Opening up a hole:

Recently Governor Pataki came under attack as the frustrations of the Republican Party in New York came to a boil. The issue continues to be how can the Republican Party convince voters that their current Democrat representatives have reached a point of entrenchment where they no longer are concerned about the voter and instead are more concerned about the unions that fund their campaigns. One only needs to look at the arrogance of the City Council to see they have zero concern of getting voted out.

Unfortunately when humans get angry they also many times go blind and fail to see any positives in the situation, as is the case currently with the Governors critics. In the midst of the Governors budget battle with state representatives the Governor has put expanding charter schools and tuition tax credits at the forefront. I personally have gained a newfound respect for the Governor thanks to this issue. Here he is in his last year, he has no incentive to be aggravated and waste his time fighting the malcontents in our state government over the issue. He could easily say, “do what you want I’m out here anyway” but he’s not. He’s fighting for our children’s future because he’s a good man and knows it’s the right thing to do. He knows if he don’t get this done now, after he leaves it might never will, with only our children left to suffer.

Besides fighting for our children, could the governor also be fighting for the party? Is his battle over school choice also an opening for Republican candidates across the state especially Weld and Faso? There are very few issues that Republican candidates in New York can stand on that allow them to connect with the voter in a way Democrats can’t. One issue is school choice. Poll after poll and the lines of parents signing up for lottery’s every time a new charter school opens has shown parents are behind Republicans on the issue. Today the Governor is headed to a private school in Jamaica Queens to address hundreds of black parents on the subject as he continues a fight he doesn’t have too.

My disappointment is in our current and future candidates, those that attack the governor on his lack of support for the party and Republicans in office who are not supporting his plan. In case anyone has noticed Spitzer has been MIA on the issue as he is forced to keep his mouth shut thanks to his special relationship with the Teachers Union.

So here is our opening, the issue every parent can relate to and understand across all ethnicities, yet where is our call to arms? The governor like a good offensive tackle has opened the hole and is desperately trying to hold the line. The real test will be if those running for office or complaining about his efforts are smart enough to recognize, grab the ball and run through it. From my seat it looks like they’ll all get tackled in the backfield.