“CITIZENS’ COMMITTEE FOR AN EFFECTIVE CONSTITUTION” LAUNCHES GROUNDBREAKING BI-PARTISAN REFORM COALITION THAT SEEKS TO RESTORE NEW YORK’S REPUTATION AS AN EFFECTIVE STATE GOVERNMENT

Committee, led by New Roosevelt Founder Bill Samuels, Minority Leader Brian Kolb, and Constitutional Scholar SUNY Professor Gerald Benjamin, will advance public discussion of the State Constitution and serve as non-partisan platform for how to best reform the constitution and create effective change on issues including campaign finance reform and redistricting; Announces statewide Law School scholarship essay competition focusing on constitutional issues

ALBANY, NY – New Yorkers deserve a more effective State Constitution, a more effective state government, a more effective civic process and a more effective economy.

These are the goals of a groundbreaking, bi-partisan reform coalition – “Citizens’ Committee for an Effective Constitution” (CCEC) – which launched itself online earlier today. CCEC seeks to bring together over time recognized leaders and experts from the worlds of nonprofit/good government advocacy, private sector leadership and public service, academia and scholarly research to advance serious public discussion of issues pertaining to New York’s State Constitution, state government, economy and public policy.

CCEC has one goal: Restoring New York State’s reputation as the national economic and public policy leader by discussing and debating State Constitutional provisions that have contributed to statewide dysfunction, an underperforming economy and the loss of trust by New Yorkers in their state government and the men and women serving in it.

In order to develop and advance with creative solutions to these problems, CCEC’s multi-year effort seeks to engender informed discussion, lively debate and purposeful action that transcends traditional political and ideological labels, and advance changes to the State Constitution that will produce a more democratic, responsive, and effective state government. CCEC will focus on State Constitutional change and advance a non-partisan, informed conversation on public policies.

The launch of CCEC, first reported by Associated Press Albany Capitol Editor Michael Gormley, was carried this weekend in articles and analysis for statewide print, web and broadcast media and new media outlets including the Associated Press; Niagara Gazette; Daily Gazette; Democrat and Chronicle; Post-Standard; Saratogian; LoHud.com; Journal News; Poughkeepsie Journal; Staten Island Advance; Long Island Press; News 10; Empire Page and Twitter. CCEC also was covered in select New Jersey and Vermont AP media outlets.

The Committee also aims to create a meaningful dialogue around the best methods to reform the State Constitution, whether through a Constitutional Convention or an Amendment-by-Amendment approach.

The three principals of CCEC are: Bill Samuels, Chairman of New Roosevelt and the New Roosevelt Foundation; New York State Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,I,C-Canandaigua); and Dr. Gerald Benjamin, Associate Vice President for Regional Engagement and Director of the Center for Research, Regional Education and Outreach (CRREO) at SUNY New Paltz.

CCEC went live today with an interactive on-line platform – http://effectiveny.org – to serve as a free, 24-hour accessible informational clearinghouse for journalists, elected officials, scholars, policy advocates, citizen activists, interest groups and, most importantly, any New Yorker who wants to learn more about New York State government while affecting real and lasting change in the public arena.

Samuels, a leading good government activist and thinker in New York, said, “I have joined with Leader Kolb and Professor Benjamin, two of the state’s most thoughtful leaders on constitutional change, in this effort because we each believe that New York State should have the best and most effective state government in the nation. One of the fundamental hurdles to achieving that goal is to improve a state constitution that is outmoded and, in some cases, stands in the way of our elected leaders from doing the right thing on a particular policy issue. We want to help educate New Yorkers on how the constitution plays a role in our everyday lives and to spark a discussion on how we can best improve it.”

Leader Kolb said, “Nearly three years ago, I launched a grassroots, non-partisan effort to convene a ‘People’s Constitutional Convention’ aimed at empowering New Yorkers to make the types of fiscal and governmental changes our state government genuinely needed – changes like a State spending cap, term limits, independent redistricting, and initiative and referendum – but Albany’s broken status quo kept blocking. Today, State government has seen glimpses of reform, but New York still has miles to go before we have made good on the promise to taxpayers of a smaller, smarter, less costly and more effective government.

“I am proud to partner in this unprecedented bi-partisan reform effort with my good friend and fellow Canandaigua native Bill Samuels – one New York’s strongest and most passionate voices for good government – and Dr. Gerald Benjamin, the preeminent expert, author and scholar on New York State government and our State Constitution. The purpose of our effort is to dust off the State Constitution, advance the cause of real Constitutional change and demonstrate how such changes could make a real difference for real New Yorkers. Our goal is a more effective State Constitution that leads to more jobs, a stronger economy and true government reform so New York State can reclaim its rightful role as national leader.”

Dr. Gerald Benjamin, Director of CRREO at SUNY New Paltz said, “Almost all New Yorkers know there is a national constitution. Far fewer know there is a State Constitution. Most of us only begin to pay attention to the state constitution when an issue comes up that involves it – like gambling. We want our project to generate a broad understanding of the crucial role the State Constitution plays in how we are governed in NYS. In this time in which government reform is a front burner issue, we want to facilitate a lively, on-going debate about this core document, to remove it from the background and make it a focal point of New Yorkers’ discussion about how our state is governed, and how our government might best be redesigned to serve its people.”

