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Note: I had the opportunity to correspond with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights for a second U.S. election. My email response to the provided address, as well as the variants I attempted, kept bouncing. The following is a response to the follow-up request for feedback on the ODIHR's Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions for the 2022 mid-term elections. Greetings, <Redacted> and <Redacted>: I'll save you an excuse for my not responding a week ago, more or less, but I sincerely apologize for the delay. The [OSCE/ODIHR] findings on the 2022 general election (has) informed me that the majority of U.S. states (33) authorize their legislatures to modify boundaries for Congressional districts and preferential votes. I believe the politics of state legislatures are skewed by the high stakes inherent to the two mass parties' attempt to tip the scales of power between themselves. I find this evidenced by generous campaign financing, which permits the concealment, as referenced by the [OSCE/ODIHR] press release, of monetary contributions by non-profit organizations. If 2022 mailers and Youtube commercials here in Pennsylvania are any indication, then there appears to be more non-profits providing anything from monetary assistance to multimedia aid than there are headline candidates. Thank you to the OSCE for continuing its mandate despite a Limited Election Observation Mission (LEOM). I'll share these provided links and subsequent final report with my social media, friends, and political colleagues. Regards, Jubalyn ExWilliams Harrisburg, Pennsylvania landturn.com XXX-XXX-XXXX  Men and women holding up question marks (Credit: xixinxing - 123rf.com)
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Please join the #CheyneyChallenge, a monthly donation campaign for America's first HBCU. Despite the national COVID lockdown of 2020, the Cheyney Foundation reports that the university has its highest retention rate in more than two decades. I made my most recent donation of $18.37 today. Cheyney University of Pennsylvania cheyney.edu Est. 1837 The Cheyney Challenge is an initiative of alumnus Mr. Bright. I committed to it in 2015, and began donating the following year.  Cheyney students | © The Philadelphia Tribune (Used by permission) Related: Cheyney Challenge (Oct. 2022)
Related: Cheyney Challenge (Nov. 2021) Related Cheyney Challenge (Nov. 2020) The following is an archive of a political snapshot between September and Oct. 2022 on my homepage at landturn.com. OSCE For the 2022 mid-terms, I corresponded with election observers in Pennsylvania from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Correspondence surrounded a perspective of small-party access to the electoral process, public reception to that representation; and obstacles to campaign efforts by its candidates. General Election Like 2022, I corresponded with OSCE observers dispatched to Dauphin County, Pa. for the general election between presidential headliners Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Final OSCE report on the 2020 general election: www.osce.org/files/f/documents/7/7/477823.pdf. Apparently, the international monitors were barred from Pennsylvania polls under state law. Little did I know that state law would be but one obstacle to a representative election. Jan. 2021 As a recent poll watcher, I raised multiple objections with the County Election Board for the renaming of a third-party, write-in candidate and an independent write-in candidate in the official tally. ("Ballot Access," "Ballot Access, II") To ensure the recognition of eligible challengers and third-party candidates in local campaigns, I ran for the Harrisburg School Board just weeks before the special election in 2021. Though unsuccessful and $0 in campaign funds, I garnered enough votes to maintain a ballot line not guaranteed to third-party candidates in general, and Green Party candidates in particular. Jan. 2020 I consider my Jan. 2020 commentary "Medical Debt" (landturn.com/blog/americans-also-have-medical-debt) a viral post that provided the political inspiration for Biden's expansion of Executive Order 14009 in 2022. Medical Debt In reference to an NBA player working with RIP Medical Debt, I noted that medical debt is highest in the United States. The Price We Pay, written by a surgeon at Johns Hopkins, brought this distinction to my attention. And it was the surgeon's book that I'd review after my "Medical Debt" commentary later that month. A note on the geographic