Ben Wetzler
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voteben.nyc
Ben Wetzler
@voteben.nyc
2.7K followers 560 following 550 posts
2025 candidate for NYC Council. Fmr East Side Democratic District Leader. Public servant. Views do not reflect those of my employer. www.voteben.nyc
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voteben.nyc
Federalist No. 74 specifically deals with this issue- what if the president sympathizes with an insurrection. Hamilton argues that it may be necessary to pardon traitors in high stakes ceasefire negotiations. That's obviously irrelevant now, as Jan. 6 was >4 years ago.
guides.loc.gov/federalist-p...
It deserves particular attention, that treason will often be connected with seditions which embrace a large proportion of the community; as lately happened in Massachusetts. In every such case, we might expect to see the representation of the people tainted with the same spirit which had given birth to the offense. And when parties were pretty equally matched, the secret sympathy of the friends and favorers of the condemned person, availing itself of the good-nature and weakness of others, might frequently bestow impunity where the terror of an example was necessary. On the other hand, when the sedition had proceeded from causes which had inflamed the resentments of the major party, they might often be found obstinate and inexorable, when policy demanded a conduct of forbearance and clemency. But the principal argument for reposing the power of pardoning in this case to the Chief Magistrate is this: in seasons of insurrection or rebellion, there are often critical moments, when a welltimed offer of pardon to the insurgents or rebels may restore the tranquillity of the commonwealth; and which, if suffered to pass unimproved, it may never be possible afterwards to recall. The dilatory process of convening the legislature, or one of its branches, for the purpose of obtaining its sanction to the measure, would frequently be the occasion of letting slip the golden opportunity. The loss of a week, a day, an hour, may sometimes be fatal.
November 10, 2025 at 2:16 PM
voteben.nyc
This isn't the same as "last time you moved" but close enough.

For the record: the belief that being born somewhere makes your opinion more valuable than someone else's is both dumb and un-American.
Exit poll asking how long you have lived in NYC, showing Mamdani overwhelmingly won recent transplants while Cuomo had a narrow majority of people born in NYC.
November 5, 2025 at 10:36 PM
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Yeah they are. Click "AD details," then select a borough. It'll take you to the assembly district table.
Table of Manhattan AD election returns.
November 5, 2025 at 2:35 AM
voteben.nyc
Omni-Man saying "that's the neat thing, it's not"
November 2, 2025 at 5:45 PM
voteben.nyc
Up up and away
Me dressed as Clark Kent
October 31, 2025 at 11:14 PM
voteben.nyc
✅️✅️✅️✅️✅️✅️
Two "Manhattan votes early" stickers.
October 27, 2025 at 5:28 PM
voteben.nyc
No kings. No slaves. No Nazis.
Two people in dinosaur costumes and a person in a bear costume at the No Kings protest in Manhattan. A group holding a banner for the Four Freedoms Democratic Club in front of the crowd. A large crowd of protestors in Times Square in Manhattan. A woman, a guy (me), and an older man at the protest holding signs.
October 18, 2025 at 6:20 PM
voteben.nyc
Crowd of protestors in Times Square in Manhattan
October 18, 2025 at 6:06 PM
voteben.nyc
A pastor praying, with the caption "Jesus, I see what you've done for other people, and I want that for me."
October 10, 2025 at 4:52 PM
voteben.nyc
When I ran for City Council I could only respond to text messages during my lunch break because I was a state employee and if any of them were from supporters that could be considered doing politics with government resources...
US Department of Housing and Urban Development website with a giant red banner reading "The Radical Left are going to shut down the government and inflict massive pain on the American people unless they get their $1.5 trillion wish list of demands. The Trump administration wants to keep the government open for the American people."
September 30, 2025 at 1:40 PM
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Such cowards. They want to be live in a dictatorship so badly and the moment they get a little pushback they run and hide.
Deadline FCC Chairman Says His "Easy Way or the Hard Way" Comment About Jimmy Kimmel Wasn't Meant as a Threat to Pull Licenses if ABC Didn't Fire Him Twitter screen shot Kevin McHale: this was all in Project 2025, btw Brendan Carr: [meme of Jack Nicholson nodding *yes*]
September 23, 2025 at 12:44 AM
voteben.nyc
Like, this is very much not a person who saw this as "kids stuff" or charity. It's a comprehensive vision for how to use new technology to advance national prosperity and egalitarian values, and Big Bird is a part of it.
www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/re...
