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?

 

Labor Day Parade Notes

 

 

Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025

I'm heading over to 52 for my first drawing class at Sy Beagle classes. I have a drawing/painting class on Thursdays. I have no talent at all so expect scribbles. But one day I want to draw or paint parts of my garden.

 

Bennett Fischer and RTC banner

 

 

The crowd on Saturday at the parade was mostly Unity with the non-Unity groups from various caucuses. Retirees had a nice group and I saw some people from MORE and Educators for Mamdani. Everyone is very friendly on this day - a sense of union unity (small u). 

One thing I noticed later on when I watched other unions. Many had signs with elements of class struggle - against billionaires, bosses, etc. (see some pics I took below -- burly teamsters smoking stogies). I note that in the UFT you do not see those types of signs. We saw fight fascism signs but not fight billionaires. I think that stems from UFT historic anti-left ideology (I know, they endorsed Mamdani, but that is only because he looked like a clear winner -- like they endorsed Adams last time because he looked like a winner - and never forget the Mulgrew/Adams alliance to take away our Medicare.

 

Watching the fervor of many unions, the UFT crew looked passive. 

 

I never saw Mamdani or Bernie, who both appeared at Brooklyn College that evening. I wanted to attend but the logistics of doing that were too complex. I marched with the UFT uptown and ran into a number of people I knew from throughout the union. 

 

After we got past the viewing stand, I walked back down and watched and took photos of the later unions marching. So I missed the ones that left before us. But I headed back to 48th St to hopefully march with Marianne and the NYC Retirees on their amazing SI ferry float. (Note for Mamdani critics of his free buses - SI ferry is free)  

 

 

I got there and they still hadn't left yet and the weather was turning ominous and my knee ached so I couldn't wait around to march with them but took some pics. I walked back to my apartment on 38th and reached Grand Central with it started to rain buckets - even with my umbrella I got soaked.

 

 

 

 

A new feature in these bleak times - 

Jokes of the day:

 

 

 

 

I had walked uptown with one of my faves over the years, great CL for years, Yelena S., who worked with our ICE-UFT crew since 2005, who was just fired by the Mulgrew crowd.

 

 

 

Yelena has worked as a part-timer for the union for over a decade back to before she retired and always ran with us against Unity, including as elementary VP. But until she ran with ABC they did not seem to have a problem with her. By the way, Yelena wanted to run with both ABC and ARISE but an RA's and ARISE steering committee member forced her to choose and she chose ABC because she felt they had a better chance to win with Amy running. She was right. We clearly had a better chance. For months I had proposed that we run some joint candidates but that same person told people the reason we wanted joint was because we could not fill our slate (ABC got 560 candidates, ARISE 490). 

 

That was what he kept selling the ARISE people - at one point saying ABC was only 7 people and would have to come back to ARISE. When people ask why ABC and ARISE did not work together, look no further.

 

Yelena and I had a great talk as we walked and found our views dovetailed on the type of group we feel ABC could be -- more open to all types of views even those we may not agree with. One of her daughters owns a book store in Brooklyn and I have to post the name as my memory is a bit faulty.

 

Today's DA and Yesterday Town Hall -- Ode to Hot Air Mike: President of Piffle, Sultan of Spin, Lord of the Loophole

Tuesday, July 8 -- a day I have to leave the beach and shlep into Manhattan for the DA.

Today is an emergency Del Ass to endorse a mayoral candidate and there is some speculation of some kind of deal between Mulgrew and Mamdani. Remember the Unity attack on DSA? I posted about this possible endorsement last week and speculated about how the UFT kiss of death may cause Mamdani to lose. 

• Will UFT Endorse Mamdani after their attacks on DSA? Will that be his kiss of death? Would Cuomo/Adams Odds Rise?

The orthodox Jewish group, which boycotted voting for ABC or ARISE because of Amy and MORE sympathy for Palestinians and chose Unity, is certainly not happy. They put out a statement somewhere but I can't find it.

