A Tale of Two Meetings - Plus Two More to Come - OY!

I'm getting more interested in the snacks than the agendas at the DA and RTC meetings.

Wednesday, November 19, 2023

Today is a Delegate Assembly (HO) and tomorrow is a Retired Teacher Chapter (HUM) meeting  and I have no interest in handing out a leaflet, a rare occasion for me. I'm going to both but less and less I hold these meetings to be as important as I once held them to be. I'm more interested in the snacks than the agendas and I give props to RTC officer Michele Ravid for improving the snacks at the RTC meetings by 200% over the Tom Murphy regime. See, there is value in winning elections.

The ABC organizationally has not put a lot of organizational energy into the DA, though some individuals have.

To outsiders, A Better Contract seems to have gotten off to a slow start this year. After a brutal election campaign, people needed a rest. I appreciate some of the thoughtful discussions in trying to find some structure that keeps the idea of a loose affiliation of individuals, but looking for ways to act as an organization when necessary. 

I'm somewhat on the fringe of ABC, more observer than activist. 

There is still a lot of interest in ABC as demonstrated when ABC held an open mass meeting a few weeks ago and 1000 registered and hundreds attended. 

So, last night a quick (45 minutes) meeting was held to talk about the working groups -- and 

Last night I attended a quick (45 minutes) meeting of those who attended the mass meeting and volunteered for various working groups - a bottom-up structure that fulfills a member-driven agenda. If some people don't find a working group they are welcome to start one. I love that sense of freedom. There is also a need to have some way of touching base between the working groups and I have confidence in the people who are doing the work. Someone always seems to pick up the ball. If a ball doesn't get picked up that is a sign of lack of interest. One unstated rule -- no gnashing of teeth.

As long as the groups adhere so some basic member-driven principles driving ABC, they have autonomy to act as they see fit with no central body to answer too. After decades of working with caucus top-down organizational structures, it was a breath of fresh air that satisfies my libertarian mentality which so seems to rile some of my comrades in other groups. 

As I rummaged through my basement recently I came across materials from groups I worked with in the 70s when we had a loose confederation of school and district level groups. Even the ICE/UFT group of 2003-10 had no organizational structure, something that drove some of the more politically oriented people, who have a built-in need for top-down organizing, crazy. 

It was made clear that we were not there to talk about elections or caucuses or share gripes but to move forward. It was reiterated that ABC invites any individual, whether in a caucus or not, to work with us. If a caucus wants to talk, ABC will do so. 

Chad Hamilton, a CL in Brooklyn chaired the meeting from his car - he wasn't driving at the time - I think. Super multi-media champ Leah Lin, a CL from D. 30 in Queens, is also playing a major role. These are mid-level career classroom teachers, as are most of the players. 

As a retiree, I believe we need to play a secondary role in ABC and not make our issues primary. There is a retiree working group to focus on those issues and I will play a role with them.

I found the meeting exciting and looking forward to working with so many interesting people. 

A Tale of Two Meetings

Monday night Retiree Advocate organizers held a meeting and spent an hour discussing how to moderate the listserve and who should moderate the listserve (I am one of 4 moderators) with the goal of controlling attacks on Retiree Advocate. If any of the moderators object to a post, it will not go up.

Hmmm, I wonder if this one will go up without objection. Maybe I'll object to my own post.

 ----

A bit of good news. It's been a tough few days waiting to get my 6 month scan and blood test for the tumor marker. Though the marker went up 2 points to 34 (below 40 is normal) it was 230 when I was first diagnosed, my scan came back Ok just as I was finishing this. So expect to put up with me till the next scan.

 

Election Thoughts - Mamdani and ABC Organizing, Finally, a UFT Win in a Mayoral Race, My Interview with Daniel on the '75 UFT Strike

The most important outcome of the Mamdani win, and why he represents a threat to the right and the corporate Dems, is the potential for building a movement of people ready to act using the 100k volunteers for his campaign. 

 

Full disclosure: I was one and am ready to take more action if called upon. People are reminded of Obama in 2008 and the movement he built - and then let dissipate after he won and thus had no way to call out troops to battle the rise of the tea party in 2010. The Majority Report with Sam Seder, my fave, talked about this yesterday, speculating it was the influence of authoritarian Rahm Emanuel, the anti-left, corp Dem supreme who will run for president, who made sure the voice of the people wouldn't interfere with the usual suspects who want to run the world.

 

The theme of this post touches on a theory of organizing related to elements of the Mamdani campaign and how I relate it to the ABC campaign on the fly last year where I find certain similarities based on not prioritizing  personal and organizational ideologies over checking the pulse of those whose votes you are trying to get. I compare that approach to that of the legacy caucuses, and I include Unity, where the ideology of the leadership - and make no mistake, they all are leadership run, some for decades by the same people.

 

Mamdani is a socialist but he didn't run on his socialism, though his socialism certainly has influenced his thinking. But no matter the attacks, you won't see him trying to take over the means of production, though I wouldn't mind it if the entire healthcare industry was taken over - wait, wait - like the NY Health Act.