As part of its educational commitment, CCEC is also sponsoring a $1,000 scholarship essay competition. The contest, managed by SUNY in direct collaboration with CCEC, is open to law students and focuses on state constitutional issues.

While any Constitutional issue can be chosen, a focus on campaign finance, redistricting or any of the topics on the home page are of special interest to CCEC. Essays selected as the strongest will be presented at a statewide conference on State Constitutional change where authors of the best will be awarded cash scholarship prizes of $1,000. To be eligible for the scholarship, essays must be between 5,000-7,500 words in length.

A panel of subject matter experts and academics will evaluate the essay submissions, and select the best papers to be presented at a daylong conference, to be held the Albany Law School in collaboration with its Local Government Law Center. Authors of essays delivered at the conference that are selected as best will not only appear on CCEC’s website, but will be eligible for an award of a $1,000 cash prize.

Dr. Benjamin, one the foremost academic authorities on the New York State Constitution, will lead an on-going discussion of constitutional issues among professors and other experts in his “Professor’s Corner.” Topics already include Casino Gambling, Constitutional Change, Convention, Elections, Ethics, Property Tax Reform and Vacancies. CCEC encourages professors and experts around the state to reach out to the Committee to participate in the discussion.

CCEC’s on-line platform features analysis of public policy issues their direct applicability and specific reference in the State Constitution. Thirty-nine policy issues are in development including the following:

• Campaign Finance Reform;
• Redistricting: Includes the subcategories “Population Deviation,” “Standards for Localities,” “Number of State Senators” and “Counting Prisoners”;
• Constitutional Change: Amendment process versus a Constitutional Convention;
• Constitutional Amendments;
• Constitutional Convention;
• Casino Gambling;
• State Budget;
• Initiative and Referendum;
• Recall of Public Officials;
• Election Administration;
• Filling of Vacancies;
• State Spending Cap;
• Unfunded Mandates; and
• Property Tax Reform

Each public policy issue section includes:

• Fast Facts, which enables the reader to get up to speed quickly on a particular policy issue and its constitutional history;
• Point/Counterpoint, which allows debate between proponents on either side of the issue on how to best address its constitutional ramifications as well as links to news articles, editorial and opinion pieces that have appeared in local media outlets and blogs across the state.
• News and Opinions Pieces covering each issue culled from newspapers and blogs across the state;
• Other States, section allowing readers to compare and contrast how other state constitutions address similar policy issues;
• Links to Relevant Legislative Amendments, that have been proposed in the New York legislature to address a particular policy issue;

More about the CCEC team

Bill Samuels, New Roosevelt Chairman

Bill Samuels, an innovative political thinker and social activist, has a lifetime of experience as a CEO, and high tech entrepreneur. Currently, Bill is managing Director of Carlyle Capital Group, the Executive Chairman of Resonant Software, a software technology company in San Francisco and the Hills Treatment Center in Los Angeles, a facility dedicated to helping people overcome addiction. http://www.newrooseveltinitiative.com/about-bill
Raised in Canandaigua, Bill’s family and political roots are deeply anchored in upstate New York. His father ran for Governor with Mario Cuomo as his Lieutenant Governor in 1974. Upon graduating MIT and Harvard Law School, Bill made the decision to engage in socially responsible businesses, turning down a job on Wall Street to start an education company dedicated to training entry-level workers who lacked the skills to get and keep a job.
Bill was one of 15 national plaintiffs in 1968 that sued the Democratic National Committee to open the Presidential Primary process. This lawsuit played a role in how the national presidential primaries have been run since 1972. In 1969, he helped start a public interest organization, Council on Economic Priorities, which made public companies’ policies on the environment, women & minority achievement, South African and tobacco concerns, labor safety and all corporate disclosure of outside financial donations and investments.
Bill was active in the movement against the Vietnam War playing a lead role in raising money to finance the 1971 Vietnam Veterans Against the War March on Washington.

After the 2000 Census, he helped finance the lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of New York’s notoriously gerrymandered redistricting plan. In the 2004 Presidential campaign, many Democrats were outraged by the huge influx of “independent” money into campaigns with the “swiftboating” against John Kerry. Bill produced a documentary to set the record straight, “Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry.”

As a result of the vast fortunes sunk into empty television advertising by national political campaigns Bill saw both party identification and voting plunge. In an effort to stem the tide and reinvigorate the Democratic Party Bill founded the Blue Tiger Democrats in 2004 as an innovative grassroots research organization in Michigan and New York that studied how to use civic engagement to reconnect the Democratic Party to its communities between election cycles. In June of 2006, Blue Tiger Democrats published an illustrated history of party politics with a focus on campaign finance, particularly how the anti-war and civil rights activism that opened the political party systems to the voters had the unintended consequences of empowering money.

In the 2008 elections, Bill served as Finance Chairman for the New York Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, leading to Democrats gaining control of the State Senate for the first time in decades. In this role, Bill saw up close the corrosive influence of special interest money on elections.

