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If you're going to protest going to jail after leading an illegal transit strike for three days, then you might as well with the Reverend Al Sharpton, teachers union head Randi Weingarten, and about a thousand other supporters. And according to plan, many members of various unions are starting to view Roger Toussaint as a martyr, versus the main guy who inconvenienced the city (well, it's him and MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow). Toussaint headed off for his ten day jail stand in a big way: Rally outside the Brooklyn courthouse where he was sentenced and a rousing march over the Brooklyn Bridge. Some of what Toussaint told his supporters (and the news crews):
"Jail has no terror for me compared to the shame I would have felt if we would have simply swallowed the authority's miserable prestrike offer!"Weingarten said, "Roger Toussaint is going to jail today because he fought for fairness that is wrong!" Naturally, Governor Pataki doesn't think that and said that people pray for Matthew Long, the firefighter who was hit by a transit-strike-arranged vehicle from Bear Stearns during his transit strike biking commute, instead of Toussaint. Interestingly enough, NYC Transit Chairman Barry Feinstein doesn't think jailing Toussaint was a good idea, but he says that he thought the transit union should have revoted, but implies too much time had passed hence the MTA's claim their post-strike offer was no good. Can you believe, months after the transit strike, there is still no deal?"I will do 30 years before transit workers surrender. Never on my watch."
If you're downtown, Sharpton will be joining Toussaint for prayers this morning and says he will be holding a vigil outside the Tombs until Toussaint comes out. And at the Tombs, aka the Bernard Kerik Complex, Toussaint will be in the civil offender lockup section.
Photograph of marchers, including Randi Weingarten and Reverend Al Sharpton flanking Toussaint from the AP
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I can't wait until they make him bend over, touch his toes and cough. We'll find out where the last NYC token is.
How in hell can people compare this fiasco to Rosa Parks or the civil rights march is beyond me.
I will put the significance of this protest somewhere between Critical Mass and the March to make the Monday after Superbowl a holiday.
Typical union official trying to make himself relevent and justify his existence (and salary).
Wherever there's a photo-op to be had Weingarten will find her way to the camera. Roger will be the most heavily protected prisoner in town, so I'm sure he'll be fine.
I was at the Bklyn Bridge/City Hall 4/5/6 stop last evening as the "vigil" participants were heading home. As I swiped my MetroCard, one of the group of 50 or so TWU supporters who entered the station with me said to the booth attendant, "Hey - open up the gate!" Apparently, the new contract wasn't sufficiently generous for the transit workers to be able to afford to pay to ride the subway.
I supported the doormen because that's a luxury whereas transportation is a necessity. TWU members are indeed thugs who deserve to be paid 50 cents per hour.
Regardless, they never should've jailed Toiusasdanefy - they should've fined him back to hell, taken away the TWU's 60 million dollar headquarters, taken away all bathroom breaks and focused cameras on all token booth clerks and fire them if they get caught snoozing or talking on the phone wit their baby daddys.
If the "Reverend" Al Sharpton is a civil rights leader I am the Prime Minister of Canada. How can we forget Mr. Sharpton's involvement with the Tawana Brawley hoax. Sharpton is a publicity hound, pure and simple. Why else would he get involved in this. Now has anyone heard anything new about his CBS sit com which is in the works?
Roger Toussaint went to jail because he violated the Taylor Law. No civil rights here. Instead we have civil service employees who want to see how much they can get from the taxpayers/straphangers and feel that they are entitled to it. Martin Luther King is most likely spinning in his grave over this nonsense. Hell, Mike Quill is most likely spinning in his grave, too. The civil rights movement was not about how much money you can get and TV face time.
Toussaint should be charged with the attempted murder of Matthew Long and the TWU should be sued for every penny they have over it.
There's a march to make the Monday after the Super Bowl a holiday? Damn, there's a memo I didn't get...
Governor Shitforbrain's bringing Matt Long into this was cynical, unseemly, gross, and exactly what one would expect from such a shallow, simple-minded fool. Did the fact that his father is the head of the NY Conservative Party have anything to do with this statement? No, no, of course not. Does the fact that he's a fireman and every time the Guv feels the need to make a "powerful" statment he waves the bloody fire helmet enter into it? Oh, no, no, how could you think such a thing?
You want to criticize Roger (God knows I have), go ahead, fire away. You want to pray for the kid, by all means do so, but do it for the right reasons.
I didn't like the gov bringing in matt long into his remarks, either.
What about all the other pedestrians and bicyclists killed by autos all over the city, day in and day out? Strike or no strike the guy was hit by a motor vehicle, it happens almost daily in this city, more so it seems.
Tim N. and rev pays essentially just wrote exactly what I was feeling (more or less).
wow, look at that. the damn schvartza is flanked by sharpton on his left...what a surprise!