STATEMENTS --RE: Paid Sick Leave Compromise

STATEMENT FROM BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ

RE: Paid Sick Leave Compromise

“This compromise is good news, and a victory for Bronxites and everyone across this city and state who fought so hard to see ‘paid sick leave’ become law. No New Yorker should have to choose between their job and caring for a sick child or a family member.

 “The ‘Paid Sick Leave’ legislative compromise will provide economic security and peace of mind for  an estimated one million New Yorkers, who will now have the fundamental right to take a compensated day off when they or a family member is sick without worrying about losing their paycheck, or worse, their job.

“I would like to thank Council Member Gale Brewer for having the courage to introduce this legislation, and I equally commend Council Member Dan Garodnick for putting forward some very reasonable changes to the original legislation. I also want to thank City Council Speaker Christine Quinn for listening on this issue, and the entire City Council for their efforts on behalf of this legislation. I also commend the NYC Paid Sick Days Coalition for their passionate work to provide working families this critical measure of economic security.

“This legislation, while not what was originally proposed, is indeed an important step forward for the workers of this city, and I hope that it would be expanded in the future to include those workers who are not covered under the current compromise legislation,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.
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City Comptroller John C. Liu issued the following statement on the City Council’s paid sick leave legislation:

“Congratulations to Councilwoman Gale Brewer and all of her colleagues on the City Council who poured their hearts and souls into drafting this important economic and public health legislation. Thanks to their advocacy, many more New Yorkers will soon be able to take care of themselves or a loved one who gets sick without risking their jobs or paychecks. Let’s hope that we can build on this momentum and help New York City become a national leader in creating a progressive workplace — one that offers all workers a living wage, affordable health care, and a secure retirement.”

 

 

VCP Ice Rink Closes

  The seasonal Ice Skating Rink in Van Cortlandt Park has been closed as the weather gets warmer and outdoor ice skating is no longer possible. As you will see in the photos below during the removal of the temporary ice skating rink it is not known exactly just what will remain on the site other than the permanent electrical work done. The new season will start around the beginning of November later this year.

The floor may have been taken up and the signs on the doors may say closed in the photo on the left, but in the photo on the right the ice skates still sit in their slots waiting to be rented. 

 

Both photos show how the temporary ice skating rink has been taken up. Rolls of material in the foreground of the photo on the right, and wood planks that supported the rink in the photo on the right.

Cohen Picks up Endorsement of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

    Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. endorsed Andrew Cohen, a Riverdale attorney and Community Board member, in his race to succeed the term-limited Oliver Koppell for the council’s 11th district seat. The announcement was made in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx and was followed by a walking tour of the important project sites throughout the Kingsbridge business district. 

  

   "I need partners like Andrew Cohen in the City Council. We have seen major gains in the northwest Bronx--and in every corner of this great borough. Andrew Cohen knows what this district needs to continue to see positive growth, and I am proud to support him for City Council," said Bronx Borough president Ruben Diaz Jr.

   “Being recognized by Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. is special not only because of his experience in state and city government, but because of his personal experience as a lifelong Bronxite,” Cohen said. “He knows what it takes to get things done and how to bring diverse constituencies together. With the Borough President’s help, I will work to bring all of the communities of the 11th Council District together to fight for sensible economic development and good jobs. His leadership on living wage, paid sick leave and his proposal for a gun crime registry demonstrate his commitment progressive policies that can improve the lives of people here in the Northwest Bronx. I hope to join Borough President Diaz as part of a new generation of leaders that, through broad coalitions, can make city government work for all of us.”

 

 Left - 11th city council candidate Andrew Cohen greets Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. at West 230th Street and Broadway, as the pair start walking up Broadway.

Right - Diaz & Cohen stop to speak to a prospective voter on Broadway.

Left - Diaz & Cohen stop to greet and speak to some more prospective voters on their walking tour up Broadway.

Right - In front of what will be the new Riverdale Crossings Shopping Center featuring a BJ'S Club store, BP Diaz points to Andrew Cohen as his choice in the 11th council district.

Wave Hill Events April 12–April 19

   If ever there were a moment in the seasonal calendar to feel drawn to Wave Hill, mid-April is surely it. Stop in Glyndor Gallery for a tour of the exhibition now open there—Drawn to Nature, of course—and wander back outside, into the glorious Woodlands, up into the Wild Garden, dotted with delicate spring blooms. And then take in that wonderful, big bowl of landscape and sky on the Great Lawn.

