Showing posts with label Queens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Queens. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Immigration: Exploring Non Legal Options

Official photographic portrait of US President...
Official photographic portrait of US President Barack Obama (born 4 August 1961; assumed office 20 January 2009) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
To: Congressman Crowley
From: Paramendra Bhagat (Elmhurst, Queens 11373-2713)
Date: December 22, 2014
Subject: My Ongoing For Six Years Open Immigration Case (Alien 095 156 466)

Hello Congressman. I live in your district. My name is Paramendra Bhagat. I came to America for college in 1996 and have not left the country since. I married my college girlfriend (she proposed), officially the smartest student at my school, the number one liberal arts college in the South, Berea College. I got a green card from that. My marriage ended a few years later.

I was the only Nepali among 300,000 Nepalis across America to have worked full time for Nepal’s democracy movement in the 2005-06 period. (http://demrepubnepal.blogspot.com) I also got myself elected student body president at Berea within six months of landing as an international student, first time in college history a freshman had done that. In 2007 I also became the first full time volunteer in New York City to presidential candidate Barack Obama. (http://democracyforum.blogspot.com) I personally know people like Congressman Hakeem Jeffries from before he went to Albany.

While working days, nights and weekends for the democracy movement in Nepal, the deadline for my green card renewal came and went, and I did not even notice. I was so into my work.

I have had an open immigration case since 2008. I have showed up in court every few months, as asked. That has gone on for six years now. I like to joke my trial has now lasted longer than Nelson Mandela’s! My Harvard Law School graduate lawyer Rudrakumaran Visuvanathan has represented me. Nepal is still going through its political transition, and it would be a major safety issue for me to show up there right now. But I have not been able to convince the court, I guess. And I am getting hints I am about to lose my case.

You would do me the favor of a lifetime if you could please intervene and help me out. It is my knowledge that Senators and Congressmen can legitimately intervene in cases like mine and make things happen. If it is within your powers, please help me back renew my green card that I had. If you could do that, enough time has passed that I would be in a position to apply for my citizenship by now. And if I could get there, I could vote for the first time. I would sure vote for you! And much more.

Like I said, you would be doing the favor of a lifetime to me. I am an early stage tech entrepreneur. My team is working on an Augmented Reality Mobile Game that we think is a billion dollar idea. (http://technbiz.blogspot.com) We are building a super social network. My goal is to use and build, build and use digital tools so as to do all I can do to help cure global poverty.

With much hope.
Paramendra Bhagat.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

John Liu Saved New Yorkers A Billion Dollars

English: John Liu speaking at a meeting of the...
English: John Liu speaking at a meeting of the Staten Island Democratic Association, 2009. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
John Liu is that guy who saved New Yorkers a billion dollars. He is not the guy who stole 10,000 dollars like Preet Bharara and the FBI are saying.

In saving a billion dollars on behalf of the New Yorkers John Liu challenged powerful interests, made enemies. That is how you know the accusation that he stole 10,000 dollars is purely political. The FBI drama has been carried out on behalf of the powers that be in this city. This is not the first time the FBI has played such a political role. It's just too tempting. To be able to be faceless and yet so powerful as to possibly mar some guy's mayoral chances. How do you pass on that, right?

New York City voters have to wake up on this.

Could John Liu Rise From The Ashes
“Bloomberg hates Liu,” said one well-known former Queens-based elected official. “Bloomberg doesn’t like to be audited, you know. That CityTime thing was a disaster, and Liu has milked it for all it is worth.” ...... The CityTime thing is a scandal that, if it hadn’t been so mysteriously underreported, might by now have taken its place beside the Parking Violations Bureau corruption case that ravaged Ed Koch’s third term ...... When the CityTime project (aimed at automating the city’s payroll, among other things) first began in 1998 under the Giuliani administration, the cost was projected at $63 million. Thirteen years later, by the time Liu became comptroller, the city had already spent as much as $760 million, the lion’s share going to outside consultants. Liu made it an issue, declaring himself “absolutely shocked to find this sort of waste and mismanagement at a time when the mayor is talking about closing schools and firehouses.” ....... “That sort of stuff pisses Mike off, especially if he thought Liu was using the comptroller’s office as a cudgel to run for mayor, which he has been doing since the day he got into office,” asserted the Queens pol, repeating the oft-heard charge that Bloomberg, who everyone assumes will support Christine Quinn in 2013, “uses his chairmanship of the Billionaire’s Club to influence coverage in the three daily papers.”
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Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday

Queensboro Plaza (New York City Subway)Image via WikipediaI think I knocked on close to 350 doors the final four days of the campaign, 110 on Saturday, and more than that on Tuesday. I must have handed out about 400 flyers on moving trains: Panhandling For Reshma.

