Tuesday, February 11Current Events

Candidates

Candidates

Meet our 2025 City Council Candidates – January 16, 2025

Elizabeth Golluscio led the Pledge of Allegiance at 7:29 pm.  Minutes was read by Dominick Maiorano. The presidential Inauguration was four days away.  4 members in the audience planned to attend.  President-Elect Trump is expected to pardon about 1,000 January 6 convicted people.  Two groups of volunteers are planning to welcome those to be released at Fort Dix, New Jersey and Brooklyn MDC.  Donald Onuma, 19-year-old, campaign manager for Bashek Grimes, talked about togetherness.  Ed Lee is planning to protest at Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network meeting on January 18. Candidates who spoke before the club were, left to right, John Patrick Healy, City Council District 26; Bashek Grimes, Queens Borough President; Alexander Caruso, City Council District 19; Jeffrey Horowit...
Candidates

Meet our 2025 Citywide Candidates – December 19, 2024

The meeting was called to order at 7:31 pm by Second Vice President, Kathy Lally. Danniel Maio gave the annual President's report.  The club was incorporated in 1930, and revived in 2020.  Active voters in Queens 2020 was 1,297,536, and had a net loss of 55,268 as of November 1, 2024.  Registered Republicans was 126,670 in 2020.  Four years later, there was a net gain of 22,189 to 148,859.  Democrats, on the other hand, had a net loss of 11,373 from 766,213 in 2020 to 754,840 in 2024.  Club membership was 20 in 2020.  As of December 19, it totaled 87 paid members.  Club hosted about 90 speakers including presidential candidates for Haiti, Jude Elie, and for Namibia, Jeremiah Kaambo.  Issues discussed including City of YES, Proposition One, non-citizen voting, state budget, migrant crisi...
Candidates, Issues

Meeting on General Election Results – November 21, 2024

Full meeting was not recorded due to a technical glitch! Announcements: Isaiah Vega mentioned the City of YES for Housing Opportunity proposal passed City Council Committee of Land Use and Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises today. A vote is expected on December 5, 2024. Danniel advised that even though Local Law 11 Non-Citizen Voting was ruled unconstitutional by Supreme and Appellate courts, Mayor Adams appealed. The case (Fossella v. Adams) will be argued before the Court of Appeals on February 11, 2025. The fact that Proposition One was passed, it could be used as a point to overturn the unconstitutionality. Elena Chin, president of the Queens chapter of Moms for Liberty, talked about post-Proposition One. The result was disappointing, but her group is focused on education and sch...
Candidates, Issues

Meeting Judicial Candidates and Party Chairs – October 17, 2024

The meeting was broadcasted live via YouTube! Video 1 of 3 (sound problem); Video 2 of 3; and Video 3 of 3. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Pat McManus, Theo Chino and Phil Grillo at 7:30 pm.  Phil read the club's mission statement; Martha Rowen did the roll call followed by reading of the September 19 minutes by Isaiah Vega and report of treasurer's report by Arkadiusz Tomaszewski.  The Nominating Committee was constituted with the following five members:  Martha Rowen, David Abraham, Ruben Cruz, Isaiah Vega and Phil Grillo.  Announcements were made by Fred Kress on USPS discounted stamps, Ruben Cruz on free American flag pins; and Steve Gillen on Project Civica. The main feature of the meeting was a lively discussion on different political views among three party leaders. ...
Candidates, Issues

Meeting Candidates and Volunteers – September 19, 2024

The meeting was broadcasted live via YouTube. Video of the September 19 meeting. Kavish Batra led the Pledge of Allegiance at 7:30 pm.  Larry Block played the Star Spangled Banner and Keep America, America.  Jim Strawhorn read the Mission Statement,  Jimmy Schwatzman did the roll call, and read the August 15, 2024 minutes.  Arkadiusz Tomaszewski gave the financial reports. Announcements:  (1) Vote No on Proposition One.  (2) Be aware that there is a new type of "no excuse" absentee ballot signed into law last year called "Early Mail" ballot.  (3) A board member of the club arranged Canadian activist Pastor Artur Pawlowski to speak before the West Side Republican Club on October 8 and Medical Freedom Alliance on October 9, 2024. (4) Ed Lee, a grassroot activist, presented his passion...
Candidates, Issues, Outreach

