Kevin Baker On Barack Hoover Obama

see his article in the July, 2009 issue of Harper's Magazine
Barack Hoover Obama: The best and the brightest blow it again

Three months into his presidency, Barack Obama has proven to be every bit as charismatic and intelligent as his most ardent supporters could have hoped. At home or abroad, he invariably appears to be the only adult in the room, the first American president in at least forty years to convey any gravitas. Even the most liberal of voters are finding it hard to believe they managed to elect this man to be their president.....

Arne's Best Move Gets Busted

Evidently his best move got busted. See Chicago's George Schmidt and CORE (Caucus of Rank and File Educators)Shred Arne Duncan and the Chicago Corporate Model

Brother Beware Redux

As I'm taping Robert Jackson the thought struck me that his riff on the lunacy of the recent appointments to the Board of Education was very similar to Louis Jordan's truths in his song, "Beware, Brother Beware."

Hey, fellas, yes you fellas, listen to me
I got somethin' to tell you
And I want you to listen to every word
And govern yourselves accordingly
Now, you see these girls with these fine diamonds
Fine furs and fine clothes
Well, they're lookin' for a husband
And you're listening to a man who knows
They ain't foolin', and if you fool around with them
You're gonna get yourself a schoolin'
Now listen, if she saves you dough
And won't go to the show, beware
If she's easy to kiss and won't resist
Beware, I said beware
If you go for a walk
And she listens while you talk
She's tryin' to hook you
Ain't nobody lookin' she asks you to taste her cookin'
Don't do it, don't do it
And if you go for a show
And she wants to sit back in the back row
Bring her down front, bring her home down front
If you wanna go for a snack
And she wanna sit in a booth in the back
Beware, brother
And listen, if she's used to caviar and fine silk
And when you go out with her
She want a hot dog and a malted milk
She's trying to get you brother
If you're used to goin' to Carnegie hall
But when you take her out night clubbing
All she wants one meatball
You better take it easy, [Incomprehensible] take it easy
If she grabs your hand and says
"Darling, you’re such a nice man"
Beware, I’m telling you.....

City Councilmember Robert Jackson Denounces Mayoral Control

City Councilmember Charles Barrron Denounces Mayoral Control

State Assemblymember Inez Barron Denounces Mayoral Control Agreement

Mike Takes A Page From Tony Bernazard's Book

Bernazard, 52, allegedly removed his shirt and challenged several Double-A players to a fight prior to the All-Star break. He allegedly went after middle infielder Jose Coronado, according to the New York Daily News, after he accused players on the team of underage drinking.

This also could have been just a rouge to see some Mets' hunks shirtless

Tony Avella On Bill Thompson And Willets Point

Two segments (here combined) from ny1.com. First, reported by Bob Hardt : "On Friday nights program, mayoral candidate Tony Avella had some tough words for his fellow Democrat in the mayor's race, Bill Thompson."

Second, reported by CeFaan Kim: "City Councilman and mayoral candidate Tony Avella is ramping up his attacks against the city's plan to move five Willets Point businesses to College Point."

Dominican Day Parade 2009 Part 2

I thought it was strange that Mayor Mike didn't show up at the Dominican Parade, but then all of a sudden I viewed these. Imagine! The guy is rich enough to clone himself all over the place. Maybe he even bought the parade. I don't know, it was hot and muggy. Maybe I just imagined this stuff.

Dominican Day Parade 2009 Part 1

I went to the parade today to march with Tony Avella but I looked all over and never found him.

Woke Up This Morning

Cigars, Cigarettes, Body Parts?

Cigars, Cigarettes, Tiparillos?

Edie Adams - Muriel Cigar Commercial 1960's @ Yahoo! Video

A New Sopranos' Series

Recipe To Raise Test Scores

from ednotesonline

The Not-So-Secret Recipe for Increased Scores:
1. Negotiate a $118 million testing company contract that dumbs down the tests.
2. Eliminate social studies and science, throw out the arts and turn schools into test prep factories.
The Mayor’s Sure-Fire Recipe for Increasing Graduation Rates:
1. Transfer failing students to special programs (Goodwill, drug programs) that are not required to report dropouts.
2. Offer failing/ truant students the opportunity to do a simple project for credit in lieu of attending/ passing classes all term. (Credit Recovery).
The Miraculous Recipe to Close the Achievement Gap between Students of Color and White Students:
In scaling scores, make it easier for students to move from a Level 1 to Level 2 and from 2 to 3 (requiring fewer correct answers for Level 2). Voila –– the gap is closed.
The Mayor’s Secret Recipe for Improving Scores of English Language Learners (ELL):
Give extra test time to these students even though have mastered English and passed the NYSSLAT test that moved them out of ELL programs.
Bake and watch the cake rise.
Anonymous said...
AND, component retesting along with ordering counselors to place students in YABC programs to pad the graduation stats. Thompson is correct, the DOE is the Enron of public education. Those in the schools need to support Thompson regardless of their political affiliation. Or else, line up to be slaughtered if a third term becomes reality.

