Felder, a Democrat, Says He Will Remain With Republicans
Source: New York Times
ALBANY State Senator Simcha Felder, a Democrat from Brooklyn, announced on Tuesday that he would continue to caucus with the Republicans, short-circuiting hopes of a new Democratic majority in Albanys upper chamber.
Mr. Felder, who has repeatedly said he actually has no loyalty to any party, said in a statement that he would continue to sit with the Republican majority regardless of the outcome of two special elections being held in the Bronx and Westchester County.
If Democrats win both seats, the party would gain a numerical edge in the Senate, theoretically giving them control but only if Mr. Felder returns to the fold. Instead, Mr. Felder said that he believed the issue would be best resolved outside of the legislative session, which ends in June.
I believe it is my obligation to prevent an unprecedented and uncertain late-session political battle that will only hurt my constituents and New Yorkers, Mr. Felder said. Political gamesmanship must not be allowed to jeopardize the leadership, committee structure and staff of the New York State Senate and push this institution into turmoil.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/24/nyregion/simcha-felder-republicans-senate.html
Know what will really hurt his constituents? Losing all his clout when the Democrats win the Senate outright in November.
bearsfootball516
(6,377 posts)brooklynite
(94,950 posts)...this is not a progressive district that cares about Democratic vs Republican control. It is heavily orthodox Jewish, and they tend to vote reliably for incumbents, especially those who bring home goodies. His big fight in this years budget battle was a waiver for State oversight of Yeshiva schools.
NBachers
(17,186 posts)DinahMoeHum
(21,829 posts)Special elections in April or no special elections in April.
bluestarone
(17,105 posts)VOTE THE ASSHOLE OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AZ Jim
(70 posts)You don't see repubs breaking ranks like that. No self respecting Democrat would become a repub tool like that. He is a punk.
bucolic_frolic
(43,476 posts)no principles, no resolve, just a wishy-washy left-of-center-right-wing-fraternizer
Why is he in politics? What do they have on him? This is strange behavior for a politician
You're from New York and you have no opinion? WHO is going to believe that?
What the hell's the matter with you?
elleng
(131,370 posts)Suddenly, Simcha Felder Is The Most Powerful Man In New York
*Felder, who represents a district in the heart of Orthodox Brooklyn, is a much-maligned figure among New York Democrats. The new political reality in Albany wont make him any more popular, and could bring a wave of unwanted attention to him and the Orthodox Jewish community.'
Read more: https://forward.com/news/398157/suddenly-simcha-felder-is-the-most-powerful-man-in-new-york/
Why Is New York Condoning Illiteracy?
'Last Friday, as observant Jews hurried with last-minute preparations for Passover, one Orthodox Jew was in Albany, holding up the New York State budget. He was insisting that this roughly $168 billion package include a special provision that would allow religious schools to meet the states educational requirements by using their long hours of religious instruction.
In recent years, education activists, among them former Hasidic yeshiva graduates, have pushed aggressively to bring the yeshivas into compliance with the states education laws. Simcha Felder, the state senator from Brooklyn who represents the heavily ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods of Borough Park and Midwood, was on a mission to get legal permission for the state to turn a blind eye to the near-absence of secular instruction in many yeshivas. The upshot? Tens of thousands of children would continue to graduate without the most basic skills.
I know about the cost. I was one of those kids.
I was raised in New Yorks Hasidic community and educated in its schools. At my yeshiva elementary school, I received robust instruction in Talmudic discourse and Jewish religious law, but not a word about history, geography, science, literature, art or most other subjects required by New York State law. I received rudimentary instruction in English and arithmetic an afterthought after a long day of religious studies but by high school, secular studies were dispensed with altogether.
The language of instruction was, for the most part, Yiddish. English, our teachers would remind us, was profane. . . '
https://www.democraticunderground.com/12234201
PaulX2
(2,032 posts)America is finally figuring out just how much Republicans care about their non-billionaire asses.
None.
I hope you are begging for pennies with a cardboard sign on a corner someday Simcha.
beachbum bob
(10,437 posts)For a real democrat next time
Vinca
(50,326 posts)melman
(7,681 posts)No comment? Seems odd.
rpannier
(24,350 posts)Anyone? Antone? Buehler?