UFT Will Stop Cue Card-ing Council Members

Yesterday, it was revealed that the United Teachers Federation gave City Council cue cards of questions to pose during a Department of Education hearing. The Post's David Seifman writes, "The questions for the Department of Education were sharp and confrontational. The questions for the union were softballs." Councilman Simcha Felder (D-Brooklyn) told Seifman, "You couldn't get by without them handing you a card. It was almost like an admission ticket to the hearing," while Councilman James Oddo (R-Staten Island) said, "I've had people suggest to me ask the commissioner this or ask this witness that. I've never had anybody type up cue cards for me." The Daily News reports, "Nearly half the members of a City Council committee who got cue-card questions from the teachers union at a heated charter school hearing got campaign cash from the labor group." (The Post, in an editorial, also accused the Council of being for sale.) UFT spokesman Ron Davis was apologetic and said, "We certainly don't plan on it happening again." However, good government group Common Cause thought the cue cards were okay, since both sides were heard.