1. One Of Our Volunteers Made A Quick Funny Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXT1_Y9B66M Please share it with your friends!
2. Fantastic Article: https://ihare.org/2018/09/05/a-rose-by-any-other-name-is-still-the-tappan-zee-bridge/
3. Brief Update From SOTZ To You From Board Member Marlene Pedersen:
Wow!!! We did it! YOU did it ... the Tappan Zee name change made it into the debate last week! Your calls and emails to CBS worked! This elevates our cause and makes it known across the state, not just the Hudson Valley / Lower New York. This is a win for the Tappan Zee and a win for us!
Interesting how even the Governor couldn't bring himself to call it the Cuomo Bridge! (Watch our attached video). Guess he realizes that calling attention during a debate to a $4B taxpayer-owned structure that he put his own family name on might be kinda dumb. And didn't you love it when he said there was "no discussion" at the time when the name change occurred, implying no one really had much to say about it .... wait ...what? Really? Yeah, there was no discussion because your Mr. Governor set it up so there wouldn't be!!
We feel Marcia Kramer did a great job ... she specifically asked about the compromise, though we wish she had set up the question a bit better, explaining why the name is meaningful to the people of the Hudson Valley and emphasizing the sneaky way in which the name was changed. But it's ok, we're happy! Cynthia Nixon showed empathy for our cause and we feel her response was good enough, but we hope to see her position evolve to a point where she can unequivocally state that she supports returning the TZ name to the bridge. She did put out a tweet shortly after the debate ... she's definitely using the issue as an example of Cuomo's questionable ways of doing business in Albany.
Here is Cynthia's tweet on the issue:
Cynthia Nixon (@CynthiaNixon)
8/29/18, 7:36 PM
The Tappan Zee Bridge name change was pushed through in the dead of night without discussing it with the community. This is endemic of how @andrewcuomo rules: There's not a lot of transparency and much of the decision-making happens behind closed doors. #NYGovDebate #TeamCynthia
By the way, if you are so inclined, please write to the Bernie and Sid show and let them know you care about the Tappan Zee name. These guys do a popular morning show on 77WABC and they sometimes have Marc Molinaro, Republican candidate for Governor, on the show. Molinaro was on this morning and The TZ bridge came up. Sid said "who cares what the bridge is called!" Molinaro responded: A LOT of people care. Email Sid and let him know YOU care so that next time he won't be so dismissive of the subject when it comes up:
bernieandsid@wabcradio.com
Also, letters to the editors of your local or regional newspapers NOW is a good idea, just after the debate.
Ok, that's all for now. We'll be sending more updates in the near future! In the meantime, do whatever you can to keep this issue alive!
SOTZ TEAM
www.SaveOurTappanZee.org