ckaihatsu
12th February 2015, 18:00
Ed Hershey, Chicago Aldermanic Candidate, Calls for Working Class Fight; Please Make a Donation to the Ed Hershey Campaign!
THE ORGANIZER NEWSPAPER
P.O. Box 40009
San Francisco, CA 94140
[email protected]
Tel. 415-913-7428
www.socialistorganizer.org
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Ed Hershey, Chicago Aldermanic Candidate, Calls for Working Class Fight;
Please Make a Donation to the Ed Hershey Campaign!
By the Editors
Ed Hershey is one among several union-based aldermanic candidates running in Chicagos wards for the 2015 municipal election, which will also vote for a mayor. Hershey, however, stands out as the clearest challenge to progressive, lesser-evil politics, with a clear class-struggle, anti-Democratic Party perspective. The election is on Feb. 24, 2015. Hershey is running among three other candidates to replace the incumbent 25thWard alderman Danny Solis, one of Mayor Rahm Emanuels rubber stamps.
Ed Hershey is in the Chicago Teachers Union, has taught for nine years, and is a member of the CTUs House of Delegates. He was a militant participant in the 2012 strike and has fought against school closings. He has supported student walkouts over police repression. But he has also distinguished himself as being one of the few CTU House of Delegates members to vote against endorsing Jesus Chuy Garcia (Democrat Cook County Commissioner) when backing him was rushed by CTU President Karen Lewis in late October.
Asked whether the CTU should be supporting the Democrats in elections, Hershey explains:
I think the working class needs its own organization, our own party, to represent our interests. I think the Democratic Party is the other party of capital in Chicago and Cook County, its the only party. Thats almost the case in Illinois as well with the recent exception of Bruce Rauner. And even Rauner was elected largely because working people were disgusted with Quinn, and stayed home rather than casting a vote for him. While there is a range of people within the Democratic Party, that Party exists for one purpose within this city -- to manage the affairs of the ruling class.
Toni Preckwinkle [president of Cook County Board] and Chuy Garcia are not arrogant and preening like Rahm [Emanuel]. But still they carry out the same policy at the County that Rahm is carrying out in the city: budget cuts, austerity, attacks on workers and attacks on pensions. Sometimes an alderman will take a stand with us -- but remember, the City Council voted 50-0 for Rahms longest day. The Democratic Party is an institution arrayed against working people -- to my mind it taints anyone affiliated with it. Because moving up, or even just operating within the Democratic Party means serving corporate interests -- that is, interests that are fundamentally opposed to ours. Perhaps if we had an independent workers party, we could draw some of the better aldermen to us. But that doesnt exist right now. (Second City Teacher http://goo.gl/7mJOj3>)
Retreat Back into Democratic Party Orbit
Both Karen Lewis illness and her decision (with CTU backing) to endorse the Democrat Garcia for mayor were serious blows to the movement for labors political independence. What began with the massive and popular teachers' strike in 2012, then rising speculation about whether Karen would run for mayor, then internal, inconclusive debates in the C.O.R.E. caucus in the CTU over whether to create a new political party of labor, all that ended in a sudden retreat back into the orbit of the Democratic Party. Somewhat similar to what happened when labor endorsed Obama over Bush in 2008, things went from the frying pan into the fire. Garcias (or the other progressive Democrat Bob Fiorettis) possible victory may indeed reflect the aspirations of Chicago workers to roll back attacks on the unions begun under Daley and intensified under Rahm Emanuel. But it will also present a new ensemble of problems, one of which will be that the CTU and other unions will be naively celebrating Garcia as their new champion at City Hall. Garcia, at a recent TV debate, when asked whether he would push for concessions in upcoming negotiations with the teachers' union, said that nothing was off the table.
Some of the new crop of aldermanic candidates, several of them coming out of the CTU or other parts of the labor movement, have publicly stated that they are neither Democrats or Republicans. But they answer, when asked, that they support Garcia. One candidate, labeled a socialist, when asked if he supported Garcia since he was a Democrat, answered by comparing Garcia to Harold Washington and concluded that, since the progressive movement back in the '80s supported Harold, people should, similarly, support Garcia today. (Harold Washington during his administration forced the CTU out on strike four times in less than six years -- 1983, 84, 85, and 87).
CTU's Highest Body Endorses Hershey
Ed Hershey also represents the continuity of rank-and-file democracy within the CTU. On January 14, the House of Delegates met again to vote on what aldermanic candidates the CTU would endorse. Despite the fact that the Political Action Committee did not endorse Ed Hershey (presumably because he did not go along with the Garcia vote at the Nov. 5 HoD meeting), the House of Delegates took a militant stand and ignored the PAC non-recommendation of Hershey (and other aldermanic PAC recommendations). The House of Delegates is the highest body, so its endorsement stood. Ed Hershey is now officially endorsed by the CTU. He also recently got the endorsement of AFT-affiliated Chicago Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff (Chicago ACTS).
Ed Hershey in his campaign emphasized that there is money enough to pay for decent schools, for more buses and trains, for parks and programs for young people, and for the other services we need. But the money needed to make Chicago livable for ordinary people has been stolen from our taxes and is today hoarded by some of the biggest capitalists in the world, part of the wealthy class that this mayor and aldermen serve.
Hershey sees his campaign as part of a movement involving the working class, and emphasizes that corruption will not change through one individual such as himself getting elected to the City Council.
We urge readers to support Ed Hersheys campaign by mailing a donation check to: Committee to Elect Ed Hershey, P.O. 8429, Chicago, IL 60608. They should be made out to: Committee to Elect Ed Hershey. To contact Ed Hershey:
[email protected]
The election is on Feb. 24, so checks should be mailed as soon as possible for your donation to help the campaign.
