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

---

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

---

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.

Save Our Healthcare - Nov. 13, 2022 Town Hall - register here - http://tinyurl.com/HealthCareTH

Last week Retiree Advocate had 250 people, mostly retirees. This is run by MORE which should bring working teachers to the table as we fight the Mulgrew attempt to divide (and blame) retirees for fighting back.

If you missed last week, here is a link: https://youtu.be/yNwIWMOWig4

 

I copied this notice from Jonathan - don't expect royalties.

https://jd2718.org/

MORE Town Hall

Sunday evening, November 13

http://tinyurl.com/HealthCareTH

The fight against amending NYC Administrative Code 12-126 continues. The code sets a floor the city must pay for our healthcare, and blocks them from going lower.

The amendment will let them go lower. We need to defeat this amendment, or even stop City Council from considering it.

http://tinyurl.com/HealthCareTH

This event is for current teachers and other school workers, and for retirees.

These changes threaten the healthcare of IN SERVICE and RETIREES. We are in this together. We will beat this together.

See you Sunday!

 

No Red Wave and Dismal Election Results Didn't Happen But Dems should not be Celebrating Averting a Disaster

Still waiting for you to admit how wrong you were on some many counts here, Norm, from completely missing the importance of the abortion issue as an old white guy and how important the democracy issue was to missing how well Democrats outside of NY State would do. If it were not for Sean Patrick Maloney and Co., we would have held the House, which hasn't happened since the 1960s Democrats in mid-terms, much less with all of the fundamentals -- galloping inflation, unpopular president -- going the wrong way.  ...comment on What's Wrong with the Democrats as Disaster Looms for Climate, democracy, the economy, and yes, crime

A quick note for those into the health care issue:   Sunday Nov. 13 - 7PM - A Town Hall sponsored by MORE Join other union members deeply concerned about @UFTleadership’s healthcare givebacks! Retirees and Active members- we are all in this together.

RSVP: http://tinyurl.com/HealthCareTH

Saturday - Nov. 12 - I started this Wednesday so excuse the scattered thoughts. 

I cancelled my move to Portugal or Canada - temporarily.  

Did the Dems learn anything on messaging from what went right or wrong?

I fear they will spend a lot of time working their shoulder joints out of whack from patting themselves on the back. If there had been a red wave they would have blamed the progressives of course. But progressives didn't have a bad election.

The Squad gained a few new members. A guy in Texas and Summer Lee in Pittsburgh who beat back millions from the Israeli lobby in both the primary and general election - they loves to go after progressive black women as they did with Nina Turner. Of course Sean Patrick Maloney attacked AOC after the election over her criticisms of the NY Party.

I have loads of links for follow-ups but here is one that just came in:

• Working People’s Issues Won On Election Night - A Socialist Sweep In The Twin Cities

With the crime issue on top, a number of progressive reformers still won. You don't get those reports on main media -- which is why I'm addicted to mainstream and alt left media.

 

How about the student debt issue as there was a bigger turnout than expected from the youth vote? Dems hid from this issue fearing old folk outrage but a targeted appeal to youth about the threat by Republicans might have spurred even a bigger turnout. And then there's the marijuana issue too. Both issues buried.

 

New York state was a disaster despite Hochul win -- but her poor campaign really dragged people down and made Zeldin a hero in Republican circles. If it comes down to one vote in the House, blame Sean Patrick Maloney. If it's two or more I'm happy he lost.
 

Jonathan has good analysis on the NY State races: 

• Votes for Congress in New York State 2022
• What Happened to Hochul’s Vote?

Locally in Rockaway

 There is a lot of corruption in the Dem party here. My local Dem Assemblywoman Stacy Pfeffer Amato may have lost to a POS Republican slug in a close race. My neighborhood went 75-90% for Zeldin which was why I panicked. I had nothing against Stacy - I voted for her and straight Dem but I should point out she took over from her mother -- that seat was in the hands of her family for probably 40 years. And when her mom gave it up she became the head of some patronage Queens job. And Joe Addabo also won - he took over from his father. Is something wrong when we have a sort of monarchy? But despite not liking Greg Meeks, he beat my super POS Paul King (who is head of my Property Owners Assoc) 75-25. And don't forget - my city councilwoman is a right wing Republican (you no longer can separate them - all Republicans are hard right). I'm supposed to call her to get her to be with us on the Medicare issue. 

