Tim Robbins: An Open Letter to the New York City Board of Elections

November 19, 2008 at 11:36:43 Tim Robbins: An Open Letter to the New York City Board of Elections by Tim Robbins Page 1 of 1 page(s) www.opednews.com

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Mr. Gregory C. Soumas
Board of Elections in the City of New York
Executive Office
32 Broadway
New York, NY 10004-1609

November 17, 2008

Dear Mr. Soumas:

I would like to publicly apologize for being such a dim-witted dilettante on Election Day. I was under the naïve assumption that I could vote where I voted in the last two elections. Your thoughtful letter pointed out that if I had voted in the recent primary election in September I would have discovered that I was no longer registered in the polling place I have voted in since 2004. Considering your position at the Board of Elections and your deep respect for the democratic process I must assume that my local 14th St. poll worker, Betty J. Williamson's assertion that my name was on the active voter rolls for the primary in September of this year was erroneous and that she must be as confused and wrongheaded as I am. If Ms. Williamson saw my name in the book in September that would mean that you are lying. Certainly you wouldn't lie about a thing like that. That is unbecoming of a man of your bureaucratic stature. And why would anyone in the Board of Elections be eliminating legitimate voters from the rolls in late September and October of 2008? That's just crazy and un-democratic.

I should also apologize for the misguided actions of Justice Paul G. Feinman in issuing a court order on Election Day allowing me to vote on 14th St. He apparently thought that a printed out record from your own Board of Elections computer verifying my polling place as 14th St was justification for issuing the court order. If he had only thought to contact you, you could have helped him understand the logic and wisdom of eliminating my name from the book on 14th St. where I have always voted and leaving my name registered at a place I have never voted.

I must also thank you for sending your letter not to me but to all the major newspapers in the New York area and across the internet. I understand it was your way of clearing up this matter and for that I am grateful. I am particularly appreciative of your sending a copy of my voter registration card with my home address and driver's license number to all the newspapers and, by extension, to millions across the internet. What celebrity dilettante wouldn't want his private information made public? What kind of snob gets angry that his family's safety might be compromised? It comes with the territory, right?

I was thinking of returning that favor by publishing your home address in this letter but then I thought that maybe one of the thousands of New Yorkers that were taken off the voter rolls in the last two months might not understand what a patriotic upstanding man you are and might show up at your doorstep with the misguided assumption that you are a petty vindictive corrupt scumbag.

Tim Robbins
New Yorker since 1961
Voter since 1976

P.S. If anyone reading this letter had a similar experience on Election Day it can and should be reported at 866ourvote.org.

cc:
Commissioners of Elections
Marcus Cederqvist, Executive Director
George Gonzalez, Deputy Executive Director
Pamela Perkins, Administrative Manager
Beth Fossella, Coordinator, Voter Registration
Steven H. Richman, General Counsel
Troy Johnson, Chief Clerk
Timothy Gay, Deputy Chief Clerk

Posted November 17, 2008 | 02:48 PM (EST)

Tim Robbins has a long list of notable film credits as an actor, his career highlighted by writing, producing, and directorial accomplishments. In 2003, Robbins starred in "Mystic River," for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Other memorable roles include his performances in the remarkable "The Shawshank Redemption," "The Player," "Bull Durham," "Jacob's Ladder," "Bob Roberts," "The Hudsucker Proxy," "Short Cuts," "High Fidelity" and "Five Corners." Robbins also appeared in the films "Nothing To Lose," "Arlington Road," "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me," "Cadillac Man," "The Sure Thing," "Jungle Fever," "Mission to Mars," and "Code 46." In addition to his Academy Award, Robbins has won the Best Actor Award at the Cannes International Film Festival and The Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor for "The Player." In 2003 Robbins won a Golden Globe Award, a SAG Award, and A Critic's Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor for "Mystic River." He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor for "Bob Roberts" and by the Screen Actors Guild for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor for the "Shawshank Redemption." As a director Robbins has distinguished himself with "Cradle Will Rock," which he also wrote and produced, winning Best Film Director honors at The Barcelona/Sitges Film Festival and The National Board of Review Award for Special Achievement in filmmaking. "Dead Man Walking," which he also wrote and produced, won multiple awards, including "The Humanitas Award" and four awards at The Berlin Film Festival, as well as an Oscar nomination for Best Director, and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Script. His first film, "Bob Roberts," won the Bronze award for Best Film at the Tokyo International Film Festival and Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actor Awards at the Boston Film Festival. In addition, Robbins served as executive producer for the films: "Specter of Hope, "The Typewriter," "The Rifle," and "The Movie Camera," a documentary about filmmaker Sam Fuller, which won the Cable Ace Award for Best Documentary. Robbins also serves as Artistic director for the Actor's Gang, a group formed in 1982 that has over 85 productions and more than 100 awards to its credit. As a playwright, he has written seven plays produced in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and at the Edinburgh Festival. He most recently wrote and directed "Embedded" at the Actor's Gang Theatre in Los Angeles, The Public Theatre in New York, and at The Riverside Studios in London. The play began a national tour this year. In addition, his stage adaptation of "Dead Man Walking" is currently being introduced into the curriculums of forty Jesuit high schools and universities. Earlier this year, Robbins was named "Man of the Year" by Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Theatricals. Robbins lives in New York City with his partner in crime, Susan Sarandon, and is the proud father of 3 mischievous children.

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