Jackson Heights Life

State Senator Peralta abandoned our community when he didn't vote for the 4.3Million Dollars in State funding owed to our public schools.  Instead he sided with the Republicans.  Join us to march to Peralta's office to demand that he vote to fully fund our schools.

Saturday March 25th 12pm
Kickoff at PS 69
78th Street and 37th Avenue Jackson Heights

State Senator Peralta abandoned our community when he didn't vote for the 4.3Million Dollars in State funding owed to our public schools.  Instead he sided with the Republicans.  Join us to march to Peralta's office to demand that he vote to fully fund our schools.

Saturday March 25th 12pm
Kickoff at PS 69
78th Street and 37th Avenue Jackson Heights

Are independent thinking Democrats an easier target than Republicans? Are they too far to drive to? No protests/marches at their offices? Ohhhh the 7 train doesn't make it to Long Island? How about the Brooklyn Republican, he too far? How about Felder?

Governor Cuomo owes more to our district than the amount you mentioned.  Cuomo, who happens to be the top Democrat in the state, could have solved this issue long ago.

The IDC's one house budget included more money, mainline Democrats didn't vote for the IDC budget, and thereby allowed the Republican one house budget to pass.

While it's easier to go after NYC elected officials, it's not going to change the 31/32 make up of the Senate, without flipping actual Republican seats.

But I understand ... it's hard work traveling outside of the city, convincing Democratic/Republican voters in Republican districts to come out and vote for a Democrat, because NYC issues are their issues too.

Rogue 1: How about starting local if you want change and the fact that Peralta - a Senator I elected is now voting with Republicans and is okay with the GOP meddling with the CFE Foundation Aid formula in a way that directly affects his districts school funding?  ELL district money is now going upstate because of this.  NYState Court of Appeals 2006 - Peralta's district is owed 48Million Dollars in funding - so don't tell parents in this district that we should not care when Peralta is now voting against our own interests and has turned on us.  If you want to go fight a battle in Nassau then go for it. No one is stopping you.

honor-mosher,
I was very surprised when this accusation against Peralta began to percolate, and found it hard to believe, because to anyone who knows Peralta and his voting record, it would be a complete betrayal of his principles and constituents for him to vote against this aid to our schools.  So I poked around and looked into this.

If there were actually a bill on getting Foundation aid to our District's schools that came to an up--and-down vote, and Peralta voted against it or walked out and didn't vote, I would be furious and this march would be justified. Mainstream Democrats want us to believe that is what happened, as part of the unfortunate internecine clawing and scratching going on between Democrats and the IDC. But I don't think that is what happened.

 If I'm wrong, forgive me in advance, but it's my understanding that this was a vote involving a "hostile amendment" presented by Senator Kevin Parker on a bill for a training program for coroners. The action on this amendment can be found here, starting at about 10:18: https://www.nysenate.gov/calendar/sessions/march-13-2017/session-3-13-17
 
According to Senate rules, you're not supposed to introduce amendments that are irrelevant to the original bills.  At 10:28, the Chair rules that the amendment is "not germane to the bill and is out of order."  Then Parker goes into an impassioned defense of his amendment (the substance of which, I presume, Peralta would agree with wholeheartedly)   Then, at 13:47, the Chair calls for a "procedural vote on the ruling of the Chair," which was that the amendment was "not germane."   The vote was on the procedural ruling, not the substance of the bill. It's not clear if Peralta "walked out" or if any IDC people raised their hands in support of the ruling.   What I do know is that this kind of thing happens frequently if hostile amendments are introduced by both Repubs and Dems.

Did Parker introduce the amendment knowing full well that it was going to be over-ruled, in order to embarrass the IDC into a procedural vote that would make them look bad?  That's what the IDC people say.  They also claim it is part and parcel of the ongoing Democratic  strategy to introduce "hostile amendments" to make them look bad. I don't know if it's true. I do know that this issue is now being used as a mobilizing tool against the IDC, whose budget did call for more school aid.