SAT, APRIL 13   FAMILY ART PROJECT—DAFFY FOR DAFFODILS

Daffy for Daffodils/Juqueteando con narcisos

Celebrate our flowering world by becoming a daffodil for a day. Make a hat or costume complete with a fringed trumpet and circle of petals, and join in a parade of spring blossoms. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.

ECOLOGY BUILDING, 10AM‒1PM

SAT, APRIL 13    GALLERY TOUR

Join a curatorial fellow for a tour of Wave Hill’s spring exhibition, Drawn to Nature, which features the work of seven artists who use drawing to convey a deep connection to the natural world. In the Sunroom Project Space, Matthew Jensen’s installation showcases found objects from the east and west coasts of the Bronx. Tours take place Tuesdays and Saturdays at 2PM. Free with admission to the grounds.

GLYNDOR GALLERY, 2PM

SUN, APRIL 14    BIRDING AT WAVE HILL

Expert birder, naturalist and educator Gabriel Willow leads these regular Sunday walks. Registration recommended. Ages 10 and older welcome with an adult. Free with admission to the grounds. NYC Audubon Members enjoy two-for-one admission.  Registration recommended, online at www.wavehill.org, by calling 718.549.3200 x305 or at the Perkins Visitor Center. Space is limited.

MEET AT THE PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 9:30AM

SUN, APRIL 14     FAMILY ART PROJECT—DAFFY FOR DAFFODILS

Daffy for Daffodils/Juqueteando con narcisos

Celebrate our flowering world by becoming a daffodil for a day. Make a hat or costume complete with a fringed trumpet and circle of petals, and join in a parade of spring blossoms. Free with admission to the grounds.

ECOLOGY BUILDING, 10AM‒1PM

SUN, APRIL 14    GARDEN HIGHLIGHTS WALK

Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the grounds.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2PM

MON, APRIL 15

Closed to the public.

TUE, APRIL 16    GARDEN HIGHLIGHTS WALK

Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free, and admission to the grounds is free all day.

MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM

TUE, APRIL 16    GALLERY TOUR

Join a curatorial fellow for a tour of Wave Hill’s spring exhibition, Drawn to Nature, which features the work of seven artists who use drawing to convey a deep connection to the natural world. In the Sunroom Project Space, Matthew Jensen’s installation showcases found objects from the east and west coasts of the Bronx. Tours take place Tuesdays and Saturdays at 2PM. Free, and admission to the grounds is free all day.

GLYNDOR GALLERY, 2PM

A 28-acre public garden and cultural center overlooking the Hudson River  and Palisades, Wave Hill’s mission is to celebrate the artistry and legacy of its gardens and landscape, to preserve its magnificent views, and to explore human connections to the natural world through programs in horticulture, education and the arts.

HOURS  Open all year, Tuesday through Sunday and many major holidays: 9AM—5:30PM. Closes 4:30PM, November 1—March 14.  

ADMISSION  $8 adults, $4 students and seniors 65+, $2 children 6—18. Free Saturday mornings until noon. Free all day Tuesdays in April. Free to Wave Hill Members and children under 6.

PROGRAM FEES  Program s are free with admission to the grounds unless otherwise noted.

Visitors to Wave Hill can take advantage of Metro-North’s one-day getaway offer. Purchase a discount round-trip rail far and discount admission to the gardens. More at http://mta.info/mnr/html/getaways/outbound_wavehill.htm

DIRECTIONS – Getting here is easy! Located only 3o minutes from midtown Manhattan, Wave Hill’s free shuttle van transports you to and from our front gate and Metro-North’s Riverdale station, as well as the 242^nd Street stop on the #1 subway line. Limited onsite parking is available for $8 per vehicle. Free offsite parking is available nearby with continuous, complimentary shuttle service to and from the offsite lot and our front gate. Complete directions and shuttle bus schedule at www.wavehill.org/visit/.
Information at 718.549.3200. On the web at www.wavehill.org.

BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ TO JOIN ‘HANDS ACROSS THE CONCOURSE’

 

Major Event Will Unite Thousands of Bronxites in Opposition to Violence

On Sunday, April 14, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. will join together with thousands of community and clergy members to join “Hands Across the Concourse” in opposition to gun violence and domestic violence.