My old paper, The Wave, gave the right wing enormous space. They dumped me years ago when new right wing ownership took over - I was the only progressive voice there. But do I miss not having to hit a deadline every week?

I ran in my post with the "it's the economy stupid argument, not just abortion" but it seems there was a silent last minute Dem surge. Maybe the economy is not as bad given the under 4% unemployment rate, a far cry from the 10% Obama faced in 2010.

One thing about inflation -- for 40 years we had no inflation due to shifting high paying middle class jobs out of this country by outsourcing. As we bring jobs back, we ain't paying people a dollar an hour. So you can't have more jobs here and no higher inflation. Accept that. The complaints that Biden overspent on handing people money they spend on stuff is over the top. Every country has inflation except a few. Supply chain, higher wages, greedy corps. Some of this message seemed to register in the last ten days.

And abortion did keep driving the engine according to pundits. I think the threat just woke up enough people to make a difference. Panic like mine set in over the past 10 days and Dems did enough tinkering and scare morning. Inflation not as big as people thought -- one theory - Inflation is due in part to higher wages, especially for the lower paid workers -- so maybe some workers came home to Dems.

I admit I was wrong in my assessment. I was panicked by the polls. But think of how close almost every election was - except for DeSantis in Florida where he is the new king. No one is talking about how awful his opponent was and how scerotic the Florida Dem Party is. Val Demmings? She ran with a right wing Dem agenda. As did Ryan in Ohio - I admit I was pretty wrong on him. I was buying the Morning Joe hype about his great campaign -- the left analysis is that running from the right only works in a few cases. Fetterman didn't shy away from a working class argument and won higher totals in rural areas. The stroke might have gained him some votes.

Actually, there was a shift in the last week or ten days as Dems began to broaden the message from just abortion  and address crime and the economy. So while the massive turnout has been attributed to the abortion issue, I also made the point they can't only focus on that.

I've been slow to respond because I have been listening to so many podcasts - Krystal on Breaking Points (live show in NYC Dec. 6), Sam and Emma on Majority Report, Ryan Grim on Intercepts, David Sirota on The Lever ---- I have tabs open for all of them as I haven't gone through them but will put up a follow up.

I went into the city Tuesday night for dinner with a friend so I wasn't in Rockaway and able to totally monitor election results but I did have access to some services and tried to keep up. I watched TV, flipping channels - while also watching live feeds on my phone and ipad from Sam at MR and Krystal and Kyle and Sagaar followed by Ryan and Emily--- quadruple tasking. I still have a big backlog to review.

I woke up at 4 AM Wednesday, hit the gym at 5:30AM and hunkered down.

Doom and gloom didn't come as I expected. But Dems can and probably will still lose the House. But the margin looks so slim it might actually work out for them. Let the Republicans play crazy with investigations and get nothing done other than destruction.

I still think that the number of close elections is scary. Just a nudge here and there and we could have lost the Senate too. Maybe still can if Nevada goes bad and Georgia too. So counting no chickens. 

Biden numbers should go up - I predict high 40s soon.

A win for Biden. This election makes him more likely to run again - one of the benefits of a red wave would have been a decision not to run. Watch his poll numbers go up as Dems start coming home. A deranged Trump announcement will help - though DeSantis is actually more scary - Victor Orban in white boots.

I watched the celebration on Morning Joe and it seemed obscene. They saw the night as a big loss for Trump and were almost celebrating the DeSantis big win. It shows you Dem Party mindset -- oh what a relief if we get "normal Republican" Desantis as President.

It's amazing how they can't stop talking about Trump. They say it was a massive loss for Trump -- but how about the Vance win? Notice they leave that out. I think the blame Trump arguement is media hype but so happy it drives him nuts. The comment about Virginia Gov Yung Kim sounding Chinese is one of his more unhinged.

