Though the headline had it that New York State gubernatorial hopeful Andrew Cuomo ?Vows Offensive Against Labor Unions,? what he actually tells the New York Times is much kinder, gentler.? By the same token, despite the power of the Empire State's unions, Cuomo is surely not running as a tax-and-spend democrat.
In the 90-minute interview with the Times' Nicholas Confessore, Cuomo, according to the reporter, ?for the first time laid out his strategy to isolate, destabilize, and ultimately defeat the tangle of entrenched interests that has left state government bankrupt, infamously dysfunctional, and mired in scandal.?
Historic budget deficits and angry, tax-exhausted citizens have a way, like guillotines, of focusing the mind and so the presumptive governor is already talking like he's in office. ?But he is also talking about ?how to use a crisis,? and it may be an opportunity for the Empire State's education reformers.? Cuomo says he will continue to tinker with the education aid formula ? something begun in earnest by Republican Governor George Pataki ? and send more money to poorer districts. Not much of a big deal.
What is promising is his hint that he would be cutting overall spending in areas like education while taking a page from the Obama/Duncan play book and creating ?pools of bonus money? (the Times' phrase) that could be ?won?in public competitions.?
Given the huge deficits that New York State faces and the ?taxed-to-death? mood of the electorate (just last week the Times reported that the state faced $200 billion in future pension costs, ?putting the public work force on a collision course with the taxpayers who are expected to foot the bill?), Cuomo has little choice but to talk tough on the budget, which means talking tough about labor.
All of this, of course, is no music to the ears of the powerful New York State United Teachers, which claims 600,000 members and which has so far refused to endorse Cuomo. Last August NYSUT's president Richard Iannuzzi ?told the Albany Times Union that you know, he's been a strong supporter of education, of labor and social justice in the past, but when we look at his positions now ? especially on issues such as tax caps, constitutional convention and the size of the public work force ? we have serious issues.?? And In a press release issued just two weeks ago, Iannuzzi expressed similar reservations.
While this little dance continues (NYSUT surely wouldn't support Cuomo's GOP challenger, Carl ?I'll take you out, buddy? Paladino), the state's education reformers must see some opportunities.? They have surely been working the politics of the education issue.? Just last spring the Times ran a story that began:
When Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo wanted to meet certain members of the hedge fund crowd, seeking donors for his all-but-certain run for governor, what he heard was this: talk to Joe.
That would be Joe Williams, executive director of a political action committee that advances what has become a favorite cause of many of the wealthy founders of New York hedge funds: charter schools.
With these connections, ?the budget ax falling, new Race to the Top funding for change, and a reform-minded Education Commissioner and Regents Chairman (see here), it may be a perfect storm for reform, a chance for real change, including, dare we hope, serious discussions about ridding schools of last?hired-first-fired practices, single-salary wage structures, cookie-jar pension deals, and extra stipends for master's degrees that don't mean more education for students.
The list goes on. But let's hope that the next Governor of New York, whether with big stick or velvet glove, will use the current crisis to help improve our schools for our students.
?Peter Meyer, Bernard Lee Schwartz Policy Fellow