Rabbi's Endorsement Of Mike

Mets' Possible Choice Of New GM Arrested

Rumors that the Mets would fire Omar Minaya and hire Rabbi Seymour Kassin as their General Manager will never transform themselves into reality as the Rabbi was arrested today. Evidently the Rabbi was being considered for his promise of securing Roy Hallady from Toronto.

Mike Chamberlain Meets Joba Chamberlain

Schmucks In Our Time

from politickerny

Michael Bloomberg's war of words with the State Senate just got bloodier.
At a press conference in Sunset Park about development plans there, Bloomberg was asked about one of his earlier comments about state senators who are delaying the renewal of mayoral control; in that comment, Bloomberg evoked Neville Chamberlain in explaining why further attempts at negotiation with Democratic opponents of mayoral control would be counterproductive. (At a press conference today in Manhattan, some of the senators in question said the remark was inappropriate since, in the analogy, the Democratic conference in the State Senate would be, well, Nazi Germany.)
Asked today whether he meant to compare the senators to the Nazis, the mayor said, "I certainly did. What part of that did they not understand? This is ridiculous."
UPDATE: The exact question, from New York 1 reporter Rita Nissan, was, "Your comments about Chamberlain on Friday--they’re upset by that and they feel they are owed an apology. They feel that you compared them to Nazis."

The Billionaire With Blinders

from Tony Avella

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 20, 2009
INTERVIEWS: James Trimarco, (718) 855-7038, (646) 244-0479
Mariah Craven, (718) 855-7035
TONY AVELLA CALLS BLOOMBERG COMMENTS AN EMBARRASSMENT TO PARENTS, STUDENTS, AND NYC SCHOOL FACULTY
New York City – New York City Councilman and Mayoral candidate Tony Avella (D-Queens) sharply criticized Mayor Michael Bloomberg after hearing his outrageous comments on the Mayoral Control bill that stalled in the state Senate last week.

Avella said he was shocked by what he heard on Bloomberg’s weekly radio address. The mayor told radio host John Gambling that the latest version of the bill would get parents too involved in schools, and that their involvement would cause disruptions.
“I never thought I’d hear someone who claimed to be in favor of improving schools trying to cut parents out of the equation,” Avella said. “Parental involvement is essential to good schools. Apparently the mayor doesn’t understand that.”
During last week’s address, Bloomberg said, “they want to have this slush fund to train parents so that parents can disrupt the schools. I want our principals and our teachers to run the classroom…. [C]an you imagine?! We’re going to have people on the streets to tell our police department how to work? No, we don’t want to do that.”
Bloomberg was referring to a portion of the revised Better Schools Act that calls for the creation of a center for parent and student service and empowerment. The center would educate parents and students about ways to get involved in the school system and would encourage more participation in parent-teacher associations and school leadership teams.
“I don’t know where Mayor Bloomberg got the idea that parents are the problem,” Avella said. “This is about everyone in the community working together to make sure our kids get the best possible education.”
Avella knows how to create successful partnerships between parents and teachers. Schools in his Queens district are among the best-performing in the city, in part because he has been able to facilitate strong relationships between parents and teachers.
“Bloomberg’s statements are further proof that the Mayor is a billionaire with blinders on,” Avella said. “We need the community’s input on how our schools are run. We need their input on how our police officers are doing, as well. What we don’t want is a Mayor who wants to wave a royal scepter and exclude us from our own City government.”

