Aid in Dying
Chair: John Wagner

We advocate for end-of-life legislation and policy reform.  We held an educational forum on the need for a “Medical Aid in Dying” Act in New York where the reservations and incorporated safeguards were discussed. Subsequently, we adopted a resolution supporting Medical Aid in Dying. Our objectives include keeping club members educated and engaged in advocacy for passage of the Medical Aid in Dying Act (A.2694/S.03947) or its successors; and collaborating with with other advocacy groups, most notably Compassion & Choice, in promoting passage of the bill


Climate and Environment
Co-Chairs:  Jane Lindberg & Amy Schwartz

We advocate for high quality and well-funded public school education for all students in New York City.  Our budgetary, policy and legislative advocacy addresses inequities and other critical issues impacting New York City public schools, and encourages community activism through educational policy forums. Current key advocacy objectives include: opposing budget cuts and sustaining education programs funded with expiring federal COVID-relief funds; increasing access to mental health services to address the student mental health crisis; strengthening academic support and civics education to prepare students for success and effective civic engagement; and expanding arts education to educate the whole child and meet New York State requirements.

We advocate for policies, budgets and legislation that ensures quality and equitable health care for all residents of New York City.  Our objectives include securing access to fair and affordable health care and insurance in every New York community; combatting cuts to and seek reforms of state and federally funded health programs; fighting for reproductive rights and access to abortion services for all, including supporting abortion providers; and advocating for the passage of the NY Health Act. We join the Senior Working Group to advocate against federal cuts to Medicaid and other health programs, and collaborated with the FFDC NYS ERA Working Group to support constitutional protections for abortion rights. We partner with like-minded organizations, conduct club education programs and organize advocacy activities, such as meetings with legislators and outreach campaigns.

We see the housing working group as a crucial voice for our community. We seek to discuss housing holistically, with an eye toward advocating for what we as an organization are the best steps forward to help solve our current dual housing and affordability crises. We will do that by inviting both elected leaders and issue advocates and experts to speak with us. And we aim to bring our most agreed upon policies forward -- the ones we believe it will be important for Four Freedoms to be on the record in support of or opposed to -- to the entire club for endorsement in the form of resolutions. 

Impact of Technology
Chair: Blair Dayton

The Impact of Technology Working Group is concerned with the rapidly advancing technology without education and engagement, that’s increasingly leaving communities at a disadvantage and government representatives less effective at protecting them.  Our objectives include advocating for legislation regarding technology that maintains or improves quality of life for members of the community; Educating members on various technologies and relevant legislation; and supporting other FFDC working groups with relevant information on technology and technology policies that may impact their work.

The RDP Working Group is committed to lead in reforming the Democratic Party specifically at the county level, but also to support efforts to do so at the State Committee level.  Our objectives include: collaborating with other Manhattan Democratic Clubs in order to fund, create and promote a county-wide, standardized, searchable network of websites for the use of all clubs in Manhattan.  We seek to   Initiate and collaborate with other clubs and District Leaders, in conjunction with our own District Leaders, to improve the transparency, operating efficiency and democracy of the County Committee through changes in rules and procedures governing the County Committee.  We aim to support the efforts of our State Committee members in reforming the State Committee.

The Science and Society Working Group will focus on the relationship among the scientific enterprise, the government, the economy, the environment, education, health, and our understanding of the natural world.  We will champion the value of basing policy decisions on sound science (the scientific method), the financial support of the scientific community at the national & state level, science education in schools and in the community, improved coverage of science in the media, fostering outreach by local institutions with scientific expertise, and related topics.  We will work with institutions, other FFDC Working Groups, and organizations that promote science-based policies and critical thinking.  We will support policies and advocate for legislation that enhance the impact of science on human thriving.