Television is still a young invention. But we have learned already that it has immense--even revolutionary--power to change, to change our lives. I hope that those who lead the Corporation will direct that power toward the great and not the trivial purposes. At its best, public television would help make our Nation a replica of the old Greek marketplace, where public affairs took place in view of all the citizens. What hath man wrought? And how will man use his miracles? The answer just begins with public broadcasting. In 1862, the Morrill Act set aside lands in every State--lands which belonged to the people--and it set them aside in order to build the land-grant colleges of the Nation. So today we rededicate a part of the airwaves--which belong to all the people--and we dedicate them for the enlightenment of all the people. I believe the time has come to stake another claim in the name of all the people, stake a claim based upon the combined resources of communications. I believe the time has come to enlist the computer and the satellite, as well as television and radio, and to enlist them in the cause of education.
July 17, 2025 at 2:32 PM
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If (like most ppl) you haven't read the Declaration of Independence since high school, I'd recommend it. It's kind of stunning how many basic tenants of liberal democracy we take for granted that are now slipping away (TLDR: the whole thing is about due process, immigration, and tariffs).
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands. He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers. He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries. He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance. He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures. He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power. For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world: For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury: For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences: For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies: For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments: For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever. He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us. He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. Flag of the Pennsylvania "Hanover Associator" volunteer militia from 1775. It's a red background with a rifleman wearing green and the words "liberty or death" in a yellow ribbon at the bottom.
July 4, 2025 at 2:35 PM
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The website is hilarious, BTW. Not even a pretend attempt at transparency. The link to Follow the Money doesn't show anything since they haven't filed a disclosure. Just gonna flout the law and pay the fines next week, after it no longer matters.
@boreskes.bsky.social
eastsidecommittee.com/
A bare bones website called "committee for the east side in support of Democrat Virginia Maloney for New York City Council 4th District. Paid for by Committee for the East Side. Brice Peyre, treasurer. Not expressly or otherwise authorized or requested by any candidate or the candidate’s committee or agent. More information at nyc.gov/FollowTheMoney"
June 23, 2025 at 5:50 PM
voteben.nyc
I appreciate @nytimes.com reporting on the obscene amounts of PAC spending in this race but maybe they could have mentioned this new one advertising on their site, run by fmr Congress Member Carolyn Maloney's COS that has not filed a single disclosure with the CFB... www.nytimes.com/2025/06/23/n...
Their race, like others, has been swamped by mailers and digital advertising from outside groups backed by companies such as DoorDash and the billionaires Bill Ackman and Steven Roth, who have also supported Mr. Trump and former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, the front-runner in the mayor’s race. Ms. Maloney has been by far the biggest beneficiary in her race of this outside support, with $450,000 backing her.
June 23, 2025 at 5:04 PM
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@nadler.house.gov had the foresight to oppose the Iraq War from the beginning. I am glad to see his condemnation of the dangerous military escalation by the Trump Administration.
A tweet from Congress Member Jerry Nadler on X saying: "The President’s decision to bomb Iran was grossly unconstitutional, since only Congress has the power to declare war. The President’s action will without a doubt lead to many American, Israeli and Iranian deaths and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms."
June 22, 2025 at 10:50 AM
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Major car crash on the East Side. Thankfully nobody appears to have been hurt.
NYPD at the site of a car crash that took down a bunch of scaffolding.
June 16, 2025 at 9:48 PM
voteben.nyc
Early voting starts today. Before you vote, ask yourself what kind of Democrat you want: one who has spent the last 8 years tirelessly fighting against America's authoritarian backsliding, or one from the MAGA PAC's "anyone but Ben" list. Polls open 9:00 AM-5:00 PM.
Ben Wetzler at an anti-Trump protest holding a "No King Any Time" sign in front of a statue of George Washington An election mailer paid for by MAGA billionaire Bill Ackman and other corporate donors encouraging voters to leave Ben Wetzler off their ballots.
