Ithaca Democratic Socialists of America

Ithaca Democratic Socialists of America is an upstate New York affiliate of Democratic Socialists of America.

Backing Pillar and LaFave

In 2021 Ithaca Democratic Socialists of America endorsed two candidates running for Tompkins County legislature: Nicole LaFave, who is running for District 1, and Veronica Pillar, who is running for District 2.

These endorsements add to Ithaca DSA’s already active role organizing around the June 22 Democratic primary — they are also backing the Ithaca Solidarity Slate of Common Council candidates in a joint effort with the Ithaca Tenants Union.

“The working people of Ithaca have suffered under converging crises that aren’t addressed by the centrist status quo. We need a people-powered movement at the city and county level, the kind that is reflected in the progressive agenda of Nicole LaFave and Veronica Pillar,” said Aurora Rojer, chair of the Ithaca DSA. “Not only are we working hard to elect these progressive allies, but we are planning to continue collaborating with them while they are in office.”

“The DSA does great work that is firmly centered on human rights and grassroots power,” Pillar said. “I'm grateful for their endorsement and excited to work alongside them in Tompkins County to fight for justice in all forms and push policies that support people without barriers.”

LaFave wrote, “We are excited and grateful to join forces with DSA to continue building a grassroots, people-powered movement in Ithaca and to fight all forms of oppression that keep us away from true freedom and liberation. The county legislature can play a key role in this fight, and I look forward to working with DSA on implementing transformative policies in Tompkins County.”

LaFave and Pillar’s platforms align with the Ithaca Solidarity Slate in prioritizing a living wage, housing justice, support for unions, and antiracist policies that target police brutality, the criminal justice system, and economic inequity. Both county legislature candidates are active organizers in Ithaca around the issue of racial injustice: LaFave is a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter Ithaca chapter, and Pillar is a longtime organizer for Ithaca’s chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ).

Ithaca Solidarity Slate

Elect Shaniya Foster, Phoebe Brown, and George Defendini for Ithaca Common Council 2021.

“Healthcare: Crisis & Solution”

Ithaca Democratic Socialists of America January 23, 2018.

Ithaca Democratic Socialists of America presents #775: “Healthcare: Crisis & Solution.” The Ithaca Free Clinic provides healthcare for free to people who can’t afford it. Executive Director Norbert Mccloskey and Clinic Coordinator Luz Rivera tell Deirdre Silverman that the numbers are increasing, even with the ACA in place. Susan Soboroff, family physician, then explains how the New York Health Act — statewide single payer — would cover everyone.

Ithaca DSA Officers

• Ithaca Democratic Socialists of America Officers AUGUST 15, 2021.
• Annika Rowland - Chair
• __________ - ViceChair
• Sabrina Leddy - Secretary
• Wayles Browne - Treasurer

• Ithaca Democratic Socialists of America Officers 2021.
• Aurora Rojer - Chair
• Andrew Curtis - ViceChair
• David Foote - Secretary
• Wayles Browne - Treasurer

Officers, 2011

Ithaca Democratic Socialists of America Officers, 2011;

• Marty Luster, Chair
• Petra Hepburn, ViceChair
• Theresa Alt, Secretary
• Wayles Browne, Treasurer

Officers 2014

• Chuck Wynns - Chair
• Shari Korthuis - Vice Chair
• Theresa Alt - Secretary
• Wayles Browne - Treasurer

Officers 2018

• David Foote - Chair
• Chuck Wynns - Vice Chair
• Theresa Alt - Secretary
• Wayles Browne - Treasurer

Ithaca DSA Meeting

Ithaca DSA Meeting Hosted by Ithaca Democratic Socialists of America.

Sunday, March 12 at 12 PM - 2 PM EDT

Tompkins County Workers Center, 115 E State St, Ithaca, New York 14850.

Interested

• Dale Cunningham
• Kevin Hines
• Stevie Klaark
• Linda Yanna
• George Berry
• Sophie Faller
• Jane Gl'a-ubperson
• Jaimi Hendrix
• Lauren Hill

Went

• Tom Eisenberg
• Leslie Brack
• Caroline Walker
• Eric Chen

Meeting Henry Granison

Ithaca Democratic Socialists of America January 8, 2018;

Ithaca DSA housing committee members, as well as DSA 3rd Ward residents, met with newly elected Tompkins County Legislator Henry Granison (wearing socialist red) to discuss the need for affordable housing in TC. We also talked tax abatements and paying construction workers a living wage.

Unionizing baristas

Ithaca Democratic Socialists of America November 27, 2017;

Ithaca Democratic Socialists of America Presents # 772: “Labor Day Awards 2017” Rob Brown, Sam Mason, Pete Meyers, Ellen David Friedman, Megan Graham, Shoshe Cole, Rachel Gunderson, David Kornreich, Dave Marsh, Angela Cornell, Leni Hochman, Eric Evans and Lindsay Mercer tell us about unionizing baristas at Gimme!, the Ithaca College faculty fired three, help from the Cornell Labor Law Clinic, workers supporting the Robin Fund, unionbusting at Cornell, and bad building practices of Cayuga Medical Center. Recorded September 4, 2017.

"Voices America Misunderstood"

In 1991 Ithaca DSA sponsored a discussion entitled "Voices America Misunderstood:Middle Eastern Attitudes on the Gulf War," with Cornell professor Shibley Telhami.

Anti Globalization activity

The Ithaca local had been working on issues of globalization for a long time, leading local opposition to NAFTA back in 1993 and opposition to MAI in 1998 and producing several videos on globalization. So, "when we heard about the upcoming WTO meeting to be held in Seattle last fall , we already had background and strong networks. We invited an activist, Raj Patel, to speak on grassroots resistance to the WTO at our October meeting, joined in welcoming the People’s Global Action Caravan, made a video of the Cornell campus November 30 rally against the WTO - and had it playing on community access cable TV within a week. Our February meeting with another speaker on globalization was the catalyst for the formation of the Ithaca Coalition for Global Justice". •

Cuba trip

In 2000, "several of our members traveled to Cuba and then held a fascinating discussion on the question of whether Cuba would be able to preserve its egalitarian values and its organic agriculture once it becomes part of the globalized economy".

2008 elections

In Ithaca, New York, Theresa Alt reports that DSA and single-payer activists had first supported Eric Massa when he barely lost his first bid for Congress in 2006. In addition to being an advocate of single payer health care, Massa is a retired career Navy officer who wants to get out of Iraq and supports fair trade. This year a coalition of DSA, single-payer backers, PDA, and the peace movement mobilized early in the campaign, helping raise funds at a key point. “We are delighted to announce that he won by a little over 5,000 votes,” says Alt.

Ithaca DSAers joined with Progressive Democrats of America members, healthcare activists, peace activists and others to hold a series of house parties raising funds for Eric Massa, who is in a close race for Congress in New York’s 29th District. He campaigns on single-payer health care and getting out of Iraq.