People For The American Way spokesperson Alana Byrd, a “hired pen” of People For The American Way Executive Director and former mayor of Ithaca Svante Myrick, spoke at the Reimagining Public Safety Town Hall Tuesday evening. Byrd again claimed to represent ‘Ithacans For Reimagining Public Safety,’ an organization that does not appear to exist anywhere apart from Byrd’s job title on her LinkedIn profile.
Byrd, whom Ithaca Crime had previously reported on, has been confirmed to be an employee of People For The America Way by the Ithaca Voice following her insinuation of a pair of opinion pieces into local publications under the pretense of their being Letters To The Editor.
During her brief comments at the town hall, Byrd voiced her support for the Reimagining plan, reiterating points she had made previously in her opinion pieces. When attempting to record Byrd’s voicemail at People For The American Way for this article, Byrd answered the phone unexpectedly. Asked for clarification as to the role former mayor Myrick and People For The American Way will be playing in the Reimagining process, Byrd said “I’m not interested in your bunk journalism” and instructed this reporter to “don’t call again.”
In a post on People For The American Way’s website titled ‘How We Can Reimagine Public Safety,’ the reform effort is termed the “Ithaca Plan” and “the Ithaca Model.” The article goes on to suggest “the Ithaca Model can be adopted by communities nationwide.” People For The American Way is a progressive 501(c)(4) advocacy group. Funding for People For The American Way comes from George Soros’ Open Society Institute, among others.
Myrick is friends with George Soros’ son Alex Soros and credits the Soros family with saving his life. Myrick is also associated with the Drug Policy Alliance, which he acknowledges is funded in part by the Soros family and the Open Society Foundations. Myrick recently spoke at the March 18th Open Society Foundations event ‘Drugs and Elections: How to Advance Drug Policy Reform.’
