Brad Lander · [email protected]

October 24, 2020 at 12:39 PM

Early Voting Starts Today!

Make your plan to vote. Dear John, Today is the first day of early voting!  I’m planning to vote this afternoon at my early voting poll site: the Park Slope Armory. Your early voting poll site is not necessarily the same as your regular polling place, so double check your early voting location…

See More from Brad Lander

  Brad Lander · [email protected]

October 22, 2020 at 5:48 PM

My plan to confront the climate crisis:

We weren't prepared for Sandy. We'll be ready for the next storm. Dear John: One grim thing we have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is just how deadly it can be when we fail to prepare for a crisis.  The anniversary of Superstorm Sandy is a powerful reminder that climate change presents the …

See More from Brad Lander

  Councilmember Brad Lander · [email protected]

October 22, 2020 at 11:41 AM

COVID-19: Yellow and Orange and Red All Over

Updates and Resources from the office of Councilmember Brad Lander Dear John, With COVID-19 cases on the rise around the country, there are now more than 40 states on the list for mandatory quarantine if you travel back to New York. Health officials are strongly discouraging “non-essential” tr…

See More from Councilmember Brad Lander

  Team Lander · [email protected]

October 20, 2020 at 2:19 PM

Will you call Pennsylvania voters with us on Wednesday?

Calling all volunteers! Dear John: There are just 14 days left of this election season – it's all hands on deck to make sure we defeat Trump and win the Senate. On Wednesday evening, we’re teaming up with Make the Road Action for a Get Out the Vote Phone Bank to call voters in Pennsylvania. We’…

See More from Team Lander

  Brad Lander · [email protected]

October 19, 2020 at 3:38 PM

At long last, plastic bags are banned in New York!

It's a huge win for our health, our oceans, and our planet. Dear John: Today’s the day! At long last, plastic bags are banned across New York. You’ll still be able to walk into a store in NYC, buy items, and take them home if you forget a reusable bag, but you’ll be charged five cents for a pap…

See More from Brad Lander

  Team Lander · [email protected]

October 16, 2020 at 4:29 PM

New Yorkers have a job this election

Our mission: Contact New Yorkers who are already voting for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and make sure they do so on the WFP line. “When New Yorkers cast their ballots for president, they won’t just be picking a candidate. They’ll also be voting on whether state government will continue on a p…

See More from Team Lander

  Councilmember Brad Lander · [email protected]

October 15, 2020 at 5:30 PM

COVID-19: Doing Our Part to Keep Everyone Healthy

Updates and resources from the office of Council Member Brad Lander Dear John, This is an anxious time for all of us, and one of the hardest parts is how much is outside of our control. Like many of you, I’m focused on concrete things I can do, like wearing a mask, phonebanking, pushing for re…

See More from Councilmember Brad Lander

  Brad Lander · [email protected]

October 14, 2020 at 6:08 PM

Organizing for 2020, preparing for 2021

We can elect a new generation of leaders who understand that the people of NYC are in charge. Dear John: We’ve recruited hundreds of volunteers and made tens of thousands of phone calls to defeat Trump and flip the Senate in 2020. But we still need massive change here in NYC, which is why I’m …

See More from Brad Lander

  Brad Lander · [email protected]

October 9, 2020 at 2:54 PM

Ady Barkan is phone banking with us next week!

We're making calls for Sara Gideon with Ady Barkan and Liuba Grechen Shirley >> Dear John: The latest polling shows a deadheat in the Maine Senate race, where Democrat Sara Gideon is running to oust Republican Susan Collins. This race could decide control of the U.S. Senate -- and the fat…

See More from Brad Lander

  Councilmember Brad Lander · [email protected]

October 8, 2020 at 12:24 PM

COVID-19: Updates on School and Business Closures

New Searchable Map to Understand the New COVID Zones Dear John, I don’t need to tell you how absurd and unhelpful it is for the details about targeted school, child care, and business closures to be announced in such a haphazard and illogical way. But I do want to do my best to make sure you h…

See More from Councilmember Brad Lander

  Councilmember Brad Lander · [email protected]

