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Thursday, July 12, 2012
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
National Night Out in the Bronx 2012
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
Encourages All Bronxites to Join Their Neighbors & Attend
“America’s Night Out Against Crime”
TUESDAY, AUGUST 7th, 2012**NATIONAL NIGHT OUT BRONX COMMUNITY LOCATIONS**
| 40th Precinct/CB #1 St. Mary’s Park -147th Street & St. Ann’s Avenue (2-7 p.m.) PSA 7 Mitchell Houses (bet. Willis Avenue and Alexander Ave.) (4-8 p.m.) 41st Precinct/CB #2 Police Athletic League 991 Longwood Avenue (4-8 p.m.) 42nd Precinct/CB #3 Crotona Ave. (bet. Boston Road and E. 170th Street) (4-7 p.m.) 43rd Precinct/CB #9 Morrison Avenue (bet. Westchester and Watson Aves.) (2-6 p.m.) | 44th Precinct/CB #4 2 East 169th St. (bet. Jerome and Walton Avenues) (3-8 p.m.) 45th Precinct/CB #10 Co-op City- Section 1 (Greenway-Enter at 120 Benchley Place) (6-9 p.m.) 46th Precinct/CB #5 120 West 184th Street (bet. Morris and Walton Aves.) (5-9 p.m.) 47th Precinct/CB #12 Grenada Place (bet. Laconia & Ely Aves.) (5-8 p.m.) 48th Precinct/CB #6 Arthur Avenue (bet. E. 187th and 188th St.) (4-8 p.m.) | 49th Precinct/CB #11 Great Lawn of Pelham Parkway North (bet. Wallace and Barnes Aves.) (6-8:30 p.m.) 50th Precinct/CB #8 Marble Hill Avenue (bet. West 228th Street and West 230th Street) (4-8 p.m.) 52nd Precinct/CB#7 Williamsbridge Oval Park (Reservoir Oval East and Putnam Place) (4:30-7:30 p.m.) PSA 8 Monroe House (Rear of 1790 Story Avenue) (4-8 p.m.) |
NATIONAL NIGHT OUT HELPS US TO:
- heighten crime and drug prevention awareness;
- generate support for, and participation in, local anti-crime programs;
- strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and
- send a message to criminals letting them know that Bronxites are organized and fighting back.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE CALL 718-590-6001.
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JOBS AVAILABLE--FRESHDIRECT
The
Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation—the economic development
arm of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.—is prescreening
candidates for job openings with FreshDirect.
Details on those jobs are available at the following links:
Applicants should have their paperwork to the BOEDC by Monday, July 16.
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Salsa In The MIX! Sat. July 28th
For more information contact Angela Porcelli at (718) 283-4081 or angela@masmarketingny.com.
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Tuesday, July 10, 2012
DOT to Create "Neighborhood Slow Zone" proposed by Assemblyman Dinowitz for Independence Avenue
The NYC Department of Transportation announced tod, ay that it
will implement a “Neighborhood Slow Zone” that was proposed by
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz for Independence Avenue and several surrounding
streets. Assemblyman Dinowitz submitted an application for the
Neighborhood Slow Zone last November with the support of Council Member Oliver
Koppell, State Senator Adriano Espaillat, the captain of the 50th
Police Precinct, members of the community board, and the parents associations
of several schools.
The Neighborhood Slow Zone will include many important
traffic safety modifications for the area, including a 20 miles-per-hour speed
limit, speed bumps, markings, and signs and gateways indicating the presence of
the Slow Zone. The Slow Zone will help remedy the dangerous traffic
situation on Independence Avenue, which is home to several schools, houses of
worship, a library, and a public park.
“I am delighted that the City has agreed to my
proposal for a Neighborhood Slow Zone. The safety of all people in our
community must come first. This is possible because we put together a
coalition of leaders in our community to support this proposal, including
Council Member Koppell, Senator Espaillat, Captain Burke of the 50th Precinct,
and members of the community board and parents associations. I am
confident that the slower speed limit combined with additional signage and speed
bumps will result in fewer accidents and make our community safer,” said
Assemblyman Dinowitz.
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Monday, July 9, 2012
Espaillat Calls it Quits in 13 C.D. Race
In a press conference outside his State Senate office Adriano Espaillat announced that he will no longer go forward with his challenge to the results of the 13th congressional race. Espaillat said that while a few more votes were found for him lowering Rangel's lead to 953 votes that number could not be overcome. Espaillat then congratulated Rangel on his victory saying that he will work with him as he has done in the past for the districts they share.
When asked if he would be continuing the court challenge, he said that he would not, but others will still be doing that in the hopes of fixing the election system.
