REVERENDO Y SENADOR RUBEN DIAZ ANUNCIA RESPALDO A HÉCTOR RAMÍREZ PARA LA ASAMBLEA ESTATAL

El Reverendo y Senador Estatal Rubén Díaz anuncio hoy su respaldo a Héctor Ramírez para el distrito 86 de la Asamblea Estatal, prometiendo hacer todo lo que esté a su alcance para garantizar su victoria en las elecciones del próximo 9 de septiembre.

“Conozco a Ramírez durante mucho tiempo y sé que irá a Albany a representar a la gente de su distrito con dignidad y determinación. Durante el tiempo que llevo en la Legislatura Estatal, he visto la necesidad de enviar representantes que vayan a luchar para resolver los problemas de nuestros vecindarios y no a servir como peones de los intereses especiales. Ramírez es la mejor opción en estas elecciones y le exhorto a que, si usted quiere un cambio positivo en su comunidad, el próximo martes no se quede en su casa y salga a votar por Héctor Ramírez”, dijo el Senador Díaz.

Ramírez tiene una amplia vocación de servicios. En el 1992, Ramírez fue electo como Líder en el Distrito 86 de la Asamblea y fue re-electo en esa posición tres veces. Como líder de Distrito, Ramírez sirvió un área densamente poblada, cubriendo los vecindarios de University Heights, Tremont y Morris Heights, en El Bronx, como un enlace no pagado de la comunidad y las agencias gubernamentales, organizaciones de base, funcionarios y dirigentes del Partido Demócrata. Su ardua labor le ha dado la reputación como un líder honesto y responsable.

“Cuando se trata de defender a nuestra gente, el Reverendo y Senador Rubén Díaz siempre ha sido una de las voces más fuertes en Albany a favor de los necesitados. Su lucha por los programas de ayuda a las personas mayores y por el desarrollo de los jóvenes es esencial para mejorar la calidad de vida en este distrito. En Albany necesitamos oficiales electos que como el Senador Díaz no le tiemblen las rodillas ante los intereses especiales. Me siento muy orgulloso de recibir su respaldo para la Asamblea Estatal”, dijo Ramírez.

Además del Reverendo y Senador Rubén Díaz, Ramírez ha recibido un entusiasta respaldo de numerosas organizaciones y líderes comunitarios que luchan por traer un cambio al Distrito 86. Brigadas de voluntarios están tocando puertas, distribuyendo el mensaje de la campaña y haciendo llamadas telefónicas a los votantes todos los días. Para mayor información sobre como participar como voluntario o voluntaria en la campaña para llevar a Héctor Ramírez a la Asamblea Estatal, favor llamar al 929-259-9032 o escribir a:ramirezbronx@gmail.com

Las primarias demócratas son el martes 9 de septiembre.

A Day of Remembrance

A Day of Remembrance 

Bronx Borough President

851 Grand ConcourseBronx, 

New York 10451

718-590-3500

CITY PARKS FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES FALL 2014 SEASON OF CITYPARKS SENIORS FITNESS PRESENTED BY AIRBNB

Free Yoga and Fitness Walking Instruction in the Bronx September 22nd - October 31st, 2014

City Parks Foundation welcomes all New Yorkers, 60 and over, to participate in CityParks Seniors Fitness presented by Airbnb. The Fall 2014 season of Seniors Fitness programs will begin the week ofSeptember 22, 2014, and will offer free tennis lessons, yoga instruction and fitness walking in 14 parks across the city.

All activities in this six-week fitness program take place once or twice a week at each location throughOctober 31st.  Participants are encouraged to maintain regular attendance to maximize health benefits. 

CityParks Seniors Fitness has served over 5,000 participants since it began in 2006 and aims to keep neighborhood parks a great place for community activity. The program encourages New Yorkers to maximize the health benefits of staying active at all ages. Even in moderate amounts, exercise can help participants feel better, maintain or lose weight, reduce risk of heart disease and diabetes, and minimize the symptoms of arthritis. 