And by the way -- the big Asian shift to Republicans in NYC is also unhinged as the attacks on them emanated from Republicans. I know a Trumpy who at ever mention of Covid says - "The China Virus."

I wanted Tim Ryan to be closer but it is clear that Ohio and Florida are fundamentally gone for Dems and getting redder. The Morning Joe crowd said they should not be stupid and toss money in those states. But then there's Sharrod Brown, who might be an ideal Pres 2024 candidate. 

The Dems didn't for Ryan but they did for Christ and Demmings -- I hear 70 million on lost causes - smart spending could have won the House. The way Dem Central make these decisions is part of why the Party is so often in trouble -- like spending 40 mil in Kentucky in 2020 for a horrible candidate and also in South Carolina to oppose Graham. No sechel.

Right now the Senate hinges on Nevada - if she loses don't count chickens in Georgia when the entire nation will be focused on it.

What is clear, is that Republican sprinkle was not a mandate to engage in war and if they try with endless impeachments and investigations it will cause them harm in 2024. 

What's Wrong with the Democrats as Disaster Looms for Climate, democracy, the economy, and yes, crime

I took a short drive to the hardware store yesterday. A few blocks into my trip there was a man and a woman on each corner waving big Zeldin and other local Republican banners at the cars going by. My neighborhood is flooded with Republican signs. i saw one Dem sign. This is still NYC. I see big Republican enthusiasm and none for Dems. The Iceberg is looming - deck chairs, anyone?

I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat....Will Rogers

Zeldin is poised to perform better than any New York Republican in decades. His lawn signs are everywhere and Hochul’s are nowhere. The first presidential campaign I ever covered was 2016, and there are unsettling parallels between this race and Trump v. Clinton, how one base was clearly more enthused than the other, how airy and detached Democrats sometimes seemed from all of it.  .. Ross Barkan

Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022 - Day of the Dead

The Mood of Democrats today

With a tornado about to hit Dems expect even more disorganization. As leftie Dem I have a lot of issues, contrary to Republican screams about socialism, the center right very anti-left forces that control the party. Dems pine for the old Republican Party they worked so well with because fundamentally, most elected Dems come from the same place politically as the old Rockefeller Republicans. Dems may suck in many ways but Rep triple suck. Name one solution Rep have for any of the problems.

On the other hand, Dems and Reps solution to inflation is the Fed raising rates and driving people out of work and thus lowering wage demand -- yes, make the workers pay but left corps off the hook.

Corp Dem Mulgrew tries to be Joe Namath and sell us on Medicare Avantage - UFT should have hired Namath

Let me point out right up front that as a left critic of our own center right Dems who control the UFT, nothing strikes me as more Republican/Right center Dem than Mulgrew's attempt to force us out of the public option known as Medicare and into a privately managed system of Medicare Advantage. Think of the mentality of national Dems and Unity Caucus just in regards to the healthcare issue. Mulgrew accepts that costs will rise drastically even if due to profit making, high exec salaries, high advertising costs - Joe Namath ads, etc. Mulgrew, instead of standing up for us and calling out this profit making, does a selling job for them - he's the Joe Namath of the MLC.

• Unity Caucus is the epitome of Dem Party Central an echo on policy which is why they talk Medicare for All but never act on it
  

Diane Ravitch has post after post pointing out why we must vote Dem - I agree - she also has this: Connecticut: The Biggest Charter Scandal Of All Time. Connecticut is a Dem state. For many of us on the left Dems are the only option but we don't vote with the enthusiasm shown by the right. That suppresses voter turnout. There are Zeldin lawn signs all over my Rockaway neighborhood - along with the other Republican local slugs running. Same on Long Island. One brave soul on my block put up a Greg Meeks lawn sign. Dems don't seem to believe in lawn signs.

I heard a story of a teacher who is left wing but worried about election and was making calls for Hochul -- she said the entire operation was disorganized as per Will Rogers. Dems are massively disorganized, especially on message but also at the state levels. Florida Dem party is a disaster, turning a swing state red. Fuckn Charlie Christ?

