Another defeat for #Mulgrewcare - NYC RETIREES WIN in NY Appellate Court - Administrative Code § 12-126 (b) (1) requires respondents to pay the entire cost, up to the statutory cap, of any health insurance plan a retiree selects.

Today, the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees won their case in the First Department NY Appellate Court.   The Court was very clear Code § 12-126 (b) (1) provides: “The city will pay the entire cost of health insurance coverage for city employees, city retirees, and their dependents, not to exceed one hundred percent of the full cost of H.I.P.-H.M.O. on a category basis.”

The court correctly determined that Administrative Code § 12-126 (b) (1) requires respondents to pay the entire cost, up to the statutory cap, of any health insurance plan a retiree selects.

The Retirees applaud the decision.

Marianne Pizzitola

President

NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees

This is why the UFT leadership is so desperate to change the code and has had Dist Reps send out a plea to chapter leaders to call their city council to change the code -- so the city would not be required to pay the entire cost? 

At last night's UFT Ex Bd meeting, United for Change reps made a plea to the UFT to reverse course and support current members and retirees. I will post their comments in a follow up.

I will also add the link here to the decision when I get it.

And here it is: https://www.nycretirees.org/_files/ugd/6a0ad2_247a57e48c164348b17a8aeb3817a5da.pdf

This is resounding rejection

Nothing in the statutory text or history supports respondents’ interpretation that the provision is satisfied so long as they pay for the costs of one of the health insurance plans offered to retirees, which they have determined to be the Medicare Advantage Plus Plan.

This was a major talking point for needing to change the code.

Unanimously told its BULLSHIT

Not only did they lose but the court squashed their initial propaganda campaign

It’s no wonder they’ve pivoted to this ends our collective bargaining rights

Which is even more ABSURD

 

Daniel interviewed Marianne Saturday on WBAI -a Must listen.

https://talk-out-of-school.simplecast.com/episodes/healthcaredebacle

click above link to listen - a most informative hour.

Ibeth Mejia at UFT Ex Bd Opposes changing Admin code, urges Blue Ribbon panel on healthcare changes

I support the UFT changing course to come out in opposition to amending Administrative Code 12-126.  Most retirees do not want to be forced into a privatized Medicare Advantage plan where some health insurance company can get even richer on our backs. Strong unions like the UFT should be taking on these insurance giants. 12-126 gives us a nice benchmark plan with the HIP-HMO rate. Leave it alone and find savings elsewhere. The Taylor Law protects healthcare collective bargaining rights. It is a mandatory subject of bargaining.The moratorium clause is part of a state law that protects school district retirees in NY. I am not a lawyer but I like our chances if the City or Arbitrator Sheinman try to impose something unpopular on our retirees or active people. Privatized Medicare is unpopular. This is from Workbites.

Council Member Joann Ariola (R-Queens) told Work-Bites she had fielded thousands of queries from constituents on the Medicare Advantage controversy and that it was running 10 to 1 against making the change in the Administrative Code sought by Mayor Adams and the MLC leadership.

Brooklyn Council Member Charles Barron, (D-Brooklyn) said he was “100 percent with the retirees…because I think they have to keep the commitment they have because it’s beneficial for those who paid their dues and I think the Medicare Advantage approach is privatizing."

"Healthcare costs are out of control,” said Council Member Gale Brewer (D-Manhattan). "I have been lobbied by both sides but at this point, I am supportive of the retirees.”

That is a Republican, a left wing Democrat and a more  moderate Democrat I just cited.

Now I would like to cite a past UFT President: the legendary AL Shanker. He said the Union should avoid splitter issues. By seeing what the Council Members are saying, this is clearly a splitter issue. It is the MLC leaderships and their supporters against the rank and file retirees.

