Senator Charles Schumer to Speak on Winning back the Middle-Class

Thursday, February 22, 7 p.m., Free and Open to the Public
The New School, 66 West 12th Street (near Sixth Avenue), first floor, New York, NY

New York, NY—January 25, 2007—The New School announced today that Senator Charles Schumer (D-New York) will deliver the inaugural Robert J. Milano lecture Thursday, February 22, 7 p.m., at 66 West 12th Street. As the architect of the Democrats’ 2006 Senate victory, Schumer offered a message and mandate that persuaded middle-class voters. Across the campaign trail and now in a new book, Positively American: Winning Back the Middle-Class Majority One Family at a Time (Rodale, Inc.), he has defended the interests of his party's grassroots base.

“Chuck Schumer understands Americans. Look no further than his record margin of victory in 2004 and his leadership in regaining the senate in 2006. He understands what the vast majority of Americans want from their government,” said Fred P. Hochberg, dean of Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy, who served under President Clinton in the Small Business Administration. “I hope Senator Schumer’s bold ideas spark a dialogue at Milano and around the country about the economic and political realities facing Americans."

On February 22, Schumer will discuss how the Democratic Party can succeed once again in 2008—and remain victorious for years to come—by standing up for the values and ideals that have resonated with moderate Americans since The New Deal. He will outline his strategy for gaining ground in key policy domains like healthcare, education, and national security that matter most to voters and often determine the electability of candidates.

The Milano Lecture commemorates the late Robert J. Milano (1912-2000), founder and longtime President and Chairman of Millmaster Onyx, a public firm that was sold in the 1980s to Gulf Oil Company. Mr. Milano also served as a New York City Deputy Mayor during the Koch Administration and was a longstanding Trustee and former Vice Chairman of The New School. In 1996, the trustees of the university named Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy in his honor. 

“Senator Schumer’s work on expanding opportunities for others, his commitment to public service, and his contributions to New York all remind us strongly of Robert Milano,” said Bob DiQuollo of the Milano Foundation. “He was a natural choice to deliver the Milano Lecture.” The Milano Lecture is supported by the Milano Foundation.

The New School’s focus on middle-class life in New York and beyond continues April 17 with “URBAN CONVERSATIONS: THE EROSION OF THE MIDDLE CLASS,” a conference featuring discussions among elected officials, union leaders, academic experts, and journalists, including New York Times columnist Paul Krugman. The conference will be moderated by Brian Lehrer (WNYC radio) and George Stephanopoulos (ABC News), and will explore how mayors, governors, and other policymakers are striving to keep American cities affordable and livable for middle-class families. For more information, please visit www.milano.newschool.edu.