Wednesday, September 12, 2018

I'M VOTING NIXON, WILLIAMS, JAMES IN DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY THURSDAY (updated with UFT text)

This is not any kind of official endorsement from ICEUFT but in case anyone is interested, and I have been asked on several occasions, I will be voting in the Democratic Primary for Cynthia Nixon for Governor tomorrow, Jumaane Williams for Lieutenant Governor and Tish James for Attorney General .

Nixon is by no means a perfect candidate. She says some dumb things like she wouldn't run against Bloomberg. However, her pro-labor position calling for public employees to have the right to strike is the best position I have seen a major party candidate for high office take in a long, long time. It's also encouraging that she pledges to fully fund public education. If she were to pull off a major upset and knock off Cuomo and we got back our right to legally strike, that would be a big win. Andrew Cuomo's record of being anti-labor and anti-public schools is well known. I don't expect Nixon to win but if she can outdo Zephyr Teachout's 34% that she received in the 2014 primary against Cuomo, it would take Cuomo down a notch or two.

On Lieutenant Governor, I am on board with Jumaane Williams.Kathy Hochul has a poor record as Cuomo's right hand person. Williams opposes mayoral control of the schools. That sounds good.

This is from Ballotpedia:

Jumaane has been an opponent of mayoral control of schools, citing the lack of parent involvement and the failure in closing the achievement gap for students of more color and those with disabilities. He understands the importance of these issues intimately, having been a student with Tourette’s syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who had the support of family and teachers in order to succeed. Going forward, he believes a municipal model, which would incorporate greater oversight from the City Council, would be more effective in addressing local concerns and increasing accountability. Jumaane feels the charter school system, intended to be a laboratory for innovation to bring to public schools, has thus far been misused and is opposed to the forced school co-location and closure policy that has dominated the last decade. Locally, he has successfully fought back against a proposed co-location at IS 240 and is working with parents, students and teachers on a similar effort at the Tilden Educational Campus. Jumaane has also been an active supporter of his local parochial schools, helping to rally support to save institutions like Nazareth Regional High School from closure.

Attorney General is a very tough pick as there are two very good candidates and one is not running with the Democratic establishment. Zephyr Teachout would make an excellent Attorney General and I so want to vote for her but Public Advocate Tish James I believe has a better chance of winning. I have to hold my nose and forgive James for lining up with Cuomo as the Democratic machine candidate however I would hate to see James and Teachout split the progressive vote and someone else win the job so I am sticking with the favorite James here.

James was a real friend of Jamaica High School when she was on the City Council and we were fighting to remain open. A group of students and I went to testify before the Council and James treated the kids and me with the utmost in respect in supporting our school.

As Public Advocate, James has been a strong supporter of public education. Read her views opposing mayoral control and having School Leadership Teams select principals at the NYCKIDSPAC site. She has no problem suing the Department of Education and will continue as our advocate on the larger statewide stage. UFT is endorsing James. I got the robocall on Wednesday night from political director Paul
Egan yet I am still supporting her. (Sarcasm alert there, as the UFT endorsement helps in reality.)

UFT's snub for pro-education leader Robert Jackson in the 31st Senatorial district is kind of hard to believe. NYCKIDSPAC strongly supports Jackson who was head of the City Council's Education Committee. Jackson is one of a group of State Senate candidates the Kids Pac is endorsing. Here is what they say about Jackson:

One of them is a seasoned veteran, Robert Jackson, who has extensive experience as the chair of the NYC Council Education Committee and a twenty-five year history of education advocacy as a school board president and lead plaintiff in the CFE lawsuit to obtain fair funding for NYC schools. 

UFT is turning its back on a long time friend Jackson by endorsing Marisol Alcantara who is pro-union  but a big advocate for charter schools. Major Charter money helped back her initial senate run in 2016.

If you live in the 31st Senate District, please vote for Robert Jackson.

I'm sure my two cents will change the outcome. Maybe not.

Update-Text message from UFT Thursday morning:

We are supporting Tish James in today's Democratic primary for state attorney general. Remember to vote! -Rachel from UFT

21 comments:

Pogue said...

Teachout, please. I voted for James in NYC, but any connection to Cuomo sours the conviction.

Anonymous said...

Duckduckgo

James Eterno said...