Change course. Let's play this out. If the MLC leadership gets a bill in front of the Council, there have to be public hearings. I can pretty much guarantee the MLC leadership will be standing against 9-11 survivors and heroes who will be at the Council en masse to oppose this change to 12-126 that will force them into privatized Medicare. Please don't do it. There is no MLC consensus on revising 12-126 Most of the uniform unions who are quite popular oppose changing 12-126 and they blame the UFT for leading this battle. Don't split the labor movement and don't try to balance the City books on the backs of retirees by privatizing their healthcare. We need to buy time until we can work for a national single payer system like every developed nation on earth has except for the USA. 

I suggest putting together a blue ribbon panel as has been proposed. Find otherb ways to save money with new audits and other savings but please leave the 12-126 as it is and support this resolution.

#Mulgrewcare Update - Move Retirees into scam plans - Audits Reveal Millions in Medicare Advantage Overcharges

Officials at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have said they intend to extrapolate the payment error rates from those samples across the total membership of each plan — and recoup an estimated $650 million as a result. But after nearly a decade, that has yet to happen. CMS was set to unveil a final extrapolation rule Nov. 1 but put that decision off until February.CMS appears to be “carrying water” for the insurance industry, which is “making money hand over fist” off Medicare Advantage.  

We see our UFT leaders whining about the increasing costs of healthcare while aiding and abetting the very companies that are a major reason for these escalating costs. And Medicare administrators have also been covering for insurance company fraud.

 

https://khn.org/news/article/audits-hidden-until-now-reveal-millions-in-medicare-advantage-overcharges/

By Fred Schulte and Holly Hacker November 21, 2022

The story of how AIPAC and DMFI are reshaping the Democratic Party - Ryan Grim

While Levin, a former synagogue president, describes himself as a Zionist and opposes BDS, the Michigan political scion has frequently clashed with the pro-Israel establishment over his criticism of the Israeli government, including the recent introduction of legislation that would, among other things, condemn Israeli settlements while placing restrictions on U.S. aid to Israel.

The attack on Levin helped define what DMFI meant by pro-Israel, and it included support for expanding settlements and ruled out criticism of the Israeli government. That Levin couldn’t be written off as antisemitic made him that much more of a threat. That he was willing to defend his colleagues like Omar and Tlaib was intolerable. Accusing Tlaib of antisemitism is made difficult if a former synagogue president has her back. AIPAC CEO Howard Kohr, asked by the Washington Post in a rare interview why Levin was targeted, said, “It was Congressman Levin’s willingness to defend and endorse some of the largest and most vocal detractors of the U.S.-Israel relationship.”.. Ryan Grim

Levin loss indicates you can be a zionist and still get attacked - cancellation by the right - for criticizing Israel -  

On the other hand, as a member of DSA I don't support their hard edge positions on BDS and Israel, though I find myself moving in that direction at times. Call me confused. I don't think I'm the only one.

Nov. 21, 2022

I expect to be labeled a self-hating Jew for publishing this story. I believe Israel is currently, or at the very least, moving closer toward an official apartheid state - if you put that label on you are viewed as anti-semitic. The first thing you hear is how well the Israeli Palestinians are treated. Sure - watch how the increasing right wing treat them. 

On the other hand, I also feel pretty insecure being a Jew after 2000 (at least) years of persecution. I do feel we need a safe haven. For some historical perspective -See -A New Focus on a Jewish Artist Who Broke Barriers in Medici-Era Florence -

The life of Jews in 17th-century Florence was quite constrained. They were confined to a ghetto, a cramped area about the size of a football field that housed about 200 families. They could work only in certain professions, like rag-picking, and were not allowed to join professional guilds or corporations, which would have opened the door to fields like architecture. Their interactions with Christians were strictly regulated.

So let's not trivialize the emotional reactions of Jews to real and perceived threats. But to do to others what was done to you is not kosher.  Jews especially should stand with progressive ideas and that includes figuring out a way to treat Palestinians decently and not descend into doing unto others.

 

It may seem a contradiction, but there are left wing zionists.

