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This is spot on, so it will form the basis of my thread on this second meeting. Click through to get to a livestream of this event. They are going to try to lock us out from participating as much as possible, but we still have the votes. https://twitter.com/MC_of_A/status/1341790591919788033
They are restarting with throat-clearing stuff we never agreed to, in an order we specifically did not agree to, and even the throat-clearing will commence at least ten minutes late. https://twitter.com/newkingsdems/status/1341777089939292162
I do not see how a neutral observer could conclude the @bkdems have their shit together in any way, shape, or form. (And I have friends who are siding with @AMBichotte. I’m certainly losing respect for them.) Rodneyse before she was Boss would have complained about this.
I am no attorney but I believe these numbskull thickheads (we literally none of us can get through to them) are opening themselves up for personal liability in contempt of court suits. https://twitter.com/btwest/status/1341793635705245701
Nothing has happened yet but @endlessblckades (Guillotine Jack is a righteously angry events professional) says in the comments section “People are being rejected saying that meeting has reached max capacity at 100 people”
[facepalm]
At least this one has a chat room.
[facepalm]
At least this one has a chat room.
Samy gets *a lot* of really good use out of this gif. Young people are so good at recycling!
I guess it’s because progressive district leaders are placed in a lot of bullshit situations. https://twitter.com/Samynemir/status/1341798395120406531
I guess it’s because progressive district leaders are placed in a lot of bullshit situations. https://twitter.com/Samynemir/status/1341798395120406531
The parliamentarian they have brought on appears in the comments section. His name's Rob Robinson. It is also clear that while there is a comments section, most of us have comments that can only be seen by "panelists" not "All panelists and other attendees"
Lucky some of us do.
Lucky some of us do.
Tremaine Wright comes on, echoing because she is in a physical room with other people on this call, just like last time.
I really don't know what else to say. They are going to try to ram this through in a very similar manner to the way before, even though they don't have the votes. They think because they are better-rehearsed it will go better. Rodneyse just starting to talk.
Both of Rodneyse's opening speeches have been about inclusion, which is astonishingly hypocritical considering she refuses to actually talk to any of us. Imagine what that's like to hear over and over as you are on hold.
Oh wait, you probably can.
Oh wait, you probably can.
Rob Robinson the Parliamentarian is sometimes paid $250-$500 an hour as a parliamentarian, he has said. It will be interesting to see later how much he is paid for today. https://eastnewyork.com/virtual-career-information-session-with-guest-robert-robinson-sunday-sept-27-on-voices-of-east-new-york-with-nikki-lucas/
This guy Jim O'Brien is now going to give a presentation that appeared nowhere on the agenda. It's about the vote that happened last week.
This presentation says the votes last week were the result of "human error" not "intentional misrepresentation", but it indicates that over 10% of total votes were misallocated. The No Vote won last time by 29 votes, not lost by 4.
Tremaine is laboriously explaining the voting process while in the Q and A the Rob the parliamentarian is saying that he will explain that all of what right now seems out of order will be rectified in an “omnibus motion”
The objections--by two of our top five parliamentarians--have been muted before the end of the sentence. Mariana up now!
They knew not to mute Mariana. @m_r_r_alexander objected to changing the rules mid-meeting. Tremaine recognized someone else but then switched to Rodneyse to reply directly. Rodneyse is pissed but not really explaining.
These meetings are like arm-wrestling: the first throw decides. So the big vote is on adopting Roberts Rules, it turns out. I *think* it will get voted down. Actually, it's even previous question! (end debtate)
And I have no ballot. So no one does, presumably.
These damn meetings stall out on the first hill every time, because they literally never have the votes to move forward under this illegitimate format. It just takes a while for that to appear.
About 7 minutes later, we are voting. Let’s see how long they hold it open for.
My prediction is this vote will fail.
My prediction is this vote will fail.
From a historical perspective, this whole thing has really stayed true to its roots as a single big "is this process legitimate?" vote every two years, like a single wall you have to breach.
So if we breach the wall then their plan basically fails. Again. Hence the legal remedy.
So if we breach the wall then their plan basically fails. Again. Hence the legal remedy.
If this vote passes, we won't believe that it was fair, is the problem.