Call In The State Troopers

War Of Words Continues Over School Control

from ny1.com

Lawmakers gathered on the steps of City Hall Sunday to urge the mayor to negotiate, not attack, the State Senate over the mayoral control of city schools law, which expired during the more than four-week stalemate.
Since then, governance of city schools has reverted back to the Board of Education.
More than a half-dozen state senators were on hand for Sunday's rally, where they argued that the mayor should not have complete control the city's public school system. They said Mayor Michael Bloomberg should be willing to compromise because they are not backing down.
"We believe it would be meshuganah not to include parents in the education of our children," State Senator Hiram Monserrate, a Democrat from Queens, said, reusing a Yiddish term used by Bloomberg. "As opposed to loosely using the word meshuganah, we would also say we don't need a yenta on the other side of this argument and this debate. Raising the issues that he has raised in the manner he has raised them is unfortunate."
"Enough with the fighting, enough with the finger pointing," said State Conference Leader John Sampson, a Democrat representing Brooklyn. "The mayor has to understand that the passion we are exhibiting is passion for the love of our school children. It's not about political rhetoric. At this point, we are call to communicate, negotiate, because it's our responsibility as representatives of the 1.1 million children in the city schools to understand; it's not about mayoral control, it's called parental involvement."
In response to today's press conference, the mayor's spokesman released a statement saying:
"The bill they pledged to put to a vote is the produce of seven months of public input and careful legislative deliberation. The circumstances have not changed to require further negotiations, and we do not stand in the way of their agreement.
On Friday, the mayor slammed the State Senate for breaking for the summer without renewing the law. He says it is being held up by a small group of people.

Politicians With Cahones

from classizematters

On Thursday night, the NY State Senate brought S5576, the Better Schools Act
to the floor, which would create moderate curbs on the Mayor's dictatorial
control, including set terms for PEP members and one less than a mayoral
majority on the board.
The legislation was defeated, 15-40, mostly because of upstate, suburban and
Republican opposition, while two thirds of the Democratic NYC Senators voted
for it. Then they called a recess and went home.
The names of the 14 NYC Senators who voted for the bill are below:
Adams, Eric
Addabbo, Joseph P., Jr
Diaz, Ruben
Duane, Thomas
Espada, Pedro, Jr.
Hassell-Thompson, Ruth
Huntley, Shirley L.
Kruger, Carl
Monserrate, Hiram
Montgomery, Velmanette
Parker, Kevin S.
Perkins, Bill
Sampson, John L.
Stavisky, Toby Ann

State Senator Shirley Huntley

Speaking the truth to power

Eric Adams On Mayoral Control

I'm proud that he's my State Senator

Pull My Finger And I'll Save The Middle Class

The mayor is spending a fortune on advertising, you would think this picture (sans my caption) would have been looked at more carefully.

Now See Here Mister Roberts!

from the gotham gazette

Senator Eric Adams insisted the vote was about making a point. Adams then slammed the press for being pro-mayoral control. He said reporters who were standing behind him were likely to attack him in their papers.
“When did we become an extension of city hall? asked Adams. “How dare him tell the governor you have to call them back until they pass this bill?” he asked referring to Bloomberg. “Are we not the Senate?”
Adams finished by appealing to Republicans for support. He asked them what they would do if their school districts were run like Bloomberg runs New York’s schools.

The Lashings Of Mayor Queeg

from Liz Benjamin's nydaily news blog

Using some of his strongest language to date, Mayor Bloomberg gave the Senate Democrats a tongue-lashing this morning - even calling some of them out by name - for failing yet again to pass a bill reauthorizing his control over the public school system.
During his weekly WOR radio show, Bloomberg told host John Gambling Gov. David Paterson should force the Senate to return to Albany "every single day" for the rest of the summer until they pass a mayoral control bill, even employing the State Police to "drag them back" if necessary.
"This is what he should do," Bloomberg said of Paterson, noting that he has been "defending" the governor throughout the Senate stalemate. "Giving them the summer off is as we say in Gallic, ‘Meshugenah'".
"I cannot for life of me understand what the agenda is of the people, there were 15 people last night who voted for a bill which would end all of the progress that we’ve made in the schools, in terms of bringing down crime and improving test scores and graduation rates and bringing down the drop-out rate."
"You wonder what goes through their heads, and they all come from neighborhoods where improvements in the schools have been dramatic. And you wonder what on earth they are thinking about in term of voting for a bill that would literally end all of that.”
Bloomberg accused the opponents of the Assembly bill, which would largely preserve his power, of wanting to "ruin the schools: and accused them of trying to establish a "slush fund to train parents so parents can disrupt the schools."
He also called the allegation that the administration refused to negotiate "total bull".

Those 15 Senators are heroes. They know the mayor's statistics are based on easier tests, bogus schemes like credit recovery, deliberate attempts to push out low scorers from the test pool and a tantalizing temptation to cheat by the offering of bonuses for higher scores. Add to that media sycophants like Gambling.
btw, A tongue lashing from the Mayor? He's probably an expert at that.

Dancing Landsmen At The All Star Game

I wonder whether there has ever been three MOT at the all-star game?

Obama Meets Jeter At The All Star Game