October 7, 2020 at 2:08 PM

COVID-19: Cartography, Confusion, and Closures

Here’s what we know about the Governor’s “plan:”  Dear John, After I wrote yesterday about the school closures in 9 zip codes, the Governor threw the plan into confusion and uncertainty with the announcement of a new plan for targeted closures based on a color-coded map that wasn’t made availa…

See More from Councilmember Brad Lander

  Councilmember Brad Lander · [email protected]

October 6, 2020 at 2:48 PM

COVID-19: Targeted (But Very Partial) Closures

Updates and resources from the office of Council Member Brad Lander Dear John, Today, at last, was my daughter Rosa’s first day of her senior year in high school. It’s an understatement to say that it’s not what she expected. An even bigger one to say that we’re immensely grateful to her teach…

See More from Councilmember Brad Lander

  Team Lander · [email protected]

October 4, 2020 at 3:45 PM

Stay focused: Phone bank with us for Jackie Gordon, Jaime Harrison, and Sara Gideon!

We can’t take our eye off the ball: We must elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, flip the Senate, hold the House, and set the stage for 2021. Dear John: We have only a few weeks left until Election Day, and October already has thrown us some surprises.  But we can’t take our eye off the ball: We …

See More from Team Lander

  Councilmember Brad Lander · [email protected]

October 2, 2020 at 7:07 PM

COVID-19: Amidst it all, gratitude to our educators

It feels like we are living inside a fictional world. Dear John, I’ll be honest: I don’t really know how to write to you today. More than ever, it feels like we are living inside a fictional world. On top of the grim pandemic, toxic politics, and widening economic depression, the level of maca…

See More from Councilmember Brad Lander

  Brad Lander · [email protected]

October 1, 2020 at 7:24 PM

The best way to send a progressive message with your ballot

Dear John, The biggest election of our lifetimes is underway. Voting out Trump is the top priority, of course, more clear than ever after a toxic debate in which he acted not only with contempt for democracy, but like the commander-in-chief of white supremacist violence.   But we know we need…

See More from Brad Lander

  Brad Lander · [email protected]

September 30, 2020 at 6:01 PM

Quickly, before midnight

From Day One, this campaign has been of, by, and for the people of New York City. Dear John: I just double-checked our numbers, and we’re just $1,377 away from our end-of-month goal.  Every $1 you give will be matched by $8 in public financing -- can you chip in $20.20 or any amount today? DONA…

See More from Brad Lander

  Councilmember Brad Lander · [email protected]

September 29, 2020 at 6:03 PM

Absentee Ballot Mistake

If you received an absentee ballot with the wrong name on the return envelope, the BOE says you should reach out to them via email at [email protected] or call 1-866-VOTE-NYC. Dear John, The NYC Board of Elections and their mail vendor mailed absentee ballots with the wrong return envelop…

See More from Councilmember Brad Lander

  Councilmember Brad Lander · [email protected]

September 25, 2020 at 4:31 PM

COVID-19: A Patchwork of Protections

Updates and Resources from the office of Councilmember Brad Lander Dear John, If our current dystopian present wasn’t bad enough already, let me introduce you to Civvl: a gig economy company advertising freelance work helping to evict people from their homes. They tout the benefits of “flexibl…

See More from Councilmember Brad Lander

  Team Lander · [email protected]

September 24, 2020 at 9:16 PM

30,000 phone calls and counting

"Hope isn’t a lottery ticket that you sit on the sofa and clutch, it's an ax that you break down doors with in an emergency."   Dear John: First off, WOW! As of last night, 231 of us have come together to make more than 30,000 phone calls to voters in swing states. Talk about turning anxiety in…

See More from Team Lander

  Councilmember Brad Lander · [email protected]

September 23, 2020 at 4:01 PM

COVID-19: From Quarantine

Updates and Resources from the office of Councilmember Brad Lander Dear John, I hadn’t seen my mom and dad (who live in St. Louis) since the pandemic began. We were supposed to be there for Passover, as we always are, but of course we had to cancel that trip. So my daughter Rosa and I drove ou…