So what we have here is (probably) an example of political smoke and mirrors by both sides, and voters are being manipulated by both sides. Later, the IDC introduced its own budget with good things, including increased school funding (probably knowing the Dems wouldn't vote for it). Sure enough, the Dems didn't vote for it, and then the IDC blamed the Dems for not voting for it. 

As I wrote on another thread, I say, "A plague on both their houses!" This infighting among people who agree on most things is sapping progressive energies. Both mainstream Dems and the IDC are guilty.  But I don't want the community to get "played" by clever politicians, and I fear that is what is happening with this Foundation aid issue.

So while you want to make local residents believe that Peralta has the power of the pen and in one stroke he can get the monies owed, the truth is he can't and neither can any other sole legislator, except for the Governor.

Please stop claiming to be able to read other people's minds. Honor has not made that claim, nor does anyone demonstrate that level simple-mindedness on this board to have that be a reasonable deduction about the motive behind their posts.

Many families with children in public schools are not aware of the 2006 Campaign for Fiscal Equity vs. State ruling that the State must pay out 5.6 Billion dollars to public schools for operational costs so when the IDC supports a budget that does not support this court ruling parents should be complaining and marching and finding a representative who will support a budget that funds a court mandated payout to their schools.

From the brief -
"More than a decade ago, we held that the Education Article of the New York State Constitution requires the state "to offer all children the opportunity of a sound basic education"(Campaign for Fiscal Equity v State of New York, 86 NY2d 307, 316 [1995]
[CFE I]).  Plaintiffs had sought a declaratory judgment against the State, claiming that students in New York City public schools were not receiving a basic education and that the State's public school financing system is unconstitutional"

I fully understand the implications of the hostile amendment. Mainline Dems did this for symbolic reasons and guess what?  The IDC failed the symbolic test. 

You said you understood. Yet, if you understood, then you know it's the Democrats that are failing, because they're playing games to make IDC look bad. NOT Republicans. Democrats want NY to blame IDC for their own failings. This hostile amendment ... smh ... IDC actually knows how policy making works, Democrats don't which is why they keep losing. Just because Democrats know how to open a can of Chef Boyardee, doesn't make them chefs.

You should be ashamed that our Democratic party prefers to spend time playing political games hurting all New Yorkers, and not actually getting work done.

The March on Saturday, is to appease those who feel the need to do something, without actually investing time and money and traveling to areas where seats need to be flipped from Republican to Democrat.  To actually have a majority, not living on a prayer majority.

Rogue 1 -

You go beyond political debate to rudeness.  And to assume that I and others at the March are not also people who go out of state to canvass etc is erroneous.  You have no place in telling constituents that they should or should not care about how their representative is voting.  That is just lame.

Honor Mosher, with all due respect, I don't see where I used curse words or CAPS to come off as rude.

I agree that we need to keep our electeds law abiding and hard working. I have yet to hear that Senator Peralta has broken any laws nor have I heard that his office doesn't work.

I do not see how bringing down an elected official, who represents a diverse district with broad views and experiences, who has done decent/good/excellent job in a system of dysfunction and corruption.

In order for the Democrats to gain the majority, Democrats need to stop preaching to the choir, get out of our comfort zones and campaign in Republican districts, and have serious conversations with them.

Drawing lines hasn't helped. Maybe some bridge building, and stop with the walls.

Senator Parker who introduced the "hostile" amendment, did it for the optics, knowing he wasn't allowed to introduce such a bill due to procedures, his intention was to embarrass/shame IDC members, knowing there could be no vote, while understanding that the general public wouldn't understand what happened.

Senator Parker stoked the flames, to upset people, people he currently can't help.

What we the people need, is for Democrats to focus their attention on Republicans, not on Independent, Green, Libertarians, or the Independent Democratic Conference.

Perhaps if I sound rude, it's because I'm dismayed with government and community reaction. I prefer proaction, and a government that actually moves forward in the best interest of life on earth.