The lawsuit that Larry Sharpe of The Sharpe Way organized with Dani Zoldan of Stand Up NY against Governor Cuomo proved successful. Two days after Attorney James Mermigis, the “Anti-Shutdown Lawyer” brought suit, Cuomo announced that entertainment venues including comedy clubs would be able to reopen on April 2 at 33% capacity.

Larry Sharpe defeated Governor Andrew Cuomo with a four-pronged attack.

1. He convinced Dani Zoldan, the owner of Stand Up NY, to sue Governor Cuomo.
2. For over two months, Sharpe’s team discussed strategy and vetted many lawyers on behalf of Zoldan to find the perfect fit for the case. Constitutional lawyer James Mermigis had a history of defeating Cuomo. This track record put more pressure on Cuomo than that of a lawyer who has not achieved positive impact with anti-shutdown cases.
3. The teams partnered to produce a website and petition at LegalizeComedy.NYC to raise awareness.
4. Through Zoldan’s media connections, they put together a media blitz where Zoldan represented Stand Up NY on multiple media outlets including The New York Post, Fox & Friends, NY1, and blogs including ILoveTheUpperWestSide.com and Patch.com.

Cuomo’s announcement to unshutter entertainment venues came just hours after an appearance by Larry Sharpe and Dani Zoldan on Bernie and Sid in the Morning.

Sharpe believes that we can defeat Cuomo again, in court if not at the ballot box. Cuomo has done enormous harm to people and small businesses over the last year, and politicians are not holding him accountable. Cuomo’s bad policies resulted in a 40% surge in bankruptcies since the lockdown began, with over 6,000 New York businesses shut down by September 2020, according to Bloomberg. His incompetence also resulted in thousands of deaths that the Cuomo Administration under-reported by 50% as of January 19, according to the Associated Press.

Larry Sharpe ran for governor in 2018 because he was fed up with the poor leadership that is failing New York State. He continues to help the people of New York despite being a plain citizen who does not hold public office. People are already using nicknames like “Liberator Larry” to describe the man who is taking on Cuomo one lawsuit at a time.

“Culture is the key to New York City rebuilding. It’s time to let us heal.”

Larry Sharpe

PRESS CONTACT

Georgia Walker / Dennis Consorte
The Sharpe Way
Phone: 201-222-1001
Email: pr@sharpeway.com

The post “The Liberator” Larry Sharpe Beats Cuomo with Venue Lawsuit and Media Blitz appeared first on Larry Sharpe, Libertarian.

Comedy club owner Dani Zoldan filed suit against the Cuomo Administration for unfair treatment. With help from Larry Sharpe, the 2018 Libertarian Party candidate for Governor and host of The Sharpe Way, he retained Constitutional Attorney James Mermigis to reopen Stand Up NY following New York restaurant and bar guidelines.

Venues in New York have been shuttered since the pandemic began, while restaurants, bars, bowling alleys, pool halls and movie theaters have been able to operate. Venue owners have received no guidance as to when they can reopen. Many New York institutions have already closed permanently including Dangerfield’s—the legendary comedy club which opened in 1969.

Sharpe convinced Zoldan to sue the Cuomo Administration after seeing Zoldan’s efforts to revitalize the comedy industry by holding pop up shows in parks, rooftops, houses of worship and train stations. Elon Musk’s January 13th “legalize comedy” tweet fortified his confidence to move forward.

“When I heard that Stand Up NY, a wonderful venue that my campaign used often in 2018, fell victim to Governor Cuomo’s stranglehold on small business, I knew that I had to help.”

Larry Sharpe

The Sharpe Way team worked with Stand Up NY to retain Attorney James Mermigis of the Mermigis Law Group, P.C., who has a history of success against Cuomo in court. Known as the “Anti-Shutdown Lawyer,” he has filed over half-a-dozen lawsuits against the state, Governor Andrew Cuomo and NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio on behalf of small businesses in New York including theaters, pool halls, family entertainment centers, restaurants, and gyms. Mermigis filed a class action on behalf of 1,500 gyms in August. His lawsuit was instrumental in opening gyms throughout the State of New York, as Governor Cuomo issued guidance just days before oral arguments. Mermigis defeated Cuomo and his 17 pool hall clients were granted an injunction when a State Supreme Court Judge in Syracuse, NY found no rational basis for distinguishing between billiards halls, on the one hand, and bowling alleys, casinos, large stores, restaurants and airports, on the other hand. This victory was the only case to defeat Governor Cuomo on a “rational basis” theory in the State.

