Let’s begin with a stand up and shout moment watch the Robert de Niro speech, you’ll love it and on an ominous note, Paul Krugman asks whether we are living in the repetition of a point in history,
So in a real sense we are living in the midst of a reenactment of the decline and fall of the Roman Republic, not a second American Gilded Age. No, I’m not one of those men who thinks about ancient Rome all the time. But there are some obvious parallels.
While the causes of the decline of republican government and Rome’s eventual transition to one-man rule were doubtless complex, there is broad consensus among historians that a key factor was the emergence of extreme inequality. A handful of men became incredibly wealthy from the spoils of Rome’s eastern conquests, and their wealth and power eventually became too great for the rules of constitutional, republican government to contain. Sound uncomfortably familiar?
The death throes of the Republic went on for many years. Politicians declared their rivals enemies of the state, deployed violent gangs to disrupt the rule of law, established temporary dictatorships, and more.
The ballot box may be the last chance at saving our democracy.
New York City is an overwhelmingly Democratic city and the June primary election, this year Tuesday June 23rd, in most cases makes the November election (November 3rd), a formality.
Check out the site below for a link to polling sites
https://findmypollsite.vote.nyc/
The Democratic party has innumerable factions and the primary is an internecine fight, Democratic versus Democrat, Social Democrats challenging incumbents with, in some cases the mayor supporting the SDA insurgent candidate. Bringing the Democratic party together is akin to herding cats. Read an excellent analysis here. Current Congress members Espaillat and Goldman facing vigorous opposition: the most votes win, no run off, the latest polling.
NYSUT makes the endorsements in Congressional elections, see below
Congressional District 6
Grace Meng
Congressional District 7
Antonio Reynoso
Congressional District 8
Hakeem Jeffries
Congressional District 9
Yvette Clarke
Congressional District 12
Alex Bores
Congressional District 13
Adriano Espaillat
Congressional District 14
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Congressional District 15
Ritchie Torres
The House of Representatives is currently divided 218-212, a Republican majority, in midterm elections the incumbent party usually loses seats, of course with the widespread Republican gerrymandering and voter anger over price increases, who knows? turnout will decide.
Freshman Congress members simply follow their party, it takes a number of terms to build up the seniority and reputation. If the Democrats prevail, and Hakeem Jefferies is the Speaker the new Congress members will have a larger role.
The UFT usually endorses incumbents, interview candidates and, “in the room where it happens” chat with the “players,” if Carl Heastie, the Speaker of the Assembly, or Chuck Schumer, the minority leader of the Senate, or Hakeem Jefferies call and says, “Michael, can you do me a favor and endorse …”, there is only an upside, politics is built on relationships.
Ultimately what counts is voter turnout, GOTV … Get Out The Vote determines elections.
Tier Six was repaired, not fixed, in spite of Hochul’s reluctance and the opposition by school boards across the state, the leadership of the Assembly and the Senate were firm, we have an excellent relationship with the state legislative leadership
Do you belong to your local political club? Join, probably one meeting a month and having a teacher voice is impactful. At my club meeting I grilled a state legislator on why fixing Tier 6 was essential, with many nodding heads in the audience.
If you’re a UFT member, hopefully you contribute to COPE.
As Tip O’Neill, a former Speaker in the House of Representatives said, “All politics is local.”
The City proudly announced the Brookdale School of Nursing, a half block from my apartment next to Waterside, a large rental complex on the East River, would be replaced by a Sanitation Garage, the nursing facility moving to a new site uptown.
Waterside, with an active tenants association called a community meeting: can we dissuade the city from moving ahead? Can we ramp up a campaign?
An elected official friend suggested I contact Jerry Skurnick who ran a company that sells election data, yes, your vote is secret, but the data, who voted is not. We purchased email addresses for every prime voter in the area and e-blasted: call the mayor, call your elected officials, the pressure mounted and after meeting after meeting the sanitation garage site has become the site for The Science Park and Research Center (Kips Bay),
The campus will include classrooms and labs across three integrated City University of New York (CUNY) schools—Hunter College School of Nursing, CUNY Graduate School of Health & Health Policy, and Borough of Manhattan Community College health care programs; an NYC Public Schools health and science-focused high school; outpatient ambulatory care services and a training simulation center for NYC Health + Hospitals; a new forensic pathology center and medical examiner facility for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner; life sciences research labs for companies of all sizes; and community and retail spaces.
At one of the myriad meetings I suggested adding a “NYC Public High School,” a p-tech high school focused on health and science, voila! the Economic Development Corporation folks nodded, excellent idea! The project broke ground in December.
Bubbling in your ballot at the polling place is just the beginning, join your local political club, attend local neighborhood associations, public hearings and begin your remarks, “I’m a public school teacher and proud UFT member …”,
You might say, “I’m only one person,” one person multiplied by all of us will make THE difference
Solidarity Forever was written in 1915, the following verses were added years later,
We’re the women of the union in the forefront of the fight,We fight for women’s issues, we fight for women’s rights, We’re prepared to fight for freedom, we’re prepared to stand our ground,Women make the union strong.(Chorus)
Through our sisters and our brothers, we can make our union strong, For respect and equal value we have done without too long, We no longer have to tolerate injustices and wrongs,For the union makes us strong.(Chorus)
When racism in all of us is finally out and gone, Then the union movement will be twice as powerful and strong,For equality for everyone will move the cause along, For the union makes us strong.(Chorus)
Ed in the Apple: Blogging on the Intersection of Education and Politics Title 