Industrial Complex is one of the many reason why we are taxed to death and see little if any benefit from the system. As the 21st Century State - Long Island has the opportunity to lead the way to more humane, reasonable and cost effective methods of dealing with each other and our serious behavior problems.

Closely related to the Police-Industrial Complex is the Regulatory-Industrial Complex which is geared toward preventing people from doing the wrong thing. It assumes that unless the nanny state is there to stop them - people will habitually do the wrong thing. More on the Regulatory-Industrial Complex in my next post.

Freedom of Choice In Education

I believe that the people of Long Island should have the freedom to choose what educational options are best for their children. I don't know if it is possible, but I'd like to see an end to compulsory education embedded into the Constitution of the State of Long Island.I first found out about it in an article in YES Magazine. The concept is called Freeskool. I’m not sure if it is possible to end compulsory education, but I believe that the State of Long Island should allow parents to have options for educating their children. Homeschooling, religious training and other options should be available freely. It is time for We the People of Long Island to take back our children’s future. Here is one idea I personally like a lot.

Main page for Freeskool Movement 

Link to Wikipedia Article 

Link to Yes Magazine Article 

Our Twitter's Statehood in a nutshell tweets

1. Obviously this isn't a thorough method of statehood, but it's a quick way to learn some steps to statehood.
   Our twitter is: LI51State
   Step Ten: Have the United State's Congress vote on Long Island statehood11:41 PM Sep 11th via web
   
2. 
   
   Step Nine: Have the state legislature vote on Long Island's statehood3:05 PM Sep 8th via web
   
3. 
   
   Step Eight: Start a petition for referendum4:30 PM Sep 6th via web
   
4. 
   
   Step Seven: Run for local office3:04 AM Sep 5th via web
   
5. 
   
   Step Six: Start a Political Group8:13 PM Sep 3rd via web
   
6. 
   
   Step Five: Build interest in the majority of the population1:14 PM Aug 29th via mobile web
   
7. 
   
   Step Four: Select a leader or group of leaders to represent the cause11:43 PM Aug 18th via web
   
8. 
   
   Step Three: Use social networks and gatherings to strengthen cause9:30 PM Aug 17th via mobile web
   
9. 
   
   Step Two: Gain support1:11 AM Aug 16th via web
   
10. 
    
    Step One: Address a common issue1:12 AM Aug 15th via web

Upstate New York wants to be freed

It seems like Long Island and Upstate New York are fighting the same battle. Both regions seem to be over taxed and under supported. This leaves many questions to supporters of both groups, who gets New York City? This seems to be the culprit of all the missing money in the state. Realistically Brooklyn and Queens are a physical part of Long Island but are a part of New York City.

This leaves a couple options, Upstate New York can be free while Long Island adopts the islands of Manhattan and Staten making a tri fecta of islands making a whole new state. But we'll see as time goes on, maybe everything will work out in Albany but its been over 200 years so maybe we should start looking towards the future.

While looking at this why don't you check out the secessionist movement in Upstate New York, you never know maybe we can both help each other.
http://www.facebook.com/unshackleupstate

Our Goals for 2010

I propose the following goals for the remainder of the year:

1) 1,000 LIKES on  our Facebook page
2) 10 BLOGGERS actively blogging about LI51 on this BLOG.
3) 50 Really Enthusiastic People working for Statehood.

Are you willing to do one or all of the above?

Check out our Twitter and Facebook Page

Go to the links below and check out our Facebook and Twitter Pages.

Long Island 51st State Facebook Page

LI51 StateTwitter Page

Proposed State Flag for State of Long Island

Here is a design done by Cesidio Tallini for a flag that could become the official State Flag of the State of Long Island.

Long Island could follow Canada's example

Hello from Canada.

Long Island should definitely become a state and move towards greater independence. Other states such as Vermont and Texas can follow suit. They could follow a similar evolutionary process as Canada. Canada gained independence from the British Empire by a slow evolutionary process stretching from 1840 to 1982, as did Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. This is why these four countries do not have an 'Independence Day' - they gained their independence by evolution, not all at once like the USA and most countries.

Long Island could draw some similarities to this process in a shorter period of time by gradually gaining control over its own affairs from New York.