“In New York now, Saturday Night Live is doing live shows every week, Jimmy Fallon is doing live shows, Jazz Supper Clubs are open and restaurants with incidental live music are open but Stand Up NY is still shut down. The State’s refusal to open Stand Up NY amounts to an unconstitutional content-based restriction on speech. The State has no power to restrict expression because of its message, its ideas, its subject matter or its content.”

James Mermigis

The trio announced the lawsuit on The Sharpe Way show online, on Monday March  1, 2021. In addition to the lawsuit, they are asking people to support the reopening of Stand Up NY and to sign the petition at LegalizeComedy.NYC.

About Stand Up NY: A Manhattan landmark, Stand Up NY opened in 1986. Comics like Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld and Louis CK are regulars in what New York Magazine calls the “incubator of stand-up nobility.” Tucked into a residential block of 78th Street on the Upper West Side, it features superstars as well as the brightest young talent in the business.

About The Sharpe Way: The Sharpe Way show was founded by Larry Sharpe, the 2018 Libertarian Party candidate for Governor of New York  to help heal the nation’s political divide between liberals and conservatives.

PRESS CONTACT
media@standupny.com
(646) 229-1650 (voice/text)
Dani Zoldan

The post Stand Up NY Shutdown Lawsuit vs. Cuomo is No Laughing Matter appeared first on Larry Sharpe, Libertarian.

Reparations for slavery were promised at the end of the Civil War. Had they been granted, the Black community would be much stronger today. Instead of reparations, they were targeted by government sponsored racism and terrorism.

“There was a broken promise at the end of the Civil War. A great opportunity for reparations that would have changed the trajectory of our nation’s culture. 40 Acres and a mule fell apart and so did reparations for over 100 years,” says Larry Sharpe

A reparations program should last a generation, about 23 years, and then end according to Larry Sharpe, the 2018 Libertarian Party candidate for Governor of New York and host of The Sharpe Way. During that time, the following actions would help right a wrong, support more ownership culture in the Black community and encourage integration:

1. All property owned 51% or more by African Descendants of Slaves (ADOS) incur 1/2 property tax regardless of local laws: Residential or commercial, primary or investment. This encourages long-term investments as well as ownership and partnerships with the ADOS community.
2. All businesses owned 51% or more by ADOS incur 1/2 property tax regardless of local laws. This encourages shorter-term investments and profit schemes, as well as partnerships with the ADOS community.
3. All transfers of wealth to family members within the ADOS community is free regardless of taxes and/or fees. This encourages transfers of generation wealth down the family line, as well as up to older family members that may not want to engage in commercial activity.
4. End the War on Drugs and expunge all drug possession and selling convictions. Giving millions of ADOS a real second chance at life.

“Reparations can be a divisive issue and we need to find a solution that supports reconciliation and reconnection.”

Larry Sharpe

According to Sharpe, many Republicans and Democrats have expressed support for the plan when they heard it in full. This solution would not cost taxpayers directly. The encouragement to invest, start businesses, and partner with the community would create large boosts to the economy and in particular the Black community. This is exactly what the Black community, and all American communities need, according to Sharpe.

This means encouraging ownership, and this can be sped up through property and business advantages granted to ADOS and an end to the War on Drugs.

“The biggest issue in the Black Community is lack of generational wealth and Ownership. To right this wrong we need an answer that encourages ownership in the Black community.”

Larry Sharpe

Cash payouts can actually create long-term harm, as seen with lottery winners and structured settlement recipients. In the long-term, Sharpe believes that we must deal with a huge problem in the Black community, the lack of generational wealth and ownership. Rapper and activist, Killer Mike says that trying to live off of Black businesses is “damn near impossible.”  If we help create both, it will benefit Black families and Black communities.

The distance of slavery from today makes the American people feel less and less connected to it. Many would like to forget the past, but we are still living with the consequences of broken promises.

“It is difficult to repair a wrong from so long ago. It feels like ancient history to most Americans and many feel disconnected from it.”

Larry Sharpe

Slavery, racism, and Jim Crow have taught too many Black Americans that they cannot get ahead. African Americans who did get ahead often found themselves the targets of violence. Consequently, so many learned to keep their heads down and not get too attached to anything, according to Sharpe.

The end of Jim Crow did not end systemic racism. Many laws passed under Jim Crow are still on the books. New forms of discrimination emerged like the racially motivated war on drugs. These programs ensured the Black community continued to be suppressed.

“The biggest issue in the Black Community is lack of generational wealth and Ownership. To right this wrong we need an answer that encourages ownership in the Black community.”

