What You Should Know By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz

Díaz, Sepúlveda and Crespo Expect Upcoming April 5 Job Fair to be One of the Greatest Ever!

You should know that all indications show that the upcoming Job Fair, organized by Assemblymen Luis Sepúlveda, Marcos Crespo and myself will be one of the greatest ever!

This Job Fair will take place on Wednesday, April 5, 2017 from 6:30pm - 8:30pm at the Sonia Sotomayor Community Center located at 1000 Rosedale Avenue, corner of Bruckner Boulevard Expwy in Bronx County.

As of today, we have received confirmation of 67 businesses and organizations that will be present to participate in this 2nd Job Fair.

In advance, Assemblymen Luis Sepúlveda, Marcos Crespo and myself would like to express our deep appreciation and thanks to all of these organizations for their commitment to helping our unemployed community residents. These organizations are:

1)      Office of State Comptroller Division of Diversity Management

2)      Office of State Comptroller Division of Unclaimed Funds

3)      Avondale Care Group

4)      Santander

5)      MetroPlus Health Plan

6)      Affinity Health

7)      Parkchester Medical

8)      New York City Department of Veteran Services

9)      Wildlife Conservation Society

10)   Dominicanos USA

11)   New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development

12)   RAIN Total Care

13)   Advance Transit Co. Access-Ride

14)   D&J Services

15)   New York Blood Center

16)   The Black Institute

17)   Hostos College

18)   Acacia Network

19)   QSAC

20)   New York Botanical Garden

21)   Montefiore Medical Center Health Profession Opportunity Grant & Montefiore Medical Center Human Resources Department

22)   Krasdale Foods, Inc.

23)   New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services

24)   GVC II, Inc

25)   New York Army National Guard

26)   US Marines

27)   US Army

28)   Cocoon Homecare

29)   US Navy

30)   Heart to Heart Home Care

31)   New York State Department of Labor

32)   Invasion Care Services

33)   Freedom Care

34)   Hope Home Care, Inc.

35)   Workforce Development Institute

36)   New York State Department of Civil Service

37)   PRIMERICA

38)   West Farms WorkForce 1

39)   United Health Group

40)   RAIN Home Attendant Services Inc.

41)   ADAPT Community Network

42)   Argus Community, Inc.

43)   Office of District Attorney, Bronx County

44)   People Care

45)   YAI

46)   Caring Professionals, Inc.

47)   Madison Square Boys & Girls Club

48)   1199 Job Security Fund & Employment Center

49)   Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club

50)   Cement & Concrete Workers Training & Education Fund

51)   New York City Department of Youth & Community Development

52)   Per Scholas

53)   N.A.I.C.A. Bronx Park Avenue Transitional Housing Program

54)   Lehman College

55)   Active Staffing

56)   Advance Transit Co. Inc.

57)   COHME

58)   Dominos

59)   NYPD

60)   Services of the Underserved

61)   FBI

62)   New York State Troopers

63)   New York City Fire Department

64)   NYC HRA

65)   New York Public Library

66)  Community Healthcare Network

67)  Comunilife, Inc.

My dear reader, if you are looking for a job, don’t miss this golden opportunity!

For further information, please contact the Office of Assemblyman Luis Sepúlveda at (718) 931-2620 or the Office of Senator Rubén Díaz at (718) 991-3161.

This is Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz, and this is what you should know. 

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz

Assemblyman Luis Sepúlveda’s Great Idea

You should know that Assemblyman Luis Sepúlveda, Senator Marisol Alcantara and I have joined together and submitted a piece of joint-legislation to help resolve some of the environmental problems caused by plastic bags.

As you know, the Members of the New York City Council, under the direct leadership of Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, approved legislation to force every consumer, including senior citizens, the poor, the needy and everyone who shops in the five boroughs of the City of New York to pay 5-cents (5¢) to the merchant for each plastic bag they used while shopping.

According to Melissa Mark Viverito and the Members of the City Council, this 5-cents (5¢) imposition per plastic bag was done with the purpose of cleaning up the environment, and doing away with the infestation of plastic bags on New York City streets.

