Heastie proves he’s in the teachers union’s pocket
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie couldn’t make it more plain that he’s thoroughly in the pocket of the teachers unions: On Tuesday, he will join United Federation of Teachers chief Michael Mulgrew at UFT headquarters to discuss the coming legislative session.
Typically, the Assembly speaker addresses teachers in Albany at the union’s annual “lobby day” after the session opens. But apparently that’s no longer enough: Mulgrew wants a special appearance on his own turf.
Heastie is expected to also discuss the state economy and budget priorities, including (of course) education spending.
The justification for the briefing seems to be President Trump, who with the GOP Congress threatens budget cuts and tax-law changes that could crimp the gravy train for New York politicians and special interests.
It’s “the Resistance” — or at least the local powers that be — getting organized.
Heastie has already noted that local progressives’ dream of a new state “millionaires tax” will be off the table if the Republican tax bill becomes law, though he still has hopes for a “mansion tax” on higher-end residences.
Yet the bottom line here is that Heastie, who was willing to disagree with the UFT back when he was just another Assembly member, will now toe the union line as speaker.
To be fair, he likely promised as much to win the union’s backing to take over the Assembly leadership — and no matter that some Assembly Democrats oppose the UFT’s efforts to, for example, kill the charter schools that are working miracles in high-poverty, minority neighborhoods.
Bottom line: If Democrats take control of the state Senate, the UFT and other public-employee unions will be calling the shots on the Legislature’s entire agenda.