June 14, 2025 at 12:21 PM
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Cool thing to happen. MAGA billionaire intentionally telling people *not* to vote for you.
Campaign mailer saying: 3 champions. 1 ballot. 3 easy steps. YOUR POWER Use ranked choice voting to elect ONLY these three incredible candidates- in any order you like, and nobody else. 1) rank any one of our champions #1 2) rank another #2 3l rank the third #3 That's it! Leave the remaining spots blank to keep your vote strong and undiluted. Vote. Rank. Win. Let's bring real leadership to the council. Election day is Tuesday, June 24 Early voting is June 14 - June 22 Polls are open 6 am to 9 pm Paid for by New Yorkers for a Better Future 2025. Jeffrey Leb treasurer. Top three donkrs: William A Ackman. Two Trees KG LLC. Liberty Views Associates LP.
June 12, 2025 at 1:47 AM
voteben.nyc
Final 2 weeks of the campaign!!!

We have a few last minute expenses we need covered. If you would like to see a Council Member on Manhattan's East Side who will champion new housing, safer streets, and public transit, please make a contribution here:
contribute.nycvotes.org/campaigns/be...
Ben Wetzler, Council District 4, Manhattan (Open Seat), Ranked Choice #1 – Ben Wetzler, a housing policy expert and former Democratic District Leader, is our pick for the open seat currently held by term-limited Council Member Keith Powers. Mr. Wetzler is committed to fighting for a return to year-round outdoor dining, and for implementation of the proposed busway across 34th Street. He was a strong supporter of congestion pricing before the program's results made it a more popular position, and for the pedestrianization of the Queensborough Bridge's South Outer Roadway, which just, finally, came to fruition. He'd like to bring back the Open Street next to St. Vartan Park on East 35th Street, and create an adjacent School Street for the River School. Mr. Wetzler will also push for completion of the East River Greenway, and to lower neighborhood speed limits in accordance with Sammy's Law. You can sign up to help his campaign here.
June 11, 2025 at 5:55 PM
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Elon had a choice between being a centi-billionaire in a country where his life and property were protected by laws or being one in a dictatorship where a senile old man can take it all away and I hope he realizes that he chose wrong.
Tweet from Elon Musk at 3:04 AM on June 11, 2025 with 16.1M views, saying "I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far."
June 11, 2025 at 1:29 PM
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Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, in the Galactic Senate chamber, proposing that Palpatine be given emergency dictatorial powers.
May 29, 2025 at 10:09 PM
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This proposal is atrocious, will save the City no money, and completely disincentivizes voucher recipients from holding down jobs. If it's still in effect when I take office, I will introduce legislation to reverse it on my first day.
By Annie McDonough | May 19, 2025 A diverse coalition of advocacy organizations including shelter provider Win, the Legal Aid Society and the Real Estate Board of New York are teaming up to oppose a proposed rent hike for some New York City housing voucher recipients. A new rule proposed by Mayor Eric Adams’ administration would increase the portion of income that certain CityFHEPS housing voucher recipients would pay toward their rent. Voucher recipients with earned income and renewing for a sixth year would pay 40% of their income on rent – up from 30%. The city told Gothamist last month that the rules change would impact a quarter of voucher recipients, but officials have since revised that estimate down to 3-4% – or about 1,800 households for the next fiscal year.
May 21, 2025 at 11:35 AM
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57th and 2nd. Truck parked illegally in the bus lane with its hazards on. Bus can't get by. Cop tells the driver to move, he says to write the ticket, company will pay it.

The fine for this kinda thing should triple every time it happens. Otherwise it's just a cost of doing business.
A cop writing a ticket for an illegally parked truck in the bus lane. The bus can't get by to pick up passengers.
May 13, 2025 at 4:35 PM
voteben.nyc
"We're developing a situation where a whole group of young people is growing up having no real sense about how our system of justice works."

I don't know if I still count as young, but when I was in school they taught us the president had to follow the law. Is that not how it works?
term view Monday. He blamed schools for shortchanging civics education and leaving students with little understanding of the structure of US government or the role of the courts. "That's really too bad," the chief justice told graduating students at the law school. "We're developing a situation where a whole group of young people is growing up having no real sense about how our system of justice works."
May 13, 2025 at 12:26 PM