A Mini-Lesson In Albany Power?
Tuesday, I went to Albany with the Chancellor’s Parents’ Advisory Council (C-PAC?), the UFT and the Principal’s Union to lobby legislators on behalf of smaller classes for public school children about which I will I write more later.
In the course of the day, we got a funny lesson in the manners and mores of the legislature.
The Senate and Assembly were set to vote on members of the Board of Regents, the group which hires the Education Commission. As a practical matter, the positions are in the gift of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, since Assembly Democrats make up the majority of the combined body. As they went to vote for the new members of this crucial body, none of the Senators and Assembly members I spoke to knew who Mr. Silver intended to nominate (elect). After the vote, none of those I spoke to knew anything about those for whom they voted.
One of them, CUNY Law School Professor Natalie Gomez-Velez is, in my view, an excellent choice: smart, focused, funny, light on her feet in debate; we schmoozed with her after her election. She represents the Bronx on the Panel on Education Policy and used to work for the Brennan Center.
The other is someone none of the elected officials I spoke with had ever heard of.
“Charles Bendit, of Manhattan, is co-founder of Taconic Investment Partners, which develops both commercial and residential real estate. He’s also on the Board of Governors for the state Real Estate Board and member of PENCIL or Public Education Needs Civic Involvement in Learning†according to the Times-Union, quoting the press release that no one else picked up. Mr. Bendit was elected in his absence. Who is he? Why is he a regent?
Obviously,I like one of Mr. Silver’s picks. Does that mean the system works for me or you?
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Education | Legislature | New York State Assembly | New York State Senate | Public Education | Regents | State Senate | UFT / United Federation of Teachers
Well, I guess we will disagree.
Submitted by Daniel Millstone on 14 March 2007 - 11:59am.
Certainly no one gets appointed by Politicians to any office without some political connection. Gomez-Velez was appointed to a "Bronx seat" and so Bronx connections were essential. Nonetheless, everything in her actual record supports my view of her as a progressive addition to the Board of Regents. Indeed, the idea that Andrew Wolf is against her is, in my view, a point in her favor.
But what connections caused Mr. Bendit's appointment. What's his record. He's very wealthy. Does he socialize with the Mayor in the Caribbean?
My point
Submitted by Whats So on 14 March 2007 - 6:37pm.
My point wasn't so much that political appointments are wrong, although one might argue that this position is not meant to be a political appoinment, but rather something that is voted on by the legislature based on merit and experience in education.
My point was that Albany is disfunctional because it allows disgraced former power-brokers like Roberto Ramirez continue to appoint people without anyone asking any questions. To me, it would be almost as bad as letting Clarence Norman appoint one of his cronies to the position. The only difference between Norman and Ramirez is that Norman got caught. Speaking of which, why the hell is Carl Andrews working for Spitzer?
A lot of people community people in the Bronx are upset about this pick, and I don't find anything progressive about it.
I, unfortunately, don't know anything about Mr. Bendit.
Well, Regents appointments are political.
Submitted by Daniel Millstone on 14 March 2007 - 7:03pm.
For myself, I liked the former Manhattan Regent Luis Reyes, who sought, but did not get, reappointment. Perhaps, Natalie Gomez-Velez can be brought into some education discussions where those of us watching these issues closely, can talk to her in a more substantive way.
I'm not sure
I'm inclined to disagree with you on Gomez-Velez. She's a political hack, who doesn't really know too much about education.
See this and this
The problem with Albany is that they make you think they are working for you, by hiding the truth behind everything they do. As you've seen firsthand, most legislators don't have a clue about most of the things they vote on. That's partly due to the fact that freshman assembly members get about enough money for one staff person, and partly due to the fact that in order to get more money for staff, they have to kiss the ass of the leadership.
...sigh