Recognizing the kind of fundamental structural change that is needed, Bill launched the New Roosevelt, a multi-year campaign to achieve change around “Five Pillars of Reform” including a focus on New York’s campaign finance rules: highlighting the need for public financing, lowered contribution limits with closure of loopholes that have otherwise rendered them useless, and improved enforcement, so that our State Legislature can regain the integrity, functionality and common sense the voters are demanding.

New Roosevelt built from scratch a field organization totally devoted to Albany reform. An office was opened in the Bronx and New Roosevelts executed a targeted field operation that ousted disgraced Democratic State Senator Pedro Espada.

Bill joined the 99% as a leading voice fighting the repeal of the millionaire’s tax in favor of an overhaul of the New York’s existing tax structure for one that is progressive where all New Yorkers can pay their fair share in order to support the infrastructure that business needs to thrive and grow local jobs. Bill remains focused on making the New York a leading state on key issues like campaign finance so that it can once again serve as a national example.

Bill is one of 10 children — eight sisters and one brother — and is married to Marie Samuels and has a 15-year-old daughter, Kitty. Common Cause recently recognized Bill honoring him with the Democracy in Action Award for outstanding commitment to government accountability.

Brian Kolb, New York State Assembly Minority Leader

Brian Kolb was first elected to represent New York State’s 129th Assembly District when a special election was held in February 2000 and was overwhelmingly re-elected in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010. On April 6, 2009, he was unanimously elected Minority Leader by his colleagues. Assemblyman Kolb’s district includes Cayuga, Cortland, Onondaga, Ontario, and Seneca Counties.

Brian’s legislative priorities include reducing taxes, improving the quality of education, fostering job creation, providing sound health care and reforming state government. He is dedicated to ensuring that residents and businesses throughout the district receive effective, responsive constituent service and timely assistance with state government inquiries. Brian’s principal goal is to be easily accessible and approachable to the people he represents. In a short time, he has gained a reputation for hard work, producing results and being very active in his district with a down-to-earth, straight-talking approach.

Assemblyman Kolb possesses a wealth of valuable private sector experience acquired as a business consultant, entrepreneur and chief operating officer of a variety of small and large technology based businesses. He is the former president of Refractron Technologies and a co-founder of the North American Filter Corporation.

Brian has demonstrated a strong commitment to education throughout both his personal life and his professional career. He currently serves as an Adjunct Professor of Adult and Graduate Education at Roberts Wesleyan College, where his students have twice selected him Outstanding Faculty Member. He is a former Chairman of the Finger Lakes Community College Foundation and is a former member of the Honeoye Central School Board and the Finger Lakes Community College Board of Trustees. Brian earned high honors while completing his Master of Science and Bachelor of Science Degrees at Roberts Wesleyan College.

Community involvement and public service have been hallmarks of Assemblyman Kolb’s background. He is currently a member of the Honeoye Chapter of the Sons of the American Legion, Ontario Charities Classic Board of Directors, member of the Ontario ARC Advisory Board, Honorary Board Member of Finger Lakes HealthQuest Foundation, a member of Merrill Hose Fire Company in Canandaigua, a member of the New York Farm Bureau, and is a Notary Public.

Brian previously served as Supervisor for the Town of Richmond, Chairman of Leadership Rochester’s Board of Directors, and as a member of the Ontario County Revolving Loan Fund Committee, the Ontario County Board of Supervisors and the New York State Public Authorities Control Board.

Mr. Kolb is a member of the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL), the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the Heartland Institute’s Board of Legislative Advisors, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the National Rifle Association (NRA), the Shooters’ Committee On Political Education (SCOPE), the American Irish Legislators Society and the Knights of Columbus.

Brian lives in Canandaigua with his wife Lauren and has three grown children, sons Britton and Clayton, daughter Kylie, and one grandson, Everett.

Dr. Gerald Benjamin, Associate Vice President for Regional Engagement and Director of the Center for Research, Regional Education and Outreach (CRREO) at SUNY New Paltz

Gerald Benjamin joined the faculty at SUNY New Paltz in 1968 as an Assistant Professor of Political Science. He achieved the University’s highest rank in 2002 when he was appointed Distinguished Professor by the SUNY Board of Trustees. He has served as Chair of the Department of Political Science, Presiding Officer of the faculty and (for twelve years beginning in 1996) Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Today, Benjamin is Associate Vice President for Regional Engagement and Director of the Center for Research, Regional Education and Outreach (CRREO) at SUNY New Paltz. CRREO is the principal locus of the college’s efforts to raise its level of engagement within communities, governments, not-for-profits and businesses across the Hudson Valley. It seeks to conduct research on regional topics; encourage faculty to build regionally based service activity into their scholarship and teaching; create and direct institutes and programs to meet regional needs; and offer conferences and programs on matters of regional interest.

Benjamin was director of the Center for the New York State and Local Government Studies at SUNY’s Rockefeller Institute of Government in Albany (1993-1995). Later he was appointed by Governor Mario Cuomo as Research Director of the Temporary State Commission on Constitutional Revision. He also was Principal Research Advisor to the New York City Charter Revision Commission that brought about extensive structural changes in that city’s government.

Between 2004 and 2006, Benjamin chaired the Ulster County Charter Commission. The work of this commission resulted in approval at the polls of the county’s first charter, which goes into effect in January of 2009. In 2007, Benjamin was appointed by Governor Spitzer to the State Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness that this past April proposed wide-reaching reforms in local government in New York State.

