Brewer for Manhattan Borough President 2013

dear Friends:

On my own initiative, I have to ask you to volunteer and/or contribute to the campaign of Gale Brewer for Manhattan Borough President. It has been a joy and a privilege to know Gale for several decades. Her enthusiasm, commitment, good ideas, follow through, leadership and love mark her as the best. In the sweep of time, I have had a life due to a meaningful lens knowing Gale. 

Decades ago as a Columbia CUSSW student intern, I negotiated a placement with the pioneering social worker in politics, Ruth Messinger. Gale was the Chief of Staff. Nowhere else could we have organized such an inclusive coalition and had actions such as sitting-in a local tavern marked for a massive rent increase, or doing laundry on the street to support another business. I think of the spirit of my social worker buddy, Hannah of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, who always showed for a demo. She would be so thrilled to know Gale imagined and created zoning to protect some small businesses. This community organizing took place whilst college senior Barack Obama was in the neighborhood and I somehow just feel he signed one of our street petitions.

In my 9 years working at Citibank, it was a pleasure to hear the thoughts of Gale during her graduate work at Harvard, and at City Hall. Those late 1980s/ early 1990s were tough years since so many of my friends were dying from AIDS. I look at the photos of parties and see the faces of men I loved who are now dead. Gale was always at my parties and I see the face of my wonderful friend Frans from Rotterdam who is now dead and how he loved her. A photo of him is in one of her campaign videos. From the 1980s, we all advocated for civil rights first routinely denied, In my 1990s doctoral study, some of my research on lgbt families was received well, but my advisor oft decried there are no such families. Thankfully, in the spirit of my friends and their families, Gale has always been part of the advocacy with marriage equality in New York shining as a beacon to the world today.

When I moved to Newark in 1999/2000, I still campaigned for Gale in her first race for New York City Council. It was incredible to meet so many interesting people as well as to witness her natural rapport with people on the street. On election day, 9/11/2001, my first thought was to phone Gale as all transit was stopped due to the WTC attacks. For years I would share that "where were you moment" at the start of each of my college classes in Manhattan. My moment included being blessed to have had Gale and my Mom to purposefully phone that scary and significant day in our history.

I do not know all the issues particularly since I am such a Newark person now. As I think about Barack Obama, I may even disagree on some points, but they make tough decisions, have a heart, and I trust their judgments. Gale is one of those rare people who always has something positive to share about others. I know of her caring from many shared friends and experiences with Ellis, Susan and Gail, Wayne, Muriel, Hans, Ann Schwalbach, the Hunter Scholars, some of my siblings, and others just in need. What a wonderful life so many have had knowing the spirit of Gale.

As you can read, I no doubt have total bias. I love the spirit of her campaign and know that she will be the best investment. Perhaps you can volunteer just to meet fun, involved folks with passion for our future.

Thank you so much.

9/11/2012: Remembering 9/11/2001

For several years one of the first discussions in all of my NYC college classes was "What were you doing on 9/11?" as all of us were here that day. Have always had firefighters, hospital workers, first responders in my classes. Several of my Methods of Research student teams wrote brilliant proposals to do research on the ptsd of 9/11 survivors. Bonding in my Newark building with other residents; the store owner, in particular who we would ask to update us on those neighbors one had not seen. One such neighbor in a daze for months from the horror of having walked through the MerrylLynch WorldPlaza and dodging people jumping from the WTC towers. I remember the weeks of falling asleep to the BBC or CNN coverage of the aftermath to hear the names of those who had died. The horror on seeing a former co-worker whose fiance, a Citibank employee, never got out of the towers. Remembering the first train trip into NYC a few days post 9/11 and everyone looked out the window to see the rising plume of smoke in what used to be the WTC in the skyline. Photo: one of my conte crayon drawings from Pier 51, West St, WTC in distance.

Solidarity with "Occupy Wall Street"

wrote a buddy who is now a Cali bank president about the Citibank event today. Def OWS supporter on Wall Street but ...

Thought of your management with the big talk about the Occupy Wall Street event at Citibank, NYC today.
I used to know the branch managers, did events there. Dunno how the managers could have not worked with the protesters, but obviously need some engagement skills need to be set up. I know many of the Occupy supporters as a social worker and academic. Certainly a lot to demonstrate about, but people have to vote. Thank you for your past support of Senator Dodd!
I am sure New York City could have used you today but all the best in SF, I know my SF buddies are busy organizing events. Great social action! LOL, people usually leave Newark although that is changing!

la vie, Avril 2009

2 folks asked "what do you do allday?"
lol

Getting ready to thankfully just swim at the local pool in less than 90 days!

i teach 2 or 3 courses each semester. They are intense but I love them! It is a blessing to have these classes whatwith the discourse, the essays, their projects to review! Scanned the 1972 Third Year of Women's Liberation" in relation to my family ethics course.

