Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Council Speaker Race Down to Two Candidates


  Today Queens Councilman Mark Weprin has announced that he will support Manhattan Councilman Dan Garodnick for the position of Speaker of the City Council. Weprin stopped short of saying that he was dropping out of consideration for the post, but said that he was supporting the candidate that the Queens Democratic organization was supporting. 

  There is word that Brooklyn Councilman Jumaane Williams was droping out of the race for speaker to support Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverto for the speakers position. Also it appears that the Brooklyn block led by Brooklyn county Leader Frank Sedido may wind up supporting Mark-Viverto. That would give Councilwoman Mark-Viverto enough votes to become the next Speaker of the City Council.





Tuesday, December 17, 2013

All Out War for the City Council Speaker Seat?


  There are reports of Mayor elect Bill deBlasio calling up council members to ask them to support Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito for Speaker comes January. However it appears that the Democratic County Leaders of the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens have another person they might want to see as the speaker of the City Council, that being Councilman Dan Garodnick.

  Those who want Mark-Viverito have counted up 26 of the 51 votes for the speakers position, but the three county leaders say that they have around 30 of the 51 votes needed to elect a new speaker. We may have to wait until the results of vote by the new City Council members is tallied before we know just who will be the next speaker of the City Council is. I suspect a little horse trading or calling ones bluff will take place before the vote.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW


By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz
32nd Senatorial District, Bronx County, New York 

Let's Hope This is The First of Many

You should know that Christmas came a little early this year as New York State's Republican leaders descended upon the South Bronx like Santa Claus at a very special event held on December 16, 2013, where close to 2,000 children received over 2,000 free Christmas toys. Everyone in the auditorium of I.S. 216, the Rafael Hernandez School, had a great time. The smiles on the faces of the boys and girls grew into cheering and even standing ovations!

You should know that this event was co-hosted by yours truly, Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz, along with the New York State Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox, Assemblyman Marcos Crespo, and Mr. Rafael Salamanca, District Manager of Community Planning Board #2. We were impressed that Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino and New York State's Senate Republican Majority Leader Senator Dean Skelos joined us to celebrate Christmas in the Bronx. Even a die-hard Democrat like Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz, Jr. attended this activity!

I would like to extend my deepest thanks to everyone who participated, especially Assemblyman Marcos Crespo; Mr. Rafael Salamanca District Manager of Community Planning Board #2; the United States Marine Corps Toys for Tots; the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization; and New York Republican Party leaders. This was a great blessing to many families in the South Bronx who are suffering during these critical economic times.

You should know that for many years, I have hosted a Three Kings Day Event on the South Bronx with music and games and free toys for children in an effort to allow families to gather and celebrate our cultural pride with friends and neighbors. The 2014 Three Kings Day celebration will be held on Saturday, January 4, 2014 at 12:00 noon at PS 5 which is located at 564 Jackson Avenue, on the corner of 149th Street in the Bronx.

Ladies and gentlemen, even though nothing like the 2013 Christmas in the Bronx event has ever happened here before, I am hopeful that this will not be the last time for us to witness elected officials from the Democratic and Republican parties coming together for the benefit the poor and needy children here in the South Bronx.

I hope and pray that on Saturday January 4, 2014, the leadership of the Republican Party will be there to help us - along with any other elected officials and organizations and people of good will who want to make the Christmas season brighter for our children.

My dear friend, this was bipartisanship at its best. This is an example of what a concerned leader can do when he or she puts the community first and brings together Republicans and Democrats to bring benefit to a disadvantaged, forgotten, underprivileged and under-served minority community. It was great, it was marvelous - let's do it again!

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

 

Monday, December 16, 2013

Paris Elections & Bronx Stereotypes


 
STATEMENT FROM BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ
RE: Paris Elections & Bronx Stereotypes

“The tired, ancient stereotypes about the Bronx continue to unfairly cloud the minds of people as far away as Paris, France. We in the Bronx have had enough.

“Crime has steadily dropped in the Bronx. Last year, the Bronx had the lowest rate of crime it has seen since the early 1960’s, and this year our borough is on pace to be even safer.

“And we’re not just leading the way in crime reduction. Tens of thousands of new housing units have been constructed here, new businesses are coming to our borough and the existing businesses are growing. We are leading the way in ‘green’ construction, with projects like Via Verde. We have major new projects such as the PGA caliber golf course at Ferry Point Park and the Kingsbridge National Ice Center, which will add to the list of reasons, like the new Yankee Stadium, and the New York Botanical Garden, as to why the Bronx remains an international destination. 

“Yet here we are, once again, forced to defend our hometown from the slanders and libels of politicians thousands of miles away, in Paris no less, who are using the Bronx to score cheap political points. Enough already.  While we may not be home to the Eiffel Tower, we are the home to 1.4 million hardworking people who are proud of their hometown and how far the Bronx has come.

“The elected officials of Paris would do well to remember that and focus on the issues Paris faces today, rather than the issues the Bronx faced decades ago,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

The original English-language article from Quartz Daily, titled “Surreal: French politicians are debating whether Paris now resembles the Bronx,” can be found at http://qz.com/156444. Up-to-date crime statistics for the Bronx can be found at http://on.nyc.gov/198ruvr.