 

This story from Ryan Grim has been percolating for a month and ties into the way the Dem Party corporate wing vilifies the left - see the last post on Hakeem Jeffries (Pelosi Replacement Corporate Shill, AiPac darling, pro-charter Jeffries Is At WAR With Progressives - fights Left Dems more then Republicans).

 

An Update on the Summer Lee segment - AIPAC piled in for the general election again but this time she won in a landslide. But scratch a progressive, especially a declared socialist, watch AIPAC money flow --- hmmmm, maybe I will run for something to get money flowing to an opponent.

 

And Maxwell Frost won handily in Orlando running a progressive campaign but removing mentions of Palestinians, while Val Demings got slaughtered running to the right.

The story of how AIPAC and DMFI are reshaping the Democratic Party

A Sunday (very) longread

Ryan Grim

Oct 16

▷  Listen Save

Depending on how you date it – whether it’s Ned Lamont and Donna Edwards in 2006, or the first Bernie Sanders campaign in 2016, or the rise of the Squad and Justice Democrats in 2018 – there’s been an insurgency brewing on the left flank of the Democratic Party that transformed its politics and also threatened to fully take over the party. That didn’t happen in 2020, but the progressive wing continued to make major gains, and significantly shaped Biden’s legislative agenda in 2021 and 2022. 

UFT Bloggers #Mulgrewcare updates, Marianne Pizzitola guest on Daniel Alicea "Talk Out of School Sat. 1PM WBAI

This week there was a Retiree Chapter Meeting - Tuesday, Nov. 15 and A Delegate Assembly, Nov. 16 - I attended the RTC meeting and was outside the DA leafleting. 

 

UPDATE- Listen to archive- https://talk-out-of-school.simplecast.com/episodes/healthcaredebacle

 

But first some exciting upcoming news from Daniel:

Sat 11/19 at 1 pm, on @WBAI 99.5 , listen to my talk w/ Marianne Pizzitola, of the Organization of Public Service Retirees abt the NYC teacher, city worker & retiree healthcare debacle. We’ll discuss Medicare Advantage & attempts to change the city code that protects HC.

 

Here are DA minutes from James and Nick:

• LIVE BLOGGING FROM NOVEMBER DA

• Notes from November DA – UFC High School Executive Board Authors first Resolution with UFT Leadership

I could say a lot about Mulgrew's presentation on Tuesday at the RTC -- I began writing something pointing to inaccuracies or obfuscations but other bloggers are covering some of the same ground.

 

One thing - Mulgrew keeps saying the judge took away collective bargaining and says the city can offer us only one plan - in fact his ruling says they can offer us the current option BUT CAN'T CHARGE US -- sure -- Mulgrew is fighting to give me the choice to pay $4500 a year for me and my wife for what we are now paying nothing. Ice water in the winter.

The  other issue I harped on was his changing his tune to attack corporate greed of private insurers while handing these private insurers an enormous contract that would suck money out of the only public option we have - traditional Medicare. He says he wants a national universal healthcare system while pushing the transfer of $600 a year out of Medicare and thus helping destroy the public option. I had my hand up for that question but somehow they missed me.  I need to trip the lady with the mic as she walks by.

 

I just got an email with a list of alternatives ways of paying for healthcare - I added it below the blog links.

 

That's all I will say for now since I can't keep up with these bloggers - James, Arthur and Jonathan -  they are on the case. So I'll just link with a few excepts below -- I have been in some contact in private chats with all of them.

Jonathan: Big Picture vs Misdirection – Admin Code 12-126

Mulgrew wants Medicare Advantage Plus. Retirees block him. He tries to change the law to “unblock” the City and the MLC (so they can force retirees onto Medicare Advantage). They block him again. He tries campaigning with members. Nope. He tries using the Campion letter to scare members into supporting amending 12-126 so he can force retirees into Medicare Advantage. Still not working.

• Mulgrew issues a new “fact” sheet.
• He buries the argument over 12-126 in details (it’s SIX pages. I’m not sharing)
• He claims this has nothing to do with Medicare Advantage.

