This is a twist. Boykin Curry, a major hedge fund manager and Wall Street power broker, sent out an email endorsing Eliot Spitzer, the disgraced ex-governor who is running for City Comptroller.
Curry was happy with Spitzer when he was governor because he was very supportive of charter schools.
Spitzer resigned the governorship after it was revealed that he paid prostitutes on numerous occasions. Now he is trying to make a political comeback by running for City Comptroller. His opponent, Scott Stringer, is Manhattan Borough President; Stringer appointed the brilliant, independent Patrick Sullivan to serve on the city’s board of education. The majority of the board is appointed by Mayor Bloomberg and acts as a rubber stamp. Sullivan usually is the only member who asks questions. Imagine that!
Curry is on the board of Democrats for Education Reform, a hedge fund group that raises big bucks to support politicians who want more charters; he is also on the board of Public Prep charters and the Alliance for School Choice.
Spitzer is not popular on Wall Street because he made his name by beating up on the financial industry.
But he is a reliable friend to charters.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Can’t we just put the blame for charters at the source? Parents.
I agree.
Parents in my circle are very supportive of charters and have no clue what their “choice” will do to our society as a whole. I had one mom tell me that once more charters open, it will be good for my school because class sizes would go down. She gave me a blank look when I told her if enrolled dropped off at some point schools would close and class sizes would go up – somehow the whole money thing confuses them.
NYC residents forget how he refused to release funding to NYC schools. So this is no surprise. He knows he is going to owe his reemergence to Wall Street and the charter industry. If people think he will have the authority to go after Wall Street in the capacity of comptroller, they are mistaken. He may in fact approve many privatization contracts. I don’t trust him.
Speaking of trust…..I cannot imagine having someone like Weiner head our public schools. Will our students think it’s okay to follow in the footsteps of Carlos Danger!!
His actions speak to his pathology of lies and public lewdness. This was not an “affair”. This was not a “relationship” outside of marriage. He can’t claim “privacy within the marriage”. This man can’t be humbled.
And his wife is from NC (if they stayed married). ?
Joanna, they were on the news last night, & his wife publicly “forgave” him, and stated that it was only their business. (Having worked for Hillary Clinton, I think Mrs. Weiner received some advice on this matter!Additionally, Mrs. Weiner, please note: when you become a public figure–actually,in this case, a public servant–your private life ceases to be private.*) See, if the husband is forgiven, the voters will say, “Awww…we forgive him too!” Then, he can be elected. But–wait!–speaking of the Carolinas–Mark Sanford’s wife divorced him–and wrote a book, as well.
And he STILL was elected!
*All of this having been said, the bottom line is the cover up and the lying, especially the convoluted stories Weiner spun (“I was hacked!”) It’s the deceit which disturbs the public–the lack of ethics.
It’s not about second chances (and, if that were the case, it’s much too soon for Weiner to seek office), it’s all about what kind of person
lies to the public he is supposed to be serving. Is he ethical? Will he do right by his constituents?
I don’t know about you all, but the fact that he supports charter schools (perhaps Eva Moskowitz is a good friend) tells me that the answer is, unequivocally, no.
What is it with politicians and their fear of public school teachers, collective bargaining, and their unions?
It’s like one of those nightmares where you’re running away from gangs of vampires and you seek shelter at a local parish, and the monsignor himself is a vampire. . . . you crash into a local precinct, and all the officers are vampires. . . . . you meet Iron Man or Wonder Woman, and they too bare their fangs. . . . you meet up with your union leaders, and they have those sharp teeth, capes, and glowing eyes. . . . . FInally you seek refuge and comfort around the apron strings of your own soft voiced mother, and she’s in the kitchen making soup, and when she comes to the door and smiles, eager to see you, she too has fangs and blood dripping. . . .
Is there ANYONE save for the online activist communities who is on our side? Is there any real politician out there who will fight against charters, vouchers, and privatization and fight for proper funding, taxation, pensions, and the middle class? Where are Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders in all of this? Their focus has been big business and taxation, but do they understand how education fits into that very picture?
What has America become?
Time to make more phone calls. . . . .
Time to run…for OFFICE!!! How about you, Robert? Your comments on this blog have oozed intelligence and, if you have no skeletons in the closet (like those aforementioned guys), go for it!
Seconded.
Wow…I love your vivid truth! What has America become? Answer: A totally corrupt country only for the top 1%. Big money contributes to campaigns in order for laws to be made to benefit the few.
We need true campaign reform. We really only have one party and this party is called big corporations.
Yeah we need to make a list of likely celebrity supporters and politicians (fallen or not):
Marsalis family
Frank McCourt
John Edwards (?)
???
Or somebody does.
Alabama’s Democrats in the state legislature managed to keep charter schools out of Alabama. Unfortunately, that’s one of the few things I like about our Democrats, but the reality is, the Republicans are not any better. I hate elections these days; lately it just seems to be a choice between the lesser of two evils.
Totally agree. When it comes to education, you can’t tell them apart.
Coming from a city with charters, I am impressed with the Dems of AL! I agree it is picking the lesser of two evils. We need more “choices” in our government. Instant run off voting would help, but both parties are resistant it.
Well, I am learning. With an upcoming election to replace U.S. Senator Jo Bonner, I have been contacting every candidate, asking specific questions in regards to their beliefs about education. I will do that for now on for every election that involves an office that can affect education.