The event, which is co-produced by the Bronx Reentry Task Force and the Bronx Clergy Criminal Justice Roundtable, will see Bronx residents and other concerned community leaders join hands in opposition to violence along the Grand Concourse, between West Kingsbridge Road and Mosholu Parkway.

“This is a perfect event for our brothers and sisters in the Bronx to show those who continue to plague our streets with violence that we are not afraid to stand together as one family, one Bronx to put a stop to these senseless acts of violence. The Bronx has had enough, and we will continue to work towards a safer borough for those who live, work and raise their family here,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

Those participating in the event will begin to line up along the route at 3 p.m., and Borough President Diaz will officially join hands at 4 p.m. at the West Kingsbridge Road location.

To register for the event, visit http://bit.ly/acrosstheconcourse.

WHAT:          “Hands Across the Concourse”

WHEN:          Sunday, April 14, 2013

§  Line-up @ 3 p.m.

§  Event kick-off @ 4 p.m.

WHERE:       Corner of West Kingsbridge Road & Grand Concourse

                        Bronx, NY

LIU: SETTLE 'CENTRAL PARK FIVE' CASE NOW

 Recent Court Order on Discovery Narrows Window for Settlement

Comptroller John C. Liu is urging the Mayor to instruct the New York City Law Department to negotiate promptly an appropriate settlement to the “Central Park Five” lawsuit, after lawyers for the five unjustly imprisoned men clearly expressed a willingness to engage in meaningful settlement discussions and a federal court set a deadline on discovery for the case, a significant development on the part of the court.

“The Law Department’s stance of refusing to explore a fair and just settlement of this lawsuit is imprudent,” Comptroller Liu wrote in a March 25 letter to Mayor Bloomberg. “I urge you to exercise your executive authority to assist in closing this terrible chapter in our City’s history, so that New Yorkers can finally put an end to the painful ‘Central Park Five’ saga.”

Pointing to flaws in the prosecution of the Five identified in 2002 by then-District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, Liu threw the risks of the City’s refusal to negotiate into sharp relief.

“The disturbing facts associated with this case raise the risk that at a civil trial of the Central Park Five’s claims, a jury may be persuaded that the NYPD or DA violated standards in investigating and prosecuting the Central Park Five,” he wrote. “Such a jury outcome could be very costly to the City.”

Under the City Charter, the Comptroller’s office approves all settlements for the City. Liu earlier this year warned that prolonging the case risks exposing the City to mounting legal costs, and he has continued to urge both sides to come to the table as soon as possible, even offering his boardroom as a venue for the discussions. His renewed call comes in light of a recent court order directing that fact discovery in the case be completed by early June (see attachment) and a letter from lawyers for the Central Park Five accepting his offer (see attachment).

Text of Comptroller Liu’s Letter to Mayor Bloomberg, March 25, 2013:

Dear Mayor Bloomberg,

I urge you to direct the New York City Law Department to negotiate promptly an appropriate settlement of the federal lawsuit brought by the ‘Central Park Five.’ 

More than ten years have passed since the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office (DA) advised New York State Supreme Court Justice Charles J. Tejada, in great detail and under penalty of perjury, that had newly available evidence “been received at trial, the verdict would have been more favorable to defendant[s].”  The DA also informed the Court that the many gaps and flaws in the defendants’ confessions “should have been apparent at time of trial” and that the career rapist and robber who later confessed to the attack had also admitted attacking many young women in and near Central Park in the months before the attack, including a rape and robbery in the Park just two days beforehand. 

The Court, perhaps in response to the growing outcry from countless New Yorkers outraged that this case remains unresolved after so many years, has now ordered the parties to complete all discovery in the case, which has dragged on for a decade, by the beginning of June. We believe this is a very significant development.

As the trial of this case inevitably draws closer, litigation experience clearly demonstrates that now is an appropriate time for both parties to negotiate in earnest. Prolonging the discovery process further only serves to increase the risk that City taxpayers will ultimately bear responsibility for significant attorneys’ fees incurred by plaintiffs. 

Moreover, the disturbing facts associated with this case raise the risk that at a civil trial of the Central Park Five’s claims, a jury may be persuaded that the NYPD or DA violated standards in investigating and prosecuting the Central Park Five. Such a jury outcome could be very costly to the City.