But, I have other skills so I have been looking for a day job but I get stuck as I have only recently progressed since I was poisoned by a bed bug invasion in my apartment (2007). I was last in the hospital for a week in December. I still walk with my cane. It is not as difficult to walk now!

As a social worker, I finally burned out in 2005 from 10 years of working with homeless mentally ill women, then with lesbian/gay high school students, then with HIV patients inhospital ... the NJ years were mostly an affront as I really had had little experience with the corruption, discriminations and indifference so rampant in systems of great stress. There were many really great times but mostly lots of stress, endless work, and then all of the deaths with the AIDS patients. Unlike NYC, I had no supervision, I had more training and expertise than my supervisors. Endless work, do my life, back to work... As someone who teachs research, I am well aware of the indifference of many "professionals" to the knowledge base in our discipline. Emotionally beyond exhaustion, but intellectually fascinating. I have so much depth and breadth from my experiences to share with the students. They drive my idea to write as they love my storytelling.... plus I get to read so many essays and project reports each semester!

400 pages to these memoirs but unhappy with my voice. I write for my own memory.... (a long ago buddy Arthur Levine.. publisher of the Harry Potter series... told me to stop bothering him with my stories! Oh well). I wondered if a colleague who works for George Soros had ideas.. (she just left for her yearly meetings in Sao Paolo, then Nairobi, then Istanbul!) Whoa.. I should be there.. I could swim..... Anyhow, I asked for a job in Mongolia... I dont think she understood the irony as Soros does fund programs in Mongolia. She seemed confused when I then said I was only joking! I actually do like Mongolia as well as Wyoming. I talk about a job in Wyoming with a high school buddy back in Colorado, Randy. The tall urban towers exchanged for the vast expanse! Anyhow, I have also had time to do art projects, photographs. My first degree was in art.. I had a photo account at Citibank. I also followed up with long ago Citibank buddies. I was able to network! Soon, different social work projects started coming in to me.... and then...

In late 2006, my Mom suddenly died. I helped with the State memorial for her. She was thanked for helping those with psychiatric issues. Then dividing up her house... I inherited some money. Reestablishing relationships with siblings I rarely saw before her death. I was feeling physically good and planned to travel, visit friends in Zurich, Berlin, London, Rotterdam and the cote d'azure again. (I use to go to Europe every Easter time). I was poisoned by the renovations in my apartment after bed bug invasions! i walk with my cane as my lungs collapse although I am getting better. I was last in the hospital in December.

So, I am looking for a new day job.. although have to organize my job hunt.. Lots of social work jobs as with the Veterans Admin but I dunno if I can sit all day with the amputees and the psychiatric issues. I cannot do everything anymore! I was up for a job at the VA when my Mom died in 2006. I am also always up for different UN consulting jobs but I keep forgetting to send my CV in time.. they usually post with a 1 or 2 day cutoff. (my doctoral study was at Columbia School of International and Public Affairs).

As usual, I know a lot of people so I get advocacy alerts. Generally press and letter writing. From 1982 to 1992, I did community organizing, then corporate social affairs. In 1983, I was doing 3 radio shows, gave over 250 press interviews, a legislative hearing, advocacy events! From 1986 to 1992, lots of community events, but also the ability to fund local community groups, participate in nonprofit startups, buy tickets to fundraisers. I always have passion about ideas!

Yesterday, I called the White House. Today, phoned various legislators, then trade associations. Advocated on mental health issues, for gay marriage (although I dont know anyone who has even been to one), discussed the new Haitian economic opportunity policy implementations (to create a garment industry). I started fishing to see if others want to have a festschrift for a friend who has done so much community work in NYC/NJ. I always help fundraise for her charity dinners. Lastly, I was advocating for Michelle Obama to come to the NY Council of Fashion Designers' dinner in June! That would be a coup.. Also thought about.... Michelle Obama in DvF at the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Memorial Park with the UN backdrop! Wow! I love Michelle Obama! I also love Eleanor Roosevelt!!!

anyhow.. always much to do in life! My Mom had 9 children, 5 grandchildren, a house, a (ex)husband, a job, and then listened to people with mental illness everday! the folks most of us run away from! Most of all, I am lucky to have had time to seriously teach, work on projects, see the world in different ways!

