I applaud your honesty and direct approach, Arthur. The likenesses couldn't be more accurate. There is too much at stake here to avoid the obvious out of fear of alienating members. You stated your opinion and backed it up. Just because Trump's statements are fact free or outright lies doesn't mean your comparison isn't spot on. We're all adults here and need to be able to see what is happening. You clearly made your case. Thank you.
You read my mind. Weingarten would feign horror at the comparison yet hey Randi it is so on target. Moving on to suppressing free speech, using money that isn’t yours, self aggrandizement, selling your constituents and others out, oh and lying. All documented.
We’re living in a sandwich of constant anxiety of the latest power grab coming at us.
Arthur, I hold you in the highest regard. And you are right on the money with EVERYTHING you’ve said about Mulgrew and his minions.
However, if you hope to garner more support, I think that you should realize that not everyone agrees with you regarding Trump. (You may be surprised to hear this, but I think it may be true. Teachers come in all political stripes.)
I’m suggesting that you may want to keep politics - national as well as local - out of future essays. (For example, Amy Arundell lost a lot of support with her Pro Palestinian stance until she agreed to keep politics out.)
Marianne has managed to garner support from all sides with that approach.
I hope you realize that this is not meant as a criticism, but rather just a suggestion.
I understand. I'm speaking for myself here, and much as I respect Marianne, I'm not her. The fact is Trump is attacking Medicare as well, wants to make MA the default, and has introduced pre-authorizations in standard Medicare in several states, including NJ. While I believe Unity brought up their anti-Trump resolution as a diversion, the fact is we have to resist this as well.
I understand that you’re speaking for yourself, and of course you don’t have to agree with Marianne’s methods. My point was that by staying out of politics, she was able to get thousands of municipal retirees behind her.
I thank you for your kind words. However, I can't stay silent about a man who puts a fake wrestler in charge of the education department, who pushes vouchers nationally, who openly promotes bigotry. I probably would not choose to campaign on it if I run, though. I would focus on issues we are best suited to change. Those are city issues, and I think by working with Marianne's org we could make a big splash. That would be where we could unite. That's what Unity wants us to sit down and shut up about, and that's precisely why we cannot do it.
Thanks Ellen. I will certainly run, in some capacity. It remains to be seen whether or not we can work out a way to run with Retiree Advocate. We have met with them twice, presented them with proposals, but as yet we have no agreement.
Just finished reading this article. It's sobering and frightening to recognize our situation is far worse than I thought!!! I applaud you, Arthur. Thank you for keeping us informed.
Hooray!!! I've been waiting for you to write this article which I have not begun to read - just skimmed after reading the title. It's been my thinking for months.... they are twins! It's been on my mind for many many months that there is no daylight between these two tyrannical, lying, corrupt "king-type" men who are so full of power and have no compassion for their "subjects"! So glad you courageously gave voice to what many of us have been seeing and thinking. I look forward to reading this article. Thank you for writing and caring and taking action to educate us.
So many leaders are not trusted. If you are then don’t need a loyalty oath.
I found this definition of transparency with leads to trust:
“Transparency is the foundation of trust. By operating with open communication, clear processes, and accountability, individuals and organizations eliminate hidden agendas and build deep, resilient relationships. Trust and transparency form a continuous cycle: transparency breeds trust, and trusting environments encourage even greater openness. https://www.signium.com/news/trust-and-transparency-as-a-business-advantage-becoming-the-leader-that-people-want-to-follow/
Tough to do. You have to work at it. Unity hasn't worked at that in decades, and we're paying the price.
I applaud your honesty and direct approach, Arthur. The likenesses couldn't be more accurate. There is too much at stake here to avoid the obvious out of fear of alienating members. You stated your opinion and backed it up. Just because Trump's statements are fact free or outright lies doesn't mean your comparison isn't spot on. We're all adults here and need to be able to see what is happening. You clearly made your case. Thank you.
Thanks Maggie.
You read my mind. Weingarten would feign horror at the comparison yet hey Randi it is so on target. Moving on to suppressing free speech, using money that isn’t yours, self aggrandizement, selling your constituents and others out, oh and lying. All documented.
We’re living in a sandwich of constant anxiety of the latest power grab coming at us.
I apologize for reading your mind. And yes, it's scary,
One slice of the sandwich local level, other slice the national level.
So what if Migda Rodriquez was elected by 75% of voting paras? Mulgrew doesn’t like her, so, to quote Donald Trump, “You’re fired.”
Then he will state OK!
Mulgrew is a dictator for sure.
He sure acts like one. That particular act was despicable.
Arthur, I hold you in the highest regard. And you are right on the money with EVERYTHING you’ve said about Mulgrew and his minions.
However, if you hope to garner more support, I think that you should realize that not everyone agrees with you regarding Trump. (You may be surprised to hear this, but I think it may be true. Teachers come in all political stripes.)
I’m suggesting that you may want to keep politics - national as well as local - out of future essays. (For example, Amy Arundell lost a lot of support with her Pro Palestinian stance until she agreed to keep politics out.)
Marianne has managed to garner support from all sides with that approach.
I hope you realize that this is not meant as a criticism, but rather just a suggestion.
I understand. I'm speaking for myself here, and much as I respect Marianne, I'm not her. The fact is Trump is attacking Medicare as well, wants to make MA the default, and has introduced pre-authorizations in standard Medicare in several states, including NJ. While I believe Unity brought up their anti-Trump resolution as a diversion, the fact is we have to resist this as well.
I understand that you’re speaking for yourself, and of course you don’t have to agree with Marianne’s methods. My point was that by staying out of politics, she was able to get thousands of municipal retirees behind her.
You should do whatever feels right for you.
I thank you for your kind words. However, I can't stay silent about a man who puts a fake wrestler in charge of the education department, who pushes vouchers nationally, who openly promotes bigotry. I probably would not choose to campaign on it if I run, though. I would focus on issues we are best suited to change. Those are city issues, and I think by working with Marianne's org we could make a big splash. That would be where we could unite. That's what Unity wants us to sit down and shut up about, and that's precisely why we cannot do it.
I REALLY hope you do run! There are very few like you with moral clarity, as well as a spine to go along with it!
Thanks Ellen. I will certainly run, in some capacity. It remains to be seen whether or not we can work out a way to run with Retiree Advocate. We have met with them twice, presented them with proposals, but as yet we have no agreement.
Just finished reading this article. It's sobering and frightening to recognize our situation is far worse than I thought!!! I applaud you, Arthur. Thank you for keeping us informed.
Thanks for your kind words Tiina!
Hooray!!! I've been waiting for you to write this article which I have not begun to read - just skimmed after reading the title. It's been my thinking for months.... they are twins! It's been on my mind for many many months that there is no daylight between these two tyrannical, lying, corrupt "king-type" men who are so full of power and have no compassion for their "subjects"! So glad you courageously gave voice to what many of us have been seeing and thinking. I look forward to reading this article. Thank you for writing and caring and taking action to educate us.
Thanks. I always wonder what it is I'm going to write next. I feel lucky when things come to me.