The Law Department’s stance of refusing to explore a fair and just settlement of this lawsuit is imprudent.  As indicated in the attached letter from plaintiffs’ counsel, plaintiffs have been and remain ready to engage in meaningful settlement discussions.  It is in the City’s best interest to engage in these discussions.

My office has the legal expertise and for decades has worked with the Law Department to negotiate fair settlements in many complex and high profile litigations, and I am confident that we can do so here.  A news report in the New York Times last month about the Law Department’s initiative to decide which police and federal civil rights cases should be “no pay” also points to the risk of that strategy ultimately costing the City more money.  In this case, that risk is significant. 

As I have said before, the young men who were wrongly imprisoned for this crime may not have been angels.  However, basic fairness in light of the facts of this case, and the need to protect the City against a possibly costly trial outcome, all support a serious effort to settle this matter. 

This troubling case has spanned the administrations of three of your predecessors. In the last year of your third term as Mayor, I urge you to exercise your executive authority to assist in closing this terrible chapter in our City’s history, so that New Yorkers can finally put an end to the painful ‘Central Park Five’ saga.

Sincerely,

John C. Liu

Background:

Liu: Time to Bring Closure to Tragic and Costly ‘Central Park Five’ Case, Jan. 4, 2013: http://www.comptroller.nyc.gov/press/2013_releases/pr13-01-002.shtm

Attachments:

Comptroller Liu’s letter to Mayor Bloomberg: http://www.comptroller.nyc.gov/press/pdfs/Letter-to-MRB.pdf

Court Order: http://www.comptroller.nyc.gov/press/pdfs/CP5-Court-Order.pdf

Letter from Plaintiffs’ Attorneys: http://www.comptroller.nyc.gov/press/pdfs/CP5-Plaintiffs-Letter.pdf

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CRESPO: Budget Good but Not Good Enough!

Assemblyman Marcos A. Crespo’s votes no on budget bill that fails to provide an indexed minimum wage increase and establishes the NYS Dream Act

ALBANY, NEW YORK – (03/28/2013)  ---  Assemblyman Marcos A. Crespo, today, voted no on part of the $136 billion 2013-2014 State Budget because major issues impacting his community where omitted and in other cases are inadequate to addressing the growing rates of poverty in the Bronx and New York State.

According to Assemblyman Marcos A. Crespo, member of the Assembly Standing Committee on Cities, “I want to make it clear that the Assembly, under the leadership of Speaker Sheldon Silver, has managed to turn back attempts to reduce State funding for our hospitals, schools, colleges and vital community services.  Yet Assembly efforts to shape a budget that meets the needs of all New Yorkers was derailed by the Senate Republicans and the Governor.”

“Specifically I am referring to the failure to immediately raise the minimum wage and index it to inflation and the failure to embrace the intellectual capital of undocumented immigrant children by enacting the Dream Act,” declared Crespo.

Crespo added, “I can not vote yes on a budget that places public relations gimmicks over the basic needs of my constituents and their families and children.  Passing an on-time budget with tax refunds for those making up to $300,000 per year while making a single mother wait three years for a $1.75 increase in her hourly wage is unacceptable.”

“There are defining moments in our lives that measure our values. If we can find millions to subsidize the business operations of multi-millionaires, then we can find the courage to secure State support for children and communities that have long been marginalized,” stated Crespo. “This is such a defining moment for me and my vote will reflect my convictions.”

Social Security Information Fair

  On Wednesday March 27th Congressman Charles Rangel held a Social Security Information Fair at Lehman College. Over 200 people participated in the event which had welcoming remarks from Congressman Rangel. The Regional Commissioner of the Social Security New York Region Ms. Beatrice Disman gave a presentation on the Social Security program. Topics included the cutback of 9,000 SSA workers nationwide due to attrition, and the recent budget cutting by congress. There will be longer waits and shorter hours at SSA offices. Ms. Disman emphasized that there are more online services, and that over 1/3 of new applicants now enroll online.

  There was a discussion of direct deposit, and that new applicants must either have their funds direct deposited or on a Visa debit card. Questions were taken from the audience, and there were SSA specialists on hand to handle the many individual problems that came up.

Left - Congressman Rangel and Ms. Disman of the SSA.

Right - There was also sign language provided.

Left - A view of the crowd.

Right - Community Board 8 Aging Committee Chairman & City Council candidate Andrew Cohen is introduced by Congressman Rangel.