1837 - Rebellions against a corrupt colonial government in Canada leads to a demand for responsible self-government
1840 - Canada gains responsible self-government from Britain
1850 - Canada creates its own currency - replacing British Pounds with Canadian Dollars
1867 - Four British colonies (Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick) are federated into a single self-governing Dominion of Canada with its own parliament within the British Empire
1871-1873 - The remaining British colonies across North America except Newfoundland join the self-governing Dominion of Canada
1880 - The Arctic territories are transferred to the new Dominion. British troops leave Canada. The Canadian army is created
1907 to 1921 - Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the Irish Free State follow Canada's example and become self-governing Dominions with their own parliaments
1910 - Canada creates its own navy
1914 - Britain enters the First World War on behalf of all of the British Empire including the self-governing Dominions
1919 - Canada and the other self-governing Dominions sign the peace treaty ending the First World War separately from Britain
1924 - Canada creates its own air force
1931 - The Statute of Westminster ends the colonial status of the British Dominions and defines Dominion status as completely self-governing with the right to be consulted on all imperial affairs. The Dominions gain the right to conduct their own foreign policies but Britain retains control over their constitutions which are acts of the British Parliament. Citizens of the Dominions remain as British subjects. India moves towards Dominion status. Canada signs treaties with the USA without British signatures
1939 - The Dominions make their own declarations of war separate from Britain. Britain, Australia and New Zealand declare war on September 3, South Africa on September 6, Canada on September 10. Ireland remains neutral.
1943 - Canada opens its first foreign embassy in Washington
1947 - India and Pakistan become self-governing Dominions. Dominion status is redefined as fully independent nations, equal to Britain within the British Commonwealth. Canadian citizenship is created (until then, Canadians were British subjects only). Canadians become both Canadian citizens and British subjects. Canada begins debate on adopting its own flag.
1949 - India becomes an independent republic and the British Commonwealth is redefined as the Commonwealth of Nations - all members are completely free and equal. They may leave if they wish. Ireland declares full independence and becomes the Republic of Ireland. The British monarch drops the title 'Emperor of India' and adopts the new title 'Head of the Commonwealth'. The British Judicial Committee of the Privy Council ceases its control over the Supreme Court of Canada. The Supreme Court of Canada becomes the highest court in Canada. Newfoundland joins Canada as its tenth province, ending British colonial rule in North America
1952 - The last British governor general of Canada is replaced by the first Canadian governor general. Queen Elizabeth II drops the imperial title of 'Great Britain and Ireland and the British Dominions Beyond the Seas' and adopts separate titles in her realms of 'Queen of the United Kingdom', 'Queen of Canada', 'Queen of Australia', etc.
1961 - South Africa declares itself an independent republic
1965 - Canada adopts its own national flag, replacing the British Union Jack with the red and white maple leaf flag. The Union Jack is retained as a royal flag to be flown on royal or Commonwealth occasions only
1980 - Canada adopts its own national anthem, replacing 'God Save the Queen' with 'O Canada'. 'God Save the Queen' is retained for royal occasions only
1982 - Canada gains complete independence - British control over the Canadian constitution is terminated and a new Canadian constitution is proclaimed, written in Canada. Canadians cease to be British subjects, becoming Canadian citizens only. Dominion Day on July 1 is renamed Canada Day (the anniversary of the 1867 act which created the federated country)
1986 - British control over the Australia and New Zealand constitutions is terminated as those countries gain full independence and proclaim their own constitutions
To this day, Queen Elizabeth II remains head of state in Canada, as in Australia, New Zealand and several other countries, but this is by our own choice. We may drop this at any time and become republics like other countries such as India and South Africa have done. It would take only an amendment to our own constitution to do that and would not involve Britain. The governor general is the Queen's representative, but is a local citizen chosen by the Canadian government. The debate over whether to retain the Crown or become a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations will continue in Canada, Australia and New Zealand

Book about Independent Long Island

There is a really nice little book about Independent Long Island written by a fellow who has been interested in creating an independent nation of Long Island. While his idea is off-topic for us; the book is still an interesting read. Here is a link to the Amazon site where it can be purchased.