 

My contention here is that ABC was member-driven in the recent UFT election and expects to continue on that track. 

 

Thursday, November 6, 2025

 

Hey - big news -- the UFT leadership finally got one right - though it would have been nice to see an endorsement before the primary. But the way the endorsement went down has led many UFT members to object and there was a lot of push back from non-Mamdani supporters ---- and this dovetails with the theme of this election analysis: Listen to people first - check the pulse and be guided by what you hear. 

 

Mamdani is being credited, even by some on the right, with doing exactly that and shaping his campaign around listening. There is some irony in the out and out support for Mamdani 

 

YES, the UFT won one and let's give some credit for jumping on a DSA train despite the previous attacks (Will UFT Endorse Mamdani after their attacks on DSA).

 

Check out some of my commentary over the endorsement in July:

 

UFT DA Tidbits - Endorsing Mamdani, ABC and ARISE/...

Today's DA and Yesterday Town Hall -- Ode to Hot A...

 

 

But first, a plug. 

 

The 1968 strike gets all the attention, but the 1975 strike was in many ways more consequential.

 

Here is a link to Sunday's interview with Daniel for "Talk Out of School" on WBAI. 

https://wbai.org/archive/program/episode/?id=61621. I finally listened to it this morning and I didn't make a total fool out of myself, so I'm sharing. 

 

It was my third strike with the UFT but my first as an activist. Sunday Daniel and I covered a lot of ground, including the opposition to Unity leading up to the strike, its impact - short and long term, my guess that the lessons were never to strike again, how the UFT descended from the most militant union in the early 60s, the 1995 and 2005 contracts, the divided opposition post-strike that continues today. Daniel's questions were excellent guides into a deep dive in my memory.

I still want to write in more detail using some of the resources from the 70s buried in my basement. 

Now on to some election thoughts related to our union work.

  

Mamdani Listened - Similar to ABC's Member-driven agenda -- 

 

Over a year ago, before anyone heard of Mamdani, A Better Contract/UFT decided to listen to the members and came under criticism from some members of the ARISE coalition. Ken Klippenstein touches on the Mamdani touch.

Ken Klippenstein - Mamdani's Magic

People’s comments were insightful for anyone who cared to listen. They were the message.

Zohran Mamdani won by literally meeting people where they’re at — in bodegas, subway stations, busy sidewalks, even at the New York Marathon. He met people on the streets, not to pitch them, but to listen and learn. These conversations informed his successful campaign more than his charm, social media prowess or any of the other superficial explanations major media are offering. ... 

The video stood out from usual campaign content in how little of it focused on the candidate. He didn’t “approve this message.” There were no gotchas, no fact checking his opponents, no issue-oriented rejoinders. Virtually every shot focused on the interviewee rather than Mamdani, whose face you could not even see at times. He just stood there, quietly listening to what people had to say. 

As Mamdani sees it, facing the public, even if it might heckle you, is part of the job of being an elected official. Obvious as this may seem, it is a more genuine and humble attitude ofthe Washington national figures who believe that their role as philosopher kings is to reign over and above the public. 

Mamdani’s view of a politician’s job contrasts sharply with the political establishment’s zero tolerance attitude toward risk.  Mamdani’s magic is his understanding that the masses are the message.

Yes. Fundamentally, Mamdani didn't emphasize his own ideology, though that played a part in his activism, but listened to people - yes, even those who voted for Trump.

Horrors. 

How often was ABC attacked by ARISE for "listening to people who voted for Trump" -- we were accused of trolling. And yes, there are some people (a few it seems) who may be Trump backers, and at times there may be some tension, but so far they don't feel shunned. ABC people seem to believe that the way to build a winning coalition if you aim to win an election in the UFT, is to be broad-based and non-judgemental.

Yet Mamdani, the darling of the leftists in ARISE, did the very same thing and built his campaign around the issues people were telling him concerned them.  Trust me, they will not learn a lesson. The ideology of most people on the left is baked into their DNA.

In the recent UFT election and beyond, an ARISE steering committee member and a caucus co-chair has persistently criticized ABC for not taking political positions on certain issues ABC deemed divisive and outside the bounds of a UFT election sphere - it was termed being "apolitical" rather than what it was -- member driven. 

 

In other words, we would focus our campaign on what we detected in the pulse of rank and file in our schools and out surveys - our colleagues - and beyond. Rather than apolitical, we would try not to let our personal ideological views take precedence.  The election results showed that was a potential winning strategy when we got 32% in a 3-way race, especially notable for a group of individuals that had existed for only a few months.

 

My criticism of the ARISE coalition and how they operated was that they took an opposite tack -- the ideologies of the leadership of the 3 groups in the coalition -- MORE, New Action and Retiree Advocate - would drive their campaign. If you weren't somewhere on the left, you wouldn't be very comfortable - and they did pretty much attract the left to run with them and in the election, leftists in the UFT were more likely to vote for ARISE. And 14% of the voters did vote for them. Does 14% give us an accurate picture of the left in the UFT? Since only 28% voted think of what that 14% represent. 

