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TESTIMONY
Testimony by Keanu Arpels Josiah from Fridays for Future NYC against jungle primaries
4:12:02
·
140 sec
Keanu Arpels Josiah, representing Fridays for Future New York City, testifies in strong opposition to the "jungle primary" system.
He argues that the proposal is distinct from true open primaries and would be disastrous for his generation's engagement.
He believes the system undermines the logic of primaries, amplifies the power of money over organizing, and takes power away from a generation that has only recently begun to claim it through grassroots efforts.
- Arpels Josiah distinguishes the "jungle primary" proposal from other forms of open primaries.
- He argues it would make it harder for community-backed candidates to break through crowded, expensive fields.
- He points to historic youth turnout in the recent primary as evidence that the current system is beginning to work for young people.
- He sees the proposal as a move to disempower the very people who have learned to organize effectively.
Sidharth Ghoshal
4:12:02
Hello.
4:12:03
Wow.
4:12:03
That's really loud.
4:12:04
It's my first time testifying like this.
4:12:06
My name is Sid.
4:12:07
I'm a resident of Queens.
4:12:08
I don't have a fancy title to give you guys.
4:12:12
So yeah.
4:12:18
You have an enormous, enormous privilege in front of you, Commission.
4:12:23
The type of thing that people write textbooks after, the things that end up as a section where they're like, on 2025, that was the year when New York reached a different level of freedom, a different level of prosperity.
4:12:36
The simple fact of the matter is that if you don't put this vote up for open primaries right now, we don't know when it's gonna happen next.
4:12:46
Independents like myself have never had a chance to vote in these kinds of primaries.
4:12:50
We've never had a chance to be able to raise our voices, and it's truly, truly a political disaster, if anything.
4:12:56
I'd like to take some time to address a couple points I've heard.
4:13:00
I think it's a little sad that a bunch of very, very powerful people have been able to say a lot of just generally untrue things.
4:13:08
I mean, the first thing I wanna start with very early in the afternoon, the following quote, what is the point of political parties if we have open primaries?
4:13:15
Do you, as a commission, truly believe that political parties will cease to exist if open primaries come about?
4:13:21
I don't think so.
4:13:22
I think you all know the answer to that as well.
4:13:25
People say that, oh, you shouldn't have open primaries because it's only gonna be a marginal improvement.
4:13:30
Well, I don't know.
4:13:31
Maybe this is too humble, but I think having a dollar in my pocket is better than having an empty pocket.
4:13:36
I think the simple fact of the matter is that if you can get even one more person to vote with an open primary, it is absolutely worth it.
4:13:43
I wanna be able to look at my kids, and I want to be able to tell them with great pride that I saw Richard Barry.
4:13:48
I saw Diane Diane Savino.
4:13:49
I saw Sharon Greenberg.
4:13:50
I wanna say all your names, but I don't have that much time.
4:13:53
That I saw all of you, and I saw you today, and you did something truly remarkable, something people make movies about, something people write in textbooks, that you allowed New Yorkers the right to vote for four open primaries.
4:14:06
You didn't even give a decision.
4:14:08
You just gave them permission to make a decision.
4:14:10
You gave them permission to vote on it.
4:14:12
Please.
4:14:13
Please.
4:14:13
Please.
4:14:13
I'm begging you.
4:14:14
I want a better world for my kids.
4:14:16
Please at least let this go to the ballot.
4:14:19
It is the least I can ask.
4:14:21
Thank you.