Independent Long Island Book

Election Laws for the 21st Century

One of the great opportunities available to the State of Long Island is to set up our systems governing elections and political parties. While, we can't abrogate US Federal law, I think there is still a lot of power the State of Long Island could exercise.

Here are some ideas I'd like to see in our State Constitution:

1) A unicameral (one house) legislature with multiple member districts that is large enough to truly represent "we the people" and lean enough to get things done. An advantage to a unicameral legislature is that there would be no duplication of staff. With a bicameral legislature you have two of everything - lots of duplication. Also lots of cozy jobs for politicians and professional political operators and staffers.

2) Create ballot access laws that are fair, equal and equitable to all political parties. Whatever we do, we've got to attempt to ensure that we don't have a two-party duopoly controlled by one cabal as we do in New York City and New York State with the Republican and Democrat Parties. The threshold for ballot access should be relatively easy and simple. Yes, there will be some goof ball parties, but I think that is a small price to pay for political democracy and political choice.

3) Use Proportional Representation to fill seats in our State Legislature, which I will call the State Senate.

4) Use Instant-Runoff Voting for all elected positions in the State of Long Island.

5) In elections for President of the United States; use IRV to award our votes in the Electoral College according to the percentage of the popular vote in the State of Long Island.

6) Use IRV for elections for US House of Representatives and US Senate from the State of Long Island

I encourage us to consult with non-profit groups, academics and attorneys who have experience in electoral reform; among them are:

Fair Vote:
http://www.fairvote.org

Free and Equal Elections Foundation:
http://www.freeandequal.org

Larry Sabato:
http://www.larrysabato.com

Professor Sabato is one of the leading experts on politics, elections and constitutions in the country. He is the Director at the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

Professor Rick Hasen of Loyola Law School, Los Angeles (CA)

 http://www.lls.edu/academics/faculty/hasen.html

 Professor Rick Hasen's Election Law BLOG

Professor Hasen has listed other sources on his BLOG as well.

I believe that one event we could plan for 2013 would be an event featuring these people and other experts to discuss the topic;

How to Create the 21st Century State - Promise and Hope for the 51st State of Long Island

A Clean Financial State for the State of Long Island

As we begin the process of exploring the possibility of taking the many arduous efforts that will be needed to form Long Island - 51st State we need to look into the process of being able to disavow all debts incurred on our behalf by the States of New York and New Jersey. An example would be the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey. This is one of many government agencies formed in the last century that is heavily in debt, and this is only the beginning. There are tons of other debts that would be our responsibility upon severing from New York City, New York State and joint agreements with the State of New Jersey. It IS a financial nightmare!!! I hope we can attract people to our cause who are subject matter experts in municipal and government finance. We need to have a strategy worked out ahead of time so that our grandchildren are not crushed by this overwhelming debt load.

LONG ISLAND - The 21st Century State

States do have some powers and the State of Long Island should be very diligent in asserting its powers as a State. The federal government has become too large, too intrusive, to inefficient and too expensive. The other 50 States have become mired in bureaucracy, much of which was developed between 1900 and 1960. That was a LONG time ago. The State of Long Island should insist that we are the first new US State of the 21st Century and use "best practices" from many sectors to create our new state. We can become the most modern, well organized, most flexible state in the Union. We can really create ways for our citizens and businesses to have their needs met. Personally, I prefer a much more libertarian approach. Let the State of Long Island facilitate processes for people and business taking care of themselves.

Perhaps our State Slogan should be:

LONG ISLAND - The 21st Century State

51 Star US Flag - Finally

Here is an image of a 51 star US Flag.

The Important Things

A government should provide the basic needs to keep it's taxpayers happy. It should also fund programs that will benefit and make their citizens stronger throughout the future. Money should be put into kids through different ways, there should be money put into after-school programs and schools. Schools should not be the ones to suffer because they provide kids with future and they will represent their state. More money should be put into college educations as well, because when the clamp with budgets start the future college students feel the pinch the most. Most 18 year olds don't have $30,000 or the time to make that much. This is what you need for most private schools now and federal aid is limited. If your in the middle-class college is basically out of the picture for you if your parents fiscal status is not well. There are families who make to much on the books but really have no money at all and the kids get hurt the most. The government assumes that they can afford their kids education with their savings but they have none. This leaves so many kids with a less that great education because they simply just can afford to go to the best possible school for them which is unfair. So many great minds are being thrown away because their families don't have the money to help them go to college. This should be changed if Long Island becomes a state. Long Island should focus on itself and the future of it's residents. It should develop programs that would allow kids to go to college much easier while not putting the state in debt. This needs to be done but done right or the state will just become how New York is now.