 

 

 Part 2

Well, I'm glad my usual pessimism didn't work out as I guessed 

43% Mamdani

39% Cuomo

18% Sliwa

 

The Sliwa collapse was significant and those votes had to go to Cuomo, so think of this -- Cuomo was probably in the low thirties and there may have been a late Trump bump. 

  

 

 

Yes Mamdani went over 50%, but barely and the combined vote against him would have made this a nail biter in a two person race. 

 

NYT Election Map - Look up your neighborhood - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/11/04/us/elections/results-new-york-city-mayor.html 

 

 

My Rockaway neighborhood in Belle Harbor voted 10% for Mamdani, surpassed by Breezy Point's 7%, 186 votes, and I think I convinced a bunch of friends. That little blue area in Rockaway is Arverne (53%) Edgemere (57%) where I canvassed with 40 other mostly local volunteers. Note the solid Cuomo blocks in Staten Island through south Brooklyn, though Bay Ridge went for Mamdani and the northeastern Queens block. Also note the east side of Manhattan. My Murray Hill area went 59-36 for Cuomo. My politics are not safe anywhere.

 

I pushed back against the NYC Retiree attacks and pro-Cuomo position. He had stated he was opposed to Medicare Adv --and I trust a socialist on that issue more than his opponents. But now is a time to try to get our issue in front of him as 1096 will expire on Jan. 1 and a new bill will be needed. Some of his allies on the City Council do back the bill. However, DC37 and the UFT are opposed and he does owe them -- I have a lot more to say on the election but I have to catch the ferry for my painting class at the UFT - I'm shlepping a bunch of acrylic paints and art supplies - this artistic stuff can tire one out.

 

 

A Mayoral Mess: Is Mamdani Support Fading Despite Cuomo Massive Transgressions, Sliwa Hangs In, UFT Retirees Battle Each Other

Which is the bigger threat to Mamdani's winning? Cuomo/Bloomberg/Trump - an unholy alliance -  or the UFT's perpetual loser mayoral endorsement? 

I just got a call from some of the few liberals in Breezy Point asking my advice on the propositions and I informed them on what an awful person Cuomo is -- I put him in Trump personality territory and may have won two votes for Mamdani. 

 Who knew, that Orthodox rabbis support and defend Mamdani for speaking truth to power? Their defense is so very smart and compassionate. https://youtu.be/7NmGPStXWl0?si=enDu0QNRIEphOZUU

While Mamdani has some big enthusiasm but there is not a lot of enthusiasm among some voters for either candidate - who do you hate more - Cuomo or Mamdani? No one really hates Sliwa.

NY Daily News: Trump backs Cuomo for mayor, says NYC must vote for him and stop Mamdani

President Trump urged Republican voters in New York City late Monday to cross party lines and support Andrew Cuomo for mayor as part of an 11th hour bid to stop Democratic front-runner Zohran Mamdani from taking over the reins at City Hall. 

Wow - looks like Trump is getting desperate - why is he threatened by Mamdani? My guess he fears his ability to mobilize people - imagine if he has 90K volunteers, imagine a million people on the street. Oh, and Eli Musk just joined the anti-Mamdani crowd. Even Trump backers admit Mamdani has run a disciplined effective campaign. That scares them.

Monday, Nov. 3 - Election Eve

I wanted to get this out before tomorrow and I hope to have a follow-up by tomorrow night. Surprise, surprise - It might be rambling just a bit.

Even as I finish this up, polls show the election tightening to 4 points and tomorrow it could be 2 points. Bloomberg has tossed millions joined by other billionaires in a desperate attempt to stop Mamdani -- thus joining Trump who endorsed Cuomo. The negative ads seem to be working. I hope he not only wins but wins big. 45% to 40% with Sliwa dropping to 15%. 

Yet another poll shows: The most recent polls place Mamdani 14.7 points ahead of Cuomo, according to a RealClearPolitics poll average. 

The voting so far looks good for him -- especially this weekend's young people turnout, while last weekend it was the older folks which might favor Cuomo.

Given the attacks on Zohran, ask yourself why Trump is so desperate for him to lose? One would think he would be happy to have a foil. To me that is the best sign of the threat Mamdani represents ideologically to Republicans and the corporate Dems who run the party. And to the billionaires. Just looking at the line-up against him should get him votes.

The joy Mamdani's backers felt in June, though, has been morphing into some jitters, as his machine begs his 90k volunteers to go out and canvass to the last minute. (I hate canvasing but forced myself to do some.)

Today's NYT takes one more swipe at Mandani with this headline: 

Questions of Readiness Persists for Mamdani: Even some of his backers worry about his thin resume.  "He is not ready," said Maria Fattore (from his Astoria territory), saying she had unhappily switcher her vote from Mamdani to Cuomo. And in Manhattan, an old hippy who was leaning Mamdani, admitted to misgivings. I'm not sure he has the experience to deal with what's going on in this city..."