Sunday I got to put in three fewer hours than I had planned. I went to a Nepali event in Jackson Heights that started late, and it kept me stuck for more than an hour instead of the "10 minutes" I was promised. Time is different in different cultures. In the Nepali culture, it stretches.

Monday I ran out of flyers about 10 blocks from the office, and it also started raining. I also went to the Hudson Terrace party Monday evening. That might, or might not have been a good idea, but I thought I would give about three hours to Manhattan when I was giving more than 30 to Queens. After that party Reshma invited people to overnight flyering all across Queens. Did I hear "illgal flyering?" I thought. They could deport me on that small technicality, why give them the benefit of doubt? It is not like I ever stopped calling Rangel a monkeyface. I am not yet completely out of my immigration mess. I still have a court date in June 2011.

Tuesday was really something. I woke up at two. I could not go back to sleep again. I guess I was excited. I ran Tuesday on three hours of sleep. And for the most part I was okay. The first few hours were handing out flyers on the subway. I was assigned a subway stop, instead I was working the train, from the Ditmars Blvd to Queensboro Plaza and back.

Then it was knocking on doors for the next few hours. Then lunch. Then I did the subway thing again for a few hours. Then it was back to knocking on doors all the way to 9 PM.

Some of Reshma's staunchest supporters were Muslims. Her Cordoba stand had really percolated. It was touching to me to witness all these Muslim families that were out in force for Reshma. There is nothing fake about a political campaign. You are impacting real lives.

Field Director Megan's mother was in town. She gave me a ride from the Astoria office to where the election watch party was: 932 Second Avenue, The Pressbox. When they called it for Maloney, I protested. I am waiting for my Queens bump, I said. Everybody I talked to who said they will vote for Reshma did vote for Reshma. But maybe we did not get to talk to enough people still.

On to 2012. There's no stopping this train.

Four Interactions
110 Knocks (2)
110 Knocks

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Thursday, September 09, 2010

Assigned To The Astoria Office

Image representing Reshma Saujani as depicted ...Image via CrunchBase

I have been assigned by Reshma 2010 to work out of the Astoria office the final few days that I signed up to volunteer. I will be making phone calls and knocking on doors. And I will do whatever else I am asked to do. One thing would be boost the morale of the staff/interns/volunteers/gawkers in the office, and any passers by on the sidewalk.

I signed up for Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. But I have a feeling I might show up also tomorrow, Friday. The idea would be to show up after lunch and stay as late as possible.

I have emailed some key people on the staff saying we need a ton of cookies and vitamin water in the two offices. Every time I have sat down to make phone calls, it has felt like a sea voyage. I have labored over it. Phone calls don't come naturally to me. I do much better with small group small talk. Did I say I don't own a phone?

I showed up for the office opening party in Astoria. (Reshma 2010: Queens Office Opening Party: August 9) My first reaction that I shared with many people was, I actually like this office better than the Manhattan office. The Astoria office is democracy, the Manhattan office is capitalism. Voters are not elevator fodder. Voters are sidewalk people.

The Astoria office is on the ground floor. It is at street level. The entire office is see through. People on the sidewalk can see the entire office except the inside of the restroom, and that probably is by design.

I really like that proximity to the sidewalk. You can step out and suddenly you are a man of the people. You could be someone gawking in while passing by.

Before I started volunteering for Reshma 2010, it is like I had never been to Astoria proper. The neighborhoods are so great. They are so very inviting. I mean, I had been to the Beer Garden during Obama 08. Alexis, who was a key Obama person in Queens, was out of there. That Beer Garden place is really something. It has got to be the best beer place in the city, and I am not even much of a beer drinker. It is the setting I dig.

The last time I was at the Astoria office was right after the community conversation event in Queens 10 blocks away. I walked the 10 blocks to the office and picked two more Reshma 2010 red, white, and blue shirts, my uniform for this election season. Right before that 10 block walk, I got lost for a few blocks after I stepped outside the Holiday Inn where the event was. It is much easier to not get lost when you follow the train tracks.