The New York State Budget Passed! Or not?

Well the budget finally passed! Actually the correct budget didn't pass due to an "administrative" issue. That's a shame because it only makes this whole ordeal look worse. New York has been tripping over itself as it rushes to finally pass the delayed budget. It's sad because Long Island can simply do better than New York because we are an already developed government that does not make nearly as many mistakes as Albany does. We foot the bill for everything but we are the last to get compensated for it. We are just used and mainly left in the dark as battles go on in Albany. We should be looking to the future and if New York cannot fix it's fiscal problems and it's neglect of Long Island we should step up the movement to become a state.




Here is the link with the story
http://www.wgrz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=82499&catid=13

New York's Budget Greatness

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/23/nyregion/23suny.html

We are now in late July and has anyone noticed how New York has passed the budget? Well it hasn't and it was supposed to be done April 1st. It's a shame to be the support of the state to watch it waste away money putting itself into horrendous debt. Now the New York State government is now looking into trimming the budget by essentially getting rid of the SUNY program. The schools wont be gone but the prices will be a lot different. Many residents of Long Island rely on the SUNY program because their parents and themselves simply cannot afford the absurd expenses of government.

They should be looking into supporting SUNY and programs that benefit kids. Kids should be given the most attention because they are the future of the state and the country. Money should be taken out of unsuccessful and wasteful programs. We should be paperless on all of our things now since it creates confusion and wastes money. We should get rid of systems that are underused such as buses or have ways of improving them. Long Island should be fighting to keep it a place to be livable for the future. As prices go up here more people leave and eventually businesses leave. As they find better places to go Long Island residents lose their homes and jobs which hurts us overall.

We Now Have Two Admins/Authors

It is such a privilege to have Tim Foley as a co-author and co-administrator of the Long Island 51st State blog. I trust that Tim will bring much needed energy to this blog. I truly hope that this space become an active, vibrant collaborative space to take the Long Island Statehood movement to the next level.

Senators want to end ‘secret holds’ that let nominees languish - The Boston Globe

Senators want to end ‘secret holds’ that let nominees languish - The Boston Globe

This kind of nonsense happens all the time in Albany. Let's put a provision in the Long Island State Constitution to prevent this kind of behavior.

Corporate Pershonhood and the Gulf Oil Spill

I think the biggest problem here is that the US Supreme Court ruled years ago that corporations have the same rights as naturally occuring persons, the same Bill of Rights applies to "fictional persons" as to real persons.

I'm not sure what the State of Long Island could do about this issue, but I do believe it should be investigated thoroughly

Bill of Rights - Part 2

I believe that the soverign States can enhance the Bill of Rights. We should definitely look into the possibility of enhancing and enshrining greater rights for our citizens in the 21st Century. It is my understanding that the States can not abrogate or diminish the Bill of Rights, but they can enhance them. An example is the right to privacy. We could enhance the right of privacy on the internet, prevent "law enforcement" from snooping into our internet activity for the purpose of entrapment.

I hope that we will attract constitutional lawyers and scholars to look into the possibilities.

Bill of Rights - Our Birthright as Americans

I think all Americans should read the Bill of Rights periodically. This was one of the greatest documents ever created by the people who founded our Republic.

Bill of Rights

Amendment 1

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.



Amendment 2

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.



Amendment 3

No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.



Amendment 4

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.



Amendment 5

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.



Amendment 6

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.



Amendment 7

In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.



Amendment 8

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.



Amendment 9

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.



