This was a reschedule of a previous Budget Forum at Manhattan College two weeks ago which was cancelled at the last minute. State Senator Biaggi may have wanted to listen to residents of Riverdale on their opinions of the upcoming New York State Budget, but this forum fell quite short of the goal intended. While there were people who said they lived in Riverdale most were there with special interest in mind, like the group that wanted the film industry tax credit renewed. Then there was the man from Pelham, and others from outside the 34th Senate district who wanted to lobby Senator Biaggi for their causes.
It was quite clear to me that the local Riverdale residents Senator Biaggi wanted to hear from either didn't know of the meeting or didn't care because Senator Biaggi has made it clear that she will back all twenty points that Governor Cuomo wants in the upcoming budget including Congestion Pricing.
The group NW BRONX INDIVISIBLE which helped elect Senator Biaggi were at the Budget Forum handing out, and even speaking about putting pressure on state assembly members Jeffrey Dinowitz and Assembly Speaker Heastie to back the campaign reforms which the Governor and State Senate (as well as this group) want passed in Albany.
So it was crystal clear by the forty people in total in attendance that this event Senator Biaggi held seems to show the little or lack of real community support that the senator has in Riverdale. Was it that people really voted for her, or was it that they were voting against former State Senator Jeff Klein?
