gershon – R&R – Reachout and Rebuild

The Cry for National Leadership

David Posnett — Wed, 18 Mar 2020 00:27:43 +0000

By Perry Gershon

Posted Tuesday, March 17, 2020 12:53 pm in the Long Island Advance

Perry Gershon, Candidate for Congress NY-1

As President Trump flails in his attempts to lead our country through one of the most severe challenges in our nearly 250-year history, and our local congressman, Lee Zeldin does little more than cheerlead, Governor Andrew Cuomo and County Executive Steve Bellone have displayed the leadership we crave. Good leadership requires empathy, honesty, transparency and the ability to admit your mistakes so that you can fix them. One must tell the truth and be willing to display self-sacrifice when demanding sacrifice from others. To date, President Trump has completely failed – he bears responsibility for how we got to our current place and must own it if we are to believe his solutions going forward. And we must get there.

Trump’s initial failures in taking the coronavirus crisis seriously continue to impede his ability to effectively gain our confidence or to guide us as a country. At his recent Friday afternoon press conference, the President still refused to admit responsibility for our testing failures. On Sunday he insisted that the crisis is “under control.” Trump’s words fall flat while states and cities are closing public schools, bars and restaurants, and the number of Americans testing positive for the coronavirus is increasing exponentially.

The coronavirus responsible for our current worldwide pandemic, was first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) in December, 2019. By January 30, 2020 WHO declared the virus to be a global emergency and by February it was distributing tests to over 60 countries. For inexplicable reasons, Trump’s administration rejected the WHO test and instead decided to make its own – a disastrous process to date and is likely the cause of a dangerous shortage of tests available in the U.S. The Trump administration’s decision in 2018 to fire our entire pandemic response team from the National Security Council without replacing them further limited our ability to respond to this pandemic.

Epidemiologists and other scientists tell us that the key to containing a pandemic is rapid identification. Failure to test people for the coronavirus has created an environment that is ripe for the virus to spread through our community rapidly and undetected. In fact, we remain unsure just how many of us may be carrying the virus and spreading it to others. Large scale testing is the only way we will contain this health crisis. South Korea, which appears to have its epidemic under control, is testing 20,000 people daily. As of this writing, the high side estimate for total tests administered in the US is a similar number. We will never be in front of the problem until we are testing thousands of individuals a day.

Which brings me back to leadership. Trump’s failures so far are obvious and undeniable – we are missing the boat with testing, and we squandered 45-60 days of advance notice instead of preparing for this pandemic. Rather than warn us of the impending danger, Trump defended his own response and repeated false claims that the viral outbreak is winding down, that he had the situation was under control. As Congress moved to pass safety measures to take care of those most affected, Trump’s mind focused unilaterally on our financial and corporate markets. Harry Truman’s motto, “The Buck Stops Here,” is totally foreign to this president.

But all of that is past history and we must move forward. It is not too late for Trump to rise to the challenge of one of the most basic tenets of his office. To lead us through this time of uncertainty. Be straight with the American public about what he got wrong and how he is fixing it. Take responsibility for where we are and vow to make it better. There will be a light at the end of the tunnel, but the person delivering that message must have credibility if Americans are to accept it.

And Zeldin might decide that now is the time to open his communication channels with all of us. Zeldin has not held a true, open invitation town hall since April 2017. This would be a great time to initiate open, online communications. My congressional campaign has hosted monthly town halls since September 2019, and we are switching to online format this week to avoid public assembly. Zeldin might want to follow our model. As of this writing, Suffolk County had over 50 confirmed cases of coronavirus, and that number has no doubt grown significantly. What is the federal response going to be? Cuomo has requested that the President mobilize the military to help fight the epidemic – where is Zeldin’s role in this process? There is clear assistance that could come from the Army Corps of Engineers and the National Guard providing both hospital beds and logistics. We will certainly need it.

America must unite to get to the other side of this health crisis. I believe in Americans and I have no doubt that we will. But it will be much easier if we have a president who will lead us to that other side.

Don’t Make Me Laugh

David Posnett — Thu, 13 Sep 2018 14:41:01 +0000

By Perry Gershon:

Lee Zeldin wants you to think he’s an environmentalist. He’s spending big bucks blasting that absurd idea across Long Island television.

Don’t make me laugh.

In his four years in Congress, Lee has voted against the environment over and over again. He’s taken tens of thousands of dollars from the oil and gas industry to prop up his campaign.

It’s no wonder Lee opposed protecting the environment on 21 out of 22 votes.

Lee opposed seven bills on air quality protections.

He opposed protections for clean water 19 different times.

