“Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it”-Ronald Reagan
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Bill O’Reilly, 212-396-9117 bill@novemberteam.com December 1, 2023
Statement on Removal of Rep. George Santos from Congress by New York State Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kassar
Brooklyn-NY…“A stain on Congress has been cleansed. Good riddance, Mr. Santos. Let the special election process begin.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Bill O’Reilly, 212-396-9117 Bill@novemberteam.com November 20, 2023
NEW YORK STATE CONSERVATIVE PARTY RELEASES 2023 LEGISLATIVE SESSION RATINGS
Brooklyn, NY – The New York State Conservative Party today released its 2023 scoring of state legislators on 25 key conservative bills in Albany.
Overall Senate ratings averaged 38.86% — Democrats averaged 14.29% while Republicans averaged 88% — and the Assembly’s overall rating average was 39.52%, with Democrats averaging a 16.47% Conservative score and Republicans averaging 88.5%. The Governor’s Mansion and both houses of the Legislature are currently controlled by Democrats.
Twelve legislators — two senators and ten assembly members — scored a 96% Conservative rating. They are: Senators Mario Mattera (2 SD) and Steven Rhoads (5 SD); Assembly Members Joe Angelino (121 AD), Ari Brown (20 AD), David DiPietro (147 AD), John Lemondes (126 AD), John Mikulin (17 AD), Philip Palmesano (132 AD), Doug Smith (5 AD), Robert Smullen (118 AD), Brian Manktelow (130 AD), and Chris Tague (102 AD).
Full legislative rankings are available here.
“When you look at the overall Conservative score in the state legislature you can see why New York feels like it’s falling apart,” said State Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kassar. “On issue after issue, Democrats are driving this state leftward, with most Republicans fighting for common sense conservative reforms on crime, taxes, immigration, education, Constitutional freedoms, and human life. The encouraging news lies not with the incumbent Democrat legislators, but with a voting public that is increasingly recognizing that runaway progressivism is undermining the health of their state.”
Legislation used to rank legislators included criminal justice reform measures, infringement of Second Amendment rights, radical green programs, and pro-life issues that affect the lives of all New Yorkers. More than 60% of New Yorkers consider themselves either “conservative” or “moderate” according to independent polling.
“Voter education has always been a core tenet of the Conservative Party,” Chairman Kassar continued. “Taxpayers must be made aware of how their elected officials spend tax dollars and where they stand on key philosophical, cultural, and economic issues. One glance at these issue rankings will show the average citizen just how out of touch with their viewpoints most New York legislators are today.”
The Conservative Party encourages voters to review the ratings and to let legislators know where they stand,” Chairman Kassar said.
2023 Short Description of Assembly Bills/Senate Bills
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Short descriptions of the legislative bills used for the 2023 Legislature Ratings in the New York State Legislature
25). S.7564 Myrie/A.7760 Walker: This bill seeks to expand the public campaign program. CPNYS is firmly opposed to using tax dollars for campaigns. This proposal expands the current allowances resulting in the commitment of larger donations for the use in establishing matching funds allocations.
Short Disriptions for website
Thanksgiving
I wanted to take this time to wish you and your families a happy Thanksgiving. As we gather with family and friends next week on Thanksgiving Day, let us reflect on the principles that have shaped our great nation.
From the pilgrims’ journey to the founding fathers’ vision, our history is a testament to the enduring values of freedom and liberty. Even in times of hardship, we express our deepest gratitude for the blessings of being Americans in a land where the pursuit of happiness is a sacred right. Our forefather’s sacrifices echo in the foundation of this great nation and state.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we extend our heartfelt appreciation to our members of the New York State Conservative Party. Your unwavering commitment to conservative principles strengthens the foundation of our democracy. Together we stand as guardians of limited government and common sense conservative values, just as our predecessors did.