hugs, peace, compassion

Corporate bailouts

The commotion around the AIG scandal, bank bailouts, Madoff is way too much drama! Of course companies are going to look at ways to maximize their profits. The media, overly corporate as it is, usually goes along with the game. AIG found ways to give out bonuses. Ok, the government response then is to tax the bonuses and fine touch bailout agreements. The Obama administration is responding appropriately. The nitpicking is usual game playing. The Madoff fraud is what it is and plenty of people went along with it. The American mantra has been leave business alone for 20 years, since the Reagan years. It was all vodoo but Americans got increased credit, more commodities, and jingoisim. Who had credit cards in the 1970s? Furthermore, the Madoff situation was set up so that Madoff pleaded guilty to fraud so that the "victims" could get some restitution. I would like restitution for my 401k. CNN, MSNBC, the networks have routinely played invest, put money in that 401k, the market provides the best returns....

Obama's big issue is to juggle the interests of the oligarchs who control credit, find ways that the financial institutions can do profitable risk, and create real regulation. There has never been a free market, it is a myth. The housing subprime problem happened because the Bush administration saw home ownership as the best opportunity for Americans and the financial companies found ways to maximize their earnings. The bubble was always seen as a gonna burst but no one pays attention to the doomsayers. Capitalism is built on boom/bust. We are now in the bust and the challenge is to figure out the next boom. I have lived thru 6 of these busts in my adult life.

In my life, I have known many wealthy people, very few who voted Republican, and most in favor of fair taxation. The loudmouths have been those making middle class wages, often civil servants, or independent contractors always whining about their sacrifices in not making the big bucks. Most have had few social skills, limited intelligence, grasping, jealous natures. Of course, plenty of those with wealth who vote Republican but Conservatives generally give more in charity donations than most social workers, teachers, therapists.

General thoughts from thinking about the photo posted. I was fortunate to do community affairs for 9 years thru a corporation. In general, I worked with the best spirits of people. They would donate blood, or show up for a walkathon, give to United Way, mentor. It was the spirit of corporate social responsibility. It was my best paying job, with the least amount of workplace drama. Being in NYC there was also diversity having bosses, always senior Vice Presidents, of all colors, genders, orientations, social backgrounds. One of my bosses allowed me to do AIDS education, training on lgbt issues which I wrote up and presented at a 1988 social work conference. At the conference social workers were bewildered as to the purpose of education as most still treated people as psychological cases. One of my bosses, a senior Vice President, brought me to a NAACP convention in NYC, to visit her old beau, the Governor of Virginia, before New Jersey had its first African American congressmember. Another employee, who is now among the 100 most influential bankers in the world routinely gave to the GMHC and other groups (she would privately join me in sending a check).

They made money but also contributed to the real lives of others. Just a bit of nuance to this current bust in the capitalist cycle. As usual, I trust President Obama who is a realist and has a tough job juggling the consitutencies in our world.

peace, hugs, compassion

The

Turk thoughts March 08, 2009

President Obama is making a brilliant decision to visit Turkey this April after the G20 summit in London! Turkey is one of the countries that I look at in keeping some paradigm about the world. I have known a number of Turks over the years, and I read theorists who see Turkey as that bridge between the Europe and Asia.

1987 pastel of a graduate school friend from Columbia University. She and I would pal around a lot. She came with me to visit my Mom and siblings one holiday. She came to a Citibank company picnic with me one summer. We were residents at the International House. She worked in television. She was one of the political refugees from the Turkish Army coups in the 1970s. She came to NYC from Paris. One of the many who could not go back home. Dunno what happened to her... she moved to Queens and we lost touch.

This past year I read Orhan Pamuk's Istanbul! Wow, such a fascinating read! A book I lived through, looking up references online, looking at my own memories in other ways. A fascinating book.

From my SIPA days, I have thought about the end of the Ottoman empire and the absence of a muslim political entity in international politics. The Ottoman empire was cut up into pretend nations by the European powers after WWI. Today we have nations such as Iraq, almost 100 years old, part of the Ottoman empire for centuries, and still the power vacuum. The whole mideast and the Muslim world does not have that power it had as an international broker for centuries. We have yet, as a world community, to figure that power gap out. Today, we have Iran versus Saudi Arabia, orthodox versus modernists say in Lebanon, and the sad legacy of no resolution for Palestine.

I think it quite astute that Open Society aka the Soros Fund, has an office in Istanbul. Turkey plays a significant role by its years of brokering as a NATO member and part of other multinational relationships. Not only the Ottoman legacy, but also the years of Turkish emigration in the EU. The Turk presence particularly in Holland and Germany. I am quite pleased by Obama's decision!

peace, hugs, compassion