Saturday, October 26, 2013

UFT Used $250K COPE Money to Support Gambling

The United Federation of Teachers deposited $250,000 in the account from two of its political action funds.... Capital NY
Thanks to Jeff Kaufman for this.

Oh what fun. Having COPE money spent not on fighting ed deform but promoting gambling. I didn't know Paul Egan liked the dice so much. I took a shot in a recent Wave column at my City Councilman, Republican Erich Ulrich, for promoting casinos and asked how much he got from them.

By the way, people trying to leave COPE often are ignored. The right way is to never leave but get a change in contribution application and write in a nickel. Now I am generally in favor of COPE -- if we had a democratically run member-driven union instead of a slush fund for the leadership to use as it sees fit.

Tear down that wall, Mr. Mulgrew.
ALBANY—Gambling companies account for the vast majority of the $2.075 million raised by a pro-casino PAC, campaign disclosures show.

As we reported on Thursday, owners of the race-track slot parlors in Yonkers and Tioga contributed to the effort, as did track-casinos in Saratoga Springs ($250,000) and the Aqueduct site in Queens ($500,000). Other contributors include the Pequot tribe ($100,000), which runs the Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut and is interested in developing a new resort at the old Grossinger's site, as well as the real estate investment trust that developed New Roc City in Westchester County. The United Federation of Teachers deposited $250,000 in the account from two of its political action funds.

The PAC has so far spent $360,000 on digital advertising, mail advertising and production of a pair of ads released Thursday.
Here is a comment on the ICE listserve:

Who's feelin' lucky this morning?
Two to one odds  if you raised a delegates' card to bring up this "investment" during the question period you'd be treated like you don't know the first thing about "growing the economy" or the critical need to "bring prosperity" to upstate New York.

Why does our union need to ingratiate itself to another elite club with a scheme to create more winners and losers (and mostly losers)?  Because it's really not our union anymore.  It's a racket with rich friends.
 

2 comments:

3rd grade in the burbs said...

I agree that we are discouraged from leaving COPE. At the end of the last school year the Union Reps at my school handed out COPE forms to all teachers. I dropped my contribution down to $0 (because I felt they were not representing my interests) as did a friend of mine. My COPE slip was accepted but my friend's was returned to her. I questioned one of the reps who told me they were told to return any $0 slips. I have checked my pay stub and no contributions have been deducted.

Anonymous said...

There's gambling going on around here. I am shocked.