Just want to point out that it would be impossible for @bkdems to point to where we currently are in the agenda that THEY unilaterally sent out last night:
So far this meeting you have been setting the agenda unilaterally. So why can't you stick to it? https://twitter.com/bkdems/status/1341819062687592449
Basically they keep promising results in a certain period of time & then blowing through it, and that coincides with County "unexpectedly" losing these votes (in reality, at least) so that engenders a ton of suspicion.
Obviously every single motion vote can't take 30 minutes...
Obviously every single motion vote can't take 30 minutes...
Rob Robinson the parliamentarian is really earning his pay:
"Parliamentarian - Rob Robinson 01:50 PM
You were in an Adjourned state.. The meeting was Pending. And for your edification, this will 100% stand up in a court of law."
"Parliamentarian - Rob Robinson 01:50 PM
You were in an Adjourned state.. The meeting was Pending. And for your edification, this will 100% stand up in a court of law."
I was right to say "Zoom Authoritarianism"
I understand this thread is crazy and awful but so many of you are Brooklynites. This is for all of us. Imagine a nightmare hold process where at the end you got to VOTE THE BUMS OUT
I understand this thread is crazy and awful but so many of you are Brooklynites. This is for all of us. Imagine a nightmare hold process where at the end you got to VOTE THE BUMS OUT
Wow, they just audibly said, "Nick Rizzo says he has a question" on Tremaine's stream...
The dopest part is every time they refuse to call on me, someone they've subbed in for me just steps up and ASKS THE QUESTION!
Just to point out, during this moment we are acting as if the vote has lost (continuing the debate) while we wait to get confirmation that they have lost their vote.
Not to get too personal, but this guy Edu (new 43rd AD DL) is rumored to be Rodneyse's personal partner.
He is accusing us of delay, while we wait for the results of this vote to be announced by them.
He is accusing us of delay, while we wait for the results of this vote to be announced by them.
"This is something that they wanted. This is something that we gave them." - Edu, sounding like an aggrieved recently divorced guy.
Then Tremaine just goes totally out of Roberts Rules. But it's cool, since I think we'll vote it down.
We never got the results of the last vote.
Then Tremaine just goes totally out of Roberts Rules. But it's cool, since I think we'll vote it down.
We never got the results of the last vote.
So, uh, we're voting again!
Now the Livestream accidentally captures Aaron Maslow explaining to his district leader wife Lori what's going on. Excellent illustration of who gets to freely talk in this meeting.
Barbara gets it. Just like in real estate, for some reason the accidents are never in your favor! https://twitter.com/BRogersRE/status/1341826825400573954
Honestly the weirdest part of being in the backroom of this county party the last six years was I could hear everyone's voices saying this shit was ridiculous but there was no evidence and almost everybody inside treated me like it was crazy.
Like, years ago Frank Seddio took away all the county committee's say in picking Daniel Squadron's state senate replacement, because it was in reformer territory in Brooklyn. Seddio told me @NewellNYC was crazy like 8 times, but refused to explain why. Just pure gaslighting.
These vote-counting accountants, who take forever we can see, are apparently connected to my favorite guy, County Law chair and Brooklyn power-lawyer Frank Carone.
This accountant guy comes in and says that they have the same glitch basically that they had last week.
The source that tells me they are Carone-connected was also the same source that explained the echo of last meeting was caused by them all huddled in Carone's office.
Tremaine puts this meeting into something like recess, so thus far it is very similar to last week's meeting.
Tremaine puts this meeting into something like recess, so thus far it is very similar to last week's meeting.
They take almost three hours to tell us the voting process is malfing and we knew that it would go like that before they even started. This is why everyone on this Zoom that they are not letting speak has lost confidence in them.
Just deeply shameful. They have been lying and lying for years. In every meeting they lie a bunch of times “But it was an accident!” Then why’d you swear beforehand that this time it was finally right? https://twitter.com/brooklynrob/status/1341832391262781440
3:37 PM: Rob Robinson the parliamentarian talks about the "inevitable" ruling of a judge.
Both sides are primed for litigation. The record is clear. But first they need to waste whole days of our lives with their shitty plans that always fall apart. Welcome to the Brooklyn Dems.
Both sides are primed for litigation. The record is clear. But first they need to waste whole days of our lives with their shitty plans that always fall apart. Welcome to the Brooklyn Dems.