See More from Councilmember Brad Lander

  Team Lander · [email protected]

September 22, 2020 at 6:28 PM

Why we're calling Pennsylvania this week:

We’re teaming up with Make the Road Action to call Pennsylvania voters tomorrow night -- join our phone bank now in this must-win state → “Trump campaign goes all-in on Pennsylvania” (Axios, 9/20/20) We’re teaming up with Make the Road Action to call Pennsylvania voters tomorrow night -- join o…

See More from Team Lander

  Brad Lander · [email protected]

September 20, 2020 at 2:07 PM

May her memory be for a revolution

We are going to fight like hell for the living. Dear John: Ruth Bader Ginsburg (z’’l) transformed our lives again and again: With her victories for women’s rights, with her galvanizing dissents on behalf of workers, with her guts and fortitude -- and, this weekend, with her loss.  I learned the…

See More from Brad Lander

  Team Lander · [email protected]

September 18, 2020 at 1:51 PM

"The single most important state of the 2020 election"

We’re teaming up with Make the Road Action to call voters in Pennsylvania → Dear John: Everything about campaigning is different this year, but one thing is clear: Talking directly to potential voters is still the best tool we have to win. Thanks to those of you who joined us this week to make …

See More from Team Lander

  Councilmember Brad Lander · [email protected]

September 17, 2020 at 4:06 PM

COVID-19: Last Minute Changes to Pandemic Schooling

Updates and Resources from the office of Councilmember Brad Lander Dear John, You’ve probably seen the news already: with just two days to go before students were supposed to be in classrooms, the Mayor and Chancellor announced today that in person learning will be phased in by grade.  Here’s …

See More from Councilmember Brad Lander

  Brad Lander · [email protected]

September 16, 2020 at 7:39 PM

Should the ultra-wealthy pay more in taxes?

To take New York City into the future, we need leaders who don’t take big checks from the ultra-wealthy -- and don’t take their orders either.  Dear John: I’m emailing to ask you to donate $10 or any amount to our campaign to elect new, bold, progressive leadership to bring New York City throug…

See More from Brad Lander

  Brad Lander · [email protected]

September 14, 2020 at 1:48 PM

We have a special guest joining us to help turn Texas blue!

On Wednesday, we’re teaming up with Persist Brooklyn to make thousands of calls to TEXAS voters -- sign up now → Hi John, I'm excited to share that my friend and Austin City Council member Greg Casar will be joining our phonebank for Texas Democrat MJ Hegar on Wednesday this week!  Sign up to p…

See More from Brad Lander

  Councilmember Brad Lander · [email protected]

September 12, 2020 at 1:33 PM

Helping one another

We're looking for volunteers to call isolated older New Yorkers. Dear John, New Yorkers come together to help each other during a crisis. Just as we did after the devastation on 9/11, which we remembered and honored yesterday, so have we throughout this pandemic. Since early March, our office h…

See More from Councilmember Brad Lander

  Team Lander · [email protected]

September 10, 2020 at 4:06 PM

We're teaming up with Persist Brooklyn to FLIP Texas 🔵

Next Wednesday, we’re teaming up with Persist Brooklyn to make thousands of calls to TEXAS voters -- sign up now → Next Wednesday, we’re teaming up with Persist Brooklyn to make thousands of calls to TEXAS voters! Sign up now → Dear John: Last night, our mighty crew of 80 phone bankers made 14…

See More from Team Lander

  Councilmember Brad Lander · [email protected]

September 9, 2020 at 9:03 PM

COVID-19: The Cost of Not Caring about Child Care

30,000 free child care spots will be available to teachers, essential workers and low-income parents by the first day of school. Dear John, Yesterday the Mayor announced that by the new first day of school, September 21, the city will have 30,000 free child care spots available to teachers, es…

See More from Councilmember Brad Lander

  Brad Lander · [email protected]