Sean Patrick Maloney has been endemic to Dem ineptitude and I have been thinking evil thoughts about some joy in him losing. But when I heard one of my go to people - Sam Seder, Majority Report, say if the Dems had to lose the House he wouldn't mind seeing Maloney lose -- my thoughts exactly.

Republicans and the right are seriously organized with an immediate on message attack mechanism that threatens democracy, the economy (Republicans have no answers), the climate disaster, a willingness to wreck the world economy because the evangelical base is looking forward to Armageddon. The right is fighting at the school board level. Dems have no response.

I've even entertained more evil thoughts that if the Dems lost real big it would prove the Republicans have no solutions other than mayhem and maybe wake Dems up -- but nahhh, they will seek to blame the left. Or Russians. Hillary, you know, made no mistakes.

But I don't need mayhem at this point in my life --- crashing the global economy and wiping out our pensions will not be fun. Would a massive loss lead to a reawakening of Dems -like It's the economy, stupid? Yes, they will find a way to blame Bernie Sanders and the left -- which has been quiet like mice.

Some major trends over the past 60 years that have put the Democratic Party, facing a red wave in the mid-terms, in a box. And never forget that our own beloved Unity Caucus machine and its NYSUT and AFT counterparts are attached to Dem Party central.

Naturally the race issue lost the Dems the south since LBJ's Civil Rights Acts. And race has continued to play a role. But what to make of the fact that the Dems are even beginning to lose people of color - Hispanic, Asian and even black working class - and to some extent the black business class. 

But I also blame the neo-liberalism in the Dem party that took hold after Reagan won and has lasted 40 years. The idea that led Dems to be willing to support MedAdv over Medicare and charters over public schools and a free market that allowed millions of jobs to go abroad in the interests if cheap goods but at the cost of social infrastructure that has led to the rise of Trump. Clinton and Obama were endemic. Now they race around trying to save the party from the massive defeat they helped set the stage for.

Neo-liberalism mentality has undermined the message of the Democratic Party as they - and not just white working class.

The lack of focus from Democrats on the economy and inflation comes as recent polls from the Washington Post and Monmouth University found that the top two most important issues among voters are the economy and inflation — far outpacing abortion... The Lever

The only explanation for [Democrats] political malpractice [in not holding Republicans accountable for anti-worker policies] is fear of making promises they might have to keep.... Krystal Ball

• Krystal and Kyle delve into this deeply with guest Rana Foroohar on the 40 year neo-liberal journey of Dems and she is positive on Biden in contrast to Kyle and Krystal - a really illuminating podcast.
• https://krystalkyleandfriends.substack.com/p/episode-97-audio-rana-foroohar
  

Disaster on horizon with safety net, climate, democracy on the block when Rep win

 

Republicans have been trying to get rid of the FDR socialist program known as social security since 1936 and the LBJ socialist Medicare (for seniors who reach 65) and Medicaid for the poor since implemented in the mid-60s. Getting rid of them means some form of privatization. The problem for Democrats is that at times they have been willing to go along with aspects of the program. Remember how Biden and Obama were ready to deal on entitlements?

 

There's a pretty good chance Hochul may lose and the Dem Party and the UFT will be in deep shit. All we hear from Hochul is abortion. I get a call an hour from the UFT telling me to vote Dem. I got one I answered and had a nice conversation with Jill, a retiree who hates the idea of Mulgrewcare but spends weeks calling people all over the country. I told her hearing Mulgrew leave us messages on how to vote probably costs the Dems votes. 

Dems spend 4x as much on abortion issue ads than on the economy, as I echoed Bernie Sanders in this Oct. 17 post: It's the economy stupid - Bernie TRASHES Dems for ...

I linked to these articles:  Dems Barely Messaging On Economic Issues

 

Someone left this anon comment: Old white guys: abortion is not important. 