Between 1981 and 1993, Gerald Benjamin was an elected member of the Ulster County legislature. He served in legislative leadership as both Majority Leader (1985-91) and Chairman (1991-93). Ulster County during this time had no elected executive; the legislative chairman was therefore the County’s Chief Elected Officer. Ulster County during Dr. Benjamin’s tenure had a budget of $165 million and more than 1,300 employees.
Benjamin earned a B.A. with distinction from St. Lawrence University. His Masters (1967) and Doctoral (1970) degrees in Political Science are from Columbia University.

More about the Citizens’ Committee for an Effective Constitution (CCEC)

The Citizens’ Committee for an Effective Constitution is a project of the New Roosevelt Foundation, Inc., a New York State Not-for-Profit, founded by Bill Samuels, that has filed for 501(c)(3) status.

UFT Ad Slams Bloomberg’s Record on Education

UFT Blasts Bloomberg On Teacher Evaluations

BY Celeste Katz

The city teachers union is blasting Mayor Bloomberg’s education record in a television attack ad that’s airing amid the tense standoff over teacher evaluations.

(Click HERE for the Ad)

Our Ben Chapman reports:

More than eight million viewers are expected to see the union’s 30-second spot, which pulls no punches in its critique of the mayor’s education reforms.

“Ten years as Mayor, and Mike Bloomberg still doesn’t get it,” begins the narrator’s criticism of Bloomberg’s record on schools, starting with his appointment of Cathie Black as schools chancellor.

“Fudged education test scores, closing schools, parents shut out of the process,” the somber voice continues, over a montage of photos of city students.

The ad — which doesn’t specifically mention the evaluation controversy — finishes with a harsh message to the mayor, who hasn’t been on speaking terms with the teachers union since Dec. 30, when city officials walked away from talks on instructor evaluations.

“If you really want to do right by our kids, you’ll work with teachers and parents and stop playing politics with our schools,” the voice says.

City officials hit back at the union’s $1 million ad, calling it a “political stunt” that distracts the public from the real issue of teacher evaluations.

“The Mayor, Governor, and State Education Department are working collaboratively to implement a rigorous teacher evaluation system,” said Bloomberg spokeswoman Lauren Passalacqua, adding: “It’s a shame that the UFT continues to block accountability measures that will help students.”

The city stands to lose nearly $60 million in federal aid for 33 failing schools because city officials and the union were unable to reach a deal on instructor evaluations.

At the state level, the lack of a comprehensive evaluation system for teachers and principals threatens nearly $1 billion in federal education money.

Despite signs of a thaw at Monday’s legislative hearing on Gov. Cuomo’s education budget, on Tuesday city union and education officials said they still had not met to discuss the issue.

Public Pensions Are Not the Enemy by NYAFL-CIO President Mario Cilento

Public pensions are not the enemy
So why does Gov. Cuomo’s plan vilify middle class retirement security?

By Mario Cilento / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Published: Wednesday, January 25 2012, 4:24 AM

We hear all the time about exorbitant public-sector pensions, which leads many to believe mistakenly that retired nurses, firefighters, teachers and others are wealthy. We don’t hear that the average benefit for a member in the largest plan in New York — the New York State and Local Retirement System — is $19,000 a year, or that 76% of these pensions are less than $30,000 a year.

There is no doubt that state and local governments face difficult budgetary decisions, which has fairly brought all spending under greater scrutiny. But some corporations and their messengers have tried to capitalize on the pressure created by the short-term economic crisis to advocate for the permanent decimation of benefits in the public sector. They seek to complete the rollback of pensions and the shift to insufficient 401(k)s that has already taken place in the private sector — driving a stake in the heart of the defined benefit pension as we know it.

This is audacious, considering that corporate greed and misconduct caused the collapse of the economy, the budget crisis and billions in pension losses in the first place.

Now, even though it will not produce any savings to help address the current budget deficit, Gov. Cuomo’s executive budget includes a new pension tier with an “optional” 401(k).

In reality, there is no option in this plan, as the new tier would obliterate the defined benefit plan, slashing payouts and making employee contributions unaffordable. The new defined benefit “option” would require employees to work longer, pay up to double in base employee contributions and pay even more if the stock market declines — all to get less in their pension. What sense does that make?

The 90 years that the state has been providing pension benefits demonstrate that the system works. Pensions are long-term vehicles that should not be overhauled with every change in the political wind.

It’s not as though public employee unions are resisting any and all change. They did their part and agreed to a new pension tier just two years ago that is projected to save $35 billion over 30 years. This is on top of wage freezes, furloughs, increased health contributions and layoffs.

But where they draw the line — as well they should — is in eviscerating retirement security entirely.

Far too many workers have learned the hard way that a 401(k) is not the answer to long-term economic security. Such retirement plans place all the risk on the shoulders of workers. If Wall Street collapses when they retire, they’re simply out of luck.

There’s another problem: cost. I don’t doubt the ability of working men and women to decide how to successfully invest their retirement savings — provided they can afford professional assistance. They’ll have to add that burden to the cost of rent, utilities and prescriptions.