So I put it to you. After fighting for almost two years to force retirees onto Medicare Advantage, is Mulgrew now fighting, with the same people on his side, and the same opponents, but not about Medicare Advantage anymore?

 

Arthur: This article in Gotham Gazette -

UFT and MLC Leadership Deceived Us About Health Care...was such a dagger to the heart of UFT leadership - "Say it ain't so, Arthur" -- they reached out to him as he reports in this follow-up:

I Meet With UFT to Discuss Healthcare - http://nyceducator.com/2022/11/i-meet-with-uft-to-discuss-healthcare.html

I got a little bit of flack for my Gotham Gazette piece. There were many arguments put forth. Some were more understandable than others. While they had a lot to say, I did not get a strong sense my responses were valued. 

They told me the proposed Advantage plan, which does not actually exist anymore, were it to be replaced, would do everything the current standard Medicare plan does. It's absolutely necessary to change the code, they said, or the city will place everyone in some Advantage plan or another. Some disagree. Personally, I remain unpersuaded that changing the code is necessary, and I am not eager to enable the Eric Adams administration. 

 

James: MULGREW ADMITS TO DELEGATES THAT RETIREE PLANS DON'T COME CLOSE TO HIP-HMO RATE SO WHY ARE THOUSANDS PAYING PREMIUMS?

Mulgrew's new argument appears to be that we must change the law so the City-MLC can create a new cheaper benchmark healthcare plan. At that point, the City will be able to legally charge retirees who don't take their new cheap plan a monthly premium for what the City is currently illegally charging them for. 

... the judge didn't say anything limiting our collective bargaining rights. They are subject to the Taylor Law where healthcare is a mandatory subject of bargaining. Nothing on healthcare can change without union agreement. Also, remember for school district employees state law says a school district cannot diminish retiree health benefits unless they do the same to active workers.

Why the desperation of Mulgrew to giveback on healthcare?

Here is the letter to The Chief:

Please read the op-ed for alternatives to the Medicare crisis.

This letter was sent to council member Erik Bottcher by a CROC member.

Kindly note the following alternatives presented by CROC (Cross Union Retirees Committee)  in a recent letter that you might have received as a City Council Member( see below)  I am also sharing with you an excellent Op-Ed that appeared in today's The Chief issue, written by one of our incredibly active PSC retirees, Dr. Evelyn Jones Rich. It presents all the necessary background information and rationale to VOTE No to any changes to 12-126  and rather ask the elected officials and union leaders to do the right thing: looking for real alternatives that would not affect the health care benefits of the in-service municipal employees and retirees. https://thechiefleader.com/stories/find-a-better-solution-to-the-medicare-impasse-or-resign,49283

Bottom line: what we are looking for is for the City Council as a whole to go beyond predictions, and rather stand up publicly with us now  and say that you are all committing to Vote No to any changes to 12-126 and to look for any other viable option that will not affect any of us as retirees or in- service municipal employees.

 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dear                     , 

Retirees urge you to protect our healthcare. Please vote NO on any amendment to Administrative Code 12-126. 

Healthcare costs are high but we believe the City can bridge funding for the next several years by drawing on reserves in the Retiree Health Benefits Trust Fund to shore up the Health Stabilization Fund. This would allow time to seriously evaluate alternatives that the OLR and MLC have themselves put on the table.

Such long-term cost-saving measures to explore could include:

1)  Creating a city-run self-insurance plan;
2)  Negotiating aggressive hospital cost-containment measures;
3)  Consolidating and negotiating group drug plans;
4)  Auditing the membership of the insurance plans to remove those ineligible for benefits;
5)  Reining in billions wasted on bad management and inefficiencies used in healthcare plans. 

There are practical solutions that creative, competent minds can come up with. We, retirees, have thought of just a few. Retirees should not be forced to lose their current quality Medicare with Seniorcare benefits while these long-term alternatives are explored. 