Well, this election will prove that it is not old white guys who think other things are important. I responded: If you want to win - it's the economy stupid. Look where abortion finishes in the polls. And there's nothing dems can do about it other than the state level. Fact is healthcare issue affects the most people. And want to know something else -- people don't care if there is our version of democracy where the politicians are owned by corporates. They will settle for dictatorship -- After this election it's over for Dems. Republicans will never let them win another election. And most Dems will sit on their hands and whine about it but as long as they are left a slice of the pie it is fine.

 

Note how the commenter makes it seem as if I said abortion is not important -- I said it's not the only thing. Reminds me of when I worked with people who always put race at the top -- I said it was important but not the only thing. I was called a racist.

 

Dem Party central and Unity Caucus will still be in business even after a Republican landslide. In some ways seeing the Dem Party go extinct - which it has in so many states and even in large swaths of blue states - may lead to something else. But what else?

 

I've grown to despise the consultant class that has such influence of the Democratic Party. Despite the Republican loony society branding Democrats as socialists the reality is the party is under the control of right of center Dems - what used to be the liberal wing of the Republican Party -- the neo-liberal philosophy of anti-labor unions (they restrict the beloved market forces), supporting the movement of American industrial jobs to China, Mexico, etc where workers are paid bupkus, and a list of transgressions too many to name. 

 

There is hysteria abounding before the probable end of democracy as we know it, not only due to anti-democratic moves by Republicans but because as they gain control I see a massive economic disaster coming as the cut budgets and taxes and take away the safety net - including social security and Medicare. Oh, am I talking about Michael Mulgrew? I accuse him and his Unity gang of fundamentally supporting Republican (and most Dem) attempts to move Medicare into private hands. 

 

Now those of us on the left who criticize Dems for being neo-liberals get attacked for helping Republicans win.  

 

A massive loss may kill Biden 2024 candidacy - but then who?

Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman has run an ad declaring that “our economy is a mess because of Washington — the rich, powerful, the insiders, and the lobbyists,” adding: “They set the rules, weakened our supply chain, and spiked inflation.”

Krystal and Sagaar went into of not Biden, who on Breaking Points yesterday -- they listed the usual suspects from last time - all a disaster. They didn't mention one - Tim Ryan - who I thought was a real attack dog on progressives last time. But if he's close in Ohio tonight, he becomes a 2024 candidate as many say he's run the best Dem campaign considering he's in a deep red state. I hated him then, but just to show how desparate we are, he would be my choice in 2024 - and if he wins by some miracle tonight -- may just be ambitious enough to primary Biden. After all, he once ran against Pilosi.

Cone of Silence Descends on UFT Ex Bd - Maga Mentality Unity Caucus Shuts People out of Ex Bd in Executive Session Using "Leak" Excuse

United for Change Ex Bd Member

Last night Retiree Advocate held a Zoom on the healthcare issue attended by 250 people who stayed on for the entire event. 

• Exposing the Adams/Mulgrew Threat to Our Healthcare: Untangling the Confusion- Retiree Advocate - Sunday Nov. 6 7PM

What does the success of the resistance to Mulgrewcare have to do with closing the Executive Board to non Ex Bd UFT members? 

 

Everything. The more people know, the less they will believe the bullshit.

The cruelest cut of all - No dinner for me at Ex Bd

Before I begin, once I learned of the closed session I decided not to go, though I was going to ask Leroy Barr if I could just eat and run. My wife had to deal with my dinner, unexpectedly --  she had spent the day prepping for tomorrow's Mah Jong game at our house. We had Japanese food takeout with Saki -- and I never get Saki at UFT Ex Bd meetings. So a win win tonight. But tomorrow I have to get out of here or go crazy listening to 5 hours of tiles clacking.

Monday, Nov. 7
Tonight's UFT Executive Board meeting, which constitutionally is supposed to be open to all UFT members, was turned into an Exec Session using the excuse of a leaked audio of a question and answer on the Mulgrewcare fiasco at the Oct. 24 meeting as an excuse. Recordings of meetings are not allowed as per Leroy Barr's instructions at the first ex bd meeting. The problem is that Barr has not made that same announcement at every meeting and there were obviously lots of new people at the last hybrid meeting and someone assumed it was OK to share some of the questions asked about healthcare and the lame responses.