September 6, 2020 at 3:01 PM

We’re failing workers this Labor Day

Join me in calling on Speaker Corey Johnson and the City Council to bring the Essential Workers Bill of Rights to a vote. Dear John, For months this spring, we stood on our doorsteps and leaned out our windows to bang pots and pans, cheering on the nurses, doctors, grocery store and delivery w…

See More from Brad Lander

  Brad Lander · [email protected]

September 3, 2020 at 3:02 PM

How to Avoid a Post-Pandemic Private Equity Feeding Frenzy

The New York Times just published my op-ed about how the response of New York City leaders to our last big economic crises set us on a path toward rampant inequality Dear John, What kind of city do we want to build out of this pandemic? It’s time to start offering a bolder vision and concrete …

See More from Brad Lander

  Brad Lander · [email protected]

August 30, 2020 at 3:57 PM

No, New York City isn't "over"

But to make our city work for everyone, we need new citywide leadership. Dear John: In dueling op-eds and online conversations, some people are asking if New York City is “over.” I love this city. I love its unmatched energy, diversity, and creativity. I love that we’re simultaneously scrappy a…

See More from Brad Lander

  Team Lander · [email protected]

August 29, 2020 at 3:06 PM

re: Contributions from police unions

At the RNC, the president of the NYPD's union issued a dangerous threat to New Yorkers. Dear John: Pat Lynch, the president of the Police Benevolent Association, which represents NYPD officers, told the RNC this week: “We can have four more years of President Trump, or you can have no safety, n…

See More from Team Lander

  Brad Lander · [email protected]

August 28, 2020 at 1:07 PM

The best antidote to anxiety is action ☎️

Starting 9/9: Weekly phone banks to beat Trump and flip the Senate! Dear John, As Trump took the stage to campaign last night, in a pageant of authoritarianism and COVID denial, on the White House lawn no less, we are reeling from a series of crises.  Racist police and vigilante violence in W…

See More from Brad Lander

  Councilmember Brad Lander · [email protected]

August 27, 2020 at 8:46 PM

COVID-19: Strikes, Segregation, Solidarity

Updates and resources from the office of Councilmember Brad Lander Dear John, We did not need to see the horrific video of the shooting of Jacob Blake this week to know that abuse of force by police against Black men is a national emergency.  Jacob Blake’s three young children will never be ab…

See More from Councilmember Brad Lander

  Councilmember Brad Lander · [email protected]

August 24, 2020 at 8:45 PM

COVID-19: Not too Early to Make your Plan to Vote

News and Updates from the Office of Councilmember Brad Lander Dear John, New York has long had some of the most restrictive voting laws and lowest turnout in the country. In 2016, New York ranked as the state with the eighth worst voter turnout rate. But after 2018, when we elected a new slat…

See More from Councilmember Brad Lander

  Team Lander · [email protected]

August 23, 2020 at 5:53 PM

⚡️ John vs. Mitch McConnell

Need your quick feedback, on which races to target → Dear John: We've already gotten a big response from our General Election survey! One big takeaway: Our team isn't just fired up to defeat Trump -- we know that to pass progressive policies that support and uplift all of our communities, we’re…

See More from Team Lander

  Brad Lander · [email protected]

August 20, 2020 at 8:08 PM

Here comes the general -- election! (Quick survey for John)

Need your input: What races are you most interested in volunteering for this fall? Dear John: We didn’t need the sabotaging of the U.S. Postal Service to remember that the stakes of this November’s election couldn’t be higher. We have to put everything we have into defeating Trump, flipping th…

See More from Brad Lander

  Councilmember Brad Lander · [email protected]

August 19, 2020 at 4:02 PM

COVID-19: Listening To Our Principals

  Dear John, The debate about when, whether, and how we reopen our public schools remains one of the most wrenching. So many families (my staff and my own very much included) are desperate for their kids to be back in the classroom. We know their growth and development -- and the chance fo…

See More from Councilmember Brad Lander

  Councilmember Brad Lander · [email protected]

August 17, 2020 at 9:40 PM

COVID-19: Recovery for Small Businesses

Dear John, Commercial rents have been rising across the city for years, straining small businesses and leaving our neighborhoods with vacant storefronts. As with many other challenges facing our city, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing problems into crises.  Now, with restaura…

