Press Release - February 3rd, 2025
Richmond County Democratic Committee Condemns President Trump's Reckless Attack on Offshore Win, Threatening 750 Staten Island Union Jobs Backed By Local Leaders 

STATEN ISLAND, NY (February 3, 2025) – A recent Executive Order signed by President Trump to pause the issuance of new permits and leases on offshore wind turbines and towers has put the fate of 750 new Staten Island union jobs at the proposed Arthur Kill Terminal in jeopardy.  The Arthur Kill Terminal facility has been in the works for five years and garnered the support of nearly all Staten Island elected officials, both Democrat and Republican.  While their elected officials hailed the project as a major win for the borough, Staten Islanders deserve to know whether they will now lose out on these good-paying union jobs as a direct result of the President’s actions.
 
The Arthur Kill Terminal was intended to be a specialized port where wind turbines and towers would be assembled before being sent to sea for installation. If the Trump administration stops all new offshore wind projects, there will be no turbines and towers to assemble.
 
“As a result of the President’s petty obsession with and disdain for forward-thinking wind technology, Staten Island will lose out on the very significant economic benefits that would result from this project,” said Richmond County Democratic Committee Chair Laura Sword.   “Nearly all our local elected officials saw this as a big win for the borough and supported it every step of the way.  Staten Islanders want to know if their representatives will have their backs now and unite against this Executive Order to ensure we don’t lose these much-needed jobs.”
 
“ It isn’t about politics; it is about the lives of thousands of Staten Islanders. Instead of harnessing unlimited clean energy, creating sustainable union jobs, and boosting tax revenues, the Trump administration’s unjustified ego - driven defunding will hurt Staten Islanders”, said the Democratic Committee Labor Chair, Mohammed Karim Chowdhury.
 
Trump has long harbored a hatred for wind turbines, wrongly calling them both “an economic and environmental disaster.” He has even claimed, without a shred of evidence, that they contribute to whale deaths, cause cancer, and lower property values, none of which have proven to be true.
 
Staten Islanders should join us and demand that Nicole Malliotakis take a firm stand against the President’s blatant overreach on this issue and fight to ensure the Arthur Kill Terminal project moves forward and the many jobs it promises to create.

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Press Release - June 2nd, 2024
Statement of the Chair of the Democratic Committee of Richmond County on the Never Surrender Trump Rally 

Staten Island, N.Y. – On June 2, 2024, the Richmond County Democratic Committee and the Richmond County Republican Committee held a softball game to benefit Eden2. This long-standing tradition of reaching across the aisle to benefit a community is one of camaraderie, and one that once was and can still be a model for how the government side of politics should work.
 
Unfortunately, it is currently rare to see that model implemented when it comes to achieving any legislative goals. There are portions of the “Make America Great Again” crowd that are so unpatriotic and so cynical that they not only fail to see what IS great about our country, they actively undermine it. To disparage judges and jurors, to actively work to dismantle our system of democracy, to undermine the free press, our judicial system and our system of elections is dangerous. People, including law enforcement officers, died as a result of January 6th. 

The rally that took place at 3pm today is an affront to democracy and the rule of law. No citizen of this country can call themselves a patriot and then attend a rally hosted by people calling for Civil War. Yet our representative in Congress, attended and cheered a crowd which included people holding “Trump Won” signs. This continued support for dangerous lies and intentionally turning a blind eye to calls to violence makes Ms. Malliotakis unfit for office. 

Today, on a day where we joined together for a common cause, I am calling on the Republican Party to rejoin the common cause of having faith and belief in our Republic. It is my sincere hope that the reasonable Republicans prevail and condemn this rally and any speech that implies violence or continues to make a mockery of the rule of law. 

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Fix Tier 6 

The Labor Committee of the Staten Island Democratic Party passed a resolution supporting the FixTier6 movement as set out on fixtier6.org/.

Learn more about the issue by visiting the website and when you do, please fill out the form to tell your elected officials!

Press Release - April 21st, 2023
Push for Green Jobs and Healthy Schools by the Democratic Committee of Richmond County Labor Committee


​Staten Island, NY - The Democratic Committee of Richmond County Executive Committee adopted a Green Jobs Healthy Schools Resolution.  They adopted the initiative as part of a “Just Transition” that would create good-paying union jobs, provide renewable energy sources and generate tax revenue for New York City.  The Labor committee proposed the resolution to encourage any candidate seeking
the democratic endorsement on Staten Island to advocate and adopt the carbon-free school
plan as part of their campaigns.

On March 16, 2023, Laura Sword, Chair of the Democratic County Committee, held an executive board meeting and took up the resolution as one of her first official acts as Chair. Working with committee members with ties to the IBEW, PEF, UFT, CWA, and ATU, Sword committed to bringing the resolution to the executive board at an earlier meeting with these labor leaders. After discussion, Democratic Committee Law Chair Andrew Poznanski called for a vote, and the Executive Board adopted the resolution unanimously.

Labor Committee Chair Mohammed Karim Chowdhury introduced the motion summarizing the resolution. Chairman Chowdhury concluded his presentation by saying, “Carbon-free and healthy school buildings will provide us with renewable energy, reduce energy costs, create good-paying union jobs, and generate tax revenues for years to come”. 

Richmond County Democratic Committee Chair Laura Sword stated, “This initiative is just the beginning of making a green future for Staten Island and NYC with organized labor at the forefront. We see what many Republicans do not - not only is climate change real, but proactive change to address it can have economic benefits.  And this initiative adds creating healthier environments for our children to learn in and our teachers to work in to that powerful mix. It should be a no-brainer.”

The Democratic Party of Richmond County understands that greenhouse gas emissions are a leading cause of climate change which will continue to affect Richmond County with increased frequency and severity if gone unchecked. In order to mitigate the impact this will have on our school system, retrofitting all NYC public schools by 2023 with sustainable infrastructure will be key.

Members of the labor committee say this is only the beginning of their efforts to push the party to adopt
sustainable solutions to economic insecurity, which they believe is the reason working-class voters are moving away from center politics with both parties, including the Democratic Party, which has long historic ties to organized labor.

For more information about the carbon-free healthy schools initiative, go to CarbonFreeHealthySchoolsNYC.org

Official Statement - February 20th, 2023
The Democratic Committee of Richmond County's Response to Governor Ron DeSantis' Visit to Staten Island

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