When asked if he would now be running for his old state senate seat, Espaillat fudged a little saying that after the June 26th election when he thought that he lost he allowed people to get signatures in his name for state senate.Petitions are being handed in starting today for state senate and assembly seats, and will continue for the next few days. After that is the challenge phase, and then rulings by the Board of Elections as to just who stays on the September primary ballot.
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LIU CALLS ON BLOOMBERG TO CHANGE EDC’S “LAW-BREAKING” CULTURE
Urges Mayor to hold senior Administration officials accountable and open EDC’s books
Liu called on Bloomberg to change the agency’s “law-breaking” culture a day before the EDC was set to hold a public meeting to approve the agency’s restructuring as part of its recent settlement with the New York State Attorney General.
City
Comptroller John C. Liu today called on Mayor Bloomberg to move swiftly
to identify those senior administration officials
responsible for orchestrating and overseeing the illegal lobbying
activities at the Economic Development Corporation. In a letter to
Bloomberg, Liu also called for all of EDC’s finances to be made publicly
available online through the Checkbook NYC transparency
website.
Liu called on Bloomberg to change the agency’s “law-breaking” culture a day before the EDC was set to hold a public meeting to approve the agency’s restructuring as part of its recent settlement with the New York State Attorney General.
“Installing
new leadership and opening the books would help change the EDC’s
law-breaking culture, which, as documented in the settlement with
the Attorney General, used the agency’s budget as a political slush
fund for illegal lobbying,” Liu wrote.
The
EDC signed an agreement with the State Attorney General last week in
which it admitted to illegally lobbying City Council Members about
the Mayor’s economic agenda. However, there has been no move to hold
anyone at City Hall or the EDC accountable for these acknowledged
illegal activities.
Background:
Comptroller
Liu has been an outspoken critic of the EDC, its policies, and the
failure of the agency to create jobs — one of its main objectives. Some
links to past statements/audits are below:
LIU STATEMENT ON EDC ILLEGAL LOBBYING SETTLEMENT
(July 3, 2012)
LIU: EDC SUBSIDIZES EMPTY JOB PROMISES (March 19, 2012)
LIU STATEMENT ON EDC’s $100 MILLION SUBSIDY TO FRESH DIRECT (February 14, 2012)
AUDIT REPORT ON CONEY ISLAND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION’S FINANCIAL AND OPERATING PRACTICES
(November 7, 2011)
LIU: EDC KEEPS MILLIONS IDLE (Sept. 21, 2011)
LIU STATEMENT ON EDC’S IMMIGRANT ENTREPRENEUR PROGRAM (April 12, 2011)
LIU: CASH DISAPPEARS AT THE WATER CLUB ON EDC’S WATCH (February 9, 2011)
CITY RECAPTURES $120 MILLION FROM EDC (July 27, 2010)
AUDIT: EDC HOARDS $125 MILLION OF TAXPAYER MONIES (April 28, 2010)
The full letter from Comptroller Liu to Mayor Bloomberg is below:
July 9, 2012
Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor
City Hall
New York, New York 10007
Dear Mayor Bloomberg:
Last week your Administration admitted in a settlement with the New York State Attorney General that the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) knowingly and illegally lobbied City Council members about your development agenda.
The proposed legal restructuring of the EDC, which appears to have been undertaken so that the impermissible lobbying can continue, is clearly insufficient. It amounts to nothing more than business as usual.
To this end, I urge you to move swiftly to identify those senior officials from City Hall and the EDC responsible for the flagrant and repeated law-breaking activities, and hold them accountable. I also urge you to finally open the EDC’s books to the public. The EDC’s FY 2013 budget is projected to exceed $800 million. It’s time to post all of the EDC’s spending online on a daily basis, as other City agencies now do through Checkbook NYC.
Installing new leadership and opening the books would help change the EDC’s law-breaking culture, which, as documented in the settlement with the Attorney General, used the agency’s budget as a political slush fund for illegal lobbying.
As someone who has signed into law a number of lobbying reforms and been outspoken on the need for “insulating policymakers from the sway of special and moneyed interests” and strengthening the “taxpayers’ faith in their elected and appointed representatives,” I trust you agree that accountability and transparency in government are imperative.
These actions are necessary to prevent further waste of taxpayer money. I look forward to your prompt action in these matters.
Sincerely,
John C. Liu
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Adriano Espaillat Calls for 2 PM Press Conference
13th C.D. candidate Adriano Espaillat who finished second after all the ballots have been counted has schudeled a press conference for today at 2 PM.
It is being speculated that Espaillat will either admit defeat in the 13th C.D. race to run for his State Senate seat again, or will announce that he will push on with his lawsuit against the Board of Elections.
We will have the results for you in a later post.