 

ABetterContract.org put this out yesterday: 

Jul 07, 2025

We need a member-led process with transparency, healthy debate, and accountability. We stand on our platform position that members should vote for major political endorsements.This is not a democratic process. It’s a performance. And it’s insulting.... 

The UFT’s Endorsement Process Is Broken: 

 

ABC who show up are going out after so why not jump on the ferry? 

 

I missed most of the retiree town hall yesterday because I didn't get the time right and logged on around 3:25 and by 3:35, it clearly ran out of steam. Some focus on the stuck para bill. I give Unity credit -- pushing a campaign for 10k para bonus worked to drain potential para votes from ABC -- our chance to win would have required a big para turnout for ABC. But that gambit won't work again. I compare the success of the Mamdani campaign to pull out new voters. And that was the same idea of the ABC campaign - not to rely on the usual suspects from legacy caucuses, which have shown no real growth over decades of so-called organizing. Their 14% was even worse than the Cuomo campaign. We can all learn from Mamdani -- and a key is people in the schools. ABC ran 520 out of the 560 who ran with us in schools while ARISE ran around 350 in school people plus 140 retirees. My advice to ABC is to start asap to build an even firmer base, not just for elections but to become a constant force in the UFT. Recent firings by Unity will help in that effort, as I will point out in an upcoming post on the Unity purges.

 

Some comments on the town hall related to the stalled para bill.

He’s right this had to do with politics. Him wanting to get re-elected and him willing lie to get votes.

 

Everyone else’s fault.

 

Politics got involved in a bill??? Dumb. 

 

He comes up with the hair brained idea. Tells the paras it is as good as done, so the paras can have a vacation on the money coming their way, tries to sell it to the City Council with a massive $ tab and gets 47 to agree to it theoretically in the middle of an election but their bluff isn’t called because they only needed the election to be over, and then blames them for not doing as he said (forgetting that the City Council isn’t the Unity caucus). Did I miss anything??

 

Mulgrew has found a way to piss off the billionaire oligarchs and lowest paid rank and file unionists in the City with one bill. Truly remarkable.

 

 And a poem:

Ode to Hot Air Mike
President of Piffle, Sultan of Spin, Lord of the Loophole

Oh Hot Air Mike, thou mighty breeze,
Who fills the halls with empty pleas,
Your town halls soar with pomp and flair—
Yet leave us gasping for real air.

Great Chancellor of Chatter Vague,
Your titles mount like anti-union plague:
“Commander of Circular Replies,”
“Baron of Bureaucratic Lies.”

At 52 Broadway you reign,
With crafted scripts and well-worn strain.
We ask for truth—you dodge and dance,
A master of the vacant stance.

You float above with bloated grace,
Your words: a cloud, your tie: a face.
Beneath, the Unity crew looks glum—
Each nodding head, profoundly dumb.

So here’s to you, oh winded knight,
Who turns each grievance into light.
Our questions burn, our hearts are sore—
You answer us with metaphor.

Long may you drift, ballooned and bold,
Your speeches tepid, stale, and cold.
But know this well, dear Mike of Mist:
The rank and file are getting pissed.

 

Will UFT Endorse Mamdani after their attacks on DSA? Will that be his kiss of death? Would Cuomo/Adams Odds Rise?

Recent post from David Sirota

My two thoughts on this are: 1) If every Dem would talk like this, the party might be a real opposition 2) It's shameful that some Dems have been more focused on using their platforms to demonize/undermine this guy than on fighting Trump https://pic.x.com/QqhPxnaZuU

 

Recent post from Ryan Grim

Stepping back, it's really wild that Hakeem Jeffries, Chuck Schumer, Dan Goldman, Kirsten Gillibrand, etc., still won't endorse the landslide winner of the Democratic nomination for NYC mayor. It's not unbelievable, exactly, but it's legit crazy. And then they wonder why