A financially secure retirement is slipping away from the American worker. According to the National Retirement Risk Index, a project of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, more than half of American workers are at risk of not being able to maintain their standard of living in retirement. This retirement insecurity comes at a time when the number of people with pensions has declined, particularly in the private sector, with 401(k)s becoming many workers’ sole retirement savings vehicle.

Yet, although data from multiple sources indicate that 401(k)s are inadequate, their stranglehold continues in the private sector — and that dominance is used as the rationale for reducing public-sector pensions. It’s a race to the bottom that’s inappropriate and unconscionable.

Cilento is president of the New York State AFL-CIO, the largest state labor movement in the country, representing 2.5 million workers in 3,000 union affiliates throughout the state.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/public-pensions-enemy-article-1.1011290#ixzz1kV7jn7pL

News Release: NYSUT recognizes budget strong points; hits proposed tie to evaluations

ALBANY, NY – New York State United Teachers today said it shares the commitment of the governor and Legislature to improve the efficiency and performance of public schools. However, the union said three consecutive years of decreasing education budgets — including last year’s $1.3 billion cut — and the looming tax cap are making that job difficult, forcing districts to increase class sizes; chop course offerings; and eliminate 20,000 teacher and staff positions.

NYSUT credited the governor and Legislature for taking decisive action to close the state’s budget deficit and to begin restoring fairness to the state’s tax code. The state’s largest union, however, said other portions of the 2012-13 budget — including $250 million for competitive grants and tying districts’ state aid increases to completion of teacher and principal evaluation plans — are problematic.

“They create a level of uncertainty that, when combined with the tax cap, make it very difficult for districts to plan their own budgets and provide the programs and courses our students need,” said NYSUT President Richard C. Iannuzzi.

NYSUT Executive Vice President Andrew Pallotta, in testimony before the Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means committees today, said the budget’s proposal to strip out $250 million for competitive grants would leave only a 2.9 percent average overall increase, with many districts getting less. Because the performance grants would be released in the 2012-13 school year, it’s unlikely that districts could plan for and use the funding during the 2012-13 school year.

“Simply put, an over-reliance on competitive grants undermines the state’s ability to meets its moral and constitutional obligations to provide a sound, basic education to every child,” Pallotta said. “Without significant additional aid, and a reasonable adjustment to the tax cap for costs beyond the control of districts, many schools will continue to lack funding for current programs. That hurts students, and our efforts to end the achievement gap.”

Pallotta also criticized a new Tier 6 proposal, which he called a “funding scheme that would force new employees to shoulder more financial burden in lean times, with the hopes of recouping that lost income in good times.”

“Those are our students, the next generation of teachers, nurses and first responders, and we don’t want to see their retirement security destroyed,” Pallotta said.
He said the governor’s pension plan comes only two years after NYSUT and other unions agreed to save the state and localities $35 billion over the next generation through creation of a Tier 5.

Pallotta said that, while the governor promoted Tier 6 as “only for new hires, the unborn,” it would actually undermine the retirement security of current retirees and those in other tiers by diverting dollars into 401-k plans, thus jeopardizing the long-term stability of the pension fund.

Pallotta also urged the joint fiscal committees to restore funding for teacher centers, which provide essential professional development and were a key part of New York’s Race to the Top application. He also noted that New York libraries are currently funded at $79 million – or at 1994 levels.

NYSUT, the state’s largest union, represents some 600,000 classroom teachers and other school employees; faculty and other professionals at the state’s community colleges, State University of New York and City University of New York, and other education and health professionals. NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association and AFL-CIO.

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Rob Ackerman’s CALL ME WALDO Previews Off-Broadway 2/14

CALL ME WALDO — a new play by Rob Ackerman (TABLETOP) — will debut Off-Broadway in a production by The Working Theater with preview performances starting February 14 prior to its official opening night on February 22 at the June Havoc Theatre (312 W. 36 St. in Manhattan), it has been announced by Mark Plesent, Working Theater’s Producing Artistic Director.

Directed by Margarett Perry, the cast of CALL ME WALDO features Matthew Boston, Brian Dykstra, Rita Rehn and Jennifer Dorr White.

The newest play by Rob Ackerman — whose TABLETOP about the hilarious behind-the-scenes madness of making a television commercial was a hit when Working Theater debuted the play Off-Broadway in 2000 — CALL ME WALDO takes another comic and insightful look at the workplace, this time upending stereotypes about the working class when an ordinary electrician begins channeling the spirit of Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Now in its 27th season, Working Theater is New York’s only professional Off-Broadway theatre company dedicated to producing plays for and about the working men and women of New York. Past productions include Lisa Ramirez’s play about nannies, EXIT CUCKOO directed by Colman Domingo; Roberto Aguirre Sacasa’s KING OF SHADOWS; PORT AUTHORITY THROW DOWN; HOLD PLEASE; ABUNDANCE; RECONSTRUCTION; WAITER, WAITER; Israel Horovitz’s HENRY LUMPER and many others. CALL ME WALDO is the third play by Rob Ackerman to debut at Working Theater following TABLETOP and DISCONNECT. Last season Working Theatre presented the acclaimed premiere of Stephanie Zadravec’s Honey Brown EYES.

