Comments on: Randi on a Tightrope

By: Jewel Mathias

Jewel Mathias — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:36:36 +0000

This President and this Congress in large part caused the economic collapse. Bush and his appointees are in the process of socializing the financial and automotive sectors, and potentially homes. If we do have a socialist President, he should have a very smooth transition. Obama says he has a “righteous wind at his back.” True and I hope good wins over evil in this election.

By: Floraine Kay

Floraine Kay — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 08:13:06 +0000

I agree with Norm. I don’t think Bloomberg needs Randi — I wish I did. I think his PR machine has done a great job encouraging NY Citizenry to be very unsympathetic to teachers and that no one cares what she thinks, except her UFT members. We have to care because she is the person who negotiates for our contracts. I think she’d have more political capital opposing the Mayor’s third term and trying to show that she had a strong and powerful coalition behind her. What do the other union president’s think? Why aren’t they banding together AGAINST this third term? If Randi could bring together hers and the other unions of this city in an effort to fight Bloomberg, she’d be a very powerful person. Does she want to be powerful, or does she just want to be “in power”?

By: Norm

Norm — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 05:29:34 +0000

Does Bloomberg need Randi at all? She can only interfere with his plans with an all-out blitz on the City Council and Bloomberg knows full well she would never do it. As you say, she is a deal maker. If layoffs are coming there will be some dealing going on. Could she come out for a 3rd term? More likely she will sit on the fence.

But her problem is that the members dislike Bloomberg almost as much as Klein – they are smart enough to see there is no difference at all in policy though the union tries to make Klein the bad guy. Why would Bloomberg sacrifice Klein when he executed Bloomberg’s plan so well? The only issue is whether Klein wants to stay. It wouldn’t be going to far to see Klein leaving and Randi taking credit.

So she is on a tightrope and has to appear to be willing to throw a roadblock in Bloomberg’s plans to feed the members while obfuscating the issue and really coming down for a 3rd term without appearing to. We know she is against term limits since she can serve as UFT president for life, which that little birdie UFT source might have also told you is what she intends to do.

By: Andy Wolf

Andy Wolf — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 01:26:05 +0000

Other than Klein’s shiny scalp, what is there for Randi? Time WAS on her side. Now the clock may be reset. Every time she came to agreement with the mayor and Klein previously, it didn’t end the war. But at least she delivered big raises for her members. Here’s a hot flash for all. There are no more raises to be had for quite some time to come. In fact I don’t see how layoffs can be avoided. The sooner she goes to war, the better. Two fronts: changes in mayoral control through the legislature and the political front.

Andy Wolf

By: Sol Stern

Sol Stern — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 23:22:25 +0000

Nice political analysis Elizabeth. Maybe you should multitask and add the City Hall beat to your great education reporting. Here’s what I would say to Randi: Go to King Michael and pledge your fealty in return for the head of Lord Klein.
Sol Stern