Jose Peralta Named Education Reformer of the Month

Democrats for Education Reform, a nationally respected organization that encourages dialogue on education reform among members of the Democratic Party, has named Jose Peralta their “Education Reformer of the Month”  for March:

José is a product of his parents’ sacrifice and has spent a lifetime working to ensure everyone in our community has the opportunity to succeed.

A proud graduate of Queens Public schools, including PS 14, IS 61 and Flushing High School, José was the first Latino Student Body President of Queens College.

After graduating, Peralta began a career giving back to the community he loves through public service. As a community liaison in the New York State Assembly, José worked to make government more accessible to the families of Queens, solving problems and helping people in need. He then served as the Director of the Commission on the Dignity for Immigrants at the New York City Central Labor Council, representing over 1.5 million union members. Under Peralta’s direction, the Commission championed the mission of empowering all immigrants in a variety of ways, including registering over 20,000 new citizens.

In 2002, at the age of 30, José Peralta was elected to the New York State Assembly. He supports efforts to lift the cap on the number of public charter schools, as well as efforts to make sure students in public schools have access to the best quality teachers. He would make an excellent addition to NY State Senate at a time when that body needs all the smart/committed folks it can get.

Click here for the full text. Peralta is running against Monserrate in this Tuesday’s special election for State Senate.

Real vs. Cosmetic Reform for the Defense Budget

The DOD budget is a blackhole into which billions of dollars disappear every year, with hardly any meaningful oversight.  Apparently, there is a huge paper trail indicating the DOD’s refusal to allow any real financial accountability at the so-called "Government Accountability Office (GAO)". The Pentagon has, until now, refused to tell Congress and the public how they spend their taxpayer dollars.

If Obama has his way, this will longer be the case. The administration has taken the first step in enforcing independent oversight by asking the Office of Management and Budget to draw up the new set of rules for DOD contracting. Meanwhile, the leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.), offer their own solution: the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act. Both of them have been sitting on this committee for many years; both have apparently had a "Come to Jesus" moment when it comes to DOD budget transparency.

Or could it be that their ‘reform’ bill is a distraction from the real reform President Obama is seeking ?

Reading the fine print of the Levin-McCain bill provides useful insight. It calls for more competition in contracting but rushes to permit Pentagon bureaucrats to waive requirements whenever they decide such requirements would impair their own vision of “national security objectives.” The bill would create a new “cost czar” to improve price estimates, but he is not given the authority to impose his analysis on hostile weapons system advocates. Elsewhere, the bill relies on DOD to monitor itself and report back to Congress. Having done so fantastically well up to now, DOD is to fill out its own report card.

The Pentagon also lacks the sense that anyone serious is looking over its shoulder. Both in Congress and the office of the secretary of defense, people need to relearn the lost art of oversight. A congressional hearing with ignorant committee members reading questions, sometimes in a huffy tone of voice, is not oversight. Neither are policy wonk types in top Pentagon offices twiddling with organizational charts. The entrenched bureaucrats smirk as they turn such people into “mushrooms” — by keeping them in the dark and feeding them cow manure.