HOD Part 2

CTU Political Strategy Continues
By Jim Vail


The scare tactics were out in full force at the CTU house of delegates meeting Jan. 8, 2014 to stop the force of evil.

Republican challenger Bruce Rauner.

He certainly plays the villain's role well - he labels unions and CTU president Karen Lewis evil, rich multi-millionaires like himself are the victims, we need less unions, more right to work states, more corporate profits, less money for the working stiff at those companies.

How crazy is this guy?  Even the ruling class has its doubts by dumping on him recently when the fool was caught saying the minimum wage should be rolled back.

Hey - let's bring back slavery while we're at it Mr. Rauner.

So the corporate media finally woke up and caught the guy with his pants down. 

Now Rauner has to apologize for saying why he thinks working people should be paid less.  

I say the guy is done.  When the ruling class and their media turn on you as the candidate to lead whatever, it's over.  

Anyone remember Howard Dean. The guy was ready to win the U.S. democrat president primary until the media started to label him "angry."

That suddenly made him unstable in the ruling class, and his ship was sunk.  

You don't think this political game is rigged?

And the CTU's Karen Lewis played her role at the house of delegates meeting.

She asked delegates if they've seen the ads Rauner is running on TV saying there is a need for charter schools to replace failing public schools.

She said what Rauner doesn't say is that the charter school he founded and is named after him was closed due to "financial and academic improprieties."

"We need to change the political landscape in this state," Lewis told the delegates. "We need new voters."

Certainly the CTU is feeling a little pressure after the Sun Times investigative journalist Dan Mihalopoulos wrote that the voter registration drive to register thousands of new voters didn't happen.

The question I've always had is, who are we registering them to vote for?  Sign up all these people to vote for democrats like Mike Madigan, Gerry Chico or Pat Quinn.  

Are you serious?

Karen appears to be adamantly against running for mayor, knowing full well her name is the only visible opposition to Rahm Emanuel on a name basis.

In fact, it appeared she had a plant at the delegate's meeting. One old-time delegate started saying the CTU needs to run a candidate against the mayor and we all know who it should be.  Lewis looked down as this delegate was ready to say the name:

Jackson Potter!

Jackson who?  Was it supposed to be funny?  Was it satire.  Lewis smiled. 

Potter, who is responsible for putting Core together and Lewis on the ticket, is one hell of a debater.  I recommend everyone to watch him tear apart the union's opponents in a very methodical, rational, calm manner.

But it's Karen who the voters recognize in terms of the name.

Instead, the CTU promoted a resolution for the CTU to launch an Independent Political Organization.

This appeared to be an appeasement to the radicals, leftists, and other rabbler-rousers like yours truly. Members of Lewis's party Core are calling to sever ties to the democratic party and start investing in third party candidates.

Lewis did not mention anything about the fact that Gov. Pat Quinn named anti-union extraordinaire Paul Vallas, the former chief of the Chicago Public Schools under mayor Daley.

Lewis stressed that this independent political organization (IPO) is not a political party.

Then what is it?

The house of delegates passed a resolution that did not have much debate. I and delegate Tim Meegan, who called for the union to stop backing democrats at a Core meeting, were left standing at the mic when someone called the question quickly to have the members vote.

Here's the resolution:

Resolution for the Chicago Teachers Union to Launch an Independent Political Organziation (IPO)

Whereas, the Chicago Teachers Union hopes to transform the traditional means of engaging in politics and legislative activities in Chicago and Illinois to engender authentic political engagement to amplify the voice and representation of working and poor people in politics and legislative process, and

Whereas, Mayor Emanuel and his allies have supported massive school closings, drastically reduced school funding, increased racial and economic inequality throughout Chicago, advocated for mandatory minimums that will lead to increased incarceration of Black and Latino youth, privatized essential services, and balanced budgets on the backs of the most vulnerable, and 

Whereas, we can engage with other likeminded progressive organizations to push for immediate changes to address the real time needs of working and poor communities in Chicago through legislative and electoral engagement in City Hall and the Illinois General Assembly, and

Whereas, we must reinvigorate the average citizen to remind our elected representatives that they are beholden to their constituencies and the needs of the wards and districts they represent, therefore be it

Resolved, that the Chicago Teachers Union along with key allies in the progressive labor movement and amongst community organizations will launch an independent political organization (IPO) that is capable of leading strong electoral and legislative campaigns to benefit working families, our active and retired members, and our communities, and be it further

Resolved, that the IPO will enable a broad multitude of diverse organizations to establish a pipeline for candidate development to identify and train people who are part of our movements to become elected officialsp and that such people are dedicated to our shared vision, will fully support campaigns that advocate for our needs, and will be held accountable to the people who helped put them in office, and be it finally

Resolved, that the IPO will engage in year round community outreach and campaign to build public support for our platform and political objectives, not just during the election season; and the IPO's goal is to develop, elect and support candidates to be advocates for those objectives, not just to become members of elective office.