Tough choice on AG. I am afraid of Teachout and James splitting the progressive vote and Maloney winning. I see James having a better chance of winning and James has a pro public education record that cannot be denied.

Anonymous said...

From David Sirota: The funniest thing in American politics right now is the thinking "Cynthia Nixon is too inexperienced -- we really need Andrew Cuomo, whose deep experience has brought us never-ending corruption scandals, a collapsing subway system & a bridge potentially crushing another bridge."

Pogue said...

Litmus test - Who do politicians get their money from? If it's corporate donors, there's a problem for teachers, unions, and the working class.

https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup

RBE said...

Tish James sold her soul to Cuomo. She turned on WFP b/c Cuomo told her to. She backed IDC member Alcantara. She needs to be soundly defeated to send a message to future sellouts.

James Eterno said...

RBE against me too. Ouch! I told you this one was not easy.

James Eterno said...

What about James strong pro public school record as Public Advocate and in Council? You make excellent points Pogue and RBE but do we abandon someone who has been a great friend on education issues?

James has gone with the party establishment but her record indicates she will not abandon us. That said, if Teachout wins, I will be okay with the results.

James Eterno said...

Email ftom Working Families Party.

It's here!

Today is Primary Day across New York, James!

We have a chance to make history today by powering a wave of courageous progressive challengers to victory — candidates who decided to stand up, take on the status quo, and fight for a New York that works for the many, not the few.

If you are a registered Democrat, get out and vote today for:

Cynthia Nixon for Governor
Jumaane Williams for Lt. Governor

James Eterno said...

I posted the Working Families Party email because they do not oppose James.

TJL said...

For what it's worth, turnout at my school is abysmally low.

I no longer live in NY but if you do and you're a registered D by all means show up and make your vote count. Remember who supports and who would overturn this APPR/HEDI evaluation nonsense.

Bronx ATR said...

Just voted for Nixon, Williams and Teachout. Go out and vote. Vote No to Cuomo!

RBE said...

Latest on James: She is doing robocalls for IDC member Jose Peralta:

https://twitter.com/ZackFinkNews/status/1040288618059911168

She is a sellout.

A vote for her is vote to support the IDC/GOP control of the state Senate.

What she has done lately - selling out to Cuomo, backing IDC members Peralta and Alcantara, and running a nasty/dirty campaign against Teachout (her flack lied repeatedly that Teachout was censured as a lawyer) trumps whatever she has done in the past for public education.

Biggest issue for me is the support for IDC members Peralta and Alcantara. The reason we have a state Senate in GOP hands that harms public schools and helps charters is because of the IDC.

James backing IDC members is an attack on public schools and, for me, erases whatever she has done in the past for public education.

RBE said...

UPDATE: James also has the same consultants as the IDC:

https://twitter.com/ZackFinkNews/status/1040292656449048576

It is important to understand that James is a transactional politician and she has decided in the last two years, starting with her backing of IDC member Alcantara, that her lot lies with Republican control of the state Senate via the IDC

As they say about the stock market, past performance does not dictate future performance.

James once professed progressive stances and backed public education.

She now supports and works with the pro-charter/anti-public education IDC.

If these IDC members she is backing win re-election, Klein will reconvene the IDC tomorrow and continue GOP control of the state Senate, continuing the assault on public schools.

James needs to be held accountable for her sellout to the pro-charter/anti-public education IDC.

Every member of the IDC needs to have their political career beaten into dust and sent packing to their future lobbying career working for Success Academies.

Anonymous said...

Cuomo is the enemy. The UFT is a friend of Cuomo. The friend of my enemy is my enemy.

Anonymous said...

Maxine Waters came out for James. Yeah she is a real Republican.

Anonymous said...

Past performance usually gives you a good idea where someone is coming from.

Anonymous said...

I support a wall and punishment for criminals.

Anonymous said...

Yeah more taxes from Nixon to pay for sneakers, phones and peoples wants not needs. Stupid liberals

Anonymous said...

She lost. You got your friend Cuomo, a true DINO back.

Anonymous said...

Yeah more taxes and regulations from Cuomo to pay for illegals, sneakers, phones.... you progressives know the rest. Can’t make this shit up. Keep the flow of illegals. We are Mexico’s welfare state. Give yourselves a pat on the back. Your more concerned about transgender bathrooms than creating jobs. Fools!!!!