Amendment 10

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

51 Star US Flag

Here is a link to a picture I found on wikipedia. It is in the public domain, but somehow I can't load the image. If  someone else can open the file and put the image on our homepage, that would be truly awesome. Check this one out:

US_51-star_alternate_flag.svg‎

Elected County Sherriffs

The State of Long Island should seriously look at the possibility that a county sherriff, elected by the people; could have great powers to keep State and Federal officials at bay when they try to encroach on local powers. I believe that the more power and control that can be delegated to the county, city and precinct levels the better. Here is a website of a guy named Richard Mack. He may be a bit on the "right-wing" side of things so I don't know how useful his material will be; be I think we owe it to ourselves to evaluate it. Here is the website:

http://sheriffmack.com/

Corporation Reform - Part 2

There are two new corporate forms that are beginning to be established. One is the B Corporation - http://www.bcorporation.net/

L3C Corporation

Here is a wikipedia entry that describes L3C's in some detail:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L3C
Here is part one of a series of videos on YouTube regarding L3C

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ9uQmVvtjA&feature=player_embedded

I will post more on this topic and hope others will join in this thread.

Redistricting, Election Reforms

The State of Long Island has an incredible opportunity to re-engineer how electoral districts are established and how elections are conducted. Much of the way we do things around here is based on ideas that are 200 years old. The world has changed and the State of Long Island can be a leader in creating systems that work in the 21st century. Here are a few ideas:

Instant Runoff Voting and Proportional Representation

http://www.fairvote.org/

Citizens' Redistriction Commissions

Election "Day" should be spread out over a weekend. I propose that the polls be open starting the first Friday and end on the following Sunday and that the following schedule be maintained throughout the State of Long Island

(all times are Eastern)

First Friday - 2 pm - 11 pm
Saturday - 6 am - 11 pm
Sunday - 6 am - 11 pm

Election Processing Reform

There are several groups working on creating methods and means for being certain that ALL people who are eligible are able to vote and have their vote counted.

Hand Counted Paper Ballot Verification of all Ballots

Announcements of Results:
The State Board of Elections will announce all results on the Monday following the conclusion of the election.

I am sure other people have ideas to contribute to this thread. More resources and maybe even different ways of solving problems. I hope that there will be a lively discussion on this topic.

Sex Scandals

I have this crazy idea that what people do in the bedroom should be kept out of the political sphere. If the activities in question do not affect the ability of an office holder, public official or civil servant to perform their duties; then we should have a specific policy of Leave 'Em Alone." People can turn to many resources available to work through their difficulties, including psychologists, ministers, etc.

Tax Policy

Long Island, the 51st State has a real  opportunity to look seriously at the convoluted tax sytem at the level of state and municipal government. I'd like to suggest that we look at the philosophy of Henry George. A good short article about him and his work can be found on wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_george

The Henry George School of Social Sciences in Manhattan, NY is also an excellent source of information:

http://www.henrygeorgeschool.org/

Re-Engineer the Prison Industrial Complex

Like the rest of the governing structure of the State of New York, the "prison industrial complex" is a crazy quilt that had been added onto ever since the State entered the Union. There are jails, prisons, parole and probation departments just to name a few. Many people spend much of their lives caught up in this system; which has serious flaws and can be quite brutal. We end up with very angry people! The only beneficiaries of this set of boondogles are prison guards, jailors, district attorneys, defense attorneys, bail bondspeople and only God knows who else. The poor people who pay for this mess (that's most of us taxpayers) and the poor people who get caught up in this system are all the worse off. The State of Long Island has some real opportunities to humanize this system and end up paying a lot less in taxes for its maintenance.

Re-Engineering Taxation

One of the things that the 51st State of Long Island would have the opportunity to do is to re-engineer the entire plethora of schemes related to taxation. Since it entered the Union, the State of New York has had tributes and taxes of many kinds. Different schemes are simply added on top of what already exists, thus creating a monster tax code. As the first new State of the 21st Century; the State of Long Island could get the people together with the experts to figure out a taxation program that any sixth grader could read and understand. It would be a really simple system. People would have input and be able to submit their gripes about the current schemes. Once this were done, I truly believe there would be far few tax avoidance schemes. Tax avoidance is part of the entire taxation mess. Right now the only people who benefit are the tax accountants and the lawyers. The government and the people get ripped off.

Re-Engineering the Social Safety Net - Part Two

This is a VERY LONG article.