 

Oh, the tragedy. Unity is acting like the NSA -- but why expect a normal reaction from an authoritarian leadership that at the last meeting ended a 60 year tradition and limited the question period. The closer the flames get the more restrictive dictatorships become --- this is a constant historical truth. Expect more restrictions to follow, but at some point these regimes come to an end as more and more people get burned.

 

While I believe all UFT members should have access to Ex Bd meetings - there must be a cast of thousands just pining to hear these stimulating meetings, I can agree that it is wrong to use audio of sensitive issues best left behind closed doors. I have maintained that anyone who speaks and wants to record themselves and share it that should be allowed. I spoke for 3 minutes at the last meeting and probably should have recorded myself because I think I did a good job on exposing the health care issue.

 

But context, context, context. I could understand it we broke the cone of silence on contracts (which I also oppose but go along with to keep Unity slugs happy.)

 

Why they are going ballistic at this leak of a question and answer on healthcare? The leaked recording exposed the lame/lying response by union officials on health care. 

 

Ineptness is the mother of censorship.

Mic drop.

 

 

Eterno goes into more detail:

The last Executive Board meeting audio was released to Marianne Pizzitola, President of the NYC Organization of Public Sector Retirees, who is standing up to Unity arguably better than anyone in the 62-year history of this union. Marianne is not a UFT member, however, she is a union supporter. She is an FDNY-EMS retiree who is part of DC 37, another government employee union in NYC. 

Many of my colleagues in the opposition in the UFT are not happy that Marianne is out there exposing the UFT and Municipal Labor Committee by playing audio of meetings that have been leaked. Under most circumstances, I would agree that she has no business monitoring the UFT but the UFT as one of the biggest MLC unions has a big say on healthcare and our leadership doesn't fight fair as most of you here know full well.

His full piece here: UFT CLOSES EXECUTIVE BOARD IN REACTION TO BEING EXPOSED BY NYC RETIREE ORGANIZATION LEADER

 Ex Bd UFC member, who has not been heard from in hours - in ex bd jail I imagine - reported before he went into the cauldron:

Executive Session Inexplicably Called Tonight with two resos UFC people are bringing up - if they aren't shot first.

https://newaction.org/2022/11/07/executive-session-inexplicably-called-tonight/ 

Published November 7, 2022 Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Tonight, 11-7-22, we are being told that it may be an executive session for the UFT executive board meeting. We have not been told why or been given any notice. This means that no observers will be allowed. We will try to present some regular non-session business tonight including the bottom two resos. Otherwise, we will be unable to present minutes tonight.

Resolution on Abusive Administrators

Whereas, hundreds of DOE administrators have been flagged by UFT members as abusive for creating toxic workplaces, taking liberties with the contract, and/or targeting teacher unionists. 

Whereas, abusive principals can destroy the careers of both tenured and probationary teachers, and in the case of probationary teachers, can do so for “any or no reason.”

Whereas, UFT Leadership does not have the power to hire, fire, or discipline administrators, but does have the power to act on our behalf by petitioning the State for increased legal protections, negotiating with the City for increased contractual protections, addressing the Chancellor during consultation on behalf of affected chapters, and, if necessary, by organizing the broader membership in solidarity.

Whereas, for several years, the UFT had a multi-caucus committee dealing with principals in need of improvement (PINI), only to needlessly disband it in 2016 without any ‘successor’ program. 

Whereas, as a result, the UFT has no dedicated formal mechanism for identifying and pressing for the removal, transfer, or remediation of abusive administrators. 

Whereas, a lack of systematic response by UFT to abusive administrators damages member morale, and signals to problematic administrators that they are immune from consequences.

Whereas, in the wake of the Janus decision, failure to address abusive administrators can lead our members to lose faith in the union, putting our local at risk.  