Please stand with 1/4 million municipal  retirees, current municipal employees and their dependents. Do not throw us under the bus! Vote NO on any amendment to Administrative Code 12-126. 

Signed, 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Pelosi Replacement Corporate Shill, AiPac darling, pro-charter Jeffries Is At WAR With Progressives - fights Left Dems more then Republicans

Back in 2009, A bunch of us went up to a court in Albany to oppose the appointment of Cathy Black as chancellor. Hakeem Jeffries was with us. It's the last time I viewed him as a progressive.

The hedge-funders and charter school backers,who have supported Jeffries in the past, are overjoyed.  Will Jeffries continue to wage an open war on progressives?

The notion that the Democratic Party establishment would put
a lawmaker beholden to AIPAC in that position is shameful. The far-right AIPAC supports numerous Sedition Caucus lawmakers, for starters....  Meet the new boss same as the old boss... Oh yea, another banking-industry shill. Just what we need... Comments on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4cIh52OWNc

"I’m a Black progressive Democrat concerned with addressing racial and social and economic injustice with the fierce urgency of now.  -- Hakeem Jeffries

But not so much addressing racial and social economic injustice when it comes to serious healthcare issues like Medicare for all.

While expected, the Jeffries appointment being celebrated by Dems based on identity politics is a dangerous road for Dems since Jeffries has mocked the left in ways that echo Trumpy mocking the libs.  Pro charter, he's a corp Dem all the way and guaranteed to stop any moves to Medicare for all.

 

Here's a section from today's Breaking Points/Counter Points with Ryan and Emily:

He created a PAC to undermine left. He openly opposed Jamaal Bowman but Bowman said he supports Jeffries. Huh? Hates AOC apparently. Left won't fight him - makes them look so weak and allows him to run all over them. DSA is a bigger target for him than Trumpies.

Ryan goes into the nature of personal relationships like Nancy having Omar's back so often and when the left attacks the squad for not opposing Nancy - well, Nancy did have skills. Does Hakeem have similar skills?

Jeffries tied into APAC and they want to exterminate the left --- Emily says it could rupture but Ryan says left too small - like a pothole.

Pelosi Replacement Hakeem Jeffries Is At WAR With Progressives

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4cIh52OWNc

 

 

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/hakeem-jeffries-pelosis-successor-house-democratic-leader/story?id=93489303

Jeffries, first elected in 2012, has long been considered Pelosi's heir apparent, rising through the ranks to land a perch in the party's House leadership.

However, he could face some opposition from the most vocal progressives in the House, who labeled him a centrist.

"I’m a Black progressive Democrat concerned with addressing racial and social and economic injustice with the fierce urgency of now. That’s been my career, that’s been my journey and it will continue to be as I move forward for however long I have an opportunity to serve. There will never be a moment where I bend the knee to hard-left democratic socialism," he told The Atlantic last year.

 Jeffries would be the first Black party leader in the House and would face the challenge of navigating a wide-ranging caucus, including progressive members he’s clashed with in the past. A former corporate attorney, Jeffries has faced distrust from some progressives for his support from and for business interests, as well as his backing of a political action committee aimed at defeating progressive challengers. 

It doesn't look like he will face objections from the left, fearing a racial backlash. Too bad.

Josh Shapiro's Win More Impressive than DeSantis' but media ignores due to Trump Mania, Fetterman Won on Left Populism also ignored by media

Despite Oz attacks he was a Bernie socialist, "nothing scared Fetterman off from embracing a left economic populism and he pulled it off better than any other candidate.. unabashingly pro-union--- his lefty populism was a boon not a curse--- Krystal Ball - The Case for Left Populism

I see DeSantis as Viktor Orban in white boots and a bigger threat to democracy than Trump.

Which is funnier? DeSantis in white boots or Fetterman in a suit?

