Monday, May 19Current Events

Candidates

Candidates

Independents and Special Election – May 15, 2025

Independent petitioning ends May 27.  Upcoming elections include a Special Election on May 20 for State Senate District 22 and Republican primary for comptroller; city council 47, 48, and 51; state committee and county committee on June 24.  Location of the May 15, 2025 meeting is at Grace Lutheran Church, 103-15 Union Turnpike, Forest Hills, Queens from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm. You could watch the meeting live on YouTube from 7:30 to 9:30 pm! AGENDA 1. Pledge of Allegiance 7:30 2. Reading of club’s Mission Statement (Jim Strawhorn) 3. Roll call of officers and board members (Jimmy Schwatzman) 4. Reading of club’s 4/17 minutes (David Kemp) 5. Report of the Financial Secretary/Treasurer (Arkadiusz Tomaszewski) 6. Committee Reports 7. Old Business 8. Announcement - June 16 Yanke...
Candidates, Issues

Independent Candidates – April 17, 2025

Meeting was recorded live, and is available on YouTube! Zahra Rashid on health, detox and politics. Third party independent petitioning groups represented are Unity (Marty Dolan), Asians United (Angela Aquino), Common Good (George Marsh), The Olive Branch (Javon Terell Ross), ReBuild (Abbey Laurel-Smith), Innovating NYC (Von S. Del Valle), NO to City of YES (James Leonard), Innovating NYC (Tabitha Ward),  We Can Thrive (Dr. Brandon Gillespie), United Alliance (Gonzalo Duran), Freedom (Skiboky Stora), and Fight and Deliver (Andrew Cuomo).  Some other known third party names with petitions out are Diversity, The New Era, Coalition 4 Life, A Blue Collar, STOP the Casino, ER Political Gen, Patriot Workers, End AntiSemitism, Safe & Affordable, Power Up NYC, Party Party.  Shoul...
Candidates

Petitioning Stories and Special Elections – March 20, 2025

Watch the meeting recorded on YouTube! Good news!  Non-Citizen Voting Local Law 11 is killed by New York State Court of Appeals.  Read the 6 to 1 decision.  The March 21 Congestion Pricing deadline has been pushed back 30 days by the Trump administration. Adem Lika talked about social security, and Mario Mastrandrea commented on global warming.     Designating petitioning is to end on April 3!  Independent nominating petitioning starts April 15 until May 27!
Candidates, Issues

Petitioning, Candidates, Trump – February 20, 2025

View the February 20, 2025 meeting here on YouTube. Before the meeting:  Music entertainment by Larry Block and Michael, Conservative Songwriters. Phil Grillo, a J6er, said a few words about his incarceration experience.  A check collected from a GiveSendGo campaign was given to him to help him get back on his feet. Larry Sharpe, a past gubernatorial Libertarian candidate, spoke about how independents helped to get President Trump elected.  Ed Manfredonia gave some subway crime comments.  Ying Tan asked why we are Republican. Candidates who spoke include Montell Moseley, Mayor; David Rem, Mayor; Elijah Diaz, City Council 45; Patrick Timmins, Manhattan DA; Andrew Okuneff, City Council 34; and Giovanni Enrique Franco, City Council 21. The next meeting is March 20, ...
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...