See More from Councilmember Brad Lander

  Brad Lander · [email protected]

August 16, 2020 at 7:50 PM

Reflecting on what we've done together

In the last few months: Dear John: Our entire team has been working truly nonstop since the start of the pandemic. Finally, this week, my family and I took a few days to rest and reflect. Here are just a few things we’ve done together in the last few months: • We hosted more than 20 public Zoom…

See More from Brad Lander

  Councilmember Brad Lander · [email protected]

August 12, 2020 at 9:01 PM

COVID-19: Caring for our collective resources

Even as we fight for a much stronger response, from the city, from the state and from the federal government, there are many ways that we can show up locally to care for one another and our collective resources. Dear John, The challenges facing our city are enormous, and it is going to take a …

See More from Councilmember Brad Lander

  Team Lander · [email protected]

August 11, 2020 at 8:25 PM

Fwd: I'm putting together a special team

Dear John: It couldn’t be clearer right now that NYC needs bold, visionary leaders who respond to crises with creativity and compassion, and confront long-term challenges like deep inequality, crumbling infrastructure, and climate change head on to avert future emergencies. Our city elections …

See More from Team Lander

  Brad Lander · [email protected]

August 7, 2020 at 2:27 PM

Whatever storm may come

Here’s my pledge to you: Dear John: Sometimes the storm is a literal storm, like Superstorm Sandy or Tropical Storm Isaias. Sometimes, the storm is an unprecedented pandemic. Sometimes, the storm is political, like the 2016 election of Donald Trump. No matter what dark clouds we face, New York…

See More from Brad Lander

  Councilmember Brad Lander · [email protected]

August 6, 2020 at 9:01 PM

COVID-19: The Eviction Crisis is Not Our Only Option

There aren’t many things more cruel than evicting families into homelessness in the middle of a pandemic. Dear John, There aren’t many things more cruel than evicting families into homelessness in the middle of a pandemic. Yet that is exactly what we are facing when housing courts reopen aroun…

See More from Councilmember Brad Lander

  Councilmember Brad Lander · [email protected]

August 4, 2020 at 12:30 PM

COVID-19: Sustaining our city

The need for emergency food services isn't going away anytime soon. Dear John, Since the very first days of the pandemic, we’ve seen an inspiring outpouring of mutual aid and organizing to support vulnerable New Yorkers. In the grimmest of times, that spirit of dedication and service has been …

See More from Councilmember Brad Lander

  Brad Lander · [email protected]

August 3, 2020 at 10:56 PM

I'm putting together a special team

Because of you, we’re going into the fall in a strong position to bring progressive values to our City leadership. Dear John: We have a lot to accomplish in the next 92 days. Not only are we continuing to build a citywide campaign for next year, we’re also mobilizing volunteers to help Democra…

See More from Brad Lander

  Councilmember Brad Lander · [email protected]

August 1, 2020 at 3:47 PM

COVID-19: When there are no good answers

The DOE’s “Return to School” plan still leaves more hard questions than good answers. Dear John, Yesterday the NYC Department of Education released more information about health and safety protocols for school this fall, including how they plan to handle testing & tracing of coronavirus c…

See More from Councilmember Brad Lander

  Team Lander · [email protected]

July 31, 2020 at 10:02 PM

The match is always unlocked

No tricks, no gimmicks, no match to "unlock." If you give $5, our campaign gets $45. Dear John: Our end-of-month deadline is coming up in the next few hours, and we’ve got $2,083 left to raise to stay on track in this critical race! We’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating: All donations …

See More from Team Lander

  Brad Lander · [email protected]

July 31, 2020 at 2:51 PM

Barcelona, Spain. Austin, TX. New York, NY?

I wanted to share two news items from other cities you may have missed this week. Dear John: I’m about to ask you to chip in before our end-of-month deadline at midnight. But first, I wanted to share two news items you may have missed this week. Watching the disturbing images from Portland has …

See More from Brad Lander