Special ed classroom assistant refuses to shake Rahm Emanuel's hand at budget hearing

[marmar]

Last night, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel attended a public hearing on the city’s 2016 budget, the first such meeting he has held since 2011. For a mayor who is known for holding few public events or meetings with ordinary Chicagoans, this was a unique opportunity for residents to be heard in person by Emanuel. And the opportunity was seized by a dedicated group of parents currently out on hunger strike, demanding the reopening of Dyett High School in the city’s Bronzeville neighborhood on the South Side.

The activists, many of whom included members of the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and the Kenwood-Oakland Oakland Community Organization (KOCO), are demanding that Chicago Public Schools reopen Dyett as a district-run school rather than a "contract school" like a charter and accept the hunger strikers' proposal to reopen the school with a focus on green technology, as Yana Kunichoff explained for In These Times last week. They are now on day 16 of their hunger strike, and two participants have been hospitalized as a result of not eating.

One protester at the forum, Isaac Krantz-Perlman, a special education classroom assistant at Hanson Park Elementary, can be seen in a particularly memorable video refusing to shake the mayor's hand. ....................(more)

http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/18360/rahm-emanuel-handshake-dyett-hunger-strike

[Quackers]

1. Lmao, kick

[bigwillq]

2. Ha! That's awesome.

I wouldn't shake Rahm The Rat's hand either.

[oberliner]

3. Kind of obnoxious

Anything to "go viral" I guess.

[marmar]

4. Yes, Rahm is.

[oberliner]

22. Sorry - I thought this was a website where we like Democrats

He is a Democrat, is he not?

[R. P. McMurphy]

30. That's a good question.

I'm not so sure he really is a Democrat. I once knew a guy who claimed to be an independent but he always voted republican. I doubted his veracity too.

[BuddhaGirl]

35. This "Democrat"? Uh huh

I don't blame the guy who refused his hand one bit.

Chicago Teachers vs. Rahm Emanuel and Corporatized Education

"Though Emanuel took office facing a $700 million budget hole in the public school system, teachers and other critics say he could find ways to plug it if his priorities were different. They point to millions of taxpayer dollars diverted to huge corporations including United Airlines and Sara Lee Corp. through the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program, which funnels property tax dollars to public and private projects meant to develop “blighted” areas. "

http://www.progressive.org/news/2012/09/178229/chicago-teachers-vs-rahm-emanuel-and-corporatized-education

[oberliner]

36. Yes - and great friend and ally of President Obama

[BuddhaGirl]

49. I don't give a crap if he's a "great friend and ally" of Obama's

He's not my kind of Democrat

[Skwmom]

54. The Corporate Democrats are a corrupt cesspool. n/t

[Facility Inspector]

42. No, he is not

[hatrack]

5. Ooh! So . . . RUDE!!! How HORRIBLE!!

[roguevalley]

11. that could have been me. union prez that I was. bravo. standing up

Against the enemy without tenure protection is guts

[Fuddnik]

12. Refusing to shake hands with the devil.

How horrible!

[oberliner]

23. Rahm is a Democrat and a good friend of President Obama.

People on a Democratic website calling him the enemy and the devil? WTF

[Scuba]

60. If Henry Kissinger joined the party, would you welcome him?

Would you say "he's a Democrat, so we should all love him"?

[frylock]

15. fuckin' retarded, even.

[tavalon]

19. Yeah, Rahm is just naturally obnoxious

He's as awful as they come and I'm a bit sad that people consider him a democrat. Our tent just isn't big enough for his ilk.

[oberliner]

25. He is a Democrat

It's not that people consider him one - it's that he is one.

[tavalon]

26. Yeah, whatever

He's a creep and I don't like him. He's a third way, DLC piece of shit.

[oberliner]

32. There are plenty of websites where people refer to Democrats as "pieces of shit"

This really ought not to be one of them.

[tavalon]

33. No one should get a pass just for having a D after their name

He is the very definition of a DINO and just because he is "our" Karl Rove doesn't mean I have to respect him any more than the actual Karl Rove. I do not swear blind allegiance to anyone . you clearly appreciate Rahm. I do not.

[oberliner]

37. He has more than just a D after his name

He was President Obama'a White House Chief of Staff.

Also:

He has maintained a 100-percent pro-choice voting record, supports LGBT rights including same-sex marriage, and is a strong supporter of gun control, rated "F" by the NRA in December 2003.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahm_Emanuel

[tavalon]

48. Weii, it is very clear that we see Rahm differently

And Obama picking Rahm as his COS was the first of many bad decisions Obama made (Obama did some great things as President. Sendinh Rahm back to Chicago to play Mayor, while awful for Chicago, was one of the good ones).

So, you aren't going to change your mind and I'm for sure not going to change my mind. So, I'm pretty sure this little aside is done.

[eridani]

56. Some of us think that the values of the party are more important than people who--

--choose to call themselves Democrats.

[cwydro]

41. Kim Davis is a Democrat.

What's your opinion of her?

I know what mine is, and I wouldn't shake her hand either.

[LanternWaste]

44. many people believe that a benign illustration of one's convictions are indeed obnoxious

No doubt, many people believe that a benign illustration of one's convictions are indeed obnoxious, regardless of how they rationalize it otherwise.

Anything to appear "trendy" I guess.

[Le Taz Hot]

6. I just want to remind everyone that this is the man

who was PO's BFF. Loved him so much he made him Chief of Staff.

[navarth]

9. haven't forgotten. nt

[SoapBox]

18. Me either.

[tavalon]

20. That was my morning after hang over

I really believed and that knocked me on my ass.

[Smarmie Doofus]

31. Know it all too well. Says a lot about both of them n/t

[Nite Owl]

34. That appointment was a real

smack in the face (many others also but he was the supreme worst). It told you everything you needed to know about the coming years of this administration.

