Left in The Forgotten Borough Podcast

Staten Island is often written off as “the forgotten borough” and the “red borough.” Staten Island is the only Borough in New York City that voted for Donald Trump by significant margins. What is often not reported or given any significant attention is that Staten Island is a place with a diverse population. A racially diverse population and politically diverse population. It is the one place in New York City where the two parties genuinely compete for power in elections whereas every other borough is simply a contest between Democratic machine politics and the more progressive wing of the Democratic Party. A forgotten segment of the forgotten borough are the liberal and progressive Staten Islanders. The coverage and the local media caters to the Trumpiest elements of our borough while moderates, liberals, and progressives are often unrepresented and left voiceless. Staten Island Democrats have proved to be a viable force and we hold several state and city government offices and our DA, an islandwide position, is also a Democrat. Staten Island voted Democratic in 2012 when we voted for Barack Obama for President and in fact, Democrats outnumber Republicans by a wide margin in Staten Island by party registration.. This podcast would give Staten Island Democrats both progressive and moderate, a voice in national, state, city, and community wide issues that is lacking in our local newspaper and on social media. This podcast would also cast a wide net with guests and topics that would be discussed from all different angles and would give our liberal and democratic neighbors a place to call home within the current local media structure and a place to come out of the shadows and share their views with like minded neighbors. In addition, listeners who share progressive values in conservative parts of the country will be able to connect and resonate with the unique position of the hosts. Hosts Andrew Savage and Nanci Richards are two local Staten Island Democrats with a history of party leadership roles, progressive activism, and supporting candidates for local offices. Both public school teachers, one active and one retired, Andrew Savage, a lifelong Staten Island resident and a public school social studies teacher for 14 years has been a fixture in local Staten Island politics with previous stints as a member of the Democratic County Committee and as a board member, Vice President, and as the first openly gay President of the Young Democrats of Richmond County. Andrew has also volunteered for and advised several candidates including Mark Murphy’s 2012 congressional campaign, Christine Quinn’s 2013 Mayoral Campaign, State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, and now the Andrea Morse for Congress Campaign. Andrew has also served on the board of the Lathrope Voorspuy Memorial Scholarship fund. Andrew is also a decorated teacher with accolades including the Covid19 Champion and Changemaker Award from the Museum of the City of New York and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History’s 2021 New York State History Teacher of the Year Award. Andrew enjoys comedy, wine, food, history, politics, and laughter. Nanci Richards, a lifelong Staten Islander, is a decorated social studies teacher, leader in the community, comedian, and dog lover. Nanci was a public school social studies teacher for over 25 years before retiring in 2021. Nanci’s relatable and hilarious comedy has been featured at the Ladies of Laughter showcase and the International Fringe Festival. Nanci also won The Staten Island Advance’s AWE Poll’s funniest comedian award, and she was featured on ABC’s ‘The View.’ Nanci’s three solo comedy shows Pedagogy 1,2 has earned much praise and recognition for its humorous take on daily life at various stages of the teaching profession. Nanci is also an avid traveler exploring the world on her own terms and inspiring a love of travel in her students through many group trips to Europe, China, Japan, and to somber and inspiring locations such as Auschwitz and Hiroshima. Nanci also finds time to share her best tips for cooking and shopping at the local greenmarket in her Saturday morning live streamed show: TipsFromYoMs. Andrew and Nanci have been close friends for 12 years and were colleagues for six years at a local New York City Public School. They frequently have discussions about national and community issues and developed the concept of this podcast to give moderate and progressive Democrats a voice in the forgotten borough. leftintheforgottenboroughpodcast.substack.com