The two flip-flopping state senators who helped engineer the coup that paralyzed Albany for a month joined a group of their colleagues at a City Hall press conference yesterday to blast mayoral control of schools,
Sens. Pedro Espada and Hiram Monserrate, who temporarily upended Democratic power in the Senate last month by defecting to the GOP, claim Mayor Bloomberg is being dictatorial for not negotiating with them on the issue.
“It can’t all be his way. He’s got to work with us and that’s all we’re asking for,” said Monserrate.
“We are interested in negotiating and ending the plantation politics that apparently the mayor believes requires us to do his bidding,” fumed Sen. Bill Perkins (D-Manhattan).
A mayoral spokesman shot back, “A handful of state senators . . . would rather return to an old school-board system well known for being better at handing out patronage than educating our city’s kids.”
Days after defecting, Monserrate jumped back to the Democrats, creating a 31-31 split in the chamber that didn’t end until Espada was lured back — and became majority leader.