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February 28, 2012 The Hon. Edward I. Koch Bryan Cave LLP 1290 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10104-3300 Dear Mayor Koch, I am writing to you, as a candidate for New York State Senate in the 1st Senate District, to reaffirm the NY Uprising Pledge that I signed in 2010. As you may recall, in 2010 I stepped into the State Senate Race for the first Senate District on Long Island in late August and immediately signed your pledge; promising the voters of New York that I would support the conditions of that pledge once elected to the State Senate. My opponent Ken LaValle also signed that same pledge. However as you are aware he immediately reneged on that pledge upon his re-election by refusing to support an independent redistricting process, breaking his trust with the voters of the First Senate District. Unlike Ken LaValle and the Republican Senate majority, if I had been elected, I would have honored my pledge and fought for independent redistricting as well as the other provisions of the pledge. There is nothing more important in defining the character of an elected official and preserving the integrity of the democratic process than a candidates willingness to follow through on their pre-election pledge to voters. Today I once again stand by that pledge and reaffirm my commitment to work for a better, more ethical government for the people of New York. Unfortunately, once I am elected this November, it will be too late to effect change in the redistricting process for 2012. However I do pledge to promptly support a constitutional amendment creating an independent redistricting process in New York that will give a voice to New York voters during the next redistricting cycle. I firmly stand by the rights of New York voters to choose their representatives rather than representatives choosing their voters as is now the case. Legislators are elected to represent the best interests of the people of New York, not to provide for their own job security at the expense of democracy.

The current redistricting process, conducted at taxpayer expense, is used solely for the purposes of perpetuating Republican Party control of the State Senate. It is unconscionable for members of our State Senate to use hard earned tax dollars to provide for their own job security, while their constituents have no job security. This partisan redistricting proposal, including the creation of the Senate Republican proposed 63rd Senate district, will result in bigger government and greater spending. Additionally, while I am delighted that Governor Cuomo achieved an ethics reform victory with the passage of the Public Integrity Reform Act of 2011, it is clear that we still have more work to do to restore public trust in government. The only way to create real reform in Albany is to change the ingrained culture of Albany by electing those who are willing to challenge the status quo. Therefore today I am re-affirming my pledge to fight for greater ethics reform once elected to the State Senate. I also urge you to continue to hold those, such as Senator LaValle, whom you have labeled enemies of reform, accountable for reneging on their pledge to New York voters. Thank you for your continued advocacy for a better and more ethical government. Sincerely, Jennifer J. Maertz Candidate for NY State Senate, SD1 cc New York Uprising 233 Broadway Suite 850 New York, NY 10279

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