I'll admit to some worries, especially based on my conversations with liberals who are voting for Cuomo - mostly non-Jews by the way, so Israel is not a factor, though one close Jewish friend from Long Island is very concerned and told me Rabbis in many synagogues are railing against him. 

Some people just don't care for him - they see phony charm and a child of privilege - intellectual privilege for sure but also economic - if he hadn't been accepted to Bronx Science, he would have never gone to a public school - and a college few could afford. While he is adored by many, we need to keep some level of skepticism. 

I have fallen for his charm and love his interactions on long interviews - see the one he did with John Steward on The Daily Show last Monday. He was also on Sam Seder's Majority Report last Wednesday - he has no fear of talking to anyone. 

I voted Brad Lander #1 and Mamdani 2 in the primary, though my left-leaning instincts pushed me towards the latter and still does. But if it were Lander running instead of Cuomo at this point, I think he might win.

Even some leftists see Zohran as a privileged scion, reaching above his head, as we see in this comment from a mid-career NYC teacher:

I say this as someone who voted for Mamdani twice; with all due respect, I think he’s an arrogant little prick who thinks really highly of himself for little reason.  But, given the alternative, he’s got my vote. My frustration with Mamdani is that he has accomplished almost nothing in his life.  But, he talks big.  That’s all fine.  But, when he’s finally at the moment of actually accomplishing something big (for himself), he turns his back on pretty much one of the only people (Marianne Pizzitola) I’ve seen in this city who has actually done something for working people. [I will delve deeper into the Zohran/Marianne controversy in a follow-up).

I don't agree with his assessment but it shows how some of his voters are thinking. 

On the other hand, much of the left is still glowing, as this In These Times Oct. 31 piece indicates where so much of his support is coming from.

​“Why are you so excited to show him to everyone?” 

“Because we love him,” says Alam, who works the night shift from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.

It’s a sentiment I hear from taxi drivers, nurses and restaurant workers.

Zohran Mamdani on the Night Shift for Mayor: As Election Day nears, the Democratic mayoral candidate returns to his base among New York City’s multiracial working class.

The article points to how many city unions support him, including our own beloved UFT - and that has caused more than a little rancor in the ranks -- but that gets complicated, which I will try to untangle further down. 

Based on my political instincts, conversations with liberals, and my usual pessimistic outlook, I'm worried. The continuous fear-mongering attacks on him with the influx of billionaire money has had an impact - their goal is not just to make him lose, but to weaken him and make him ineffectual to prove socialist thinking doesn't work is their goal. 

Last weekend most voters were on the plus side of 50, which did not look good. But this past weekend the younger people came out -- so maybe it's a wash. 

Warning signs ahead. 

I will feel more nervous than elated if he wins.

I see him as a unique political talent - his thoughtfulness in interviews even as he duck some issues and his likeability and sense of humor will carry him - but only so far. Thought and ideas are good, but as John Stewart pointed out to him last week: If you fail to deliver on the basics of running the city, there will be a harsh reaction -- remember Mayor Lindsay and the Feb. 1969 snow storm. 

I believe that the honchos in both parties have a big stake in seeing a socialist failure as a way to put a stake into the heart of any progressive move to take over the Dem Party. That is what makes me nervous --- he will turn into Hope and NO CHANGE. Or worse, will be as unpopular as Chicago left wing mayor Brandon Johnson - though I don't follow Chicago very much nowadays and was proud when a Chicago union teacher was elected - but some of his speeches turn me off.

I've been working on a piece on this election for over a week and the more I talk to people the more confused I get. I voted and canvased for Mamdani, but I go from enthusiastic support to questions. What keeps me in line are his opponents - the awful Cuomo and the Republican Sliwa, who I would actually prefer to Cuomo, who is an awful human being and not to be trusted, especially around women.  

I found the attacks on Zohran over the Medicare issue coming from retirees disconcerting because those attacks pointed us to Cuomo.

Can I make a guess based on my own personal contacts or my own "feelings"? 

For instance, my sense of the Jersey gov race is that the Dem is an awful candidate and may lose - today's polls show a dead heat -- in some ways I think a loss for a center/right corporate anti- progressive Dem would not be the worst thing, though the Virginia gov candidate seems much better and will win. But I think Trump's cancellation of the Hudson tunnel helps the Dem.

In my circle of liberal friends I see danger signs. Last night I ran into a liberal friend (not many in my area), who is a neighbor. I reminded her of election night 2008 when she invited us over to celebrate the Obama victory. She is voting for Cuomo because she doesn't trust a guy as young as Mamdani. Another Rockaway liberal friend has mocked Mamdani and a couple we know from Brooklyn feel the same way -- even having a level of disgust towards him. None of these people are Jewish, so Israel is not a factor. My sense it is more about how young he is, their feelings he hasn't done much and is arrogant for running. In other words, his age and lack of a resume are resonating as much as the issues.

I get this from people -- they view Mamdani as a rich kid playing politics. So, how many people are voting for Mamdani or against Cuomo? 