He opposed protecting wildlife eight times.

And he continues to stand by a president who insists climate change is a Chinese hoax.

Get the idea? Lee Zeldin is no friend of the environment, of clear air and water, or protecting our planet for future generations.

Long Island voters have a clear choice in November.

I promise to work tirelessly to protect the environment – whether that be our clear air, clean water, clean energy production, or protecting wildlife.

Lee’s record is clear, and that’s just another reason why he has to go.

Donate $5 right now. Let’s show Zeldin we won’t stand for his hypocrisy on the environment.

Posts on R&R (since July 2018) related to Zeldin’s environmental record:

Zeldin’s Environmental Voting Record Goes from Bad to Worse

Posted on August 28, 2018 by D. Posnett MD

Lee Zeldin wants to Drill in the Ironwood Forest National Monument By Marc Rauch: Latest update: Zeldin’s Environmental Voting Record Goes from Bad to Worse in 2018 In the first 3 years of Lee Zeldin’s congressional term (2015-2017), he earned … Continue reading →

Posted in climate change, Environment, EPA, Executive Order, GOP, National Parks & Monuments, Trump, Uncategorized, water quality, Zeldin | Tagged Environment, lee zeldin, voting record | 2 Comments | Edit

Zeldin’s War on the Environment

Posted on August 20, 2018 by D. Posnett MD

By Perry Gershon: (Source: https://www.facebook.com/pg/perry4congress/posts/?ref=page_internal) Lee Zeldin continues to support the Trump Administration’s destruction of our environmental protections. The new “plan” for coal represents one more example of the total disregard for the serious health effects of air pollution. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Air Pollution, Environment, Trump, Uncategorized, water quality, Zeldin | Tagged car emission, clean air, clean water, pollution | 2 Comments | Edit

Is Lee Zeldin Really “Good On The Environment”?

Posted on January 19, 2018 by francescarh

A slickly produced mailer from Lee Zeldin appeared in my mailbox this week. It touted our Congressman’s supposed record in “safeguarding our environment.” Mr. Zeldin has been very adept in pulling the wool over voters’ eyes about his actual environmental … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment | Edit

Zeldin Boasting about Environment Record?

Posted on January 2, 2018 by maidstonejewelry

Recently Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1), co-chair of the Long Island Sound Caucus and founding member of the “Congressional Estuary Caucus”, was joined by EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Regional Director Carrie Meek … Continue reading →

Posted in climate change, Environment, EPA, Paris Climate Accord, Uncategorized, Zeldin | 4 Comments | Edit

More Bad Zeldin Environmental Votes

Posted on October 12, 2017 by D. Posnett MD

By Marc Rauch and Chelsea Estevez Since our last update in late August, fourteen bills impacting the environment have come before the House of Representatives. Lee Zeldin took the anti-environment position on 12 out of 14 of these recent bills. … Continue reading →

Posted in climate change, Environment, EPA, Paris Climate Accord, Trump, Uncategorized, Zeldin | Tagged environmental justice, EPA, fracking, methane, ocean, public land | Leave a comment | Edit

Complete Lee Zeldin Environmental Voting Record

Posted on July 2, 2017 by D. Posnett MD

A great resource! D Posnett Marc Rauch·Friday, June 23, 2017 Complete Lee Zeldin Environmental Voting Record (Last Updated 6/29/17) Introduction Linked here https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19e5j3Z3xupufWNReLsO-P69eL316sJDLBbf8EZDFklg/edit?usp=sharing is an easy-to-use Excel spreadsheet summarizing Lee Zeldin’s complete environmental voting record in Congress. Purpose This spreadsheet … Continue reading →

Posted in Air Pollution, climate change, Environment, EPA, National Parks & Monuments, Offshore Drilling, Uncategorized, Zeldin | Tagged energy, Environment, record, wind, Zeldin | 2 Comments | Edit

Lee Zeldin’s Duplicity on Environmental Issues

Posted on March 7, 2017 by D. Posnett MD

Marc Rauch, from Bellport, New York. had the following letter in the March 2, 2017 edition of the Long Island Advance: I was taken aback by Rep. Lee Zeldin’s “official positions” on protection of the environment, as reported last week … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Uncategorized, Zeldin | Tagged duplicity, Environment, pollution, Zeldin | 1 Comment | Edit

Zeldin & Environment?

Posted on February 19, 2017 by D. Posnett MD

My letter to editor of LI Advance was published this week- 2/16/2017 Voting to loosen standards on oil and gas industries Where is Congressman Zeldin on the environment? Two weeks ago I visited Congressman Zeldin’s office to talk with a … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Uncategorized | Tagged Environment, Zeldin | 5 Comments | Edit

Flip the House — Defeat Zeldin!

