Will the Ben Franklin Democratic Club find its way back into the 81st Assembly District?

   If you look at the address of the Ben Franklin (Reform) Democratic Club, you will find that it is on the south side of West 231th Street thus placing it in the 78th Assembly District. You may ask how is that?

   At the last redistricting almost 10 years ago then Bronx Democratic County Leader Jose Rivera used West 231th Street as the district line, thus placing the home of the Ben Franklin Club in the 78th A.D. Rivera also had one Riverdale E.D. placed in the 78th A.D.

  

   Current Bronx County Committee Leader Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz plans to get the Ben Franklin Club back into the 81st A.D. and take back that lone Riverdale E.D. from the 78th A.D. at next year's redistricting.

Ben Franklin Reform Democratic Club

81st Assembly District

304 West 231st Street, Bronx, N.Y. 10463 • (718) 796-6177

www.bfrdc.org

NYC DOT COMMISSIONER SADIK-KHAN, CITY OFFICIALS ANNOUNCE CITY’S FIRST NEIGHBORHOOD SLOW ZONE, LAUNCH OF PROGRAM FOR COMMUNITIES TO REQUEST SLOW ZONES TO REDUCE UNSAFE SPEEDS

Speed limit in Claremont neighborhood of the Bronx reduced to 20 mph, traffic calming measures will help reduce unsafe speeds in residential area with many schools

New program builds on safety initiatives that have helped make the city streets safer than ever.

New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan today joined Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and City Council Transportation Committee Chair James Vacca (Bronx) to announce the start of the city’s first-ever Neighborhood Slow Zone, in the Claremont neighborhood of the Bronx, reducing the local speed limit from 30 m.p.h. to 20 m.p.h. and adding traffic calming measures to make residential streets even safer and more welcoming for local residents. DOT is also launching a new application process allowing communities to request slow zones in residential areas in all five boroughs at www.nyc.gov/dot. Neighborhood Slow Zones were announced last year as part of the DOT’s landmark Pedestrian Safety Study and Action Plan to continue to reduce the number and severity of traffic crashes on residential streets following the four safest years in New York City’s history. The Claremont Slow Zone is marked by the city’s first street-flanking, eye-catching blue “gateway” signs that clearly indicate the entrance of the slow zone, and 28 new signs mark the 20 mph speed limit in and around the zone. The zone itself is self-enforcing, with nine new speed bumps installed in addition to the five already installed on streets within the quarter-square-mile zone, and “20 MPH” is being stenciled in eight-foot-high letters at 45 other locations in the zone. The Commissioner was joined by Borough President Diaz, Council Member Vacca and local leaders at the intersection of 167th Street, Vyse Avenue and West Farms Road, one of the 14 gateway entrances to the slow zone.

            “Local neighborhood streets are not highways, they are not shortcuts, they are where New Yorkers live,” said Commissioner Sadik-Khan. “While fatalities and serious injuries are at record low levels in New York City, too many of the remaining crashes are still preventable, and one in four traffic fatalities involved unsafe speed. A pedestrian struck by a car going 40 mph has a 70 percent chance of dying while a pedestrian stuck by a car going 20 mph has a 95 percent chance of surviving. Making neighborhoods safer can be as simple as reducing the speed on our residential streets.”

“We know for a fact that slower drivers mean safer streets, and the implementation of this ‘slow zone’ in Claremont will lead to a safer community for children, parents, our senior citizens and everyone who lives in this great Bronx neighborhood,” said Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “I thank the Department of Transportation and Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan for bringing this pilot program to the Bronx, and I look forward evaluating its success in the future.”

“When local communities ask for 20 mile an hour speed limit signs, we must make them available as a tool in our fight against those who place the lives of others in jeopardy,” said City Council Member Vacca. “Speeding kills! I am very supportive of attempts to reduce speeding because doing nothing about this problem is not an option. We need greater enforcement of speeding laws and special attention to chronic speeding locations as part of a zero tolerance strategy.”

The Claremont Neighborhood Slow Zone is bordered by Southern Boulevard; 167^th Street/Westchester Ave.; West Farms Road/Boone Avenue; and East 174th St. Claremont was selected for its relatively high frequency of serious traffic crashes and for the area’s definable boundaries that could be easily marked for a zone.  Between 2005 and 2009 there was one fatality in the largely residential area, which also houses six schools. The zone itself is a self-enforcing, reduced speed area using speed humps, markings and signs. Slow Zones are also expected to reduce cut-through traffic and traffic noise in residential neighborhoods. Community Board 3 approved the zone in May.

DOT will continue to create Slow Zones in response to applications from communities, available at www.nyc.gov/dot. After each round of applications, DOT will select appropriate locations, work with communities to design and install the Slow Zones, and present to local Community Boards for approval. Potential locations for the slow-speed zones are evaluated by severity crashes per mile and criteria such as the number of schools, senior and day care centers, as well as consideration of truck and bus routes and roadway types.

In the last four years, DOT has enhanced street safety engineering in all five boroughs, including through the Safe Streets for Seniors and Safe Routes to Schools programs. Safety improvements continue be installed throughout the city, including the addition of pedestrian countdown signals at more than half of the 1,500 locations in all five boroughs announced last year and installing more than 1,500 speed bumps citywide.

For more information, including the criteria for establishing a neighborhood slow zone, visit www.nyc.gov/dot.

$9.8 MILLION STOCKPILED IN HPD ACCOUNT OPERATED OUTSIDE CITY BUDGET PROCESS

 Audit Determines Department of Housing Preservation and Development Held Back Money That Should Have Gone to Help Fund City Budget

City Comptroller John C. Liu today announced that an audit of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) found that the agency kept $9.8 million in unused funds from expired contracts and other sources – money that should have been returned to the City treasury.

“This money could have and should have been used to improve shelters, especially in light of rising homelessness,” Comptroller Liu said.  “If HPD can’t use it right then the money should be put back in the City treasury.”

Auditors found that the agency inappropriately used a portion of the funds to supplement its operating budget and get around the budget process.  The money uncovered by the audit was part of the HPD’s Relocation Shelter account, which is earmarked for capital expenditures at emergency shelters.  As of October 2010, the agency had accumulated over $9.8 million in excess funds in the account.  The bulk of that money came from contracts that had expired, with HPD holding on to money that could have been used for capital improvements.

The audit recommends that the agency return the $9.8 million to the City treasury. Agencies are not generally permitted to keep unused funds from expired contracts. The audit disagreed with HPD’s assertion that it had received prior permission to retain the unused funds.

The scope of the audit was July 1, 2009, through October 31, 2010.

Comptroller Liu credited Deputy Comptroller for Audit Tina Kim and the Audit Bureau for presenting the findings. The full report is available at: http://comptroller.nyc.gov/audits 

 

BRONX BOROUGH PRESIDENT RUBEN DIAZ JR. & WESTERN BEEF TEAM-UP FOR PRE-THANKSGIVING TURKEY GIVEAWAY

Western Beef begins its annual distribution of 2,500 free turkeys to needy Bronx residents. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. will participate in the turkey distribution and will ride in the Western Beef truck that will make several stops at community centers, but will also distribute free turkeys to surprised passers-by during its rounds. 

Monday, November 21, 2011 starting at 12:30 pm.

UPDATE-- Monday Nov. 21-

As promised here is a photo of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. handing out free turkeys.

Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera will visiting senior centers all next week to distribute over 125 turkeys to seniors and their families! 

Throughout next week Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera will host her 5th annual Thanksgiving Turkey Drive. Beginning Monday November 21st Assemblywoman Rivera will be stopping by senior centers in the 80th assembly district, hitting more than seven locations by Wednesday the 23rd.  For a full list of senior centers and a schedule please contact the district office.

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The annual turkey drive is one of the most popular events held by the assemblywoman, and attendance has been up each consecutive year. According to Assemblywoman Rivera, “Thanksgiving is a time to be with family and to reflect on how much we all can be thankful for. We’re facing one of the toughest economies in recent history, so this year I’m especially pleased to be able to give so many families a leg up on the festivities!”

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Unfortunately there are always more attendees than there are turkeys. This year recipients are chosen by raffle, but it is estimated that roughly a quarter to a third of attendees will walk away with a turkey. 

 

 

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. Celebrates Puerto Rican Heritage Month

 

   Last night in the Parkchester section, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.  joined Comité Noviembre and the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation to celebrate  Puerto Rican Heritage Month. 

 Borough President Diaz honored community leaders for their accomplishments presenting citations to the 2011 honorees including Bill Aguado, former president of the Bronx Council on the Arts; Elizabeth Figueroa, director of community relations at the New York Botanical Garden; and Ricardo Fernandez, President of Lehman College. Dahlma Llanos Figueroa, award winning author of “Daughters of Stone,” served as the event’s keynote speaker. The event took place at Kismet Caterers on Westchester Avenue.

 

Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz Proposes Legislation

to Protect Homeowners from Foreclosure

New York State Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz (D-Bronx) has drafted legislation to amend the State’s real property actions and proceedings law to impose stricter requirements on lenders, assignees and mortgage servers by requiring them to submit an affidavit to the court prior to commencing foreclosure proceedings, attesting under oath they own the property being foreclosed.  Should they not be able to subsequently prove this during the foreclosure proceedings, they will be guilty of a class E felony.  Recently enacted in Nevada, the foreclosure rates declined over 90%.

Senator Diaz, a Member of the New York State Senate Housing Committee and Banking Committee stated:

“Even though the foreclosure crisis may no longer be on the front pages of our papers, the issue of foreclosure is a very real part of the lives of too many of my constituents and too many New Yorkers. With recent cuts in legal services to help families navigate through the legal process, we need this piece of legislation to help New York families who face foreclosure.

I am hopeful that all of my Senate colleagues on both sides of the aisle will support this legislation.  I also expect that Governor Andrew Cuomo – with all of his HUD experience – will wholeheartedly support this legislation not only because of the impact it will have on our housing market, but more importantly, because it will protect New York homeowners from improper foreclosures.”

Senator Diaz’s legislation has been submitted for introduction and is expected to receive a Senate Bill number in the beginning of December.  

Borough President Diaz Announces Electric Smith Electric Vehicles To Open Facility In The Bronx

   On Tuesday, November 15^th, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. joined state and city officials, as well as representatives of the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation, to announce that electric truck manufacturer Smith Electric Vehicles will soon open a new state of the art electric truck manufacturing facility at the former Port Morris lamp warehouse at 275 Locust Avenue. Smith Electric Vehicles hopes to create more than 100 local “green” jobs. 

 

 BP Diaz is joined by  Bryan Hansel, CEO and Chairman of Smith Electric Vehicles, and others who already have or have orders for Bronx made electric trucks. 

 

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that Smith Electric Vehicles (Smith), a leader in zero-emission, all-electric commercial vehicles, will establish a clean technology manufacturing facility in New York, which is expected to create more than 100 new direct jobs.

Smith will lease a 90,000 square foot building near Hunts Point in the South Bronx and make investments in renovations, equipment, training and other project costs. A package of state and city incentives valued at over $6 million, including $3.4 million in Excelsior tax credit benefits from Empire State Development, and $1.7 million in tax exemptions approved by the New York City Industrial Development Agency (NYCIDA), is being provided to augment the company’s private investment.

"Creating over 100 new jobs in the South Bronx is a victory for the local community and a clear sign that New York is rapidly attracting innovative opportunities to grow our economy," Governor Cuomo said.

Bryan Hansel, CEO and chairman of Smith Electric Vehicles, said, "Smith is excited to expand our US operation into New York. Governor Cuomo’s leadership, combined with the close collaboration amongst the state, city, and local authorities has underscored our confidence in the New York business environment and allowed us to expand our commitment to building a sustainable and profitable commercial EV industry."

Smith will renovate and equip the former Murray Feiss building in the South Bronx for its manufacturing assembly, service and sales facility. Beginning in 2012, the company will manufacture the Newton™, a zero-emission all-electric commercial vehicle that delivers a market-leading range, a payload of more than 16,000 pounds and an average annual operating cost that is one-third to one-half that of conventional diesel vehicles. Smith vehicles operate in major urban centers, including Los Angeles, London, Hong Kong, and New York City. PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay division, Duane Reade, Coca Cola, and Down East Seafood have purchased and currently operate Smith Newtons in New York City.

Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Kenneth Adams said, "Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, we are creating a better business environment that will result in more jobs for New Yorkers. This project represents another key building block in the foundation of a stronger economy that works for New Yorkers."

NYCEDC President Seth W. Pinsky said, "The new Smith Electric Vehicles facility in the Bronx represents an important milestone in the City’s ongoing efforts to grow the industrial sector and will have a tremendous impact on the City’s economy. Projects like this will pave the way for millions of dollars in private investment in the Bronx, leading to the creation of new, well-paying industrial and green jobs."

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. said, "This project is a win-win for the Bronx and the entire State, and continues to show not only our commitment to bringing new jobs to the Bronx but to growing the green economy here in our borough. Smith Electric will not only bring more than 100 new jobs to the Bronx, they will manufacture a ‘green’ product that will reduce emissions in our City and contribute to a greater quality of life not only for borough residents, but for people all over the region. I would like to thank Empire State Development, the New York City Industrial Development Agency, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the New York Power Authority, the Department of Labor and the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation for working together to make this deal a reality, and I welcome Smith Electric to the Bronx and look forward to helping them grow here." The total incentive package offered to the company is valued at more than $6 million including:

· $3.4 million in Excelsior tax credits from Empire State Development (ESD);
· More than $1.5 million in New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) energy efficiency and product development assistance;
· Potential electric rate subsidies from the New York Power Authority’s Recharge New York program and Department of Labor workforce training assistance; and
· Approximately $1.7 million in tax exemptions approved and provided by the New York City Industrial Development Agency (NYCIDA), and administered through the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC).

In recognition of the environmental, economic and clean energy benefits of vehicles such as those produced by Smith and other manufacturers, Governor Cuomo also announced a federally- funded, pending multi-year electric vehicle (EV) buyer incentive program. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) has committed $10 million in federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funding for the initial year of a new plug in all-electric vehicle buyer subsidy program to attract clean vehicle manufacturers and encourage the purchase of any eligible zero-emission vehicle in New York State. This federal transportation funding provides for projects and programs in air quality nonattainment and maintenance areas for ozone, carbon monoxide and particulate matter, which reduce transportation related emissions and improve air quality. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) will administer the program.

Once program development is completed next spring, these federal funds, which will be offered in the form of vouchers of up to $20,000 per vehicle, will be made available to the purchasers of any qualified and eligible all-electric vehicle over 10,000 pounds regardless of manufacturer. New York State intends to make this program available for five years in order to encourage mass adoption and allow for strategic fleet conversion throughout New York State.

"We’re pleased that $10 million of our Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program funding will not only improve the air quality of our state but also incentivize companies like Smith Electric to create jobs in New York," State Department of Transportation Commissioner Joan McDonald said. "This is a perfect example of the link between transportation and economic development."

"This new electric vehicle (EV) buyer program will play an important role in increasing the number of EVs on New York’s roads. EVs are not only a cleaner alternative to combustion engines but reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and the emission of greenhouse gases," said Francis J. Murray Jr., President and CEO of NYSERDA. "We are pleased to join Governor Cuomo in welcoming Smith Electric Vehicles to the Bronx and applaud their creation of more than 100 jobs for New Yorkers."

By replacing the average diesel truck of this size with a zero emission alternative, more than 26 tons of greenhouse gasses are offset each year per vehicle, along with 2,228 gallons of fuel saved annually. With this New York State plan providing vouchers for at least 450 vehicles in the first year, an estimated 11,700 tons of greenhouse gases will be reduced and about 1 million gallons of diesel fuel will be saved.

Smith Electric Vehicles Corp. designs, produces and sells zero-emission commercial electric vehicles that are designed to be an alternative to traditional diesel trucks with higher efficiency and lower total cost of ownership. Its vehicle designs leverage more than 80 years of market knowledge from selling and servicing electric vehicles in the United Kingdom. Smith Electric Vehicles produces the Newton™ and the Edison™. The company currently operates manufacturing facilities in Kansas City, Mo., and outside of Newcastle, U.K.