If Brad Lander has run as an independent instead of Cuomo, I'd give him an even chance -- he would gather votes from the Cuomo haters and more Republican votes.

Last week, in conversations with people I met in some of my classes and tours I gave, including some UFT retirees, there was clear support and even enthusiasm for Mamdani. But I had lunch last week with a guy who was on my Murray Hill tour -- from Riverdale with an 11 year old daughter - not a teacher but a businessman running his own business in the city -- and he brought it up - he was excited at Mamdani -- he looked to be in his early 50s.

So, personal conversations are a mixed bag -- and I have to adhere to this dictum: judgments based on snippets of conversation may not reflect a person's considered, complete, or public stance, leading to misrepresentation.

NYC Retirees attack retirees who back Mamdani. 

Zohran Mamdani & his followers disrespect Retirees -- headline on NYC retirees

WTF - I'm a Mamdani follower, so I, who have fought for retirees from the day the attack on Medicare began in April 2020, before the NYC Retirees even existed, am now someone who disrespects retirees? That's so fucked up.

I was about to get into the retiree battles in the UFT over the anti-Mamdani position Marianne Pizzitola has taken and the reaction to it, but let's wait until tomorrow or the next day -- but I will say, she has taken a risk in dipping too deep into divisive politics and even some her most loyal supporters are disturbed -- Did she fail to follow her own advice she gave to UFT retirees to stick to the issue? Well, in some ways she did and in some ways she did not. I may even dip into my changing views on Israel -- which reflects growing feelings in the Jewish community, 30 or more % going for Mamdani.

I will attempt to untangle it all tomorrow - or maybe never.

Meanwhile check out these NYT articles:

Mamdani’s Candidacy Roils Jewish Communities Across the Country

Who Should Be Mayor of New York City?

Trump’s Greatest Ally is The Democratic Party - The Chris Hedges Report

The Democratic Party and its liberal allies refuse to call for mass mobilization and strikes — the only tools that can thwart Trump’s emergent authoritarianism — fearing they too will be swept aside.

The 1975 NY Teacher Strike: Its History and Impact - Norm on Talk Out of School Tonight at 7PM

I spoke to Daniel this morning for almost 2 hours that he has to squeeze into one hour. His questions had me going deep, not only into the history -- I actually got up early this morning to visit the archives in my basement and discovered new information on the organizing efforts in the years before - and after. I have an engagement at 7 so can't listen but when I have a link I will elaborate further.

 

 

Tuesday Musings: A Film on Medicare, Retired Teacher Chapter Exec Bd, Plus a Drawing Class

Boy I had a busy day on Tuesday, taking an 8:15 AM ferry to get to my drawing class at the Manhattan UFT, followed by an RTC Ex Bd meeting and then off to view "The Power to Heal" sponsored by NYC Retirees with Marianne Pizzitola at the Tribeca Viewing room with some city officials and some fellow retirees.

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

 

NOTE: Tomorrow is the ABC Big, Beautiful Mass Meeting, with Over 800 registered so far. ABC retirees will be doing a brief (very brief) presentation. A bunch of us attended the film yesterday.

 

I've been too busy to blog. I'm doing the BBG tour guide training which lasts until the end of March. Saturdays have been tied up and I actually have homework.  So I missed the massive No Kings rallies on Saturday which I hear had 400 people in Rockaway. I joined 40 people in Edgemere on Sunday to canvas for Mamdani. Luckily I was teamed with a young lady I know from the Rockaway Theatre Company who is an experiened DSA canvasser and led me through the process.

 

The RTC Ex bd meeting had a number of interesting elements but I am in a rush as I have to get to MSK for a vaccine shot for Meningitis which I need because I no longer have my spleen. So I will deal with the RTC situation, which I am not happy with, another time and will focus a bit on the film and discussion afterwards.

 

Listen, I have been involved in the fight over Medicare and the attempt to push us into Medicare Advantage, the movie and discussion afterwards made things clearer than every. I can't remember some of the people on the panel and Marianne was on target as usual but they all made so many great points. Medicare is social insurance while Medicare Advantage is corporate for profit insurance, which led me to think back to the Mulgrew arguments that they were the same. Was Mulgrew duplicitous or just plain stupid? You chose.

 

We saw only the sort version of the movie and Marianne will arrange a showing of the full version of The Power to Heal, the essence of which was that many hospitals, especially in the South, either banned or minimized care for Black people and it was the new Medicare program in 1966 that forced them to integrate in order to be eligible for the federal funds. 

I had never made the connection before.

 

It was pointed out in the discussion that Medicare is not an entitlement - we pay for it throughout our working and retirement lives. It is never free and then we have to over for the 20% not covered and while most people have to pay for that, NYC retirees were guaranteed free coverage, which Mulgrew and Co tried to take away.

 

Of course now we face the biggest threat to Medicare from the Trump administration, not that the Dems had no role in promoting the privatized MedAdv programs, which by the way are dropping people who might get older and sicker. Risk pools without younger and healthier people will leave Medicare in an untenable situation and healthcare in this nation will get worse and worser, a reason I know people who are seeking dual citizenship if they can. I have one Japanese friend who travel back to Japan every 3 months for treatments she cannot afford here.