THE ORGANIZER NEWSPAPER
P.O. Box 40009
San Francisco, CA 94140
[email protected]
Tel. 415-913-7428
www.socialistorganizer.org
- - - - - - - - - -
Ed Hershey, Chicago Aldermanic Candidate, Calls for Working Class Fight;
Please Make a Donation to the Ed Hershey Campaign!
By the Editors
Ed Hershey is one among several union-based aldermanic candidates running in Chicagos wards for the 2015 municipal election, which will also vote for a mayor. Hershey, however, stands out as the clearest challenge to progressive, lesser-evil politics, with a clear class-struggle, anti-Democratic Party perspective. The election is on Feb. 24, 2015. Hershey is running among three other candidates to replace the incumbent 25thWard alderman Danny Solis, one of Mayor Rahm Emanuels rubber stamps.
Ed Hershey is in the Chicago Teachers Union, has taught for nine years, and is a member of the CTUs House of Delegates. He was a militant participant in the 2012 strike and has fought against school closings. He has supported student walkouts over police repression. But he has also distinguished himself as being one of the few CTU House of Delegates members to vote against endorsing Jesus Chuy Garcia (Democrat Cook County Commissioner) when backing him was rushed by CTU President Karen Lewis in late October.
Asked whether the CTU should be supporting the Democrats in elections, Hershey explains:
I think the working class needs its own organization, our own party, to represent our interests. I think the Democratic Party is the other party of capital in Chicago and Cook County, its the only party. Thats almost the case in Illinois as well with the recent exception of Bruce Rauner. And even Rauner was elected largely because working people were disgusted with Quinn, and stayed home rather than casting a vote for him. While there is a range of people within the Democratic Party, that Party exists for one purpose within this city -- to manage the affairs of the ruling class.
Toni Preckwinkle [president of Cook County Board] and Chuy Garcia are not arrogant and preening like Rahm [Emanuel]. But still they carry out the same policy at the County that Rahm is carrying out in the city: budget cuts, austerity, attacks on workers and attacks on pensions. Sometimes an alderman will take a stand with us -- but remember, the City Council voted 50-0 for Rahms longest day. The Democratic Party is an institution arrayed against working people -- to my mind it taints anyone affiliated with it. Because moving up, or even just operating within the Democratic Party means serving corporate interests -- that is, interests that are fundamentally opposed to ours. Perhaps if we had an independent workers party, we could draw some of the better aldermen to us. But that doesnt exist right now. (Second City Teacher http://goo.gl/7mJOj3>)
Retreat Back into Democratic Party Orbit
Both Karen Lewis illness and her decision (with CTU backing) to endorse the Democrat Garcia for mayor were serious blows to the movement for labors political independence. What began with the massive and popular teachers' strike in 2012, then rising speculation about whether Karen would run for mayor, then internal, inconclusive debates in the C.O.R.E. caucus in the CTU over whether to create a new political party of labor, all that ended in a sudden retreat back into the orbit of the Democratic Party. Somewhat similar to what happened when labor endorsed Obama over Bush in 2008, things went from the frying pan into the fire. Garcias (or the other progressive Democrat Bob Fiorettis) possible victory may indeed reflect the aspirations of Chicago workers to roll back attacks on the unions begun under Daley and intensified under Rahm Emanuel. But it will also present a new ensemble of problems, one of which will be that the CTU and other unions will be naively celebrating Garcia as their new champion at City Hall. Garcia, at a recent TV debate, when asked whether he would push for concessions in upcoming negotiations with the teachers' union, said that nothing was off the table.
Some of the new crop of aldermanic candidates, several of them coming out of the CTU or other parts of the labor movement, have publicly stated that they are neither Democrats or Republicans. But they answer, when asked, that they support Garcia. One candidate, labeled a socialist, when asked if he supported Garcia since he was a Democrat, answered by comparing Garcia to Harold Washington and concluded that, since the progressive movement back in the '80s supported Harold, people should, similarly, support Garcia today. (Harold Washington during his administration forced the CTU out on strike four times in less than six years -- 1983, 84, 85, and 87).
CTU's Highest Body Endorses Hershey
Ed Hershey also represents the continuity of rank-and-file democracy within the CTU. On January 14, the House of Delegates met again to vote on what aldermanic candidates the CTU would endorse. Despite the fact that the Political Action Committee did not endorse Ed Hershey (presumably because he did not go along with the Garcia vote at the Nov. 5 HoD meeting), the House of Delegates took a militant stand and ignored the PAC non-recommendation of Hershey (and other aldermanic PAC recommendations). The House of Delegates is the highest body, so its endorsement stood. Ed Hershey is now officially endorsed by the CTU. He also recently got the endorsement of AFT-affiliated Chicago Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff (Chicago ACTS).
Ed Hershey in his campaign emphasized that there is money enough to pay for decent schools, for more buses and trains, for parks and programs for young people, and for the other services we need. But the money needed to make Chicago livable for ordinary people has been stolen from our taxes and is today hoarded by some of the biggest capitalists in the world, part of the wealthy class that this mayor and aldermen serve.
Hershey sees his campaign as part of a movement involving the working class, and emphasizes that corruption will not change through one individual such as himself getting elected to the City Council.
We urge readers to support Ed Hersheys campaign by mailing a donation check to: Committee to Elect Ed Hershey, P.O. 8429, Chicago, IL 60608. They should be made out to: Committee to Elect Ed Hershey. To contact Ed Hershey:
[email protected]
The election is on Feb. 24, so checks should be mailed as soon as possible for your donation to help the campaign.