 

 

Velocity Track Club

 
  Can you say NATIONAL MEDALS!!!!  On Saturday, December 7th, Velocity Track Club New York took 5 athletes to the AAU XC National Championship in Fort Gordon, GA and 3 athletes finish in the top 25, Jacqueline Kendall (18th), Giovanna Tolbert (21st) and Dontea Lindo (10th).  Adrian Swift-Henry injured his knee and this was Jaysiah Moore’s 1st National meet, which made him nervous. If not, I believe they would have been in the top 25 also.  AAU t-shirts and bags were giving to all athletes.  Medals were awarded to the top 25 athletes and participation medals were given to the rest.  To finish in the top 25 among the best in the country is an outstanding accomplishment, which they will cherish for the rest of the lives.  Go VTC!!!!
On Sunday, December 15th, we traveled to New Jersey City to compete in the NJ AAU Youth Indoor Track & Field Meet. Over 600 athletes from New York and New Jersey were registered.  This is officially our 1st In-door meet.  Most coaches will use meet to evaluate athletes.  VTC athletes’ performance showed why we are among the best in the tri-state area.  Awards were giving to the top 3 athletes.  The following VTC athletes received awards.  Julian Caldwell, Jordan Ingram, Jaysiah Moore and Dontea Lindo took 1st Place in the 1600 meter sprint medley relay.  Joseph Webster-Rutledge took 3rd in the 200 meter race.  Jordan Samuels took 3rd in the 55 meter race. Dominique Jackson was the top award winner; she won the 200 meter race and took 3rd in the 400 meter race.  Plus, we had several athletes that finish in 4th and 5th place, which is a great accomplishment considering the level of competition at this meet.  Great Job 
Anyone interested in joining Velocity Track Club New York, please Contact Coach Dinkins at 914-441-6196 or you email me at WATCLT@AOL.COM.   
 
 
Displaying AAU_XC_2013_4117AAU_National_.JPG
 

Saturday, December 14, 2013

E. 233rd St. & White Plains Rd Merch. Assoc. Announces the 1st Ann. Meet Santa Holiday Event


  The East 233rd Street & White Plains Road Merchants Association invites you to their 1st Annual Meet Santa Holiday event on Thursday, December 19th from 5 to 7pm at Bronx Community Board 12 Town Hall located at 4101 White Plains Road, Bronx, NY.

The purpose of this FREE community event is to promote the East 233rd Street and White Plains Road commercial corridor and to help make this Holiday Season a special one for children and families by bringing them toys and a chance to meet Santa Claus.

This event is presented by the East 233rd Street and White Plains Road Merchants Association and made possible through the support of the New York City Department of Small Business Services and Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a support corporation of Montefiore Medical Center.

The East 233rd Street and White Plains Road Merchants Association looks forward to welcoming you to the 1st Annual Meet Santa Holiday Event and to the community's continued support for the improvement of this Bronx business corridor.

Friday, December 13, 2013

LIU ISSUES ANNUAL ECONOMIC FORECAST; WARNS OF SEVERE RISKS HIDDEN IN CITY BUDGET


  In his annual report on the State of the City’s Economy and Finances, City Comptroller John C. Liu warns that the unresolved contracts with every one of the City’s municipal unions pose a great financial risk to the City in the coming years.
Currently all of the City’s municipal unions are working under expired contracts. If the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) and Council of School Supervisors and Administrators (CSA) alone are awarded retroactive pay raises, it could cost the City $3.495 billion in FY 2014.
“The City’s budget is not truly balanced until this issue is resolved,” said Comptroller Liu. “This is a problem that will not go away simply by ignoring it, as the outgoing administration has done.”
On the positive side, the comptroller anticipates robust growth with tax revenues in the current fiscal year, exceeding the mayor’s forecast by $724 million.  The estimate for personal income tax (PIT) receipts exceeds the mayor’s forecast by $528 million.
The report shows that more than 300,000 jobs have been added in New York City since the worst of the recession, with strong growth in the health, technology, and education sectors. The City’s total private-sector employment now stands above its pre-recession peak.  At the same time, even with record levels of employment, the City’s unemployment rate remains unacceptably high at a seasonally adjusted 8.7 percent and wages have not kept up with inflation. Many fully-employed families are less well off than they were five years ago.
This annual report on the State of the City’s Economy and Finances is due from the comptroller each Dec. 15, as mandated by the City Charter. Comptroller Liu will publicly present his State of the City address on Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 10 a.m. at the Emigrant Bank Building, 49-51 Chambers Street.


Christmas Tree Lightings With Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj




Please Join Us!



Tuesday, December 17  
5:00pm 
 
Christmas Tree Lighting on Allerton Ave

Bronxwood Ave, Boston Road & Allerton Ave

Warm Refreshments, caroling & small gifts




Christmas Tree Lighting 

with Senator Jeff Klein

Wednesday, December 18,    
 3:00pm


Peace Memorial Plaza

Warm refreshments, caroling

 

4:00pm

Pelham Parkway South & White Plains Rd

Warm refreshments, caroling & small gifts

Special Appearance by Santa Clause

Horse & Carriage Rides




Thursday December 19,  5:00 PM


Warm Refreshments, small gifts, caroling by the students of the New York Institute of

Christmas Tree Lighting by the Christmas House

Westervelt Ave & Pelham Parkway North

Special Education and a special appearance by Santa Clause

For more information: (718) 409-0109

District office of Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj

1126 Pelham Parkway South

Bronx, New York 10461