The following is a compilation of several short pieces I wrote a few years ago. I believe the information and the questions raised fit perfectly for

the proposed State of Long Island

I believe that the best way to take care of “poor” people and in fact the best way to meet the needs of all people is at the most local level possible. Personally, I think that the government programs of the New Deal, New Frontier, Great Society, etc are all huge bureaucratic boondoggles that do not help those truly in need and end up benefiting those who can game the system. I would like to see a program developed whereby community groups, service groups, advocacy groups, faith-based groups and other groups of people would take over the care of people. You could refer to this as the replacement of government charity with private charity. All of the programs of the New Deal, New Frontier and Great Society could be phased out over a period of say ten years as the above mentioned local groups took over. There is one caveat. There are currently some very large bureaucratic non-profits and not-for-profits such as FEGS and Goodwill that do a truly TERRIBLE job of helping people. They are actually worse than the government, if such a thing were possible. There needs to be serious accountability and transparency built into these programs. Some corporations doing business under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code are nothing more than mechanisms to pay handsome salaries to founders and executives.

Limiting government worries some people not because they dislike BIG
Government; but because they don't want big business, big religion, big military - or little lynch mobs. The issue is not size but coercion.

Power cannot be banished. It can only be concentrated or spread around. That's what we're for, precluding a big government or big anything by empowering individuals and small groups of individuals with full rights and responsibilities.
Reduce/shrink the following at all levels (federal, state, municipal, local districts, etc) of government, corporations and other BIG INSTITUTIONS:



• Spending

• Taxes

• Assessments

• Fees

• Programs

• Debt

• Assets

• Liabilities

• Size

• Scope

• Power

• Laws

• Rules

• Regulations

• Policies

• Procedures

• Bureaucracy

• Monopoly or virtual monopoly powers



According to Newt Gingrich’s organization American Solutions there are:

300,000,000 people

511,000 elected officials including

3,300 county governments

17,000 elected school boards

14,000 state legislators

50 Governors

435 federal US Representatives

100 federal US Senators.

Not included in the above list are the following:

There are layers of government that are generated by each of the entities on Gingrich’s list.

Statistical details about the Executive Branch of the US Federal Government.

Statistical details about the Judicial Branch of government at the US Federal and State levels.

Local boards, agencies, neighborhood councils and other government agencies

Non-profit and Not-for-Profit Corporations

Public-Private Partnerships

Increase involvement of the proposed State of Long Island in finding 21st Century solutions to specific problems that the current methods of government are attempting to solve. I would like to see us create lists of problems and solutions for all areas of government that could and should be reduced or shrunken.
I think that we are entering a New Frontier where it is possible to totally re-invent government. I’d like to see us look at all of the big, unwieldy government programs that have been created since Franklin Roosevelt.

• What problems was each program attempting to solve?

• How can we transform each those government programs of the New Deal and Great Society into methodology over ideology oriented solutions so that we can:

Engage this New Frontier and create a New Deal for a truly Great Society

I think that the BIGGER problem is that we as a society DO NOT know how to attempt to solve problems without the involvement of government at some level; thus we have a plethora of rules, regulations, programs, policies ad nausea with very little in the way of results. As a Whig, I would like for us to look at these programs, rules, regulations, etc and propose methodology over ideology oriented solutions to the problems. Then we can go to candidates and say, we want them to back solutions to problem while simultaneously voting to reduce the size, scope, spending, etc of government.

Another serious problem is that the two party duopoly creates these programs while at the same time whipping up passions on the “left” and “right” side of the so-called political spectrum. The link below shows that these programs, once passed have so many goodies for so many people that they grow like weeds and become so popular that it seems impossible to amend or repeal any portion of these programs.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/35085.html

I hope that we will take a serious look at the issues and come up with some solutions.

I find this professor and the websites below to be interesting parts of a BIGGER discussion. She might be one of the experts for us to contact.



Mildred E. Warner

Dept. of City and Regional Planning

Sibley Hall, Cornell University

Ithaca, NY 14853

(Phone) 607- 255-6818, (Fax) 607-255-1971

E-mail: mew15@cornell.edu



http://government.cce.cornell.edu/



http://economicdevelopment.cce.cornell.edu/



What are your thoughts?