 

It was pointed out that the badly managed MedAdv plans cost many lives through denials of service and nit-picking, often now being done by AI. Under Medicare, doctors make decisions while under MedAdv doctors are second guessed. And MedAdv plans cost the governement a lot more money, especially due to the 15% paperwork charges vs. 3% for Medicare.

We also talked about the NYC Health Act and flaws were pointed out. A retiree said that some younger teachers are yelling at her for fighting for Medicare instead of for the NY Health Act but it was pointed out that out of state retirees would not get the same coverage and since they make up a significant portion of retirees, their being cut out would raise prices.

 

There's a lot more to say about the film and the discussion which went so deep and I didn't get back to my apartment until after 8PM. Keep an eye out for Marianne's notice to post the full film and I hope the political people in the room get fully invested in the battle. 

 

From the website:

ABOUT THE FILM

POWER TO HEAL is an hour-long public television documentary that tells a poignant chapter in the historic struggle to secure equal and adequate access to healthcare for all Americans. Central to the story is the tale of how a new national program, Medicare, was used to mount a dramatic, coordinated effort that desegregated thousands of hospitals across the country in a matter of months.  Before Medicare, disparities in access to hospital care were dramatic. Less than half the nation's hospitals served black and white patients equally, and in the South, 1/3 of hospitals would not admit African-Americans even for emergencies.  Using the carrot of Medicare dollars, the federal government virtually ended the practice of racially segregating patients, doctors, medical staffs, blood supplies and linens. POWER TO HEAL illustrates how Movement leaders and grass-roots volunteers pressed and worked with the federal government to achieve justice and fairness for African-Americans.   Through the voices of the men and women who experienced disparities and fought against them, POWER TO HEAL will introduce a broad, prime-time national audience on PBS to a missing link in the Civil Rights Movement -- a struggle over healthcare from a half-century ago, that raises questions that resonate today: is healthcare a human right? Must the federal government intervene to ensure equality?

 

Join Me When I Lead: OCTOBER WALKING TOURS OF MURRAY HILL’S 14 DESIGNATED LANDMARKS and TWO HISTORIC DISTRICTS 11 am to 1pm

I love the Murray Hill neighborhood in mid-town east. But oh those hills. Yes, there are hills in Murray Hill. I'm doing the tours this weekend.

 

I've been too busy to blog since I started, also training as a Brooklyn Botanic Garden tour guide, which is pretty intensive with full days on Saturdays and learning different areas of the garden. But I do know Murray Hill and looking forward to this weekend and hopefully good weather.

 

OCTOBER WALKING TOURS OF MURRAY HILL’S 14 DESIGNATED LANDMARKS and TWO HISTORIC DISTRICTS 11 am to 1pm

Timings: October 25 @11am – 1pm and October 26 @11:00 am – 1:00 pm

60th ANNIVERSARY OF NEW YORK CITY LANDMARKS LAW (1965-2025)
2025 WALKING TOURS OF MURRAY HILL (OCTOBER)

A specially curated Walking Tour of Historic Murray Hill covering all 14 of Murray Hill’s.

Click Here For Tickets

designated landmarks and its two historic districts has been developed as part of the Celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the NYC Landmarks Law. Tours will be conducted each month over two weekend days. The next weekend tour is Saturday, October 25 and Sunday, October 26 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm each day. Total cost per weekend: $60 MHNA members, $70 non-members. Tours are limited to 10 guests. (For continuity and completeness, we encourage full weekend participation but understand if this is not possible. Cost for one-day tour: $40 MHNA members and $45 non-members.)

In addition to a copy of the Historic Murray Hill Walking Tour brochure, participants will also receive a copy of Murray Hill’s special Landmarks60 Commemorative Booklet containing full-page color photos and histories of all 14 of Murray Hill’s designated landmarks. The booklet also includes the history of Murray Hill and the Murray Hill Neighborhood Association, and information about other preservation groups.

The total tour area will extend from 34th Street to 40th Street and Third Avenue to Madison Avenue covering both the four-block Murray Hill Historic District, the Sniffen Court Historic District (one of Manhattan’s few remaining mews), and all 14 designated landmarks.

The inception of NYC’s Landmarks Law, challenges to the law, and current landmarking efforts will be discussed. The tours will also focus on several of the architects who designed some of Murray Hill’s magnificent buildings, and some of the famous people who lived here.

Guides are neighborhood residents and members of Murray Hill’s Preservation & Design Committee, passionate about the character and history of New York City, and well-versed in Murray Hill lore.

The Preservation & Design Committee’s mission is to preserve Murray Hill’s historic buildings and districts and to communicate to the public the history and beauty of the neighborhood. The walking tour fees provide funding towards the publication of walking tour maps, brochures and booklets, programming of lectures and educational programs, and special projects.