degree of separation between myself and Joe Biden via a high-profile Democratic operative with multi-generational ties to Penn State is forthcoming. Nov. 2020 One of my works was also the basis of a ten-part series by PennLive in 2020. That November, I emailed a health official and two leaders of a homeless advocacy group with suggestions on meeting the need for more beds. ("Homelessness, II") (Also see landturn.com/blog/homeless-during-covid.) Homelessness A response came less than a month later, when PennLive published its series on homelessness with multiple angles similar to the points of my email (e.g. "Scenes from a homeless shelter on a cold night amid the coronavirus"). Leadership for one organization of which I'm a member also switched one of its planks to homeless charity from a stated interest in human trafficking awareness the month before. At the time of this writing, the PennLive articles remain accessible to paid subscribers only. The irony that this paid exclusivity stemmed from an act of civic engagement first occurred to me only 15 months later. Sept. 2021 Less significant but still annoying, "Spotted Lanternfly" -- about the invasive species in Harrisburg -- seemed to reincarnate itself five days after I posted it. An article with points presented in the same order as my own appeared in another publication as "Spotted, Smashed: Harrisburg City forester offers tips for dealing with spotted lanternflies". For example, my blog ends, "But first thing's first: If you see one, 'Kill it! Squash it, smash it... just get rid of it.'" The article ends, "The bottom line? Roane says, if you see a spotted lanternfly, smash it." NAACP Environmental Committee In 2021, the Pennsylvania State Conference approved my proposal for the vacant Environmental Committee of the Harrisburg NAACP. (Committee Proposal: landturn.com/blog/fires-in-harrisburg) As a result, I've served as founding chair of the branch committee since then. Fire Safety/Prevention More than 17 monthly progress updates on our development (June 2021 - Present) of a free educational product on fire safety and prevention is available at landturn.com/naacp. State of the City, 2022 In her first State of the City address, Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams lauded the fire department more than 3X longer than any other. I believe the 17 updates by the Environmental Committee up to that point provided much of her talking points and disproportionate proficiency. A note on the political degree of separation between myself and the mayor is forthcoming. Green Party Like summer 2020, I petitioned on foot as part of the statewide effort to gain ballot access not guaranteed to statewide Green candidates. The last of four days was with Howie Hawkins, Green Party co-founder and 2020 presidential candidate. Two days later, a small delegation of members and I delivered the requisite 5,000 signatures then approved by the Pennsylvania State Department. Unlike 2020, state-level Democrats filed no lawsuit, which ousted Hawkins from the battleground ballot in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania that year. ("Presidential Election, III") (Also refer again to "Ballot Access.") As a result, the 2022 ballot was extended to Green candidates for Governor, Lieut. Governor, and Attorney General in Pennsylvania.  A single puzzle piece (Credit: "Puzzle Piece" by iFireDesign) Jubalyn ExWilliams lives in Pennsylvania (United States). Her website is updated at landturn.com. Related: Electoral Politics (2019)
Related: Candidate Forum (2022) Related: Presidential Election, III (2020) Almost six months ago, I demanded the following individual keep away from me. Upon my May 9 demand, he has had access to when I come and go. That day, he learned that security footage caught him running down a corridor of the building to which I returned from the same establishment. (See "Alert" below). Initially, he denied ever being at the establishment, but would later walk down the corridor with more stuff to finish his errand there. "Forget your camera," he shot back. Three days later, he installed his own. Prior to the May 9 altercation, he'd lurk multiple times a night in the corridor outside a private space where I worked. When I say night, I mean "After 12, Before 6." (RIP Sam Salter.) Three weeks ago -- during the first-third of October -- one of the most notable incidents of his lurking or mirroring me since then occurred. I performed a routine activity, but on a day I had not previously. In the mid-40s, it was the chilliest morning of the fall at the time. 