Jon Gardiner in tow, I showed up. My first reaction, we need Reshma 2010 posters all over that thing at the top of the entrance. That is so much wasted free advertising space. That would work 24/7.

NY1, NY1, NY1, NY1, NY1
Roosevelt Island: Community Conversation
Community Conversation: Upper East Side
Reshma's Lower East Side Community Conversation

NYConvergence: Custom Shirts, GPS Dating And Hyperlocal News At The NY Tech Meetup: The NY Tech Meetup celebrated Rosh Hashanah last night the traditional way: hosting 800 people for a full course of startup demos. Thrown into the mix were a presentation by Google and an appeal from Democratic Congressional candidate Reshma Saujani (running in New York's 14th district) to get involved, specifically by voting or volunteering for her. She has emphasized technological innovation and tax breaks for investment in her campaign.

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Tuesday, August 31, 2010

NY1, NY1, NY1, NY1, NY1



Reshma Saujani, Scott Heiferman and Chris Hugh...Image by TCDisrupt via FlickrThe highlight of my Reshma 2010 community conversation in Queens yesterday evening (Roosevelt Island: Community Conversation) was the news that NY1 has decided to call Maloney's bluff and is slated to give Reshma Saujani a 30 minute slot. They invited Maloney. She declined. So they have decided to give Maloney's share of time to Reshma. Now that's what I call courage. Courage on the part of NY1. This was so necessary.

For me it has not been about the first Indian American woman running for Congress thing. I have been too individualistic to bother joining the Indian American community in this country so far. So far I have followed interest groups. For me it has been about Reshma's political talent.

And now we are about to see the turning point. (We Intend To Swamp Maloney: The East Side Is Going Electric)

I give the credit for this wonderful move to Brian Lehrer. He did something really innovative. And that is how the dam burst. (Brian Lehrer's Message To TV Journalists In Town)

How am I going to watch this though? I don't own a TV. I hope they put out the whole segment on YouTube.

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Friday, June 18, 2010

I Want To Go Full Time With Reshma 2010


The last time I hinted at this, (My Political Resume, Reshma 2010, And September 14) I was not in a position to take a job - I am now, (Employment Authorization Card: It's Here) and I am not a citizen and a voter, so I could not have volunteered on the petition drive of the past few weeks. And I have actively looked at a few tech sector options the past few weeks. (Not MeetUp, After Entry Level Jobs, An Internship, Entry Level Jobs, Job Search) But getting an email about the party Monday (Reshma 2010: New Office: Party: June 21 Monday) put Reshma 2010 front and center on my mindscreen all over again.

Reshma 2010 is too historic a campaign to miss out on. I think I want to do a three month stint - June 22 to September 22 - with this historic campaign before going to do another job. In New York the primary election is what matters. You win on September 14, Maloney then endorses you, and you go claim victory in November. But I would keep the option to add six weeks open. This district was Republican before Maloney took over 18 years ago. And someone from a Republican candidate's campaign has taken to leaving comments at most posts I put out about Reshma here at this blog. See you in November has been my refrain.

I am going to lay out my thoughts here, then I am going to shoot an email to Reshma and Kevin. (My Talk With Kevin Lawler Of Reshma 2010) I should not assume just because I want to go full time with the campaign, the campaign necessarily wants me full time. But if they do, working out a role would be part two, and that might be trickier. Kevin and I are going to sit down before the party Monday to hash things out.

These are some of my early thoughts.

My Political Resume, Reshma 2010, And September 14
A 14-7 Office For Reshma 2010
An Afternoon At The Reshma 2010 Headquarters

I would want an amorphous role. The title of Political Consultant might be a good one for me. That would keep me an outsider who is now an insider. I would like that.

The pay would be $1000 cash advance before I even begin. I would go right away to the Best Buy at Union Square and get me a laptop (Toshiba Satellite), a smartphone (Droid Incredible), and I would get me a monthly metro card. And there would be a $1000 a week payment for the 12 weeks, and a $2000 bonus to be part of the final paycheck conditional to a September 14 victory. And then I am out of here. I go back to being a Volunteer. Or I do six more weeks at $1000 a week, and a $1000 bonus conditional to a November victory. But we will cross that bridge when we get there.

If I were thinking of doing one year with the campaign, I might have thought, oh no, that is a lot of money, the campaign should instead put that into TV ads. But putting 15K into me to ensure a September 14 victory is a sound investment.