There will be a 20% discount for Walking Tour participants at Björk Cafe & Bistro at 58 Park Avenue when they dine after 2:30 PM on Saturdays or Sundays. Please note that Björk’s last seating on Sundays is at 4 PM and on Saturdays at 7:15 PM

CLICK HERE To reserve a place on the October tour, or for information on future weekend tours, group tours, or private, custom, or special occasion tours, contact preservation@murrayhillnyc.org

 

A Better Contract (ABC) to Hold Big, Beautiful Mass Meeting, Oct. 23, 7 PM: Over 700 registered so far

Capacity is limited at 1000, so claim your spot. 

 

Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/k1LDpxK-SMeYjbfGMx52Dw#/registration 

 

October 13, 2025

 

I haven't posted much about ABC since the election ended in June. While some expected to win despite having to compete with the 3-caucus ARISE coalition, they were also excited at the 32% result for a group no one had heard of a few months before while the long-time caucuses in ARISE could manage only 14%. These results seemed proof of concept that drove ABC -- that the legacy caucus model in the UFT has failed to capture the support of the rank and file. 

 

We can even apply the legacy model to the victorious Unity Caucus, 60 years in power and only gaining a 54% vote, their lowest total ever - in actual hard numbers, a hard minority of the total membership. 

 

An ABC-type group is the future - I'm not claiming that the current version of ABC is going to be that group but some version of it -- and the important point is that ABC is open to all UFT members, even those in caucuses.

 

I think ABC as formed at this point has potential but it must grow and expand its outreach. How to do that is still up in the air and open for discussion. If you don't want to be a formal caucus than what form does it take and how to ensure a level of democracy but also a method of making decisions and carrying them out?

Oy. My sense at this point is based on the people ABC has attracted so far -- creative, competent, dynamic - a willingness to think out of the box. But without some way of making decisions, some of that energy gets dissipated. What I have found interesting is the informal leadership -- the people who rise to the occasion when needed. I hate to formalize things --- because when you do, potential leaders can get stifled. 

 

ABC, unlike other groups in the UFT, consists overwhelmingly of actively working UFTers and they felt they needed a break after a brutal election season. (Retirees are a smaller portion of ABC than they are in ARISE). 

 

The firings of ABCers at the end of June and into this school year (The Friday Night Unity Purge/Massacre) and the Pissgate (Misogyny at the UFT Delegate Assembly) June DA created a lot of internal discussion, as did the recent healthcare changes. There is a retiree group within ABC and it is growing but the perception is that RA and NAC have a bigger group based on the fact that 140 retiree ran with them. But then again retirees in the UFT voted 3-1 for the ABC slate in the election. ABC retirees are caught betwixt and between, unhappy with Unity and unhappy with the current RA/NAC leadership of the Retiree Chapter, as Arthur expressed in his weekend post: 

• On Cutting Off Your Nose to Spite Your Face

I agree with much of what Arthur says, though not so much with his attempts to reach out - As a member of RA Organizers, I understand the mentality there and I don't see many signs of wanting to share power with others. I've given up trying. They are enjoying being in charge of RTC and while Unity initially saw them as a threat, I sense that the Unity hierarchy, while still wanting to take back the chapter in 2027 (they won a slim majority of retiree votes in the recent election), are not too upset or threatened. So far the biggest threat took place a year ago at the first RTC meeting under the control of RA when Bennett had Marianne as his guest, which freaked Unity out (UFT Retired Teacher Chapter Meeting Takeaway).

 

ABC came together as an election slate and questions remained as to its future. Not wanting to be like a formal caucus leads to questions of exactly what form would a group like ABC take. A difference between ABC and the legacy caucuses is a willingness to take the discussion out of the backroom and open up the debate outside voices with a mass meeting on Oct. 23. (I believe we dropped the ball after months of successful mass meetings by not holding them regularly during the election.)

 

I believe over 700 have already registered, so hop on board.

 

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/k1LDpxK-SMeYjbfGMx52Dw#/registration
 

 

 

Here are the Ed Notes posts on the election:
 

UFT Election 25 Dissection: ABC Broke New Ground, ...

ABC Celebrates End of School Year June 27 - Join i...

UFT Election Results: Unity’s Grip Weakens—A Bette...

UFT Election Fallout - Retiree Advocate Loses Two ...

Election Reaction - Statement from A Better Contract

 

UFT Election Results - 46% say NO to Unity (Slate ...

UFT Election 2025: ARISE - A Forensic Analysis - ...

UFT Election 2025: The Final Countdown - Come on D... 

Daniel Alicea: The Bad Bunny controversy and my experience as a Nuyorican, Krystal Ball Humiliates Right Winger Over Comment

 The left is having some fun trolling right wingers but below Daniel takes a serious swing at the Bad Bunny controversy. But first, have some fun.

