Hello,

My name is Theo Chino, and I am one of the 23 candidates running for the office of Public Advocate in the election that will take place in February 2019. I am a computer engineer, and I was laid-off by Spectrum after Charter merged with Time Warner Cable.

I decided to run for Public Advocate after witnessing how disconnected from reality elected officials are when it comes to the use of technology. This affects everything from NYCHA, to the NYPD, to the subways. Technology is so profoundly embedded everywhere, yet it seems that none of our elected officials understand it.

We need to change how we do things.

I would like you to run for a democratic party position, pledge to help me get on the ballot and donate $10 to my campaign.

To change things and to get on the ballot you need to sign a petition form. Click here to sign the form. (I will use this information ONLY to validate your voter information against the latest voter file.)

I am running because there is something wrong with the state of politics today.

Except for a few good politicians, our Democratic party leaders are incapable of adapting to a society based on transparency and social media. They like to do everything behind closed doors. I feel like a political character in Scorsese’s movie Gangs of New York.

To make change we need to do it together!

That’s why I want you to meet with fellow Democrats in your neighborhood and decide who could represent your block at your borough County Committee. It’s two or three meetings a year, and it doesn’t require more than 40 hours of your time a year. It can have a tremendous impact!

These are the meetings where you tell the local politicians what you need to make your block better – add a speed bump, put the bike lane on the other side, change parking hours, or even whether New York City should sign the Paris climate accord.

The Public Advocate might not be the most powerful position in New York City. Some council people even want to have it abolished. However, when I’ve pressed them to give me a well-constructed reason, they are not capable of elaborating why the position should be eliminated.

The process for you to get on your County Committee is the same as me getting on the ballot for Public Advocate. You will need to petition. I will walk you through the process.

If you live in Manhattan or Staten Island, the petition window will be from mid-June 2019 to mid-July 2019. If you live in the Bronx, Queens or Brooklyn, the petition window will be from mid-June 2020 to mid-July 2020.

The first step is to verify your registration in the voter file.

#1. Right now, confirm your voter registration.
#2. From January 3rd to January 20, 2019, download the petition, sign it and return it via postal service.
#3. February/March 2019, vote for Theo Chino for Public Advocate
If you live in Manhattan and Staten Island (2020 for the other boroughs.)

#4.

    • Between now and June 2019, touch base with your County Committee to see if your block is represented.

#5.

    • June-July 2019, petition to get on the ballot.

#6.

    • September 2019, vote for yourself.

#7.

    • September 2019, attend your first County Committee meeting and bring a good book!

The meeting will take place on a weekday, and depending on your borough; it can be as long as 4 hours or as short as 5 minutes. Either way, the leadership makes it impossible so they can keep engagement low. That is the change we are trying to make by inviting you to join us, but we know it won’t happen overnight.

 

As the public advocate I will be able to bring the change we need to make our city more harmonious, so join me and take the first step by verifying your voter registration.