Hi friends,
In February 1968, two sanitation workers in Memphis were crushed to death by a garbage truck that malfunctioned, setting off a deeply consequential strike. Their unforgettable campaign featured signs that said I am a man. This February in Brooklyn, a sanitation garage in Brooklyn was closed temporarily because 48 workers tested positive for COVID. But the mayor is promising to bring city employees back to work by May, even though many of them are not yet eligible for vaccines. Their eligibility is determined by the governor. The list of ineligible workers
includes sanitation workers, parks enforcement officers and trades workers, as well as hundreds of office workers who process in-person requests for everything from food stamps to building permits. While many tasks have shifted online, work continues at city offices in all five boroughs.
The 7-day average for COVID deaths in NYC is 74. That means that well over 500 city residents are dying each week.
Contact the governor to tell him that sanitation workers and other essential in-person municipal employees must be on the list. If he won’t resign, he should do his job.
Contact the mayor to tell him that it is dangerous and premature to unnecessarily bring municipal employees back for in-person work without vaccinations.
The Teens Take Charge Mayoral Forum was a hopeful reminder that some young people are using their pandemic captivity to good ends. One friend remarked that they were “thoughtful and smart and funny and left the adults in the dust, in general.” The young people did their homework and asked excellent questions about a wide range of issues including desegregation, ending the school-to-prison pipeline, youth voting rights, Summer Youth Employment Program, and more.
Contact your NYS representative and senator to ask them to reintroduce legislation to lower the voting age to 16.
Dianne Morales made a very strong showing, and not just because she can dance (yes, there was dancing). The naysayers who complain of her lack of government experience should examine her leadership of large organizations that provide social services; her work has required the the savvy of working on contract with the city and the administrative and political finesse that is often (wrongly) attributed to entrepreneurs.
Andrew Yang did poorly, and after 7, by which time all of the candidates except for Paperboy Prince had departed, the teen organizers disparaged Yang’s unserious performance. Stringer outperformed Wiley, Donovan, Adams, and Garcia, who were also in attendance. He has progressive ideas about education and radiated competence and authenticity. But no one outshone Morales, who has significant experience in youth development, and appreciates the challenges the young people face on both a personal and policy level.
Here’s your homework: Learn more about Dianne Morales. Find your own sources and send me your thoughts.
Have a good weekend!
with love,
L