Larry Sharpe

Congress seems to be taking reparations seriously, but Sharpe fears they will drop the ball as they’ve done often in the past.  As we continue to debate this high-profile topic, it is important to keep our eyes on the goal: A strong and inclusive America, built on trust.

“Recently Ice Cube has been frustrated with the response to his  Contract with Black America. Neither party has shown any real interest in acting!”

Larry Sharpe

Wealthy members of the Black community do not need reparations. The people who do need help do not need a handout, either. They need a pathway to a better life. We can turn more members of the Black community into owners. Making people strong is the best way to achieve social justice, and will be a huge step towards inclusion and equity, according to Sharpe.

PRESS CONTACT
Georgia Walker / Dennis Consorte
The Sharpe Way
Phone: 201-222-1001
Email: pr@sharpeway.com

The post Zero Cost Reparations Plan Proposed by Black Libertarian, Larry Sharpe has Mass Appeal appeared first on Larry Sharpe, Libertarian.

New York, New York, February 22, 2021: In the wake of the Texas Winter Storm disaster, many are asking, “Is New York next?”

“Texas is a warning for New York. Let’s heed it and change before it’s too late.”

Larry Sharpe

Larry Sharpe, the 2018 Libertarian Party candidate for Governor and host of The Sharpe Way, calls on Andrew Cuomo and his administration to take accountability for the New York Power grid. If the state doesn’t act soon, New York could face a disaster bigger than the deadly Northeast Blackout of 2003 that cost 11 lives and $6 billion while 50 million people were without power for two days. In the wake of the Nursing Home Scandal, Larry Sharpe questions Governor Cuomo’s commitment to the people of the city and state of New York.

“Currently, New York lacks accountability, just like Texas. Swap ERCOT for NYISO and you have the same recipe for imminent catastrophic failure.”

Larry Sharpe

Under Governor Cuomo, serious harm has been done to electricity infrastructure for New England and the state of New York.

New York is vulnerable in several key areas:

• No plan for increased demand
  This is the most impactful issue in New York. As demand increases, supply must also increase or people will suffer and lives will be put at risk.
  Governor Cuomo has actively thwarted plans to increase the natural gas supply for New York. He has banned new pipelines and hydraulic fracking. FERC has projected rolling blackouts to start during winter months as early as 2024 due to increased demand. This is an unacceptable failure of the Cuomo administration.
• Immobility of power
  When the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant shuts down, the lack of a replacement will make New York City especially vulnerable, despite being integrated into the larger Eastern power grid.
• Natural Gas Freeze-offs
  During cold weather, gas wells can freeze and go offline. New York is dependent on Pennsylvanian wells which are susceptible to freeze off.
• Renewables go offline during cold weather
  Windmills can freeze and solar farms don’t work when covered by snow.

“New York needs more entry point substations to bring in energy from Pennsylvania, New England and Canada and sponsor them to remove taxpayer burden.  In addition, New York must be open to Gen IV Nuclear energy in North County. We should be exporting, not importing energy!”

Larry Sharpe

Texas is recovering from their worst and largest power failure in history. Their grid was vulnerable because of neglect and a lack of accountability. New York has many of the same problems. Not only is nothing being done, the current administration is undermining efforts to take proactive action and putting lives at risk.

We need more transparency and accountability at the highest level in order to avoid a repeat of a preventable power disaster.

PRESS CONTACT

Georgia Walker / Dennis Consorte
The Sharpe Way
Phone: 201-222-1001
Email: pr@sharpeway.com

The post The Texas Power Outage: Here’s Why New York May Be Next, Thanks to Cuomo appeared first on Larry Sharpe, Libertarian.

Texas has an accountability problem. The technology and capacity for solutions exist, so why is the infrastructure inadequate?

Larry Sharpe, the 2018 Libertarian Party candidate for Governor and host of The Sharpe Way, discussed the Texas winter storm crisis on a recent show. He proposed innovative solutions that have been tested and proved reliable in prior disasters.

More than 4 million residents are without power and many have no way to heat their homes. Dozens are dead and there is no end in sight to the crisis. Mr. Sharpe points out that decentralized markets with independent fiduciary accountability are the most powerful solution available, and this system has the flexibility to adjust to unprecedented conditions.

Unprecedented events occur every day. Yet somehow, actuaries are consistently able to mitigate the financial risks for their clients.  Over the last year, many states have had massive outages. The largest power failure in US history occurred in 2003. Despite this and many other disasters and warnings, Texas, California, and other states are unprepared for disaster. Why can’t these states benefit from actuarial acumen?

Many critics are calling for additional government oversight. This solution did nothing to help the residents of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and FEMA is unable to respond effectively to large-scale problems.