The front of the building was about a 15-second walk away. It was then that I noticed the individual at the intersection there ahead. He stood across the street from the building, and the establishments that lined the block. In a short-sleeve T-shirt, the individual held a phone to his ear. Per security footage, he left the building -- or the corridor at least -- 40 minutes earlier. His lips moved a moment, but there was no apparent sound. Despite crossing into an oncoming traffic lane, he watched me from a 90-degree angle approaching the building. And despite his slow-motion strides, the individual reached the front corner of the building before I did. He entered the building. I entered the building. Beyond the vestibule, he ran through the building, trampling the new hard-surface floors. The first time I saw him standing across from the building, it was in the springtime. That's when I learned he smoked. Only it was at the side of the building, near an eatery I'm not sure is open for business. He stood across the street from a window in which I hung a sign. In addition to a message, the sign displayed an organizational website. The window was closed, so I didn't know he was watching it. Not at first anyway. On my way to the intersection, I stepped out of the building. Ignoring me, the individual drifted back to the building in a slow motion. He dropped his cigarette to the ground, and slipped back inside. This was in the weeks before my May 9 demand that he stop following me. I had had enough with the intersection thing. As soon as I could, I went to the police and filed a report in-person.  No contact, affiliation wanted or desired Related: Alert (2022)
Related: Environmental Committee: Smoke Alarm Volunteers (Apr. 2022) Related: Environmental Committee: Harrisburg Fire Department, II (Dec. 2021) Please join the #CheyneyChallenge, a monthly donation campaign for America's first HBCU. Despite the national COVID lockdown of 2020, the Cheyney Foundation reports that the university has its highest retention rate in more than two decades. I made my most recent donation of $18.37 today. Cheyney University of Pennsylvania cheyney.edu Est. 1837 The Cheyney Challenge is an initiative of alumnus Mr. Bright. I committed to it in 2015, and began donating the following year.  Cheyney students | © The Philadelphia Tribune (Used by permission) Related: Cheyney Challenge (Sept. 2022)
Related: Cheyney Challenge (Oct. 2021) Related Cheyney Challenge (Oct. 2020) The following message is a copy of the email I sent as an individual effort and not on behalf of the Harrisburg NAACP. Dear Third-Party Candidates: My name is Jubalyn ExWilliams, and I'm a member of the Harrisburg NAACP. I'm also a registered member of the Green Party. I invite you to be part of the virtual Candidates Forum hosted by the Greater Harrisburg NAACP on Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. EST. There, you can introduce your campaign, candidacy, or political philosophy. Monthly branch meetings -- during which the Forum will take place -- are scheduled for one hour, so your introduction or statement should be brief -- say, three minutes. Afterward, members of the Harrisburg NAACP and other attendees might have questions. Please reply to this email, if you or someone representing you are interested or have questions for me. To maximize the likelihood that someone sees your reply, please Cc my fellow branch member <Redacted> at <Redacted>. Best of luck, Jubalyn ExWilliams Harrisburg, PA landturn.com P.S. Tables and or advertising are still available for our annual Freedom Fund dinner on Oct. 22. For more info, please visit hbgnaacp.com/freedom-fund-dinner. P.S.S. I found no contact info for <Redacted> of <Party Name Redacted>. If someone knows it, please forward him the above message.  Man standing in front of people (Credit: Moodboard/AP Images) Jubalyn ExWilliams lives in Pennsylvania (United States). Her website is updated at landturn.com. Related: Electoral Politics (2019)
Related: Electoral Politics, II (2020) Related: Presidential Election (2020) Related: NAACP (2019) Related: About Me: Politics (2022) Please join the #CheyneyChallenge, a monthly donation campaign for America's first HBCU. Despite the national COVID lockdown of 2020, the Cheyney Foundation reports that the university has its highest retention rate in more than two decades. I made my most recent donation of $18.37 today. Cheyney University of Pennsylvania cheyney.edu Est. 1837 The Cheyney Challenge is an initiative of alumnus Mr. Bright. I committed to it in 2015, and began donating the following year.  Cheyney students | © The Philadelphia Tribune (Used by permission) Related: Cheyney Challenge (Aug. 2022)