'He's playing a bit of chess': Pablo Torre on Mamdani's response to 'globalize the intifada' question

UPDATE: Arthur covers the issue too: 

Unity Patronage Cult Plans Major Endorsement Without Consulting Membership: If you don't like it, you don't matter. Arthur Goldstein, Jul 05, 2025

Mulgrew has done here, which surprises me not at all, is he completely sidestepped elected Retired Teacher Chapter Leader Bennett Fischer. After all, Bennett isn’t Unity, so Mulgrew has no respect for him (let alone anyone who voted for him). Of course if he were Unity, that would mean he’d have taken and oath to support whatever, so he’d still merit no consideration. Then, on Tuesday, there’s a Delegate Assembly so Mulgrew can get his rubber stamp. ... 

This is gonna be a hard sell for Michael Mulgrew and Unity. They know it, too, which is why they’re doing the Town Hall. After all, they were at least tacitly approving all the crap about Amy being antisemitic. Some of them had no qualms about saying it out loud. or even writing about it. It was curious because those very same people never noticed it when Amy was part of the cult. Go figure.

Doubtless Mulgrew and his Very Smart People have worked out some elaborate explanation to show they are Not Guilty of antisemitism 2.0. The thing is, though, like True Believers in Unity, True Believers in antisemitism 2.0 have their minds made up and will not be persuaded otherwise.

Thursday, July 3, 2025 

After a June 14 Gothamist report:

NYC teachers deeply divided between Mamdani and Cuomo, union boss says a note from the NY Post: Zohran Mamdani set to pick up powerful NYC teachers union endorsement after primary win.

 

This news is more than shocking. After engaging in a massive attack on DSA, claiming they had a plan to infiltrate the union and tying in the heavily DSA MORE, to endorse a DSA member for mayor might make you blink in disbelief. 

 

There's more than a little irony if the UFT endorses Mamdani, who has faced some of the  same attacks over his position on Palestine and fake charges of antisemitism that ABC Pres Candidate Amy Arundell faced with many of these attacks coming from union officials and Unity Caucus hacks. Oooh the eggs on the faces of the main attackers. But don't expect them to be fired, as Amy was. 

 

Personally, I'm for Mamdani - no matter what his stand on the Medicare issue, his fundamental philosophy is pro-labor and anti-privatization - and he's one impressive political talent. I will go into some details of his campaign which is fundamentally non-ideological and more bread and butter, no matter how people try to distort - like free buses, where half the people don't pay anyway and better childcare is so radical. Even his response on intifada is interesting, as Ryan Grim explains when he compares the calls to denounce him as equivalent to cancel culture from the left:

"At the very end of this rant, Gillibrand argues that it doesn’t matter what the term intifada actually means, what matters is how people receive it, and she says that black, Hispanic, and LGBTQ people have similarly offensive words that must never be said and the same standard applies here. So if you’re on the right and spent a decade denouncing this sort of thing, how is it that you are now embracing it and on Team Gillibrand?" .... 

But my sense of democracy is challenged by a top-down endorsement process. If the DA was really open and not rushed we would get a snapshot of where membership stands - but I would go further.

 

I have reservations about a UFT endorsement without checking the pulse of the membership. Coming from the top as it usually does actually is harmful as proven in previous elections where the massive UFT membership does not seem to go along - witness the constant failures if mayoral endorsements. My sense is this is a move to jump on the bandwagon of the leading candidate, which actually may doom Mamdani, given the UFT track record. A UFT endorsement will automatically elevate the chances of Adams and or Cuomo.

 

 

There is a big push, naturally, coming from the left in the UFT, with a petition going around. So why am I bothered by that? It amounts to the same push from the top concept when the UFT leadership pushes its own interests over where the members might stand. I've been annoyed even when I agree with my left comrades on the way they push their agenda on members. Sure push your personal ideas - you have a right. But if you are trying to organize people, well how about seeing where they are at? That is precisely what Mamdani has done, as he went to Trump supporters. One surprising result in the election was how many Trump voters went for him -- the sort of Bernie/Trump concept we saw --- see NYT today:  

• How Zohran Mamdani Brought New Voters to the Polls,

• Halal Cart Holds Blueprint for Mamdani’s Upset

• How Social Media Videos Fueled Zohran Mamdani's ...