The problem with FEMA is the same with ERCOT. Inadequate accountability and transparency leads to missing or insufficient contingency plans. Funding is also a serious issue. If we hold organizations financially responsible for these events, industry will find ways to mitigate risk and prepare for catastrophic incidents, without a need for additional oversight or taxpayer investment.

“The key is not oversight, but accountability!”

Larry Sharpe

Massive power outages hit the US with alarming frequency, due mainly to inadequate infrastructure. The aftermath of the 2003 blackout did not include preparing for the future. One side blames Green Energy Initiatives, pointing at frozen wind turbines. Others are calling for greater regulation. These are not the problems, despite popular interest. The problems are much more detailed and require a system change to be addressed. Energy Policy Consultant, Russ Clark, explains in this article.

Fiduciary accountability is the key. Right now all anyone can do is point the finger. Everyday, industries like tech and finance manage disasters with speed and flexibility, keeping human impacts to a minimum.

In a mature marketplace, responsibility falls on corporate associations and insurance providers. If fiduciaries fail, the individuals involved go to jail and lose their money. This responsibility keeps the powerful accountable.  This combination of accountability and oversight is missing in current electricity providers.

Insurance and an open marketplace provide robust solutions when the government is powerless.

People are frustrated and angry, and vulnerable populations are hurting. Green energy and Natural gas equipment was not prepared for more than a 2-day freeze.

ERCOT, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, regulates the generation and distribution of electricity in Texas. Accountability is spread out and distributed to the point where no one individual has the power to respond. This lack of accountability means no one prepares for disasters, and no one is held responsible, not even when people die. The result has been rolling blackouts with only short windows of electricity for millions of homes.

“Texas needs to continue with a decentralized system to defend against a full state collapse. But, it must also have a brokered insurance system to be able to fairly provide energy in crisis and well as an improved substation infrastructure to be able to import energy effectively when required.”

Larry Sharpe

The State wasn’t prepared for the increase in usage from a boom in population. There is anger and disbelief at the chaos in Texas, and at the lack of effective action.

The local distribution of natural gas helped. It allowed for some Texans to get energy instead of the entire state going down. But when disasters hit and there is an inadequate supply or resources, price gouging is the result.

Larry Sharpe believes there is much more we can do. With an industry tested risk mitigation system, decentralized grids and new technologies, we can and should prepare for the future with the best chances for success.

The post Texas Power Outage Disaster: It Was Not the Markets or Green Energy. It Was a Lack of Accountability—Larry Sharpe appeared first on Larry Sharpe, Libertarian.

Social media has fractured every aspect of our lives, both socially and politically. People are more confused and polarized than ever. What’s it like to grow up in a fractured, polarized, and confused world? In our interview, Larry spoke about these, and other ideas.

Why This Matters to Larry

Larry’s generation grew up in classrooms and on playgrounds. The children and adults in his life were mostly constant, with a few people moving in and out from time to time, but his world felt reasonably static and stable. Finding love, respect, and purpose in a static community was already difficult before the Millennium, but today things have changed in deep, and apparently permanent, ways.

The root of happiness is respect, love, and purpose, and you find those things in your community.

Larry Sharpe

People’s social lives change so rapidly today that the traditional sense of community has been shattered. We change jobs more often, our workplace stretches across continents and cultures, and we are more likely to move thousands of miles away from where we grew up. What happened?

The Rise of Big Tech

Social media happened. The Internet and the Information Age have revolutionized our personal networks. The unintended consequences of making it easier to connect has completely changed the paradigm of personal relationships. On the one hand, it has opened up the whole world to us, on the other, the vast access to people and information has become a flood of chaos.

I asked Larry how kids can even survive, let alone be happy and find their way in such a complicated world. His response was illuminating:

My daughter was watching PewDiePie, and I asked ‘why are you watching this’, and she said ‘because I feel like I’m with him.’

Larry Sharpe

PewDiePie is one of the most popular personalities on the Internet today, and he is popular because he gives kids today a sense of community. The root of happiness is respect, love, and purpose, and if you find those three things you’re quite likely to be happy. But once you have them you have to maintain them. It’s like what the Red Queen said in Through the Looking Glass (Lewis Carroll). You have to run as fast as you can just to say in one place.

Personalities online, streaming services, and online gaming platforms give the participants a sense of community, but only as long as they deepen and strengthen their relationships with the individual. People are forging their own unique personal identities out of the fractured pieces to today’s social landscape.

Watch the interview with Larry Sharpe to learn more.

The post Fractured Communities and the Path to Happiness appeared first on Larry Sharpe, Libertarian.