To our dedicated supporters, your tireless efforts have been instrumental in preserving the conservative vision that has defined our party. Your commitment fuels our mission to protect the constitutional liberties that make our nation exceptional. If it wasn’t for our members and supporters, the Democrat Party would have free reign to do whatever they please with no accountability. Surely it would not be the America we know today if that were the case. We are thankful for you each and every day.
As we come together to celebrate this day of gratitude, let us remember the enduring spirit of America and the responsibility we bear to uphold its legacy. With yet another successful election behind us, we rapidly approach a Presidential election year. It is our responsibility to continue the fight, but for now, enjoy this time to relax and cherish time with loved ones because that is what this Holiday is about. May this Thanksgiving be a time of reflection, unity, and appreciation for the blessings that unite us as one nation, under God.
I’ll leave you with this quote from President Reagan, “Although we are a pluralistic society, the giving of thanks can be a true bond of unity among our people. We can unite in gratitude for our individual freedoms and individual faiths. We can be united in gratitude for our nation’s peace and prosperity when so many in this world have neither.”
Happy Thanksgiving,
Jerry Kassar
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Bill O’Reilly, 212-396-9117 bill@novemberteam.com November 16, 2023
Statement on Rep. George Santos by New York State Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kassar
Brooklyn-NY…“The House Ethics report says what we already knew: Mr. Santos must either resign or be expelled from the House of Representatives. The Conservative Party has been crystal clear about Rep. George Santos’s criminal behavior since it was first revealed. We’ve urged Mr. Santos to do the right thing for his district, country, and political party by resigning, but Mr. Santos wanted to do it his own way. Now his time is up.
“We urge his immediate resignation, and, absent that, his removal by a vote of his House colleagues. We will then urge Gov. Hochul to call a special election in NY3 as quickly as possible. No one is above the law.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Bill O’Reilly, 212-396-9117 bill@novemberteam.com November 16, 2023
Kassar: Crimes Have Consequences; Hochul’s Ill-Conceived “Clean Slate” Act Can’t Erase Criminal Behavior; Deprives Business Owners of Critically Important Information
Brooklyn-NY…“It’s clear who Governor Kathy Hochul is listening to and it’s not the voting public. New Yorkers are outraged at the ongoing crime wave and have made their voices heard about ill-conceived criminal leniency policies like no-cash-bail. But Mrs. Hochul and her woke advisors were only warming up.
“The Democrats’ new ‘Clean Slate’ Act will erase the criminal records of thousands of New Yorkers, depriving potential employers of essential information when making decisions. Many of these businesses are willing to give people with criminal records a second chance, but to restrict their information is dangerous and wrong.
“Mrs. Hochul and her woke colleagues are systematically working to create a fairy-tale, consequence-free state, where criminals avoid jail time and crimes are forgotten by the state. But what about the consequences to the victims? And what about the unknowing employer? It’s hard to imagine a Governor worse on public safety. Everyday New Yorkers pay the price.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Bill O’Reilly, 212-396-9117 bill@novemberteam.com November 15, 2023
Hochul Social Media ‘Hate Speech’ Surveillance Creates Chilling Precedent: New York State Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kassar
Brooklyn-NY…“Governor Hochul’s scheme to monitor the social media transactions of New Yorkers is chilling to the core. Nobody wants to see the type of internet vitriol that occurs between some citizens, but government’s giant hand can be the most frightening one of all. Law enforcement authorities can and should monitor legitimate terrorism suspects online, but spying on everyday citizens is unconstitutional and wrong.
“We speak about the Chinese Communist Party’s ‘social credit scoring’ system with tremendous derision, but here in New York we risk walking down the same path. Where one begins scoring citizen speech, one begins scoring citizens. Leave law-abiding New Yorkers alone.”