Shocking that he actually talked to Trump voters -- something the ARISE crowd attacked ABC for. In fact I see a lot of similarities between the two campaigns - except we didn't win, of course. He reached out to new voters and so did ABC - he was more successful. He had 40k volunteers and I saw ABC with more volunteers in this campaign than I'd seen in the past - and the vote totals indicated that. Both campaigns get credit for their social media. But more on this comparison in the future.

 

Member driven means member driven even if the members on the whole don't agree with you. So though I would hope a clear majority of UFT members would support Mamdani, especially given the Adams/Cuomo/Sliwa alternatives, I would like to see where the actual pulse of the membership lies at this point. 

 

The problem with pushing endorsements down the throat of members is that they alienate people unless there is a clear mandate. I think there is a strong case to be made for Mamdani but only if people get a chance to debate. Let's air the claims of anti-semitism and respond. Invite him to a meeting - invite them all.
 

If you really want to mobilize the membership in a campaign, win the bulk over and that takes work beyond calling an emergency summer meeting of the DA where a small minority of members will decide. 

But one interesting story will emerge. The so-called left of the UFT, the ARISE crowd, will be overwhelmingly in favor and with UFT leadership backing Mamdani, we could expect overwhelming support at the DA. As for the 200k UFT membership? I'm not so sure. It weakens the union of there is a wide gap.

 

Thus, while I'm not speaking for ABC, and I think many ABCers do support Mamdani, I think there might be a sentiment to go through a more serious process in the UFT as a way to build support. At least a serious poll or a referendum -- like how about using electronic voting to do one? Oh, the Unity gang is allergic. 

 

 UPDATE - 

Political Currents by Ross Barkan

They're Losing

Zohran and the decline of the pro-Israel voter

Ross Barkan

Jul 03, 2025

https://substack.com/inbox/post/167483841

TRS Election Update from Candidate Ben Morgenroth - Election is May 14

UPDATE - May 8 - THE DOE HAS CANCELLED THE TRS ELECTION BY DISQUALIFYING BEN OVER SOME MINOR IRREGULARITY AND DECLARED THE UNITY CANDIDATE THE WINNER

Tuesday May 6, 2025 - 

Congrats to Ben for getting the signatures he needed to run. Unity has controlled the 3 pension reps forever and we need another voice. They serve 3 year terms so there is an election every year. Ben ran last year and got one third of the vote. The election is in the schools on May 14 - retirees, ironically, can't run or vote. I know some people in ABC helped get signatures even though Ben is running with ARISE. It's too bad both campaigns didn't make this an issue to tie into the campaigns but I understand how busy people have been.

Here is Ben's missive:

Hi everyone, A couple of quick updates: First and foremost, congratulations! We collected well over the requisite 1,000 signature to get onto the ballot for the TRS election. This accomplishment is thanks to all of YOU and your hard work! Ours is one of two names that will appear on the ballot in May. I would like to ask everyone to please submit the Google Form below after May 14 to indicate whether the election protocols were properly followed in your school. I may not re-send this form link, so please save a copy of it. Please encourage your colleagues to fill it out as well: www.tinyurl.com/trselection25 Important Election Information: Principals are supposed to provide a copy of the notice of the election, including the names of both candidates, by Wednesday, May 7. Principals are required to hold an election in each school or worksite on Wednesday, May 14. If requested by at least 10% of the staff, the principal must call a meeting between May 2 and May 5 to hold a meeting to discuss the merits of each candidate. Once called to order, the contributors present must elect a chairperson and secretary for the discussion meeting. The election on May 14 shall be held at an in-person, called by the principal. A chairperson and secretary shall be elected at the start of the meeting. At the May 14 meeting: the chairperson shall appoint at least one teller for each of the two candidates, and at least 3 tellers in total. The tellers must be an acknowledged supporter of the particular candidate. Each member receives a ballot and signs a list of contributors (provided by the principal) to indicate they received a ballot. If an error is made, a new ballot shall be provided, and the original ballot shall be indicated as a VOID. No electioneering or discussion of candidates is permissible during the election meeting. For members who are off-site, an alternative voting location is to be provided. After each member has deposited their ballot in the box, the tellers publicly count the ballots and post and announce the results. One copy of the results is to be posted on the official site bulletin board. The ballots are returned to the box, the box is sealed and delivered to the principal, who keeps all ballots in a sealed box for at least 6 months. Note: At CUNY campuses, balloting is to remain open from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM on Wednesday, May 14 and Thursday, May 16. Ballots are counted and tallied at the end of each day (publicly per the procedure above), but not posted until the end of the second day. Please encourage your colleagues to participate in the election on May 14. Thank you again, everyone for all the hard work! Looking forward to the election. Did you know? In 2009, the TDA rate of return was reduced to 7% for UFT titles, an effective cut of $2.3 million per teacher in retirement benefits. All non-UFT titles, including administrators, still receive the full 8.25% TDA. Tier 6 members receive less than half the benefits of Tier 4 members who make equal retirement contributions, and must work up to 15 years longer to receive a full pension. With the recent State re-amortization budget proposal, now, more than ever, it is important to protect our pension against further cuts, and reverse the most recent ones. Candidate statement: www.tinyurl.com/benfortrs2025statement   Committee for the election of  BENJAMIN MORGENROTH AS TEACHER-MEMBER OF THE RETIREMENT BOARD  Co-Chairs  Andrea Kung, Teacher  Urban Academy Laboratory High School 02M565, Manhattan  Aziz Jumash, Teacher  Stuyvesant High School 02M475, Manhattan  TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE TEACHERS RETIREMENT SYSTEM  Dear Colleagues: We are pleased to announce that  Benjamin Morgenroth  will be a candidate for election to the Teachers Retirement Board.  Ben Morgenroth has a strong financial background, expertise, a decade of service in the classroom, and is dedicated to sound investments and member education. Ben is the most qualified candidate for election to the Teachers Retirement board and is the only person running with the financial expertise necessary for the position.  Board trustees are fiduciaries responsible to protect the long-term value of the pension’s investment portfolio and provide benefit security for members. They are entrusted to oversee the investment of our funds and achieve the highest possible long-term rate of return consistent with appropriate levels of diversity and risk.  Ben teaches AP Calculus and Algebra II at Brooklyn Technical High School and has served as a passionate teacher in the New York City public schools for the past decade. He also serves as an adjunct lecturer in Mathematics at Hunter College, City University of New York. He is a life-long New Yorker and a graduate of New York City public schools. He comes from a family of educators and TRS members. Ben holds a BA in Applied Math-Economics from Brown University and a MA in Applied Mathematics from Hunter College. Prior to teaching, Ben served as a business technology consultant and hedge fund risk analyst, helping to manage $3 billion in client investments.  In addition to his investment knowledge and financial expertise, Ben has intimate knowledge of the pension, including the nuances of individual Tiers. Ben is experienced at sharing his extensive pension knowledge with individual members and large groups, including the webinar he hosted focused on understanding and improving pension benefits, options, and Tier 6 reform.  Ben is running as an independent-thinking, union-proud, classroom educator who will serve with the best interests of everyday educators, like you, in mind. He is not beholden to the investors from TRS or any DOE official. This Trustee position will be the third to change hands in as many years. We need to keep our billions of dollars of investments safe and only someone with a strong investment background can be trusted to keep our pension stable, solvent, and ensure that it continues to grow. Ben’s classroom and financial experience make him the best qualified candidate for teacher trustee of TRS.  Ben’s top priorities for our pension:  1. Ensure financial stability and fund solvency to secure financial futures for retirees. 2. Aggressively and judiciously pursue investments that maximize returns while minimizing risk. 3. Continue to hold webinars and workshops in schools to ensure members understand our pension including benefits, investment, and retirement options.  Reverse pension cuts through advocacy to:  ● Improve pension and disability benefits, and pension flexibility, for members in all tiers. ● Restore the 8.25% TDA rate still received by all TRS members except UFT titles, and reverse the 30% reduction (approximately, with compounding) in our TDA benefits instituted in 2009. ● Reduce pension contributions for all tiers and restore the end of pension contributions after 10 years of service.  ● Restore retirement age to 55 for Tier 6 members.  ● Reverse the over 50% reduction in benefits for Tier 6 (compared to Tier 4 with equal contributions) instituted in 2010-2012.  ● Improve Final Average Salary calculation for pension benefits that better reflect real earnings. ● Update COLA law for benefit increases that keep pace with inflation.  ● Offer swifter movement of funds between TDA investment options (reduce time lag from 30-120 days to 1 day)