I am predicting victory. This is not a make feel good statement. This is not a boost team morale gesture. This is a prediction. My coming on board will make extra sure that that is what happens. (Jupiter And Obama)

And this is not going to be any ordinary victory. Reshma is going to hit the national headlines on September 15. And then she works to make sure the Democrats keep the House and the Senate. She helps the national effort.

As for my hours and role, I have had a few thoughts.

Wednesday and Friday, I take my two days off. I work 1 PM to 9 PM Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. On Thursdays and Saturdays I am at the Queens office, once that is up and running. And I put in 10 flex hours on top of this 40. I put in more as necessary during the final weeks leading to September 14.

I would want to blog daily for Reshma right here at this blog. Already a search on her name online brings this blog up on page two. I want to show up on page one. Closer to election day a lot of people will be googling her up. We want them to find some of my blog posts. That would be a lot of free advertising. And I have a feeling we will come across a lot of people who volunteered and voted for Obama in 2008. This blog's name should get them. I have 10 hours of video from that campaign, and hundreds of blog posts. That is a good foundation to have to place the Reshm name on.

One big reason I want to get the Droid Incredible is so as to be able to post photos, videos, tweets, updates, and blog posts in real time from wherever. I am going to lead a major social media effort inside the team. All staffers, interns and volunteers need to retweet every tweet sent out by @reshma2010. We all need to press the Like button on all Facebook updates by the campaign.

And in blogging daily I think I am going to end up talking much about the team as well. The core 30 people will get featured.

I go to some tech events in town, about one a week. I would want to keep doing that. And I want to step out to watch most of the key World Cup matches. I will make up for that time in additional morning hours.

Some of the things I would want to focus on right away.
  • Debate preparation.
  • Weekly mock debates, first attended by a few key staff, then by the entire staff. Maloney role play by various staffers, myself included. When it is my turn, one line I would like to use: "But, Reshma, I brought about equality for women, and put down the Second Avenue subway line. What have you done?"
  • Sit down on all strategy sessions. First to absorb and listen, then to collect data on the progress of the campaign, and then to suggest moves.
  • The war room concept. Let no attack go unanswered.
  • Own the Obama platform. Work to create a 2016 platform.
  • Get on the phone with voters one hour each day.
  • Work a subway stop for two rush hours each week, then more often.
  • Go attend every possible political event in the district. You meet political junkies who thrive on this stuff. If some of them come along as volunteers, you win big.
  • Work on an exhaustive list of all community leaders, events and newspapers. Go out to those events. Visit the newspapers in their offices. Identify the key bloggers in the district. The goal is to get these bloggers and newspapers to do one piece each on Reshma.
I might need a few days to get situated before going intense.

Everyone you meet at a Subway stop can donate, or most people can. So don't worry too much about if someone is a primary voter or not. And, remember, Obama did not win Iowa by relying on a list of people who had a track record of having voted before. He won with new, first time voters. We have to get a healthy dose of new, first time voters to show up on September 14.

Some blog posts I might do down the line:
  • Maloney Is Never Going to Run For President, Nor Schumer
  • Maloney Wrote A Book Saying Her Best Is Not Good Enough
  • Rangel Needs To Retire, Maloney Too
  • Mike Arrington Is A Sexist Pig (this on my tech blog)
  • Reshma 2016: The Biggest Rationale For Reshma 2010
The core team needs this victory. Some people get to go to DC with Reshma. Those who stay in the city become hot property, like happened to Obama people after 2008. All politicians wanted to hire them. We win on September 14 and that's two more months of paychecks for all staffers. 

But even paid work for a political campaign falls in the public service domain. You would probably be making more money doing other things. You put in those extra hours, you run that extra mile, because all the good your candidate will do for the larger common good. 

Calling voters for an hour each day should probably apply to everyone on the team. Maybe even the candidate should do an hour a week, but in her case she only calls voters who have been identified to be strong supporters. 

"Hi. I am Reshma. I am running for Congress. My core team has identified you as a strong supporter. I was wondering if you will host a house party for us. If you can get 30 people to show up, I commit to being there for an hour. Can my Campaign Manager please get in touch with you about this? Thanks."

The campaign needs a few MetroPCS phones in the office, unlimited talk, text and web.

And I am serious about that lassi thing. ("Where Was This Google All This Time?")
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