Say Hello To Congresswoman Hochul!

The special election in NY-26 became a major electoral test of the Rep. Paul Ryan Kill Medicare budget.    

Democratic candidate Kathy Hochul opposed it while Republican candidate Jane Corwin supported it.   Both sides poured in $6 million in cash and tons of robocalls.   Speaker Boehner and Eric Cantor flew in to try to save the day along with Karl Rove and the GOP special interests.

But it was all for naught.   Kathy Hochul, who two months ago was looking like just another Democrat who was going to lose this district, seized on her opponents blunder to win the special election to fill the seat that just a few short months ago elected Republican Chris Lee by a 73-27 margin before he was forced to resign in a scandal.  

She will become the first Democrat ever to represent this district, and it reduces the number of seats the Democrats need to take back the House to 24.

Congrats Congresswoman elect and give 'em hell in Washington.

Who's Gonna Win NY-26?

When Congressman Christopher Lee (R-NY) got ensnared in his Craigslist scandal that forced him to resign this seat, little did we know at the time it would set up the first political test since the Paul Ryan Kill Medicare budget was rolled out by the Republifools.

NY 26 is a congressional district that has been in GOP hands since the Civil War  It has stayed in GOP hands despite various Democratic presidents taking New York State's electoral votes.  It was the late Jack Kemp's district.   It has a huge GOP registration advantage and lots of seniors.   .

But thanks to the Ryan budget, a Tea partier siphoning off votes, and a smart, competent Democratic candidate in Kathy Hochul who has hung that albatross of a budget around Jane Corwin's neck,  Hochul may have a shot at taking this district away from the Republicans.

They have been scrambling to find a way to spin their Kill Medicare budget now that they have been reminded once again why Medicare and Social Security are called the third rails of American politics.

The last poll that came out has Hochul up six points.   Will that lead hold up?   Will we be addressing her as 'Congresswoman Hochul' in a few hours?      

The polls open at 5 AM CDT my time.   We'll know in a few hours if she pulls it off.  

Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Centennial

With the coordinated attack on unions by the GOP conservafools underway, thought you peeps might need a reminder of why unions exist, why we have all the workplace laws and safety regulations in effect and why they are necessary in the first place.

Today is the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City in which 146 people died.   Many of the 500 people employed there were Jewish and Italian immigrants and women and children as young as 13 and 14 years old.



On the afternoon of March 25, 1911 as the workday was winding to an end, a fire broke out in the factory that was located on the eighth, ninth and tenth floors of what is now known as the Brown Building.   Because the managers locked the stairwells and doors, many people couldn't escape the burning building and jumped to their deaths.

Of the 146 people who died, 129 were women.  max Blanck and Isaac Harris, who survived the fire by fleeing to the building's roof.were tried for first and second degree manslaughter in December 1911.   They were acquitted, but lost a subsequent civil suit in 1913.

It is also described by Frances Perkins as "the day the New Deal began."

The Brown Building became a National Historic Landmark as a result of the tragedy and the events that it triggered in its wake.  .

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire fueled the growth of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union, improved work safety standards, tougher fire codes and the enactment of progressive labor laws in New York State.

On the anniversary of the fire members of the ILGWU read the names of the fallen in a memorial service in front of the building    During the 50th anniversary memorial service of the Triangle fire, ILGWU President David Dubinsky said, “We want a fitting memorial to the martyrs we honor today.  No better one can be found than to increase the respect for and the safety of workers.”

We are now at the centennial anniversay, and we now have Republican governors such as Wisconsin's Scott Walker wanting to take us back to the bad old days of laissez-faire capitalism, workers rights being trampled and lax or nonexistent rules and regulations for businesses.   

The centennial anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire is a warning and reminder of the type of work world we'll have if we allow that to happen.  

New York City Adopts Equal Access Policy For Marriage Licenses For Trans People

The Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund announced that the city of New York has adopted a new policy that took effect on February 7, 2011 that ensures trans people equal access to marriage licenses.

Transpeople in New York City have had issues interacting with the City Clerk's office when trying to obtain marriage licenses.   There was the highly publicized case of Jason Stenson and transwoman Kimah Nelson who legally obtained a marriage license, were married ten days after doing so on May 26, 2009 but when news broke that Kimah was trans the license was retroactively revoked.

A few months later in December 2009 a trans couple who wishes to remain anonymous tried to get married in the Bronx    According to TLDEF they fulfilled the requirements for receiving a marriage license in New York City and presented their government-issued photo identification – the only identification required by the City Clerk’s office.  Rather than issuing the marriage license, the City Clerk refused and instead demanded that Jane and John produce their birth certificates before they could be married – something not required of other marriage license applicants.

In order to settle legal action, under the terms of the new policy, once a marriage license applicant produces the required photo ID, the City Clerk may not request additional proof of sex.  Moreover, City Clerk employees are forbidden from considering  the applicant's appearance or preconceived notions related to gender expression when deciding whether to issue a marriage license.

The City Clerk also apologized to Jane and John as well and initiated training for all city clerks so that the new policies can be properly implemented.

And thanks to TLDEF for all their work in ensuring fair treatment of transpeople who seek to get married, and Jane and John for being tough minded enough to fight the injustice
.