Posted on August 4, 2018 by amyturner2000

By Jacquelyn Gavron & Amy Turner, July 19, 2018 New York’s First Congressional District (NY-1), historically a swing district, is represented by Lee Zeldin (R). He was initially elected with Tea Party support and is an unwavering Trump loyalist with … Continue reading →

Posted in ACA, AHCA, economy, Environment, Guns, Health Care, Politics, Tax Reform, Uncategorized, Women, Zeldin | 3 Comments | Edit

Moral Obligation to send Zeldin packing

Posted on July 19, 2018 by D. Posnett MD

Published in the East Hampton Star – the July 10, 2018 To the Editor: Offered less than 10 days into our district’s 133-day congressional race, The Star’s advice to local Democrats (“First District Dilemma”) is not only premature, but also … Continue reading →

Posted in perry gershon, Uncategorized, Zeldin | Tagged David Rattray, democratic, gershon, Star, turnout | Leave a comment | Edit

Moral Obligation to send Zeldin packing

David Posnett — Thu, 19 Jul 2018 00:56:18 +0000

Published in the East Hampton Star – the July 10, 2018

To the Editor:

Offered less than 10 days into our district’s 133-day congressional race, The Star’s advice to local Democrats (“First District Dilemma”) is not only premature, but also misguided. As the 2016 presidential election (painfully) demonstrated, a race can turn around in the final weeks. But more important, the editorial ignores voter turnout — a key component to winning midterm elections in this swing district (which has been represented by Democrats for 40 of the last 57 years). There are already very encouraging signs that once again New York District 1 Democrats have the momentum and enthusiasm that generate winning turnouts in November. For example:

1. Democratic turnout in the June 26 primary was up 76 percent from the last primary.

2. In an online one-day fund-raiser for Perry Gershon, New York 1 grass-roots groups raised more than $50,000 in donations ranging from $20 to $2,700 (the maximum allowable).

3. Within days of the primary, hundreds of people had volunteered to work for Gershon, and more are signing up each day.

Furthermore, Zeldin is hardly behaving like a candidate who is certain of victory. Within hours after Gershon’s nomination, Zeldin started the preferred Trump tactic of name-calling rather than touting his own voting record. Why? Because Zeldin knows his policy positions are unpopular in this district: repealing Obamacare, opposing common-sense gun-safety measures, and supporting the dismantling of Environmental Protection Agency regulations, to name just a few. And it was hardly a show of confidence when Zeldin’s staff (in further echoes of Trump) forcibly removed local press from the campaign’s kickoff event, which was headlined by Sebastian Gorka. (Star readers unfamiliar with Gorka will learn much from Helen Rattray’s column, “Bad Company,” which appeared opposite the editorial referred to in this letter and which states, “Our congressman has become extraordinarily buddy-buddy with radicals and extremists of the ultra-right, bigoted wing of his party.”)

Although the editorial suggests that local Democrats should focus elsewhere, it is worth remembering that we, the voters of New York 1, are responsible for sending to Congress a right-wing extremist who allies himself with Trump, Gorka, and Bannon rather than the values upon which this nation was founded. In my view, we voters have a moral obligation to do all we can to support Perry Gershon and send Zeldin packing!

Yours truly,

AMY TURNER

It is July 4th

David Posnett — Thu, 05 Jul 2018 02:13:08 +0000

I am not feeling very proud of my country. I am sure I am not alone. Where are the reasons to celebrate?

Well, we had an amazing Unity Party on Sunday July 1st. All 5 Dem. candidates were present and everyone congratulated Perry Gershon and pledged their support!

Then Eilleen Duffy started a 4th of July fund raiser via LVLZ asking everyone to contribute $100. They have already raised a huge sum, just within a day or two! Please donate here and spread the word!

Finally, I attended the July 4th “Keep our Families Together” rally in Sag Harbor along with about 400 outraged citizens : https://www.facebook.com/events/206453116652974/

So, yes, I am feeling proud of America’s citizens. I am feeling proud of the fight within us, something akin to what was happening to the founders, I believe. There is nothing honorable or representative of the history of this nation in the Trump/Zeldin/Bannon/Gorka camp. Period. Enjoy the pictures.

The Rally “Keep our Families Together”

The Unity Party attended by 210+ people:

Perry Gershon addressing the crowd.

Peter Van Scoyoc (East Hampton Supervisor) addressing the crowd.

Christine Pellegrino (NYS assembly woman from Long Island’s 9th district) addressing the crowd.