While the Dem center right media celebrates DeSantis as a positive alternative to Trump - oh the relief that we can get the Republican Party out of Trump's hands - instead of rooting for its continued internal destruction. I'm not as impressed with the win given the sclerotic former Republican Christ as his opponent and the equally sclerotic Florida Dem party which rivals the NYS one in terms of right center incompetency. And let me include the Val Demmings campaign against Rubio - when Dems run as Rhinos they often lose. I don't think Florida is as red as people think but the Dem party there needs a complete rebuilding and rebranding. 

So let's look at the Josh Shapiro win in battleground Pennsylvania over a bad opponent. Still double digits and he probably helped Fetterman win. Shapiro made inroads even in red parts of the state. He's not as progressive as Fetterman, who also made inroads in red areas. 

Look at the battle in Dem party in NYS where Adams etc attack and blame progressives for losses when it is the Sean Patrick Maloney types that created the debacle. Having Fetterman join Bernie and Elizabeth Warren as a left Dem flank in the Senate is a win win.

Despite Oz attacks he was a Bernie socialist, "nothing scared Fetterman off from embracing a left economic populism and he pulled it off better than any other candidate" - Krystal Ball

Krystal Ball on Breaking Points did a rundown on Fetterman's win making the case for a progressive platform reaching working class people in red state areas. Starting at 1:31:34.

She reminds us that Fetterman, running as a Bernie Sanders guy, overwhelmingly  won the Dem Party primary against a darling of the right Dems who had all their support and money. Conner Lamb was viewed by Dems as more electable. How did that work out with Fetterman's 30 point win?

In the general election he did better than Trump, Biden and Toomey. He cut down on rural margins. Aside from his persona she also points to what he ran on -- like Medicare for all is not a shackle as most Dems want us to believe. She points to how the media misunderstands politics, elections and voters. His debate performance actually gained him respect for trying. She takes on the argument that progressive politics are bad politics. Oz attacked him for his progressive politics. He had union support because he was so pro-union, unlike so many Dems who are defensive about union support. Also pro-weed and raised the price gouging as a cause of inflation to counter the Biden is at fault narrative. His left populism outperformed every other Dem candidate with independents.

 

And she shows this chart showing how he outperformed in every area of the state. His largest gains came in areas where Dems had been fleeing the party.

The media narrative below has things backwards:

Biden turns out to be more populist than Obama - not saying much but also Biden comes off as more authentic.

https://youtu.be/YCQ_LWNKbR4?t=5671

 

Krystal also appeared on The Lever: • LEVER TIME: The Midterm Shellacking That Never Was (w/ Krystal Ball)

And more on the progressive movement from them: 

• PA’s Next Governor: The Democrat Who Picks Fights With Bad Guys — “Josh Shapiro is a Ted Lasso-style politician who does the one thing most Dems never do: He names the villains.”

• Eight Key Midterm Election Takeaways: The Progressive Electorate Has Spoken — “We constantly hear about how progressives are too extreme; Tuesday’s results should quash that narrative.”

• The REAL Reason For Dems’ Rust Belt Revival — Political analyst Krystal Ball on why Democrats overperformed in the industrial Midwest — and how it could pave the way for transformational policy that challenges corporate power.

• The Midterm Issue No One’s Talking About — “As voters push to prioritize climate change and fossil fuels spend big on key races, less than one percent of election ads are focused on the environment.”

• The Lever’s Guide To The 2022 Midterms — “A look back at the blockbuster reporting we produced this election season.”

• YOU LOVE TO SEE IT: Working People’s Issues Won On Election Night — “Across the country, ballot measures and new candidates delivered midterm victories for economic justice and workers’ rights.”

Tip Jar

Stuff To Watch & Listen To:

• LEVER TIME: The Midterm Shellacking That Never Was (w/ Krystal Ball) — The Lever’s reporters run through the midterm election results and David speaks with Krystal Ball about big-picture takeaways.

• LEVER TIME PREMIUM: The Former U.S. Senator Who Became A Saudi Lobbyist — David explores how a former U.S. Senator became a lobbyist for the Saudi Arabian government.