[Oilwellian]

7. I could watch that all day

How fitting to see Rahm have a hunger strike on his hands.

[navarth]

8. as a 'fuckin retard',

I wish the clip lasted longer so I could see his face afterwards.

I always wished I could have had the opportunity to refuse to shake Bu$h's hand. I even had my speech ready: "Mom told me never to shake hands with a war criminal." This same method would have worked with Rove, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Woo....quite a list actually.

[Babel_17]

10. Why it's not especially rude

The mayor isn't looking to say hello while being open to a conversation. It's largely a photo opportunity for him, "See how I can pleasantly engage with these educators".

If the mayor was soliciting his opinion, "Hi, I'm pleased to meet you, what's your name, and can you tell me your concerns regarding ....", and then a handshake was refused, then we're talking a pointed slight.

Mayor Emanuel had all the power in that encounter. It's not like it would have been acceptable to hang onto his hand while giving him a quick earful. It was about "May I have a photo with you demonstrating how I'm graciously reaching out?".

The guy wasn't flying a false flag, he didn't pull a fake out. The mayor was on a bit of a charm offensive, and it failed to win over this obviously resistant educator. The mayor took his chances as he was trying to score points. Educators weren't obligated to play along. It was a public hearing so tough noogies for the mayor seeing how that individual member of the public felt about being being part of a photo op he never consented to be part of. There was no expectation for anyone sitting down to be in agreement to serve as a prop. It wasn't like you were in a greeting line and blew by the handshake when it was your turn. It wasn't an Emanuel rally.

[Le Taz Hot]

13. Well, if it was a photo op he was looking for

let's hope this one goes viral.

[FlatBaroque]

24. I REC this ^ post

[Babel_17]

29. Thank you very much :) nt

[Babel_17]

14. The worst is using troops as props

Though I suppose using victims of a catastrophe is in a tie with that. Troops are obligated*, upon threat of discipline, to look happy to be there and to politely applaud. Victims of catastrophe need relief and are malleable to be being used as props.

*During the Iraq occupation anyway.

[tavalon]

16. I would never shake that skeeve's hand

He's nasty head to toe.

[SoapBox]

17. And Rahm still doesn't get it.

It's beyond time that more refuse to "shake hands" with the likes of him and other scumbags politicians.

[FlatBaroque]

21. The photog in the background clicked at just the right moment

I would like to see this snub from the opposite angle

[gordianot]

27. Kansas City Mo is using similar tactics district sponsored Charter Schools.

The board was split in KC on the conversion to of one High School to a Charter school. These scams are actually for the creation of elitist schools with chosen (not segregationist) student body.. Non profit tax shelters have settled in Kansas City make no mistake this should be a criminal enterprise they spend money without oversight since it is taken off school accounting as private money and spent in private contracts. My guess they learned how it is done from Chicago since KC is between Superintendents KC Administration spends more time in Chicago than in district. When an urban District claims 30% fund balance surplus guess who is being short changed?

[Divernan]

28. OP link has other pictures of Rahm "reaching out" to uninterested people.

Apparently Rahm always has a photographer in tow when he attempts these photo-ops. Phony as a $3 bill.

Krantz-Perlman says he doesn't think Mayor Emanuel's feelings were hurt by his refused handshake.

"I think every time he walks around shaking the hands of the people whose lives he is intentionally trying to ruin, he is wondering how soon he can wash the working-class sweat and grease off his hands," he says. "He was probably happy he had one less person's hand to shake."

[oberliner]

38. Really sad to see so much Democrat-bashing on Democratic Underground

This is a website devoted to supporting Democrats and helping to ensure that they get elected.

At least that's what it used to be.

[marmar]

39. It's really sad to see Democrats who don't act like Democrats.....

...... attacking unions and pensions and public education and so on, and then be expected to show deference to them. No more.

[oberliner]

40. Show deference? Just a hand shake.

Even if you disagree with him on many issues, it's rude not to return a handshake.

[Facility Inspector]

43. Heavens to Betsy!

[cwydro]

45. So you'd shake Kim Davis' hand?

The cretin refusing gay marriage licenses in KY?

[oberliner]

46. Rahm Emanuel has worked for LGBT causes for well over a decade

He has been a strong proponent of gay marriage and has enjoyed enormous support in the gay community in Chicago

Rahm Emanuel is a prominent high-profile Democrat. He was the White House Chief of Staff for President Obama. This is a website that is devoted to getting Democrats elected. I think he should be given the courtesy of a simple handshake.

[cwydro]

47. You didn't answer my question,

but that's ok.

I would shake hands when a hand is offered because that's just how I was raised. Plus I thought that guy playing with his phone was stupid and looked immature.

But I have no respect for Rahm Emanuel.

[oberliner]

59. Yes, I would shake her hand if she extended it to me

Even though I vehemently disagree with her position with respect to gay marriage.

[Person 2713]

53. What he has been doing to CPS is beyond rude but hey private charters are his friends

http://www.bettergov.org/neighborhood_schools_hit_by_cuts_charters_spared/
That guy is a special Ed teacher they are cutting public sp Ed

[Pastiche423]

50. Bravo, Isaac Krantz-Perlman!

[wheniwasincongress]

51. "still can't stand this muthafucka tho"

[wheniwasincongress]

52. This woman is believed to have not shook (shooken?) his hand too.

[Starry Messenger]

55. Not surprising a special ed. teacher would not appreciate the politician who used "retarded"

[steve2470]

57. +1 nt

[Betty Karlson]

58. We have now been promoted to Volvo-driving pony-wishing freeloaders.

We left retardation a long time ago.

/ sarcasm.