Resolved, that the UFT will work to amend State law to give probationary teachers more protections so that teachers and other staff are not subjected to arbitrary and capricious actions, and be it further

Resolved, that the UFT will work to increase protections and resources against workplace bullying of our members by principals, drawing on recent legislation such as Senate Bill S3395A:  the New York State Healthy Workplace Bill. And be it further

Resolved, that the UFT will work in negotiations to strengthen the UFT contract to afford more protections for both probationary and tenured UFT members, and be it further

Resolved, that the UFT will  highlight the problems of abusive administrators, through membership involvement, various forms of social media, publications, etc., and be it further

Resolved, that the UFT will employ a multifaceted campaign to end the reign of terror of abusive administrators. This campaign will include the many tools and approaches that have previously been passed at Delegate Assemblies including: taking all legal remedies, establishing “swat teams” to go into schools with a history of abuse, assigning key UFT personnel to monitor and regularly visit said schools, organizing campaigns within and outside these schools to modify the behavior of abusive administrators and if necessary to remove them from their schools. And be it further

Resolved, that the UFT will re-establish a multi-caucus Principals in Need of Improvement (PINI) committee to oversee this process. 

Interim Resolution to Address the Rising Cost of Health Care

Whereas health costs have continued to rise, and 

Whereas, the Municipal Labor Committee, including our own United Federation of Teachers (UFT), agreed to find over $600 million in savings to the City in exchange for past salary increases, and

Whereas, the Mayor and the Municipal Labor Committee(of which the United Federation of Teachers is one of the largest parts) proposed a plan to move retirees to a privatized Medicare Advantage plan, and 

Whereas the proposal to move retirees to Medicare Advantage has caused extreme consternation and anxiety for the 250,000 NYC public service retirees (including UFT retirees) potentially affected due to fears that “cost savings” would be accomplished by reducing access to providers and procedures, and overall diminishing the quality and quantity of health care they would receive, and

Whereas 65,000 retirees were so concerned they opted out of the new plan, and

Whereas, Judge Lyle Frank ruled on March 2, 2022 that the plan could not go forward as presented, as it violated the City’s Administrative Code 12-126, and

Whereas the Mayor and the Municipal Labor Committee agreed to lobby the city council to amend the City’s Administrative Code 12-126 to allow their Medicare Advantage plan to go forward, and

Whereas the proposed amendment to the Code would eliminate the current benchmark, opening the door to changes that could hurt both in-service and retired members, and 

Whereas changing the Code would empower the city to push to downgrade healthcare quality and access in future negotiations, potentially increasing the financial burden and health risk for the city’s entire workforce, which is two-thirds people of color and earn incomes on average much lower than most UFT members, and

Whereas the MLC as representative of over 100 municipal unions should advocate for better funding for health care that does not cause union members, including UFT in-service members and retirees, grave concerns, and

Whereas the UFT and New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) have a long track record of supporting budget fairness in New York City and New York State, such as NYSUT’s recent #FundOurFutureNY campaign.

Therefore, be it Resolved, that the UFT now stands in opposition to revising Administrative Code 12-126, and urges the MLC to follow suit, and be it further 

Resolved, that the UFT in collaboration with NYSUT will look for fair funding sources to help the City meet its health care obligations to its employees and retired employees without reducing the quality or quantity of medical service, and 

Be it further resolved that the UFT consider sources including, but not limited to:  a progressive income tax for those with incomes over $5 million; restoration of the Stock Transfer Tax which could gain over to $12 billion of income to the state, or tax on the wealth of billionaires, or closing the carried interest loophole, or a pied-à-terre tax on luxury second homes in New York City, or implementing an inheritance tax on the highest 1% of inheritances, or repealing the corporate profit tax breaks implemented by President Trump within New York State and restoring pre-2017 percentages, or eliminating rebates for taxes on stock buybacks, or repealing tax exemptions on luxury goods such as private planes and yachts, or eliminate city property tax breaks for real estate billionaires and 

Be it further resolved that the UFT will take the lead urging the MLC to wage a full-scale campaign to push the City and/or State to institute or restore these revenue sources, which could be used to secure the continued stability of our members’ and retiree’s healthcare.