• THE AUDIT: Prioritize The Painters — The study group FINALLY finishes George W. Bush’s MasterClass on leadership.

• Donald Trump’s Disastrous Night (The Owen Jones Show) — David joins British columnist and media analyst Owen to break down how the elections will affect the right.

Undistorted Election Discourse

Buried in Fox News’ national exit poll from this past week’s midterm election, one stat sticks out: Less than one in five Americans now say they have a great deal or a lot of “trust and confidence… in the news media when it comes to reporting the news fully, accurately, and fairly.”

You can see that distrust expressed in another part of the poll that explains much about why the media-predicted red wave never materialized: As The Lever showed in our post-election analysis, a whopping 46 percent of voters rejected the media-created argument that the Biden administration’s spending policies — not corporate profiteering — is to blame for the inflation crisis.

Corporate media is completely broken right now. More and more political news is quite literally being “presented by” corporate sponsors trying to influence politics. Put another way: More and more political news is designed to distort the discourse on corporate terms rather than hold corporations and politicians accountable.

The good news is that the aforementioned survey data prove that America has woken up to the mass deception. The even better news is that building alternative reader-supported independent media is now easier than it ever was in the pre-Internet age.

That’s exactly what we’re building here at The Lever. And as you can see from this week’s clips above — and from all of our election-season reporting — we’re making a big impact.

HELP US GROW, FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Instagram
• YouTube

In truth, many in our newsroom went into election week feeling despondent. It didn't seem like there would be much to look forward to as results rolled in. We planned accordingly, writing our election postmortem — well, premortem — with a dim tone to match the anticipated dim results. But as election night wore on, we began reporting out early polling data and outcomes that afforded us a sense of cautious optimism during our election livestream event. The situation forced us to do something that, as journalists, we have plenty of experience with: be nimble.

So Wednesday morning, our editorial staff jumped in a shared Google doc and raced out an analysis unmatched by any that corporate media could deliver — one that told the story of a progressive electorate that showed up to the ballot box, inspired by the possibility of what our government, at every level, can deliver for America.

As importantly, we worked up a midterm election report that shows what can happen if and as more people awaken to the pervasive reality of a corporate hegemony. And it made us pause and ask the question: What is possible if more people read a publication like The Lever, which boldly tells the truth about power in our country?

This is ultimately our mission: to bring the truth-telling, investigative work we do to more mobile phones, kitchen tables, and coffee shops. And as paying subscribers, we owe you a debt of gratitude for allowing us to continue this kind of critical journalism.

With your support, our newsroom is not just complaining about corporate media — we’re actually building an alternative that holds power accountable.

Click Here To Comment

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Arthur Goldstein: Who’s To Blame for Our NYC Teacher Health Care Debacle? - Gotham Gazette

It’s beyond disheartening to learn what a miserable job our negotiators did for us in 2018. All our hours on the Contract Committee were wasted, since leadership made a counter-productive deal behind our back. They sacrificed our health care to win only modest gains. Our Contract Committee is a sham, UFT has the worst negotiating team in the world, and every member of that team should be impeached or fired. --AG

Another brilliant piece from Arthur - for the record - I couldn't vote on the 2018 contract but urged a NO vote - why? Because I never trust the UFT/Unity Caucus leadership on contracts - or other issues. But also note - they claim their plan is not Joe Namath. How do we know?

Opinion

Who’s To Blame for Our NYC Teacher Health Care Debacle?

https://www.gothamgazette.com/130-opinion/11684-who-blame-nyc-teacher-health-care-debacle

November 15, 2022 | by Arthur Goldstein

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Then-Mayor de Blasio speaks to the UFT (photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)

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A long-time UFT chapter leader I know used to joke, “There are two things wrong with our union—the leadership and the membership.” I’ve been very involved with the teachers union, both in opposition and alongside leadership, and I couldn’t agree more. That two-pronged problem with our union is evident in the saga over major changes to health care for retired and current teachers.