According to their legislation, when the consumer goes to the supermarket, bodega or other retail establishments, he or she will be forced to pay 5-cents (5¢) for each plastic bag they use. Can anyone imagine why this 5-cents (5¢) per bag fee should then be kept by the store owner, not the government. This was all done in the name of cleaning the environment.

As you know, our fight and participation in support of Senator Simcha Felder’s effort to do away with this injustice toward the consumer was joined by Republicans in the Senate, and we were victorious.

And, as I have explained to you in my earlier columns, of the six Hispanic Senators: Marisol Alcantara, José Serrano, José Peralta, Martin Malavé Dilan, Gustavo Rivera and myself, only two of us, José Peralta and I were the only ones who voted against the imposition of the 5-cents (5¢) penalty. The other four voted in favor of forcing senior citizens, the poor, the needy and every other consumer in the City of New York to pay 5-cents (5¢) per plastic bag while shopping.

You should also know that after the New York Senate voted to stop it, the Speaker of the Assembly, the Honorable Carl Heastie and the Members of the Assembly did the same and joined with the Republicans in voting to stop this injustice that was set to go into effect on February 15, 2107.

And, our beloved Governor Andrew Cuomo then put the City Council’s legislation in checkmate by signing into law the Senate and Assembly’s joint legislation to postpone all of this for one year while studies could be done to find better environmental solutions than having the consumer pay this 5-cents (5¢) fee.

It is very important for you to know that without waiting one year, and almost immediately, Assemblyman Luis Sepúlveda came up with a marvelous idea to introduce another piece of legislation, which Senator Marisol Alcantara and I joined in sponsoring.

The great idea that Assemblyman Sepúlveda introduced in the Assembly is to actually help clean up the environment and take plastic bags off the streets. Instead of forcing consumers to pay 5-cents (5¢) that the store owners keep per plastic bag, to pay consumers 3-cents (3¢) for each plastic bag that they re-use.

If the problem, as explained by Melissa Mark-Viverito and Members of the New aYork City Council, is to take plastic bags off the streets and to clean the environment, I don’t see why there shouldn’t be a way for the consumer to be rewarded with 3-cents (3¢) per bag, if in all honesty, the idea was to clean the environment.

I imagine there would be no reason why, with Assemblyman Sepulveda's great idea, that those elected officials who were in favor of forcing consumers to pay 5-cents (5¢) per plastic bag to clean the environment would oppose this new proposed legislation.

I see no reason why any elected officials would want senior citizens, the poor, the needy, and hard working New Yorkers to be forced to pay 5-cents (5¢) per plastic bag, instead of paying shoppers 3-cents (3¢) per plastic bag they reuse in order to help clean the environment.

Honorable New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and Members of the New York City Council: the ball is in your court.

I am Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz, and this is what you should know.

What You Should Know

By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz
32nd Senatorial District

  Senator Jeff Klein and IDC are the losers of the week

  You should know that Election Day has passed and for all of us in the New York State Senate, the dust has settled.  In one of my earlier columns “Who will be the “Cappo di tutti capi” of the New York State Senate?” I mentioned different scenarios about how Senator Dean Skelos, Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, or Senator Jeff Klein could be winners and losers.

I made sure to mention how Senator Dean Skelos could be the Comeback Kid of the Year, and last night’s election results proved me right. Senator Dean Skelos has become the Comeback-Kid and the “Cappo di tutti capi” of the New York State Senate.

You should also know that Governor Andrew Cuomo, with all of his power of incumbency, along with the millions of dollars he spent in commercials promoting himself, the $30 million dollars he raised, the support of every Democratic official (except for me) and the support of some Republican elected officials and contributors – he just barely won the election with 54% of the vote.

Westchester County Executive Mr. Robert Astorino, even after being rejected by some of his own Party leadership and the Governor of New Jersey – and with no money – won 41% of the vote. This has sent a strong message to Governor Andrew Cuomo and to everyone that 41% of New York State voters are against his radical agenda.