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MY TAKE ON ELECTION DAY IN NEW YORK
Overall, it was a mixed day that saw some gigantic wins for the Conservative Party; especially in Suffolk and Nassau Counties and some notable setbacks. The two counties, with 3 million residents, had been moving to the right for the past few years and is now highlighted with a Republican/Conservative Suffolk County Executive–Elect and a super majority in the Legislature. Together with numerous victories in Nassau County, Long Island’s deep red became a national news story. Nassau held the North Hempstead Supervisor position comfortably; a big town which until two years ago, had consistently elected Democrats for almost thirty years.
There were also many candidates who won by the difference of the Conservative Party line, including the newly elected Mayor of Troy, the first woman and first Republican/Conservative in many years, as well as the Sheriff of Rensselaer County.
In NYC, the Bronx Conservative Party was the margin of victory in a hotly contested City Council race. A first in the Bronx in literally decades.
Of course, it was not all good news. Although many areas saw the status quo, we did lose several key County Legislative seats costing us local control, town Supervisor positions, and other local offices. Unfortunately, there was a District Attorney Office that turned blue and a County Clerk spot too close to call that we currently hold.
The Party worked hard, and our total votes cast on our line Tuesday was high. For me, that is more than a consolation, but a reflection of our strength and momentum into 2024.
The Party goes into the key 2024 elections being able to look back on 2023 as a year that reinforced the key role our Party plays in New York State politics.
You can read our full Election Day statement here:
CONGRESSIONAL LINES REVISITED
The Court of Appeals next Wednesday will hold a hearing to determine if the Congressional Reapportionment should be sent back to the NYS Independent Redistricting Commission and then to the NYS Legislature.
When a special master under instructions from the State Supreme Court drew the lines last year because of the Commission and Legislature doing an unconstitutional gerrymander it was expected that they would be for the remainder of the decade. Statements at the time from multiple Judges, legislators, and experts said as much. The State Constitution speaks of reapportionments being final. A second review by the State Supreme Court said the same.
Yet, here we are. Democrats controlling the appeals courts in the State saw an opportunity. Now we will find out just how political the Court of Appeals has become. A majority Democratic Court ruled in favor of the lines that are now in effect.
So, what did Hochul and the Democratic leadership of the Legislature do? They changed the makeup of the Court of Appeals.
New Yorkers have long suspected corruption in the NYS Judiciary when political decisions are involved. This Court of Appeals can uphold what they have already done, or feed into the public’s belief that when it comes to politics, New York’s Democratically controlled Courts are fixed.
Patriots Podium Featuring Marilyn Musgrave
I had the pleasure of speaking with Marilyn Musgrave, former Colorado Congresswoman and Vice Chairwoman of Susan B. Anthony’s List. Marilyn has a proven Conservative track record, and is a major asset to the Pro-Life movement. Listen as we discuss many topics such as political culture in D.C., the Biden administration’s Anti-Life agenda, Roe V Wade, and much more! Visit any of the following links to listen:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Bill O’Reilly, 212-396-9117 bill@novemberteam.com November 8, 2023
2023 Election Statement by New York State Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kassar
Brooklyn-NY…“Good candidates running on solid conservative positions won key victories Tuesday, including on Long Island where Suffolk County Executive-elect Ed Romaine recaptured an office that’s been held by Democrats for years. Republicans and Conservatives have done so well on Long Island in recent elections that hardly an elected Democrat remains on the island.
“The Conservative Party line also provided the margin of victory in a stunning Bronx City Council win by first-time candidate Kristy Marmorato. Councilwoman-elect Marmorato will be the first Republican office holder from the Bronx in 19 years. Conservative-Party-endorsed Sue Serino will be the next Dutchess County Executive; Carmella Mantello will be the first female mayor of Troy; Ryan McMahon won a huge re-election victory in Onondaga, and Lindsay Bratek-Lorigo was victorious in her race for Erie County legislator. The Conservative Party had many other county and local wins, and we are enormously grateful for the hard work of our candidates and leaders.
“The Conservative Party is buoyed by Tuesday’s results. There is much to be proud of, and even more to be done heading into the all-important 2024 elections.”
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