I've never been a very big politico, so to speak - especially not one with respect to local politics. I followed national political issues and major developments, but by no means did I have any comfort with who's the junior senator from where, and who was sponsoring what bill, and all that jazz. But by virtue of where I'm working this summer, I've been closely following the hoopla in the NY state senate. And it's just made me feel completely disgusted with politics. I had no idea NY was so goddamn dysfunctional.
After a month of unbelievably childish power-wrangling, the stalemate finally ended with the Dems pretty much bribing the despicable Espada back into the Dem caucus. Absolutely DISGUSTING. I suppose a lot was at stake, with the 2010 Census coming up, and the margins so razor close. But Dems and Republicans alike were just shameless in their ridiculous behavior.
Meanwhile, excellent bills like the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights and the Farm Workers Fair Labor Practices Bill were left to the wayside, not to mention local budget bills and other routine legislation that needed to be passed to ensure smooth sailing in the state. And same sex marriage, too. Many people had worked hard to lobby for these bills, build up support for them, and it seemed as if the time was finally ripe for something to be done about the exclusion of domestic workers and farm laborers from basic worker protections (like a day of a rest per week, overtime pay, the right to organize).
I just ... can't stomach that the entire month of June was laid to waste with this Albany circus. Bronx voters, show your displeasure! Kick Espada off his power-hungry high horse.
