What You Should Know by Senator Rev. Ruben Diaz

What Have New York State Senior Citizens Done to Governor Andrew Cuomo?

What does Governor Andrew Cuomo have against the Senior Citizens of New York State?
You should know that last year he refused to extend the Millionaires Tax, but apparently thought that it was appropriate to slash approximately $58 million from EPIC, the State program that provides prescription drug insurance coverage for eligible Seniors. The impact of this cut, and the partial restoration of $22 million, forced many seniors to be socked with a co-pay of 25% of the cost of their prescription drugs!

Apparently, Governor Cuomo was not satisfied with last year’s proposal to cut services to Senior Citizens.  This year the Governor recommended a $48 million dollar cut to EPIC. The Senate Republicans, yes, you read that correctly, the Senate Republicans proposed to completely restore this cut in their one-house budget resolution, but were prevented by our own Democratic Legislators in the Assembly for including the full restoration in the final budget.  

You should know that the Democratic Assembly, refused to include a single dollar in restoring EPIC.  I cannot figure out for the life of me why the Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo and the Democrat Sheldon Silver who controls the Assembly have allowed the Senate Republicans to look like the heroes and the protectors of Senior Citizens in the fight for EPIC.

So, where are we now? Final budget negotiations have restored $30 million to EPIC. This restoration will mean that the maximum co-pay for EPIC will be $20. Sounds great, doesn’t it?  Not so fast! After all, it is important that you should know that the Seniors of New York State will have to wait until January 1, 2013 to be able to benefit from this so-called victory.  In other words, no Senior Citizen should get sick between now and January 2013.

I was not surprised when I read the following statement issued by AARP: “The average EPIC enrollee is a 78-year-old widow who takes four prescriptions. Since the devastating EPIC cut took effect on January 1^st  of this year, we have been hearing very troubling stories of seniors leaving the pharmacy counter without their medications because EPIC no longer provided co-pay assistance”. You should know that these are the consequences of the cuts proposed by Governor Cuomo and voted for by the State Legislature.

Now we all have to ask: “What is this 78 year-old widow supposed to do between now and January 1, 2013?” Hope and pray that she doesn’t get any sicker and find that she needs a fifth or sixth prescription?

 AARP and Statewide Senior Action Council, two of the major advocacy organizations for Seniors in New York State, are hailing this as a “win” and as a “victory” for Seniors. What win? What victory?
The Statewide Senior Action Council, another group that advocates for Senior Citizen’s rights, in its testimony during this year’s budget conference committee, stated that: “The cuts to the EPIC program which were enacted last year have taken full effect on January 1, 2012 and are a shock to many older persons.  They are having a devastating impact on those with low incomes…” Some state legislators have told us they didn’t realize that what they voted for in the budget would lead to the devastating cuts in EPIC.”

Did I understand that correctly? Some legislators didn’t know that their votes would lead to such devastating cuts? What a travesty!

Well, there is no mistaking now what a vote in favor of this budget will do. It is true that co-pays will be limited to no more than $20 for each prescription but not until January, 2013!

Until then, what are the seniors in my district and throughout the State supposed to do?  You should know and remember that elderly New Yorkers don’t only live in the South Bronx.  They live all over New York State: in Senator Roy McDonald’s District; in Senator Jim Alesi’s District; in Senator Mark Grisanti’s District; and even in Senator Stephen Saland’s District.

What are all these seniors supposed to do when their Senators, including the Black and Hispanic Senators are voting proudly and praising Governor Andrew Cuomo for a budget that hurts them the most?

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

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Baseball in The Bronx UPDATE

Baseball In The Bronx!

Dear Friends, Colleagues and Neighbors, FREE triple play passes are now available for the BASEBALL IN THE BRONX exhibition at the Bronx Museum                  April 13 - May 13 FREE TRIPLE PLAY PASSES INCLUDE:  Admission to the BASEBALL IN THE BRONX exhibit Admission to any of the BASEBALL IN THE BRONX special events Ride the BASEBALL IN THE BRONX trolley from the museum to the stadium during Opening Week Get your Triple Play Pass today ONLY at the 161st Street BID To reserve tickets for your family, school, club, team or other organization, please contact the BID at carygood@aol.com  ADMISSION AND REFRESHMENTS ARE FREE, courtesy of the 161 st Street Business Improvement District with the generous support of SBS' Avenue NYC Program, The New York Yankees Foundation, The Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation, Bronx-Lebanon Hospital and Sparrow Construction.    For a Full List of the week-long events and lectures check out the link below:   Baseball In The Bronx Lineup

FREE TRIPLE PLAY PASSES INCLUDE:

•  Admission to the BASEBALL IN THE BRONX exhibit
• Admission to any of the BASEBALL IN THE BRONX special events
• Ride the BASEBALL IN THE BRONX trolley from the museum to the stadium during Opening Week

Get your Triple Play Pass today ONLY at the 161st Street BID

To reserve tickets for your family, school, club, team or other organization, please contact

RARE PHOTOS OF MANTLE, SINATRA, MARIS AND HOWARD TO GO ON DISPLAY

Recently discovered photographs of Elston Howard, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris and Frank Sinatra will be on display at the upcoming, "BASEBALL IN THE BRONX", at The Bronx Museum of the Arts beginning Opening Day, Friday, April 13.

These never-shown-before pictures capture the glory of the team and the 1950’s and 1960’s.

BASEBALL IN THE BRONX is co-produced by The 161st Street BID and The Bronx Museum.
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The project is generously supported by The New York Yankees Foundation and The NYC Small Business Services, Avenue NYC program. Additional funding  provided by The Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, The Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation and Sparrow Construction.

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Sen. Klein Encourages Constituents to Submit Their Suggestions for “Women of Distinction”

  State Senator Jeffrey D. Klein called on his constituents today to submit their suggestions for dedicated and distinguished community leaders for the New York Senate’s “Women of Distinction” program.

The submission deadline will be the close of business on April 5, 2012.   

The “Women of Distinction” program was created by the Senate in 1998 to recognize the historic contributions of New Yorkers in celebration of National Women’s History Month, observed each March. Senator Klein will join each of his colleagues in each placing forward one distinguished and accomplished woman from their respective districts.

Each honoree nominated travels up to Albany to spend time with Senator Klein and will be honored by a legislative resolution on the Senate Floor. A photograph and biography for each honoree will be displayed in a special public exhibit in the Legislative Office Building.  In the past, Senator Klein has honored distinguished women such as Virginia Gallagher of City Island in 2011, Eileen Frey of Eastchester in 2010, and Roseann Carotenuto of Throggs Neck in 2009.

“I’m pleased to yet again have the opportunity to place forward an accomplished respected leader from my district for Woman’s History Month”, said Senator Klein. “There are many women who are deserving of such a distinction and I look forward to reviewing the input of my constituents on this important matter.”

“I was extremely honored to be selected by Senator Klein for my service to the City Island community,” said Virginia Gallagher, a longstanding community advocate on City Island and administrator of Pilot Cove Manor Senior Citizen Housing. “Going to the Senate and reception afterwards was fabulous. It was a highlight to meet and speak with the Lieutenant Governor as well.”

“I was honored to be honored” said Eileen Frey, who administers a charity on behalf of her late son who was killed in the line of duty with the Eachester Police Department.  “The people in Albany and the ceremony were lovely.”

“It was an amazing experience” said Roseann Carotenuto, the superintendent of Bronx Catholic Schools for the New York Archdiocese “It was an honor given to me by Senator Klein built upon the hard work of not only myself but our students, teachers and administrators.”

Constituents of the 34^th Senatorial District are encouraged to submit their suggestions to the Senator’s office by either calling (718) 822-2049 or preferably by sending a short submission to the Senator’s email at jdklein@nysenate.gov. The deadline for all submissions is April 5^th 2012.

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Assemblyman Dinowitz and State Senator Klein Sponsor Legislation Prohibiting Employers from Demanding Facebook Password in Interviews

  

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (D-Bronx) and State Senator Jeffrey Klein (D-Bronx/Westchester) are sponsoring new legislation that would prohibit employers from demanding login information, including usernames and passwords, to popular social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter as part of their hiring process.  Assemblyman Dinowitz has introduced the bill in the Assembly (A.9654), and State Senator Klein will soon introduce the legislation in the State Senate.  The legislation would also protect the privacy of current employees.

Employers are beginning to use various new tools in decisions concerning the hiring, promotion, and discipline of prospective and current employees.  Recently, there have been reports of employers demanding login information, including usernames and passwords, to popular social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as to email accounts and other extremely personal accounts.  This information is being used as a condition of hiring, promotions, and lateral movement within companies, and in matters relating to disciplinary action including firing of individuals.

This type of request can lead to unfair and discriminatory hiring practices and constitutes a serious invasion of privacy by the employer.  Employees have the right to make their social media public or private through the individual websites, and they should have every right to maintain this level of privacy in their workplace or during an interview.  In this economy, many people cannot walk away from a job and are forced to submit to employers’ requests for passwords for fear that they will not be hired otherwise.  This bill would remedy this serious issue, maintaining prospective employees’ right to privacy and reducing the risk of unfair and discriminatory hiring practices by employers.

“This legislation will address a terrible and growing abuse by certain employers.  Employers should not be snooping on social media communications that are private, and they certainly should not be given passwords that are supposed to be kept secret.  It’s like an employer asking for a copy of your house keys so they can have a look around your home,” said Assemblyman Dinowitz.  “The right to privacy and protection from coercion and discrimination must be maintained.  I urge all of my colleagues in the State Legislature to protect the rights of job seekers and support this bill.”

“Even in this digital age, turning over your password to an employer is a bridge too far,” said Senator Klein.  “I’m proud to stand with Assemblyman Dinowitz in taking this stand to protect an individual’s privacy.”

 

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12 PARKS IN THE BRONX TO BE SPRUCED-UP ON 'NEW YORK CARES DAY SPRING

  

New York Cares needs an additional 2,000 volunteers to give New York City a ‘spring greening’ and revitalize the city’s waterfront.

New York Cares is seeking 5,000 volunteers to take part in on New York Cares Day Spring on Saturday, April 21, 2012 from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM.  Now in its 18^th year, this citywide day of spring greening will revitalize more than 80 parks, gardens, playgrounds and community centers across the five boroughs. This year volunteers will spruce-up 12 green spaces in The Bronx, including Drew Gardens where New Yorkers will clean-up along the river, work on a wheelchair ramp, paint signs, and beautify the garden beds.  Team registration has been extended until April 6, 2012.  Individuals can register until April 20.

“We still need an additional 2,000 volunteers to sign up to be able to tackle all the work that needs to be done on New York Cares Day,” said Gary Bagley, Executive Director of New York Cares. “This year, we have a special focus on the city’s waterfront, in addition to our traditional gardening projects. Volunteers will restore 10 miles of coastline across New York City to make these areas more sustainable for plant and animal life and more accessible for city residents.” 

New York Cares Day Spring is an annual day of service run by New York Cares, the city’s largest volunteer organization, and is sponsored by HSBC for the sixth consecutive year.

“HSBC is proud to support New York Cares Day for the sixth year in a row,” said Kevin Martin, Senior Executive Vice President, Head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management, HSBC Bank USA. “Helping to make New York City a greener and cleaner place showcases HSBC’s commitment to the environment and the communities we serve. We look forward to working alongside our fellow New Yorkers to help improve this great city we call home.”

“New York Cares Day Spring is an annual rite of the season, and we thank New York Cares and HSBC for bringing 5,000 volunteers to New York City’s parks, playgrounds, community gardens and coastlines to clean up and green up these vital public spaces,” said Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “Parks are New Yorkers’ backyards, and the perfect place to start your spring cleaning. We are grateful to all of the citizen volunteers whose generous donations of time and labor will improve their neighborhood parks and open spaces.”

New Yorkers (12 years old and up) can register to volunteer at www.newyorkcaresday.org, with a registration fee of $20 per person. The website provides details including how to participate and how to make a donation in honor of a team or a volunteer. Volunteers under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

New York Cares Day Spring (formerly Hands on New York Day) is a serve-a-thon, similar to a walk-a-thon, where participants raise money in honor of the time they spend volunteering to support the cost of the event and New York Cares’ year-round volunteer programs. Each year, New York Cares mobilizes 54,000 volunteers to help 400,000 New Yorkers in need.

Green spaces in The Bronx slated to be spruced-up on New York Cares Day include:

• Van Cortlandt Park
• Crotona Park
• St. Mary’s Park
• Claremont Park
• Bissel Garden
• Drew Gardens
• Palmas Del Caribe Garden
• Pelham Bay Park/Orchard Beach
• Seton Falls Park Preserve
• Jacqueline Denise Davis Garden
• Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum
• Soundview Park  

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BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ ALERTS BRONXITES TO    DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE TAX LEIN ASSISTANCE

 

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. is urging borough property owners who may have unpaid property taxes, water, sewer or other charges to take advantage of an upcoming tax lien assistance session hosted by the Department of Finance. The event is co-sponsored by his office and the City’s Department of Environmental Protection.

Property owners whose names appear on the Department of Finance’s 90 Day Notice of Lien Sale list may attend the assistance session, to be held on Monday, April 23, 2012, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event will take place at the City Department of Finance’s Business Assistance Center, located at 3030 Third Avenue, 2^nd Floor, Bronx, NY, 10455.

Representatives from the City’s Departments of Finance, Environmental Protection and Housing Preservation will be on hand to offer property owners assistance at the information session. Borough President Diaz will also record a robocall to effected property owners, alerting them to the upcoming session and how they can get assistance.

In addition, eligible seniors, veterans or individuals with a disability may be able to be removed from the lien sale. For more information on the event or the lien sale, Bronxites are urged to contact Borough President Diaz’s office at (718) 590-7093.

“My office wants to make sure that as many Bronxites as possible are able to take advantage of the City’s assistance before their liens are sold and this help is no longer available. Those Bronxites who may be part of this lien sale should take advantage of these opportunities to get help, before it is too late,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

In the Bronx, a total of 2,727 properties are included in the lien sale. By Bronx Community Board, the liens break down as follows:

Community Board #1—179                          Community Board #2—160

Community Board #3—226                          Community Board #4—176

Community Board #5—185                          Community Board #6—193

Community Board #7—144                          Community Board #8—85

Community Board #9—344                          Community Board #10—215

Community Board #11—228                        Community Board #12—569

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Say Good-bye to Stella Doro

  While the famous Bronx Cookie factory and restaurant known as Stella Doro has been closed for some time now, it was recently sold to developer Mr. Joseph Farkas. Mr. Farkas has made his plans for the site public, as there have several stories in the newspapers (including one by me) on the future of the old Stella Doro plant. This past week there have been tours of the site and renderings shown of what the new Riverdale Crossings Shopping Center will look like when finished. While it is known that the BJ'S Warehouse Club store will be the anchor of the shopping center, it has been reported that Petco and Bank of America will be among the six or seven other stores to be part of Riverdale Crossings. 

  Community Board # 8 members and a representative from the Kingsbridge Riverdale Van Cortlandt Development Corporation toured the site, and the very next day Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., Congressman Eliot Engel, Councilman G. Oliver Koppell, and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, were also given a tour of the site by developer Mr. Farkas. From the picture below of Mr. Farkas and the elected officials you can see that just like the previous tour of the site that the elected officials had questions to ask Mr. Farkas

  

  The entrance to Riverdale Crossings will be from Broadway onto West 237th Street and from the current existing curb cut on West 238th Street it would seem that would be another entrance to the shopping center.  The back of the Stella Doro plant going towards West 238th Street was were the trucks (as many as 50 or more) were kept and serviced that delivered to all of the customers that Stella Doro had when it was in the  the Bronx.  

  According to Ripco Reality the agent for Riverdale Crossings the scheduled completion date is sometime in 2013. The picture above comes from the Ripco Reality web page of what Riverdale Crossings will look like when it is finished. You can see that there will be various rooftop parking in addition to the street level parking Note that the corner building on the south side of West 237th Street next to the subway line is not part of the shopping center proposal.

  Above are (starting on the left) Councilman G. Oliver Koppell, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowits, Developer Mr. Joseph Farkas, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr,. and Congressman Eliot Engel going over the renderings of Riverdale Crossings questioning a certain item. If you enlarge the photo you will notice the Major Deegan Highway and stores on Bailey Avenue in the background.

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What You Should Know By Senator Rev. Ruben Diaz 

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

Gay marriage has backfired on the Democratic Party.
You should know that since Governor Andrew Cuomo pushed for gay marriage in the State of New York and convinced the Democratic Party in the Assembly and the Senate to follow his lead to legalize gay marriage, the Democratic Party in New York City has not won a single victory.

Starting with the defeat of David Weprin by Bob Turner for the Congressional seat vacated by Anthony Weiner, and most recently with the embarrassing defeat of Lew Fidler by David Storobin for the Senate seat vacated by Carl Kruger, the Democratic Party lost.  In each special election, the Democratic candidate was expected to win handily given the composition of registered democrats in each district, and given the low turnout expected in special elections.

You can spin this any which way you want, but the fact of the matter remains that gay marriage has played a major role in the outcome of each of these elections. The support that the State Senate Democratic Conference gave for gay marriage has backfired on them to the point that as each day passes, it is more and more difficult and less and less possible for us to get back into the Senate Majority.

In one of my previous columns, I suggested that if Senator Adriano Espaillat wants to run for Congress and win, he should contact the gay community to start raising atleast $1 million dollars for his campaign.  I am afraid that Senator Espaillat may be subject to a backlash by members of the community especially Hispanics for his vote in favor of gay marriage.

For a time, the Democratic Party was key in New York City politics, and it was virtually impossible for a Republican to win a seat in the State legislature in New York City.  That was before gay marriage.
It seems to me, that after the gay marriage vote, the Democratic Party has been losing steam and suffering humiliating defeats.

The Democratic Party cannot afford to allow for the defeat of any more candidates – especially those who voted in of favor legalizing gay marriage.
This has shown to be destructive for the Democratic Party and I hope that elected officials in other states are paying attention.

Now we can all wait and see what happens to the future of the four Republicans who supported gay marriage when it was forced to the floor of the Senate for a vote, because the way I see things, The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) and its Executive Director, Brian Brown has been active and instrumental in contributing and supporting with financial resources those individuals who run against gay marriage supporters. So far, Brian Brown has been very effective and it might happen, that the four republicans, might lose their Senate seats solely because of their vote on gay marriage.

Ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, friends and foes:  fasten your seat belts, because I am afraid that it's going to be a very bumpy ride.

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