There are 3 different issues ruining these meetings:
1) They are not able to tabulate votes accurately
2) It certainly appears they do not have the votes for their agenda
3) they aren't following their own agenda or their own rules of order
Mostly we wreck on 1, but all operate.
1) They are not able to tabulate votes accurately
2) It certainly appears they do not have the votes for their agenda
3) they aren't following their own agenda or their own rules of order
Mostly we wreck on 1, but all operate.
This is like, our official journalist covering this asking https://twitter.com/kduggan16/status/1341853807106506752
So one way this week is different: last time during the recess/not recess Carlo and Aaron were spending hours on the phone with Mariana and, uh, let’s just say someone who is not me but a little like me and who I only discuss sometimes. This time: total silence.
First time as tragedy and second as farce, eh?
If you are in a relationship with people like this, you break it off with them. That’s what we’re trying to do, but—
Anyways, no news but sometimes this last hour the screen has changed.
If you are in a relationship with people like this, you break it off with them. That’s what we’re trying to do, but—
Anyways, no news but sometimes this last hour the screen has changed.
It’s like the same damn script as last week but somehow they’ve still ripped open like four new storylines https://twitter.com/kduggan16/status/1341877831182245891
Tremaine comes back on (echo-y like the back room, we now know) to tell us that in 5 minutes the mostly-Republican accountants will be on to deliver a presentation on, uh, workflow among other things.
Not a lot of awareness how bad they are at publicly-stated timelines here.
Not a lot of awareness how bad they are at publicly-stated timelines here.
Tremaine and this guy from Grassi are apologizing to us but unlike us they didn’t just sit through this experience last week
6.5 hours in they are representing us as having lost hundreds of votes of margin compared to last week. Not showing their work.
400 minutes in, Rob Robinson finally appears.
Robinson now calling out specific county committeemembers (including @jmunizreyes) by name.
This guy is frustrating and not as professional as he thinks he is.
This guy is frustrating and not as professional as he thinks he is.
I can just feel how enraging this dude is to all the attorneys
A deeply patronizing 10 minute speech that I look forward to being overturned by a legal authority later. We shall see.
“The chair declares all candidates for officer without opponent seated without election. Congratulations!”
Possibly this was county committee vacancy instead, since we are now voting on contested county committee vacancy slates, starting with the 43rd assembly district.
It’s a very numbing experience, going through these two meetings, no doubt about it
Tremaine telling us to refresh and it's not live yet. Starts by haranguing us. Still not live for the AD 48 ballot.
"Members, the accountant is telling us we need to wait ten minutes before they can load the next ballots. Please give them an additional ten minutes... We will load AD 48 at 7:20"
I mean, no reason not to trust them on the other numbers, yeah?
I mean, no reason not to trust them on the other numbers, yeah?
Tremaine asking us not to email the accountants as it slows down the vote. They were telling us to email the accountants in the tech support portion of Q and A as recently as 4 minutes ago.
I’m DMing with Carlo Scissura for old time’s sake, but it’s not the same now that he’s gotten away from this mess
Voted on the dueling 48th AD vacancy slates. It seems Rep Your Block is about to walk out and start a different Zoom.
I am not sure what I will do now.
I am not sure what I will do now.
Ok, yeah, we're doing the Zoom equivalent of moving to Avignon and declaring another Pope. I'm not sure how I'm going to try to cover both of these events.
The outcome of each is now foreordained and the results will presumably only be reconciled through further litigation.
The outcome of each is now foreordained and the results will presumably only be reconciled through further litigation.
I quit watching, participating, or tweeting in disgust, but @kduggan16 kept at it. The mostly-Republican accountants didn’t issue said results until an hour later, and *never* announced the (foregone) results of the officer or rules amendment votes. https://twitter.com/kduggan16/status/1341917669424066560
So after County claimed we were the ones slowing down the process, and after 80-90% of the dissidents walked out, County still took SIX MORE hours to complete its meeting, and never released the results of the votes. https://twitter.com/nickrizzo/status/1341880474218721280
So full disclosure @EmiliaDecaudin is my business partner (we've so far made no money together yet) but she's spot-on here. So let's end this thread like we started it, with another person's smart thread. (Only six tweets.) https://twitter.com/EmiliaDecaudin/status/1341964271262044160
Ok one final tweet: support our Soundcloud (it's not soundcloud; that's a meme) https://twitter.com/Ali_Najmi/status/1342119555905286144
