Bill Samuels (political activist)

In 1969, right out of law school, Samuels was one of the founders of the non-profit The Council of Economic Priorities (CEP).[2] The Council produced research on major public companies’ records on the environment, women and minority advancement, tobacco support, South Africa involvement, and other social issues.[13] It was an early predecessor of today’s Environmental, and Social  and Governance ( ESG) efforts.

Samuels raised money and supported John Kerry’s Vietnam Veterans Against the War March on Washington on April 23,1971.[14] This is where Kerry made the famous statement “how do you ask a man to be the last man to die in Vietnam?” [15]

In 2004, Samuels produced and financed George Butler's “Going Upriver, The Long War of John Kerry,” which was released during Kerry’s Presidential campaign and countered the Republican Swift Boat attacks.[16][17]

In January 2001, a group of largely minority school children were legally invited to Gramercy Park, the only private park in Manhattan. The students were from the near-by Washington Irving High School and belonged to a biology class that planned to examine plants and wildlife in the park. The Gramercy Park Trust has sovereignty over the park and one of the trustees ordered the student to leave and called the police.[18]

Samuels, who lived nearby, was “was disturbed enough” that he hired a major law firm and  financed a civil rights lawsuit. The suit alleged teachers and students heard the trustee say “the park is not for these kinds of kids” The students won $40,000 each.[18]

Samuels founded the Blue Tiger Democrats in 2004. The tiger was the symbol of the famous 911 fire engine brigade and became the symbol of the New York Democrats in the late 19th century.[15][19]

Blue Tiger believes that the Democratic Party needs to build into its regular voter activities, civic engagement projects such as senior computer training, VA Hospital support for the veterans, food drives, or roadway clear-ups.[19][15]

In addition to Blue Tiger’s New York State activity, Samuels met with Michigan Governor Granholn and she brought the Blue Tiger party to Michigan. The Blue Tiger program was adopted across the state.[19][15] The program is still active today.[20][21] For example, in 2022 the Manistee Democratic Party set up a Blue Tiger scholarship program.[20]

As a result of his father running with Mario Cuomo as his Lieutenant Governor in 1974, Samuels knew Andrew Cuomo well. When Cuomo was elected Governor in 2010, Samuels became an outspoken critic, both in the press and on television. He said "When history is written, he'll just be a mediocre governor that had a Nixon personality."[22][23]

Samuels even threatened to run to be his Lieutenant Governor in 2010 and 2014, not as an ally of Cuomo but as a check.[24][25]

In 2010 Samuels grew concerned about corruption in the State Senate Democratic Party. Particularly with the Democratic Majority Leader, Pedro Espada.[26][27]

Samuels opened offices in Espada's district and funded a major campaign to oust him. Espada was defeated and later sent to prison for five years for stealing from a non-profit.[28]

Samuels was a leader and the biggest financial supporter of the required New York State 2017 vote that asked the question: Shall there be a convention to revise the Constitution and amend the same.[26] He organized the Citizens Committee for an Effective Constitution, whose goal was to reform and update the New York State Constitution. He traveled the state with Brian Kolb, the Republican Assembly Minority leader, urging voters to approve the convention.[26]

Voters rejected the convention and Samuels said: “the measures’ defeat is a triumph for all of the enemies of reform in Albany.”[29]

He pursued one of his main suggestions: The need for an inclusive Equal Right Amendment. In 2017 he and State Senator Liz Kruger held a press briefing and submitted to the State Senate a constitutional amendment that not only covered women, but many other categories such as race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, or sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression. Later the legislature added reproductive healthcare and autonomy.[30][31]

The legislature approved it in January, 2023 and it is on the ballot in November, 2024 for approval by the voters.[32] The measure places New York at the forefront of legal efforts to protect reproductive rights for women after the Supreme Court voted down Roe V Wade.[33]

About one and half million private sector employees in New York City have no access to a retirement saving program unlike employees of large corporations. In response to this, Samuels designed a program called “ Retirement Security for All” and introduced it to the New York City Council. He said in a September 9, 2019 press conference with Mayor De Blasio, “EffectiveNY is enormously gratified and pleased to see this tremendous  progress towards providing all New Yorkers the means to retire with dignity.”[34]

It was signed into law on May 11, 2021, making it the first city in the nation to create a universal retirement program through their employers.[35]

In 2017, Samuels founded "21 in '21". At that time there were only 5 women set to remain in the 2019 NYC City Council, which had 51 members. The goal was to have 21 women on the Council by 2021.[36] In 2021, 31 women were elected or 61% of the members.[37]