Two quail or not two quail? That is the question.
When I was in high school Claddagh rings were all the rage. If a girl wore it on her right hand ring finger, with the heart pointed out, she was open to love. If the heart was pointed in, then her heart was taken. Adults would wear it on their left hand to signify engagement if it was pointed out, and marriage if it was pointed in. If you’ve been reading the blogs lately, you might be wondering on which hand the chaos caucus is wearing its Claddagh ring and who they are wearing it for.
A guy I knew from long ago had a strange way of ending conversations. He’d say “Bob’s your uncle, Fanny’s your aunt.” And then walk away, grabbing his coat as he left without saying goodbye. He meant, “and there you have it”. Those words came to mind when I saw disgraced former UFT political action director Paul Egan post a survey on FB to determine interest in electronic voting for the next UFT election (and collect contact information of members).
Paul, being Paul, he used the opportunity to recruit random people to run against Unity in the spring UFT election. Their survey was put out in multiple venues, but he was the only one who tried to recruit. The survey collects contact information, the gathering of which is the primary goal of every survey they put out.
I wonder if a split in the opposition is causing Paul to try to recruit. There are MORE activists in the comments supporting Paul’s post. Do they need people to join because there is a split or are they trying to hide MORE’S involvement, because you know, the antisemitism thing? Maybe it’s a ploy to engage with unsuspecting UFT members. IDk. TBD.
In his post today a commenter asked if the antisemites at MORE are involved. MORE members are involved, but they denied it. Very curious doings indeed.
“MORE” interestingly, he asked that they contact him directly through his personal email. Was Paul freelancing or was it a coordinated effort? It appears like he was trying to use their platform, their idea, to build his own base of support. If I was them that’s the way I’d see it, just saying. Unless of course it was pre planned and he is involved, thick as a thief as usual.
Statements of support poured in from chaos caucus leaders who used to call him a slug. A cast of chaotic characters were showing Paul all kinds of love flooded in. It was jarring to read. I took a look back at Angry Arthur’s substack and found an article published in February of this year where Arthur cast doubts on the reasons why Paul was fired. It makes me wonder how long Paul has been talking to and planning with the chaos caucus to run against Unity. After all, Inquiring minds want to know.
Writing about Paul makes me think about a cringey story he used to tell in public. Once upon a time he was in charge of chapter leader weekends. He reveled in having a microphone to regale his audience with tales of his derring do. In one story that he repeatedly told in public, he was at an overnight UFT training when he was a chapter leader. According to him, on the night in question he had way too much to drink. Somehow or other, according to him he ended up naked, in the hallway outside the door of a romantic interest. Luckily for her, she was protected by her own cocoon of sleep and a locked door, possibly deadbolted.
He would tell how he got a cushion from a hallway couch, went down to the front desk, and somehow got a key back to his room. He told this cringey story and others in public settings. Thinking about it gives me the ick.
While I can neither confirm nor deny the allegations reported in the press about his interest in quail or dalliances at work, it's fair to wonder why the Chaos mongers are so smitten with him or who among them is working with him.
It seems that the Chaos Coalition is now made up of four unequal, uneasy parts.
1. Ambitious New Action bloggers chasing out of classroom positions
2. New Action retirees empowered by their recent takeover of the retiree chapter
3. MORE caucus members who are more interested in winning an election than in adhering to their principles
4. MORE caucus members who feel strongly about their principles and uneasy with an alliance with the ambitious New Action bloggers.
5. It’s still not clear if UFT Solidarity is still a viable force in the UFT opposition world.
Paul is an undeniable force. He is a talented political strategist who understood the ins and outs of the UFT as it was when he was asked to clear out his desk in 2019. He is also a flawed individual, and the author of his own downfall. The fact that the chaos caucus has put him in the center of their outreach to membership shows a level of political amorality that I had not expected from a self righteous group that criticizes the UFT leadership so loudly. If I had to guess he is most closely associated with group #1. Motivated by their hunger for power they are willing to make bedfellows with anyone no matter how flawed.
The upcoming election is starting to shape up. Obviously the Chaos mongers think that having the election done electronically is going to benefit them. I’m not so sure they are right.
They are going to try to do things like raise resolutions about it at the exec board and delegate assembly. We will hear more about it later on.
It also seems like they are already starting to form their slate. In the comments of a previous post of mine, one of the chaos caucus members admitted that Daniel Alicea and Nick Bacon intend to run as officers. I have so many questions I want answered now. Will MORE give in to New Action and and allow either Daniel Alicea or Nick Bacon to be at the top of the ticket and run for the UFT President?
Will MORE support a coalition or will they run on their own? Where on the slate will we see Paul? Will he push for a prominent role or will they use his institutional knowledge and then push him to the side for fear that he has his own agenda? Is Paul motivated by revenge for the accountability he faced for his #metoo indiscretions? Is their reach greater than their grasp? On which hand do they wear their Claddagh ring, and is it pointed in or out?
The one thing we can count on is that they will bring chaos to every forum they are in and try to tear the UFT apart in their quest for power.
Bob’s your uncle, Fanny’s your aunt.
On a MORE serious note, nobody sold anybody out. Health care is the most difficult, and complex topic unions deal with aside from pensions. The ABC of the issue is that you speak for political opportunists who don't know the first thing about actually fighting for members and protecting their benefits.
I don’t know where to start so I will simply say when union leadership sells out its retirees they deserve to be replaced by leadership who will protect their most vulnerable members:period; full stop..