 Governor Andrew Cuomo should rethink his statement that those people don’t have a place in New York. Last night’s election results have proven to me that YES, we have a place. Millions and millions of New York State conservative residents are demanding their place AND to be heard!

You should know that the biggest losers in New York’s 2014 Election are Senator Jeff Klein and the Independent Democratic Conference, known as the IDC – and its Members Senators Diane Savino, David Carlucci, David Valesky and Tony Avella.

As you know, earlier this year when people gave up on the New York State Senate Republican Control as political has-been, Dean Skelos needed the support of Jeff Klein.  It was then that Jeff Klein and the IDC practically abandoned the Republican Leader, promising to caucus with the Regular Senate Democratic Leadership after the election.

My dear reader, we all can see that between then and now, things did not come out as planned.  Senator Dean Skelos and his Senate Republicans have won 32 seats, and they also have Senator Simcha Felder in their Conference, making Senator Jeff Klein and the IDC not so relevant.  I don’t think Jeff Klein will get back from the Republicans the same power and decision sharing to stop bills from coming or not coming to the Senate Floor.  I don’t think that by abandoning the Republicans when they were down, the IDC and its Members will be given back what they once had.  Jeff Klein and the IDC will probably get something, but it will not be the full authority they had before.

On the other hand, some Members of the Regular Democratic Conference don’t want Jeff Klein back.  And so, Jeff Klein and the IDC could find themselves in a situation where they will not be trusted by the Republicans nor by the Democrats.

My dear reader, this is why I think the 2014 election results have made Jeff Klein and the IDC the biggest losers, and Rob Astorino the biggest winner.

You should know that Rob Astorino is the biggest winner because he has taken the mantra of the Republican Party and used it to become the frontrunner for the Republican Party to become Governor of the State of New York in 4 years.  

The other winners will be the DREAM’ers because now Governor Andrew Cuomo has been forced to put the DREAM Act into his Budget and fight for it.

This is Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz, and this is what you should know.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman Is Set to destroy The National Puerto Rican Day Parade

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz
District 32 Bronx County, New York

  Attorney General Eric Schneiderman Is Set to destroy The National Puerto Rican Day Parade

You should know that since 1958, the National Puerto Rican Day Parade has been the greatest source of Puerto Rican unity in New York City.  In good and bad times, this Parade has been the Number One symbol of Puerto Rican pride. The Parade draws more than one million people annually to celebrate Puerto Rico’s rich heritage and culture.  All Puerto Ricans – even people like me who don’t march in Sunday parades – appreciate the magnitude of the day.

You should also know that since 1988, I have hosted an “Abrazo Boricua in New York” a Banquet to celebrate the Puerto Rican community for its outstanding commitment to New York State’s success.  Each of these events, held during the week of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade, has been a tremendous success!

Our community should know that this week, El Diario la Prensa, the New York Post, and various media outlets have been reporting that New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is expected to oust some or all of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade’s Board Members.  So has my fellow Puerto Rican Gerson Borrero, who continues to bring this issue to light on NY1 during the Political Rundown.  He rightly continues to hammer Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, whose late findings to severely penalize the Parade Board will ruin the National Puerto Rican Day Parade.

You should know that with only four months to go until the 2014 Puerto Rican Day Parade steps off on Fifth Avenue, any negative announcement about the Parade Board by Attorney General Eric Schneiderman it is intended to and most definitely hurt the Puerto Rican community.

You should also know that Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has taken almost seven months to conclude his investigation about an alleged conflict of interest between certain Board Members of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade and the Miller/Coors Brewery.

My dear reader, if something seems to be wrong, it should be investigated, but it is hard to imagine that there is any good reason for such an investigation to conclude and coincide with the timing of final parade commitments.  Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s untimely announcement – only 4 months before the actual Parade takes place – will certainly raise skepticism and put fear into Parade advertisers, sponsors and participants.  Whether or not any allegations of misconduct against the Parade’s Board Members are even established, the timing of this announcement is detrimental to the prospects for this year’s Parade and definitely hurts the Puerto Rican community and its parade.

Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to make clear that I am not defending any action or any wrong doing, neither I am defending any board member, but I am a proud Puerto Rican and I have to ask myself: Why has New York State’s Attorney General waited so long to make this announcement?  If Attorney General Eric Schneiderman decides so late in the game to release any findings to oust Parade Board Members, doesn’t he know that he will rob the new Parade Board of effective leadership, leaving very little time to have new Board Members elected and be able to review and authorize contracts and make other necessary arrangements by June 8th?  Is Attorney General Eric Schneiderman determined to jeopardize the 2014 National Puerto Rican Day Parade and make it a failure?  Does he know how this will hurt the Puerto Rican community, and does he care?

I am Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz, and this is what you should know.

 

ANDREW CUOMO, THE INTOLERANT GOVERNOR

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz
District 32 Bronx County, New York

ANDREW CUOMO, THE INTOLERANT GOVERNOR

You should know that back in Biblical times, there were two cities, Sodom and Gomorrah, whose leaders were intolerant of anyone who would oppose their teachings and beliefs, to the point that the leaders would expel and commit physical violence against anyone who disagreed with them.   The leaders of Sodom and Gomorrah demanded that its’ citizens should be tolerant of their beliefs.

You should also know that New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo has spent the past few years pushing for tolerance from people who disagree with him and his ilk.  However, we just got a very disturbing lesson of intolerance from our beloved Governor, Andrew Cuomo.

On Friday, January 17, 2014 Governor Andrew Cuomo made an outrageous statement during a radio interview, where he categorically condemned all New Yorkers who fall under his label of “extreme conservatives."

Governor Cuomo stated: “these extreme conservatives, have no place in the State of New York.”   So we should ask, who are these “extreme conservatives”?

You should know that these condemned New Yorkers include people of faith communities, and people of no faith at all, who uphold traditional marriage and oppose the legalization of marriage between a man and a man, and a woman and a woman.  The Governor’s condemned New Yorkers also include women and men who respect the inherent dignity of human life at all stages of development and who oppose the legalization of the brutal killing of unborn children in their mothers' wombs.

I wonder if the Governor had the chance to redo his interview, if he would like to include New Yorkers who oppose late-term abortions - and New Yorkers who oppose fornication or sex outside of marriage - among those who should no longer reside in New York State.

Governor Andrew Cuomo's widespread call for the banishment of all New Yorkers who don't toe his liberal line sounds like something we might hear from the mouth of a tyrant condemning those who sit on the wrong side of his throne.

Governor Andrew Cuomo's presumptuous license to banish those who he has called "extreme conservatives" is an outright attack on millions of New Yorkers.  It's also an attack on the core principles of the Bill of Rights' First Amendment freedoms:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

Someone needs to send our Governor back to a remedial course of "Civics 101 - Introduction to the US Constitution.”  And if it helps, I would be delighted to lend Governor Andrew Cuomo my copy of Nat Hentoff’s book: “Free Speech for Thee, But Not For Me.”

You should know that Governor Andrew Cuomo's radio attack against millions of New Yorkers who are “extreme conservatives” amounts to a thinly disguised act of religious discrimination against those who are practicing Catholics, Jewish, Muslims, and Evangelical Christians.  Millions of New Yorkers revere the teachings of the Torah, the Holy Bible and the Koran.

My dear reader, we need to remain vigilant, because as they say: “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

I have to say, while Governor Andrew Cuomo's radio attack sounded like an excommunication decree, I find comfort in knowing that I am in good company with many of New York’s religious leaders, including my Catholic friends, such as Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who shepherds New York’s Catholics with loving pro-family guidance.  This includes the belief that life is given by God, and God is the only one who should take it away.

I am also in good company with the Catholic Church’s Pope Francis who recently reminded the world of the travesty of abortion when he stated: “Unfortunately, what is thrown away is not only food and dispensable objects, but often human beings themselves, who are discarded as ‘unnecessary.’ For example, it is frightful even to think there are children, victims of abortion, who will never see the light of day.”

I must ask our beloved Governor, where are all those talks about tolerance?  Is it that our intolerant Governor wants New York State to become a tyrannical state?

I am State Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz, and this is what you should know.