In addition to TABLETOP, Mr. Ackerman is the author of ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES (later a film starring Amanda Peet), DISCONNECT (presented in 2005 by Working Theatre), LOONS (EST) and VOLLEYGIRLS. He has been Prop Master for NBC’s SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE for many years, working on numerous commercial parodies such as “Schmitt’s Gay Beer,” “Mom Jeans,” “Chewable Pampers” and “Red Flag Perfume.”

Margarett Perry has directed Brian Dykstra’s plays CLEAN ALTERNATIVES Off-Broadway at 59E59 (Fringe First Award-Edinburg) and A PLAY ON WORDS, along with THE BODY POLITIC by Richard Abrons and the NY premieres of WELCOME TO ARROYO’S, FORSAKING ALL OTHERS, SPILL THE WINE, COMPETING NARRATIVES and MOTHER TONGUE. She has directed over 15 productions at Ithaca’s Kitchen Theatre and served as Producing Artistic Director of Access Theater in NYC for
several years.

Matthew Boston appeared in THE BODY POLITIC (59E59), Mr. Ackerman’s DISCONNECT, at SoHo Playhouse in MAGIC HANDS FREDDY and in A RITUAL OF FAITH on Theatre Row. His numerous regional credits include roles at Hartford Stage, Intiman, Tale Rep, Huntington Theatre Company and ACT.

Brian Dykstra is an actor, playwright and HBO Def Poet. In addition to appearing in his own play CLEAN ALTERNATIVES Off-Broadway, he has appeared in RED at St. Louis Rep and Cincinnati Playhouse, PRIVATE LIVES (Ithaca’s Kitchen), COPENHAGEN (Arizona Theatre Company), among others. His solo works include THE JESUS FACTOR, CORNERED & ALONE and HO! Film and TV: HBO’s “Def Poetry,” “Chappelle’s Show,” “Freedomland” and “Knight and Day.”

Rita Rehn has appeared on Broadway in NINE, A CHORUS LINE and ROYAL FAMILY. She’s toured the U.S. in TALE OF THE ALLERGIST’S WIFE with Valerie Harper. Other credits include DEFIANCE and OUR LEADING LADY at Manhattan Theatre Club, AS BEES IN HONEY DROWN, AND THE WORLD GOES ROUND.

Jennifer Doer White has performed Off-Broadway in SEALED FOR FRESHNESS, THE FLASHING STREAM, THE ‘A’ WORD, WOMEN OF MANHATTAN and PERA PALAS. She appeared last season in THE PLAY ABOUT MY DAD (59E59) and in BETTER LEFT UNSAID and BORN OF CONVICTION (Irondale Center).

Set & lighting design is by David L. Arsenault; sound design is by Don Tindall; costume design is by Hannah Kochman.

Other highlights of the Working Theater season include a night of poetry reading featuring the work of 2011 U.S. Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize-winning working class poet Philip Levine with guest readers including Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Jeffrey Eugenides.

Scheduled through March 11, CALL ME WALDO will perform Tuesdays at 7 pm, Wednesdays through Fridays at 8 pm; Saturdays at 2 and 8 pm; and Sundays at 3 pm. with an added matinee on Wednesday Feb. 29 at 2 pm. Seats are $25 (with the following exceptions — Saturday matinees on Feb. 18 and Feb. 25 are pay-what-you-can at the door.)

For tickets visit www.smarttix.com or call 212 868 4444.

CSEA Unhappy With Prison Call Center

Posted on January 11, 2012 at 2:48 pm by Rick Karlin, Capitol bureau

New York’s Dept of Motor Vehicles earlier this week announced it had expanded its prison call center to the Greene County Correctional Facility.

While state officials touted the savings that come with having inmates handle information requests to the DMV, the union that represents some non-imprisoned call-takers who are presumably competing with the prisoners.

(The inmate program isn’t really new — what the Dept. of Corrections and Community Supervision did was move the call center from the now-closed Arthur Kill prison in New York City to Greene Co. There has also been a call center at the Bedford Hills prison for women).

Here is the response from Civil Service Employees Association President Danny Donohue:
“While not a new program, using prisoners to do the work of Department of Motor
Vehicle employees is a bad idea generally and even worse considering the current economy.
At a time when thousands of New York families are struggling to find jobs and pay their bills,
New York State has decided to help prisoners develop “marketable skills” rather than make
appropriate and necessary jobs available to law abiding citizens who would then pay their
taxes, spend their paychecks and contribute in the local community. CSEA can only remain
skeptical about claims of taxpayer savings from this scheme when security and close
supervision costs are considered.”

“It’s another swipe at public employees by equating the work of hard working, responsible and
dedicated employees with incarcerated criminals in the public’s mind.”

And the release from DMV and the Dept. of Corrections and Community Supervision Can be viewed HERE.