Meeting – Summer Social + Open Mic + Trump July 18, 2024

Summer Social at the lawn of Grace Lutheran Church.   Music by Lawrence Block and Juan Pagan. Heros sandwich was provided by C and C Deli, sponsored by Adriano Rivera. Watch the club meeting recorded live on YouTube! Video of the July 18, 2024 meeting. Club Meeting Michael Block sang America the Beautiful followed by Ivan Mossop's Lift Every Voice. Open Mic speakers were Stephen Weiner (R,C,Common Sense), Surrogate Court Judge; Phil Orenstein, president of Queens Village Republican Club; Ivan Mossop on scooters and non-auto vehicles; Helen Qiu on her Reform party petition challenge experience with help from David Qiu; Misbaah Uddin Mahmood (People First), State Assembly District 24; Juan Pagan on faith and prayer; Jonathan Rinaldi and Phil Grillo on fraudulent Republican pe...
Candidates

Meeting with Independent Candidates and Debate of 25AD Republican Primary – June 20, 2024

YouTube video of June 20, 2024 meeting 1 of 2; and 2 of 2. The only Republican Primary race in New York City on  June 25, 2024 is Kenneth Chiu vs. Kenneth Paek. The only two independent candidates who qualified for statewide ballot access having collected at least 45,000 signatures were Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for US President and Diane Sare for US Senate. Other speakers include John Patrick Healy, the new president of Sunnyside GOP; David Abraham on supporting Stephen Weiner for Queens Surrogate Court Judge; Jimmy Schwatzman offering free speech writing service and advise; and Steven Gillan, who conducted a Project Civica focus group, Meeting adjourned at 9:32 pm.   The next meeting is July 18, 2024.
Candidates, Issues

Meeting on the State Budget – May 16, 2024

Video of the May 16 meeting on YouTube. Nicholas Softy, who spoke at club's April 18 meeting talks about New York's Sanctuary Policies.   Old Business updates: NYC Local Law 11 Non-Citizen Voting (March 2024 before the Court of Appeals); Congestion Pricing to start June 30, 2024.  Malliotakis Gottheimer bill stalls in Congress. - Candidates who spoke at the meeting include:  Brandon Castro, State Assembly 30 (Steven Raga); Jonathan Rinaldi, State Assembly 28 (Andrew Hevesi);  Dwyane Moore, State Assembly 29 (Alicia Hyndman); Stephen Weiner, Surrogate Court Judge (open); Julie Milner, Judge of the Civil Court (Amish R. Doshi primary); Kenneth Paek, State Assembly 25 (Nily Rozic); and Jeremiah Kaambo, President of Namibia. Next third Thursday meeting is June 2...
Candidates, Issues

Meeting on Migrant Crisis – April 18, 2024

Video of the April 18, 2024 meeting on YouTube. Nicholas Softy, State and Local Field Representative of Federation for American Immigration Reform gave a concise presentation filled with facts. Candidates who presented themselves from left to right were Brandon Castro, State Assembly 30 against Steven Raga; Angelo King, State Assembly 27 against Sam Berger; Juan Pagan, State Senate 11 against John Liu; Bill Kregler, US Congress 7 against Nydia Velazquez; Paul King, US Congress 5 against Gregory Meeks; Thomas Zmich, US Congress 6 against Grace Meng; Dr. Josh Eisen, US Senate against Kirsten Gillibrand; William Shanahan, Queens Civil Court Judge; and Ruben Diario Cruz (not pictured), State Assembly 24 against David Weprin. First time attendees were invited to speak.  Christopher Jo...
Candidates, Issues

Meeting on Petitioning and Albany – March 21, 2024

Video of the March 21, 2024 meeting on YouTube. Petitioning, Albany and Haiti Jude Elie, Presidential candidate of Haiti updated the club on the situation in his country. Lester Chang, first Chineses Republican State Assemblyman (49 District), discussed how he won his race in 2022, and offered his guidance for candidates running this year. Phil Grillo talked about his January 6, 2020 experience and his case before the federal court. Candidates who spoke:  Yiatin Chu, State Senate 11 (Toby Ann Stavisky); Joseph Chou, US Congress 6 (Grace Meng); Ricardo Pacheco, State Assembly 34 (Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas); Robert Speranza, State Assembly 26 (Edward Braunstein); Ruben Diario Cruz, State Assembly 24 (David Weprin); Ken Li, State Senate 17 (Iwen Chu); David Rem, US Congres...