There two sets of negotiations in progress, the Iran/USA mediated by Pakistan and in Albany the NYS budget is two weeks late with no end in sight. Every week the legislators return to Albany to pass a “continuing resolution” to keep the state solvent.
Years ago I served on the UFT Negotiating Team, the union officers and three young District Reps, Lucille Swaim, a PhD labor economist ran the negotiations, she warned us, listen, not a peep at the negotiations table.
In Islamabad the Iranian team, representing a range of Iranian leadership and expertise and on the US side the JD Vance and the President’s envoys, Witkoff and Kushner and scores of other experts and translators and power brokers.
In Albany the governor and the legislative leadership, all Democrats, the governor is on the ballot in November, with Republican candidate Bruce Blakeman ripping the governor from the right and legislators jabbing from the left.
In Islamabad and Albany both sides need “win-win” settlements. For Trump the settlement, if there is one, may save his presidency and in Albany save the governor from her MAGA opponent.
Negotiations are complicated, the public side and the behind the haggling and deal making. At the top of the Islamabad agenda “fissionable materials,” for Trump a 30 year freeze on the Iranian side a 5 year freeze.
Opening the Straits of Hormuz (SoH), who would be the gatekeeper? Would there be fees? If so how would they be divided?
Would a resumption of the bombing, ground troops seizing Iranian oil sites hanging out there force a settlement? Or drive more and more voters to the Dems?
Will Hochul be willing to try to wear down the legislature? Delaying a budget settlement for weeks or months? Will the voting public view her as a tough, demanding state leader or inept?
In Islamabad a day of negotiations ended with no settlement of the key issues, behind the scenes proxies, maybe India or China, exchanging ideas, and, in Albany national Democratic leadership, and perhaps, Mamdani refereeing the differences within the Democratic Party.
Days before the opening of school the City unexpectedly laid off 14,000 teachers with a letter beginning “We regret to inform you …” The union went on strike with cries of, “… we won’t come back until we all come back.” The city was making plans to declare bankruptcy and since it was on strike the union would not be at the table with the bankruptcy judge., after a very lengthy bargaining session the union and city settled, looking at my notes, we were up 54 hours straight exchanging “contract language” until Lucille Swaim and Al Shanker were satisfied. The union saved the city from bankruptcy, in Islamabad and Washington and Mar-a -Lago and Teheran hopefully the parties can craft a “win-win,” as well as in Albany.
Today Trump tweeted “We’re almost there,” although no one his team seemed to know, in Albany an agreement on a pied-a-terre tax on second homes in NYC worth 5M. Would it raise 500M or chase the wealthier out of the city?
In Islamabad and Albany a settlement means a win/win, both sides have to “spin,” explain to their base why they actually won …. with midterm elections in November will Trump keep control of the Congress? Can he spin the settlement to his base? In 2021 Hochul watched her lead erode. This time trying to wrap up a NYSUT/UFT endorse by including Fix Tier 6 in the budget
If you want to follow the ins and outs follow Richard Haas on Substack/
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Ed in the Apple: Blogging on the Intersection of Education and Politics Title 