Coalition Calls on Governor, Legislature to Close Corporate Tax Loopholes & Level Playing Field for Small Business

Groups Release List of Corporate Tax Dodgers

Albany, NY — A large coalition of community, labor, student, faith and Occupy organizations gathered on Monday to announce their campaign to bring fairness and transparency to New York’s corporate tax system. The organizations, who last year worked together on the “Millionaires Tax” and personal income tax reform, are calling on Governor Cuomo and the Legislature to close corporate tax loopholes, raising over $1 billion dollars for this year’s state budget. The additional revenue will help New York to create jobs, create a fairer environment for small business, and prevent more devastating budget cuts to services and our safety net and allow for restorations of reduced funding.

The groups released a list of some of New York’s worst corporate tax dodgers, including Travelers Insurance, American Express, Verizon, and Goldman Sachs. The list highlights the gross inequities in our tax system that hinder small businesses, job creation, and our economy.

“Last year, Governor Cuomo and the Legislature worked together to make simple, clear changes to the personal income tax code that made it more fair and raised more revenue, while asking a new Tax Reform and Fairness Commission to work on long-term changes. This year, they should do the exact same thing for corporate taxes,” said Michael Kink, Executive Director of the Strong Economy for All Coalition. “Our recommendations provide a roadmap for reform: strong enforcement, real fairness, and new transparency so the public can know what’s going on. We’d raise over a billion dollars for this year’s budget and eliminate the absurd situation where bodegas and car repair shops are paying a higher rate in corporate taxes than Goldman Sachs or Verizon.”

“The fight for tax fairness is just getting started,” according to Ron Deutsch, Executive Director of New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness and coordinator of the GrowingTogetherNY coalition. “Once again all of the coalitions that worked together last year will be coming together to ensure that enforcement, fairness and transparency are part of or corporate tax code and that we restore a fair and level playing field for small businesses in NYS.”

The plan to reform New York’s corporate tax structure released today focused on three main principles: enforcement, fairness, and transparency. The points of the plan include:
• Requiring real estate partnerships to pay the taxes they owe
• Reforming New York’s Corporate Alternate Minimum Tax
• Taxing nonresident hedge fund management fees
• Eliminating the Carried Interest Exemption under New York City’s Unincorporated Business tax
• Cracking down on schemes that create “nowhere income”
• Requiring public disclosure of corporate tax payments for publicly-traded companies

“New York State’s corporate income taxes have become more and more like Swiss cheese as more and more tax breaks have been added to the tax code in the name of economic development,” said Frank Mauro, Executive Director of the Fiscal Policy Institute. “Ironically, beginning in 1994, more tax breaks have been added to the state’s corporate Alternate Minimum Tax, which was established in 1987 to ensure that profitable corporations made at least some contribution to the cost of government services. The result of these developments is that general business corporations have gone from carrying 9.6% of New York State’s tax load in the 1970s to 4.3% last year.”

‘New York State should repeal or reform corporate tax breaks that are not creating jobs and not allow tax breaks in the calculation of corporations’ Alternate Minimum Tax obligations,” Mauro added.

The Swiss cheese nature of New York State’s corporate income taxes are also demonstrated by the most recent data on state and local government finances from the U.S. Bureau of the Census. The Census Bureau tabulations show that in 2008-09, New York City’s corporate income tax collections were actually greater than New York State’s ($6.03 billion vs. $4.43 billion). And, the collections attributed to the state include the proceeds from the 17 percent surcharge on the portion of corporations’ tax liabilities attributable to activities in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority service area.

“The human services sector appreciates the move toward more fair income and corporate tax systems and continued progress should generate enough revenue to maintain services for New Yorkers struggling to make ends meet. Not only do human services play a critical role in supporting families and removing barriers to work, they also employ 1.25 million throughout the state and purchase over $1 billion in goods and services.” Michael Stoller, Executive Director, Human Services Council.

“Because of our unfair corporate tax structure, New York’s economy continues to be held back,” said Ivette Alfonso, President of Citizen Action of New York. “The need for these reforms is yet another example of the massive influence that big CEO campaign contributors have in our Capitol. We need a tax code set up by, and set up for the 99%.”

“In schools across the state students have sacrificed college prep courses, reading tutors, arts, sports, music and thousands of teachers,” said Billy Easton, Executive Director of the Alliance for Quality Education, “meanwhile we are giving sweetheart tax deals to insurance companies, credit card companies and investment bankers. It’s just wrong.”

Mario Cilento, President of the NYS AFL-CIO, said, “Throughout this budget crisis working men and women have been asked to bear the entire brunt of cost cutting through new pension tiers, higher health premiums and wage freezes. At the same time many corporations fail to even pay the taxes they owe. We need to close corporate tax loopholes to infuse reoccurring revenue and end the vicious cycle of cuts to middle class families.”

“Accountability is a two-way street. It isn’t just for schools,” said NYSUT Executive Vice President Andrew Pallotta. “As New York grows its economy and creates jobs — a goal we all share — we need business to be accountable, too, and pay its fair share to help pay for the strong schools and colleges; safe bridges and roads; and other vital services that New Yorkers need.”

“Governor Cuomo and the legislature took action to make personal income tax rates more fair,” said Michael Mulgrew, President of the United Federation of Teachers. “Similar action is needed on corporate tax reform. By eliminating the most glaring corporate tax loopholes New Yorkers would save millions more.”