 

ABC-UFT Media - Mulgrew’s Election Tactics Spark Legal Consequences

For Immediate Release

Press contact: Mike Schirtzer

(917)683-7014

(New York, N.Y.) The "A Better Contract" slate is sounding the alarm on a desperate, undemocratic move by United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew and his Unity Caucus in the upcoming UFT union-wide officer elections. Despite paper ballots being mailed out to members on May 1st, Mulgrew has decided to add his own election rules and block several attempts to increase voter participation.

After years of rejecting electronic voting—even though our sister AFT union, PSC-CUNY, already uses it successfully—and watching turnout plummet, Unity is now pushing a last-minute in-person voting plan at select, controlled locations. Meanwhile, they’re rejecting the one solution that would actually boost turnout and empower members: in-person voting at our own schools and worksites, the same way we vote for our union contract, Chapter Leaders, Delegates, and Paraprofessional Representatives. The fact we elect our building representatives in school, but not who leads our union is absurd.

Online voting would also allow for members with disabilities, such as those who are visually impaired, to cast their votes independently. This would be considered a “Reasonable Accommodation” under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).

“They had no interest in increasing participation when members demanded real reform,” said Amy Arundell, UFT Presidential challenger. “Now that they’re losing their grip, they want to stage controlled, in-person voting sites where they can feed you, give you a gift—and convince you to vote again.”

Here’s the catch: if a member votes again in person, that vote overrides their mail-in ballot. That means your original vote—already cast —gets thrown out and replaced. It’s double voting with a twist: only the second vote counts.

Even more concerning, many of these in-person voting events are being held at special dinners and award ceremonies—mixing voting with celebrations in a way that creates the appearance of impropriety. This raises serious ethical concerns and calls into question the legitimacy of the entire process.

“They won’t let us vote at school or online—but they’ll hand out dinners, awards, and gift bags, then tell members to vote again. First vote tossed. That’s not democracy—it’s a scam,” said Daniel Alicea, candidate for UFT Vice President of Middle Schools.

“This is about one thing: control,” said Arundell. “Unity knows the only way they can hold onto power is by stacking the deck—selecting who votes where, while their loyal insiders run the show.”

To make matters worse, the so-called “nonpartisan” election committee is anything but. It’s filled with Unity Caucus members and paid union staffers, making this entire process biased from the top down.

The A Better Contract slate has filed a lawsuit to stop this manipulation and is demanding a fair election—where every vote counts, no matter how or where it’s cast.

“This union belongs to the educators in our classrooms—not to a political machine clinging to power,” said Arundell. “We’re not backing down.”

Link to full lawsuit here

verified petition2.pdf drive.google.com

A Better Contract is an independent slate of over 550 UFT members that will challenge the over six