Political commentator Krystal Ball recently confronted conservative host Tomi Lahren during a debate on Lahren's show about Bad Bunny performing at the Super Bowl 2026 Halftime Show. The confrontation centered on whether Bad Bunny, who is from Puerto Rico, should be considered an "American artist". This subtle shade with a smile had the internet hollering. Tomi Lahren just got fact-checked on her own show during a debate over Bad Bunny’s upcoming Super Bowl halftime show. Lahren claimed the singer wasn’t an American artist… only for her guest, Krystal Ball, to remind her that “Puerto Rico is part of America, dear.”

It was the "dear" that did it. The clip exploded online, with comments roasting Lahren for not knowing Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens. One top reply summed it up: “Tomi, I’m not going to sugarcoat this. You got humiliated.”

I sub to both Krystal's Breaking Points and to Majority report.  Sam Seder and crew on the Majority Report have some fun with it. 

   

This clip was all over the internet. 

 

Now on to Daniel

 

The Bad Bunny controversy and my experience as a Nuyorican

Daniel Alicea

 

I’m seeing the outrage over Bad Bunny with my mouth agape. The headlines calling him un-American, questioning his patriotism because he uses Spanish, because he speaks for Puerto Ricans.

I'm hungry and ornary - Educators of NYC/The Wire Expose on Flaws in New UFT Health Plan - happy break the fast

Mulgrew basically threw a shark into a baby pool.  What is the matter with him?... An Active Delegate

Speaking of sharks, I can't wait to get to that herring in cream sauce. I invited a non-Jewish friend over to observe how Jews eat dairy after a fast. Reading the piece below, my hunger only helps me get more pissed off - and not only at the Unity gang, who act like they have for 60 years - new faces, old places.

Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025

Daniel Alicea has been doing the work that others should have been doing. I sat next to him at the DA on Monday and he kept muttering all meeting about the flaws, while surrounding Unity gang shushed us when I tried to get exactly what he was saying. And when I got home I realized that after hearing the Unity cheers and dancing in the aisles after RTC Chapter Leader Bennett Fischer voted YES without consulting his chapter or even the 300 delegates elected with him, I realized what damage that vote may cause. 

But I get it - a consistent mentality. on the part of a segment of the opposition over decades that wants to try to play nice with Unity -- reminds me of the current leadership of the Democratic Party always trying to play nice with the Republicans and not wanting to see them as enemies, just like to these oppo people Unity is not an enemy of democracy and the way they run the union, actually anti-union. But you know what? If another issue came up the same people will do the same thing. They never learn.

They want us to focus on Trump and ally with a union leadership that has been part and parcel of the weak Democratic Party leadership that has helped bring us Trump. Yes, Randi resigned recently and Mulgrew endorsed Mamdani but keep a close eye on them and see a union leadership that strives to save the city money on our backs has really changed.  

I admit to not doing that work that Daniel and so many others had been doing in the ABC chats since the Aug. 28 first healthcare committee meeting and for that they've been attacked by the Unity lites. But I am acting under the assumption not to trust the union leadership to present things in an honest way. So I was an automatic NO, especially considering the lies and misinformation coming from Mulgrew over MedAV - you know, it was just a different name from Medicare and you can't ask your docs if they belong because the big beautiful plan doesn't exist yet - until he tried to shove down our throats an even more big beautiful plan which is would still be favoring if we hadn't won the RTC election. 

Now I know some of our leaders are patting themselves on the back for our reso calling for a vote at the DA - which we knew is stacked by Unity - instead of the membership so we would have time to study the plan in depth ---- btw -- they would say we are under time constraints to start it Jan. 1 -- do you think these constraints are an accident?

 

Below Daniel finds the chinks in the redactions which Mulgrew told us was read by his lawyers -- all of whom tried to kill the lawsuits to protect us. 

 

Remember the lies about the stabilization fund, which it seems will be vacated in this plan..

 

Water under the bridge I guess, unless there is a law suit to stop  or delay it.

I wonder when we will ever learn.

 

See Marianne, who comes under severe attack by both the Unity gang AND some of our so-called allies, breakdown the MLC: https://youtu.be/pBKF2GTWYhg?si=NSPbjs3PpGlcCo59  

 

Norm

 

We've read the fine print. And we're right. The contract says: ”Emblem will utilize UMR systems and follow UMR protocols for the provision of UM services.” We unpack what it means for denials & claims

͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­

	Disclaimer The views expressed by our individual authors are their own and may not reflect the views of the EONYC community. Just as we may not all agree with the editorial views expressed as the collective Educators of NYC community. Behind the Gates: How UMR Takes Over Utilization Management In Our Health Plan — and Why the AI & 'Clean Claim' Clauses Should Sound Alarms We've read the fine print. And we're right. The contract says: ”Emblem will utilize UMR systems and follow UMR protocols for the provision of UM services.” We unpack what it means for denials & claims Educators of NYC Oct 2   READ IN APP   Meet United Medical Resources (UMR). They’re not a household name, but under the new NYCEPPO plan, UMR will become the central authority deciding what care you can and cannot get. Acting as the Third Party Administrator for UnitedHealthcare and Emblem, UMR will be the interface every member has to go through for nearly all preauthorizations, claims, and medical approvals. It’s important to know: