| The full phone number is 718-828-3900 |
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Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Congressman Engel and Assemblyman Dinowitz March in " Celebrate Isreal Parade"
On Sunday June 3rd, Congressman Eliot Engel and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz marched down Fifth Avenue with Students from the Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz in the "Celebrate Israel Parade".
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| Congressman Engel, Assemblyman Dinowitz, and students from the Kinneret Day School marching in the Celebrate Israel Parade. |
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Monday, June 4, 2012
Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade
Sunday June 3rd was the 25th Annual Bronx Puerto Rican Day Parade up the Grand Concourse from West 192nd Street to Van Cortlandt Avenue where the reviewing stand was set up. Even a small down pour midway through the parade that had many running for cover could not dampen the spirits of the thousands of people watching and marching in the parade with dozens of cars, floats, bicycles, a vintage fire engine, and more. The sun quickly came back out as did the people watching the parade.Below are some photos that i was able to get of the parade and marchers. you can click on a photo to enlarge it.
Left - 80th Assembly candidate Mr. Mark Gjonaj speaks to parade goers gathered at West 192nd Street.
Right - Assemblyman Jose Rivera with his camera filming his daughters opponent Mark Gjonaj.
Left - The beginning of the 25th Annual Peurto Rican Day Parade.
Right - a vintage fire engine in the parade.
Left - Congressman Charlie Rangel
Right - State Senator Adriano Espiallat.
Both are candidates in the new 13th Congressional District, that the parade went right through.
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| Congressman Jose Serrano with 78th A.D. State Committeeman Ricky Martinez (waving to the crowd), 80th A.D. Male District Leader Kenny Agosto (on crutches right), and some other local democratic leaders. |
Left - The Jose Rivera banner minus Assemblyman Rivera.
Right - first part of 80th Assembly candidate Mark Gjonaj entry in the parade.
Left - is the second part of 80th Assembly candidate Mark Gjonaj's
parade entry, beautiful colorfully dressed belly dancers.
Right - some of the marchers.
Left - a karate demonstration by some local youths.
Right - The Police Department ends the parade as they started it.
Both photos are just some of the action that took place on the reviewing stand as the parade went by.
LIU STATEMENT ON WAL-MART BOARD VOTE
City Comptroller John C. Liu stated the following in response to questions about the board of directors election at Wal-Mart:
“Outside
shareholders delivered a stinging rebuke to Wal-Mart’s top leadership
by casting more than 30% of our votes against
the company’s chairman, CEO and former CEO. The results are a vote of
no confidence that sends a message to Wal-Mart’s entire board, which has
ignored our concerns and failed to safeguard the company’s standards of
ethical and legal compliance. It’s up to
the board now to restore investor confidence. Directors need to
increase their independence and initiate a truly independent
investigation into reports that Wal-Mart executives covered-up
widespread bribery in Mexico and hold accountable any executives
involved.”
Background:
Comptroller
Liu and the NYC Pension Funds encouraged fellow shareowners to vote
against five Wal-Mart directors. Because
the Walton family, directors, and officers control 50.12% of Wal-Mart
outstanding shares it was understood that a majority vote against
re-election of board members was mathematically impossible.
In
order to present an accurate assessment of the board election votes
cast non-insiders, we have deducted the 1.7 billion
shares owned by company officers and directors, which includes members
of the Walton family. Based on the remaining outside shares voted, the
five directors opposed by Comptroller Liu and the NYC Pension Funds
received the following votes in opposition: Former
CEO H. Lee Scott Jr. (38.4% against), Christopher Williams, Audit
Committee Chair (32.8% against), Michael T. Duke, CEO (32.2% against), S. Robson Walton, Chairman (31.2% against),
Arne Sorenson, Audit Committee Director (9.9% against).
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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz
32nd Senatorial District, Bronx County, New York
It Does Not Make Sense
Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants
to dictate to us how much soda we should drink. With this action
Mayor Bloomberg confirmed what I wrote a few weeks ago on one of my “What
You Should Know” columns, that some elected officials want to create in
New York a Nanny State.
For your information, in case you
did not read it before I am including inserts of what I wrote before.
You should know that some Members
of the New York State Legislature are pushing hard to prevent McDonald’s
and certain restaurants from giving out toys to children when they receive
their meals unless those meals meet certain standards.
Senate Bill 6386, sponsored by Senator
Gustavo Rivera, and Assembly Bill 7662, sponsored by Assembly Member Felix
Ortiz, both Hispanic and Puerto Rican, are calling for a law to dictate
which restaurants may or may not distribute toys or as they call them,
“incentives,” to children, especially poor children in our communities,
when their parents take them to McDonald’s or any other restaurant to
purchase a meal. Now Mayor Michael Bloomberg has join them in banning
the sale and purchase of any bottle of sodas of more than 16
ounces.
It does not make sense and it is
disturbing to see these same elected officials fight tooth and nail to
give a woman the right to kill an unborn baby, because according to them,
it is a woman’s choice to do what they want with their bodies.
Michael Bloomberg, Gustavo, Felix and others have no problem in being pro-choice
and giving a woman a right to murder an unborn baby, but they have problems
and are willing to take away the right of the mother and father or child
to eat whatever they want.
Don’t get me wrong, I believe that
obesity is a problem and that people should be more careful with what they
eat, but if people want to be fat and eat hamburgers or anything they want,
it is their right to allow them to eat whatever they want. I think that
it is a lot better to be fat than to terminate the life of an unborn, innocent
baby. Does anyone believe that people are elected into office to regulate
what food and drinks moms and dads can serve their children?
Do these same elected officials
who fight for any woman to have a supposed right to choose to kill her
unborn baby realize that they are way out of line to try to assume authority
over moms by telling them what to give her child to eat or drink?
When pro-lifers like me state the
obvious that abortion affects two lives and that the fetus is a life, and
that to crack their skulls with forceps or to use saline water to be evaporated,
the pro-choice, pro-abortion politicians argue back with that old cliché
“my body, my choice”. I’m pretty sure that Mayor Bloomberg, Assembly
Member Ortiz and Senator Rivera would stand by their side. How can those same officials
think they have the right to tell moms how they should feed their children
or what to drink?
Parents struggle to do what’s best
for their children, and at least so far, in this country parents are not
dictated to by local elected officials about how to feed their children.
If they want to cook at home, they can. If they want to go out and
eat and drink 32 ounces of soda, they can.
You should know that there are more
important issues before us in the State and City of New York, and we sure
don’t need Mayor Bloomberg, Senator Rivera, Assembly Member Ortiz and
others to divert our attention by creating a Nanny State.
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Sunday, June 3, 2012
Bronx Democratic County Committee 2012 Dinner
Bronx Democratic County Committee
Assemblyman Carl E. Heastie, Chairman
2012 Annual Dinner
Marina del Rey
1 Marina Drive, Bronx, NY 10465
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Cocktails—6:00pm, Dinner and Program—7:00pm
Join us as we recognize these great honorees for their commitment to
the Bronx
Simon Bergson
President and C.E.O.
Manhattan Beer Distributors
Fernando Brinn
President
Nandicarm, Ltd.
Marlene Cintron
President
Bronx Overall Economic Development Corp.
Ernest Logan
President
Council of School Supervisors and Administrators
Kathryn Wylde
President and C.E.O.
Partnership for New
York City
Gregory Floyd
President
Teamsters Local 237
For more information, call (718) 704-7039, or email dinner2012@distinctivepa.com
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State Senator Rivera & Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. Launch Second Year of Bronx CAN Health Initiative
State
Senator Gustavo Rivera along with Bronx Borough President Ruben
Diaz Jr., Montefiore Medical Center and other community health partners
launched the second year of the Bronx CAN Health Initiative on June 2nd
at St. James Park. Dozens of Bronxites participated in Saturday's health
fair, taking advantage of blood pressure screenings, a free yoga class
and the advice of health care professionals.
"As an elected official that represents
part of the Bronx, I was extremely concerned to learn that our borough
the unhealthiest in the state and that there are higher rates of
childhood obesity, diabetes and other preventable diseases in the
33rd Senate District," said Senator Gustavo Rivera. "That
is why last year when we launched the Bronx CAN Health Initiative, I
pledged to make myself an example, losing over 27 lbs. since last June.
This year I have pledged to continue to lose between 10-15 lbs. adhering
to long-term goals that will ultimately have an enormous impact on my
overall health. I encourage all Bronxites who haven't already joined me,
to join me in taking the Bronx CAN Health Challenge this year so that
together we can make the Bronx healthier."
"I
am delighted that the Bronx CAN Health Initiative is beginning its
second year of education, inspiration and motivation for healthier
lifestyles. This year we will again launch the CAN Health Challenge,
led by Senator Rivera, encouraging Bronxites to set some strategic
wellness goals for the summer months. We are also putting the finishing
touches on a CAN Retail Challenge that is aimed at educating our Bronx
retailers on the minor but significant adjustments they can make to
provide healthier food options to their consumers," said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
"I am thrilled to join Senator Rivera and Borough President Diaz in the launch of the Bronx CAN Health Initiative" said Steven M. Safyer, MD, President & CEO of Montefiore Medical Center.
"Our community leaders set tremendous examples for us, as does the
partnership behind this important initiative. Montefiore is committed to
furthering these efforts to promote physical exercise and healthier
eating-choices crucial to reducing the rates of obesity and diabetes and
to advancing the health of our borough.
"The
Committee of interns and Residents is pleased to be partnering with the
Bronx CAN Initiative for the second year in a row, " said Dr. Yusef Williams, Family Medicine Resident at Bronx Lebanon Hospital. "As
physicians practicing in the Bronx, we understand the importance of
community projects like the Bronx CAN Initiative to empower Bronxites to
make healthier choices. We applaud Senator Rivera's and the Borough
President's commitment to making the Bronx a healthier borough and we
look forward to supporting the initiative."
The
Bronx CAN Health Initiative was launched in response to the Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation's study that showed the Bronx as the unhealthiest
county in the state of New York. This initiative will tackle issues of
obesity, nutrition, exercise and access to preventative health in the
Bronx. The month of June and the June 2nd launch on the initiative will
be focused on physical fitness and exercise.
Upcoming Bronx CAN events:
- Saturday, July 7, 2012 - 1:30PM-3:30PM - Health Fair focused on Nutrition
- Saturday, August 4, 2012 - 1:30PM - 3:30PM - Health Fair focused on Preventative Health & Health Screenings
Thursday, May 31, 2012
RWDSU Slams Living Wage Veto
Statement from RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum
Stuart
Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store
Union (RWDSU,UFCW), made the following statement in response to Mayor
Bloomberg's veto of the Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act:
"This veto is a slap in the face to the overwhelming majority of New Yorkers who support the living wage legislation.
Across the city, New Yorkers have built a movement for fairness and
justice because they know the mayor's economic development policy has
failed. Bloomberg will be remembered as the Mayor of Inequality. He
forced taxpayers to line the pockets of a few wealthy developers while
giving them nothing in return. On his watch, life has gotten worse, not
better, for many New Yorkers--a shameful and alarming legacy to be sure.
His policy of spending billions to perpetuate poverty-wage jobs has
been an economic embarrassment and a moral outrage. Rest assured: we
will work with the next mayor to implement the living wage bill, and put
an end to this dark and disturbing chapter in the city's history."
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