Related: Cheyney Challenge (Sept. 2021) Related: Cheyney Challenge (Sept. 2020) Gift ban does not see House vote, but advocates say ‘there’s still time’by Marley Parish, Pennsylvania Capital-Star The Pennsylvania House of Representatives had adjourned for the day when MarchOnHarrisburg Executive Director Rabbi Michael Pollack, who was holding a press conference in the Capitol Rotunda, learned that lawmakers had not forced a vote on a proposed gift ban. After six years of advocacy efforts, the group was cautiously optimistic that legislation prohibiting lawmakers from accepting gifts from lobbyists and special interest groups would go “farther than ever before” in the Republican-controlled Legislature on Monday. But the legislation, authored by Rep. Aaron Kaufer, R-Luzerne, saw no action in the chamber as the House returned from its summer break. For months, MarchOnHarrisburg advocates have pressured lawmakers to bypass House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff, R-Centre, who controls the voting calendar, to advance the proposed gift ban. The maneuver would require 102 votes and courage from House rank-and-file members to stand up to leadership, Pollack said. After finding out lawmakers were headed home for the day, Pollack congratulated Benninghoff and state Rep. Jordan Harris, D-Philadelphia, the minority whip. “You win,” Pollack said. “You’ve got us this round.” Lawmakers can accept gifts from anyone if they disclose items more than $250 on annual interest forms. Proposals to tighten the law have been introduced in the Legislature over the years. However, they’ve died with no debate — until last fall, when lawmakers on both sides of the aisle expressed interest in a more comprehensive gift ban. When Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, took office in 2015, he immediately signed an executive order prohibiting executive branch employees from accepting gifts. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and state Liquor Control Board enacted similar policies. Wolf’s ban expires when the term-limited governor leaves office in January 2023. MarchOnHarrisburg members argue that the loose restrictions for lawmakers leave room for lobbyists, special interest groups, and others looking to influence policy decisions to bribe elected officials. Kaufer’s proposal would cap the amount lawmakers can receive from those seeking to influence government decisions at $250 and bar elected officials from accepting lodging or transportation for events connected with public office. Though the bill isn’t perfect, Pollack said it’s a starting point to improve the current system, which is “nothing,” he said. “We’re tired of talking to these people,” Pollack said. “They give us hollow promises. They say they’re going to do the right thing, and then they don’t.” He added that MarchOnHarrisburg wasn’t planning to come back to the state Capitol this year, saying that the group would focus on organizing across the commonwealth — “to raise up an army” and “come back here 10 times stronger.” The current legislative session ends Nov. 30. However, after stepping away to talk to a lawmaker on the phone, Pollack said the fight to pass a gift ban was not over this week. He declined to identify lawmakers who support bypassing legislative leadership but said MarchOnHarrisburg will be back before the House adjourns for the week. Pollack also encouraged those who support the proposed ban to contact Benninghoff, Harris, House Speaker Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster, and House Minority Leader Joanna McClinton, D-Philadelphia, to urge them to support the legislation. “This is not over at all. Anybody can back out. And of course, nothing is settled. But there’s still room for people to do the right thing,” Pollack said. “There’s still time.” Pennsylvania Capital-Star is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Pennsylvania Capital-Star maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor John Micek for questions: info@penncapital-star.com. Follow Pennsylvania Capital-Star on Facebook and Twitter.
Republished here from "Gift ban does not see House vote, but advocates say 'there's still time" (M. Parish) under Creative Commons License CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
Please join the #CheyneyChallenge, a monthly donation campaign for America's first HBCU. I made my most recent donation of $18.37 today. Cheyney University of Pennsylvania cheyney.edu Est. 1837 The Cheyney Challenge is an initiative of alumnus Mr. Bright. I committed to it in 2015, and began donating the following year.  Cheyney students | © The Philadelphia Tribune (Used by permission) Related: Cheyney Challenge (July 2022)
Related: Cheyney Challenge (Aug. 2021) Related: Cheyney Challenge (Aug. 2020) Please join the #CheyneyChallenge, a monthly donation campaign for America's first HBCU. I made my most recent donation of $18.37 today. Cheyney University of Pennsylvania cheyney.edu Est. 1837 The Cheyney Challenge is an initiative of alumnus Mr. Bright. I committed to it in 2015, and began donating the following year.  Cheyney students | © The Philadelphia Tribune (Used by permission) Related: Cheyney Challenge (June 2022)
Related: Cheyney Challenge (July 2021) Related: Cheyney Challenge (July 2020) |
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