“It is outrageous that hard working PEF members pay the same or higher tax rate than New York companies that make up to $33 billion in profits a year. Its particularly insulting that middle class families are paying the same tax rate as Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation,” said Ken Brynien, President of the New York State Public Employees Federation (PEF).

“These are the sweetest tax loopholes for Wall Street’s wealthiest hedge fund managers,” said Walter Lipscomb, a board member of Community Voices Heard from Yonkers, “but are just bitter for the working families forced to carry them. Wall Street’s wealthiest need to pay their fair share.”

“Students across New York are being asked to pay more for access to New York’s public higher education system, which erodes in quality every year because of massive budget cuts,” said Angelica Clarke, and organizer with New York Students Rising and Save Our SUNY. “As students, we demand Governor Cuomo and the legislature initiate a tuition freeze to alleviate some of the burden caused by his regressive tax on students instead of expanding NYSUNY 2020 which allows corporations to continue to take advantage of our public institutions through unequal public-private partnerships. A tuition freeze would provide temporarily relief to working students and families and will be an important first step in protecting access to New York’s public universities and colleges. If Governor Cuomo truly wants to work in the interest of students, he must join New York Students Rising in our efforts to repeal NYSUNY 2020 and fully fund CUNY and SUNY.”

“In New York we have record homelessness – over 45,000 men, women and children spent last night in New York City shelters or sleeping rough on the streets – at a government cost of over $1 Billion per year. And yet there is no plan to address this crisis that brings over 110,000 different men, women and children (40,000 of them) into city shelters each year. The front line services provided by Coalition for the Homeless to prevent and resolve homelessness have suffered years worth of deep cuts – a million dollars per year in lost services and jobs just for our own organization. The Coalition supports efforts to close corporate tax loopholes to help avoid further cuts and secure the resources we need to we need to rebuild these vital services and reverse course,” said Shelly Nortz, Deputy Executive Director for Policy with Coalition for the Homeless.

“The fact that all too often powerful corporations are able to wield political influence to create tax loopholes to avoid paying their fair-share is a paradigmatic example of the broader economic and political inequalities that have motivated the Occupy movement,” said Colin Donnaruma of Occupy Albany. “Occupy Albany enthusiastically joins in the efforts to close these loopholes in New York and generate much needed revenue for the 99%.”

“All New Yorkers should pay their fair share, including corporations that benefit greatly from our state’s people and infrastructure,” said Sunshine Ludder, the senior economic policy strategist at the Center for Working Families. “It’s essential for a strong democracy and economy.”

“Religious communities are called to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and clothe those who would go cold,” said Sara Niccoli, Co-Director, Labor-Religion Coalition of New York State. “However, when the richest New Yorkers continue to enjoy unthinkable wealth as the lines for our faith-based feeding programs and shelters just grow longer – it’s time to call for fundamental change. it’s time for corporations to pay their fair share. We remind our state government: “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” Matthew 6:24.

UFT Open Letter to Parents

An open letter to New York City parents

The following open letter from UFT President Michael Mulgrew to New York City parents ran as a full-page ad in the New York Daily News on Jan. 9.

New York City is losing its teachers.

More than 66,000 have either resigned or retired since Mayor Bloomberg took control of the schools.

Teachers leave one of the toughest jobs in New York City for a variety of personal and professional reasons, but the most common single reason is a lack of support from supervisors and the Department of Education.

Teaching is a craft that is acquired over time, and teachers desperately want to improve their skills. That is why the United Federation of Teachers led the campaign to create a better teacher evaluation system, one that put a priority on helping all teachers do their job better. The UFT’s role was critical in creating the new system, and in going to Washington, D.C. to help get federal funds for it through the Race to the Top program. Starting last spring, many of our members with expertise in evaluation worked for months on the state subcommittees designing the new system.

We have been trying to work with the Bloomberg administration to iron out the final details of the new system, but the administration has refused to engage in meaningful talks about teacher and principal improvement. Instead it has focused on ensuring that administrators have unlimited power over their employees. If we agree, it will mean that supervisors’ decisions can never be properly reviewed, much less overturned. This would be true even if their negative rating of a teacher or a principal can be proven to be the result of their refusal to inappropriately change a student’s grade or to give students credit for courses they have not properly completed.

Make no mistake about it. The administration has put tremendous pressure on principals to make their schools appear to be successful. But any claims of success ring hollow in the light of national tests that show very limited student progress for the system as a whole, and state measures that show that while the high school graduation rate is increasing, the number of graduates ready for college is only about one in five.

The sad truth is that Mayor Bloomberg’s “reform” agenda — raising class size across the system; closing schools and “warehousing” the neediest students; pushing art and music out of the schools to make room for more test prep; turning a deaf ear to parents’ concerns; and appointing a completely unqualified publishing executive to be Chancellor — hasn’t made our schools better.

A real teacher evaluation system that helps all teachers improve while providing checks and balances is a critical step toward stopping the hemorrhaging of our teaching force and making our schools more effective. At the same time it would help ensure that teachers who cannot succeed in the classroom leave the profession.

We have an open offer to the administration to continue our negotiations on this issue, or even to take it to binding arbitration. It’s time the administration sat down with teachers and principals to come up with an agenda that will actually help our children learn.

Sincerely,
Michael Mulgrew
President
United Federation of Teachers