Yes, we'll have to get to the back of the line if we fail to ratify this contract. Well, if it means getting behind the NYPD's Sergeants Benevolent Association (Which is claiming the city has a $4.1 billion surplus!) then we here at SBSB are all for being at the end of the line. Seems the SBA has some guts.
But there is another reality that just might be plausible enough if the contract does not get ratified.
Is it possible that if the contract does not get ratified that Governor Andy swoops in and saves the day with the money to pay the retro immediately (or at least a big chunk of it) and to give us that 8% raise now instead of five years from now?
If you think about it this might not seem to far fetched.
Andy has aspirations on becoming president in 2016. For that too happen he needs two things (among many others but most importantly) to get the nomination. One, Hilary mustn't run, and secondly, he needs some sort of a mandate. Pundits have said if he gets 55% or less of the vote this year his dreams are done.
Western New York and Long Island are up in arms about what Andy has done for education and add
to that the economy of upstate and we can see Andy not doing well there. Astorino has been elected twice in Westchester County and that just might take the county off the chart for Andy. Andy will need Albany County and the Five Boroughs which have always gone Democrat, but Queens and Staten Island can be wild cards. Andy can't just win, he needs to win big.
Now we all can't vote for Rob Astorino and hold our nose for he will be Andy lite. Expect the number of charters to get bigger in the state and for unions to be more under the gun. Plus, and as much as Astorino claims he his against Common Core and high stakes testing, I am sure that ALEC will be leading him around by the nose.
This is why Andy was involved in getting the TWU the sweetheart new contract. He needs those union votes. He needs their phone banks. He needs the goodwill.
And where is there a lot of good will to be had, or at least in Andy's mind? Teachers of NYC and the money we are owed. Now, I am not saying it will work, but Andy is low enough and self absorbed enough to do it, especially when he sees a threat to his coronation.
There are alternatives. Howie Hawkins is running as the Green Party candidate and he has named Brian Jones as his Lt Governor. But that just might not make Andy scared enough.
The Daily News is reporting that the Working Families Party has asked Diane Ravitch to be their nominee. Now this can make things quite interesting.
I believe that a Diane Ravitch candidacy is quite viable. She can win, but at the very least throw a monkey wrench into Andy's plans. Imagine the major p3wnage Diane can inflict upon Andy in a debate. Think about it, can Diane have Andy move back, or at least introduce him to the politics of honor that his father embraced?
The vote is to be counted next Tuesday, June 3. Let's see what Andy does if the vote goes against the UFT.