"Every day, New York City parks provide a place for residents and visitors from all five boroughs and around the world to gather, be active, and experience all that this great city has to offer," said Airbnb's New York City Manager Wrede Petersmeyer. "The Airbnb community is committed to making New York a better place to live, work, and visit - and we are thrilled to support City Parks Foundation and all of the important resources they provide." 

For more information about City Parks Foundation’s free Seniors Fitness programs, please call the Sports Department at (718) 760-6999. All equipment and instruction is provided free of charge. Sessions are one or two hours, once or twice a week.

The following is a detailed schedule for CityParks Seniors Fitness in the Bronx for Fall 2014: 

NOTE: Schedule subject to change. For the most up-to-date schedule visit: http://www.cityparksfoundation.org/sports/seniors-fitness. 

BRONX 

Pelham Bay Park 

Yoga – Tuesdays/Thursdays at 9AM - Middletown Rd & Stadium Ave 

Soundview Park 

Walking - Mondays/Wednesdays at 9AM - Lafayette Ave between Boynton & Colgate 

Yoga - Mondays/Wednesdays at 10AM - Lafayette Ave between Boynton & Colgate 

Van Cortlandt Park/Woodlawn 

Yoga - Mondays/Wednesdays at 9 AM - Woodlawn Tennis Courts Jerome Ave & E 233^rd St

Walking - Tuesdays/Thursdays at 9 AM - Woodlawn Tennis Courts Jerome Ave & E 233^rd St

As in all of its programming and activities, City Parks Foundation partners with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation to improve neighborhood parks and the communities they serve. 

CityParks Seniors Fitness presented by Airbnb is generously supported by Zwicker Electric; NYC Council under the leadership of Melissa Mark-Viverito; Manhattan Delegation of the NYC Council; NYC Council Member Julissa Ferreras; NYC Council Member Ben Kallos; NYC Council Member Helen Rosenthal; NYC Council Member Annabel Palma; and NYC Council Member Laurie Cumbo, in cooperation with NYC Parks. City Parks Foundation’s Sports & Fitness Programs offer free expert instruction to over 15,000 New York youth and seniors at over 60 locations citywide. 

FREE Movie in Vinmont Park this Saturday, September 6th at Dusk - The Lego Movie!

  FREE Movie in Vinmont Park this Saturday, September 6th at Dusk - The Lego Movie!

Bring your chairs and blankets and come out for a great community evening!  It is this Saturday tonight,September 6th at Dusk in Vinmont Park, Mosholu Ave and 255th Street, Riverdale, NY 10471.

 

We will show the hit family movie - The Lego Movie! Before the movie,  block lovers of all ages can create structures at KRVC's signature "Blocks Exhibit!"

This movie will be shown on KRVC's giant 20 foot screen that we were able to purchase last summer via a generous grant we received from State Senator Jeff Klein.  Owning a piece of expensive equipment like this brings an opportunity for us to branch out in other areas to use the screen as often as we can. KRVC is proud that our screen has been shared with many communities and that hundreds of people have enjoyed this special experience of outdoor summer movies.  READ MORE!

Mayor de Blasio Announces 120 New Speed Cameras by PS/MS 95

  

  Mayor Bill deBlasio came to PS/MS 95 this morning to announce 120 new speed cameras for streets around NYC schools. Standing in front of two (and next to one in a photo above) of the six new mobile speed camera cars Mayor de Blasio praised State Senate Co-Leader Jeff Klein saying that Senator Klein was an intricate part of getting this and other legislation such as the new slower 25 mile per hour NYC speed limit passed in Albany. There will be 120 new speed cameras an increase from the present 20 for a total of 140 citywide. These speed cameras will give students an advantage when school returns said NYC DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg.

Also on hand were Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., Councilman Andrew Cohen, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Community Board 8 Chairman Dan Padernacht, 50th Precinct commanding officer Deputy Inspector Paul Rasa, and many others.

Right to left are Community Board 8 Chair Dan Padernacht, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Mayor Bill de Blasio (at the podium), Bronx BP Ruben Diaz Jr., and NYC DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg.

NYC DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg tells why the additional speed cameras are needed.

Senator Jeff Klein tells why he works so hard to get legislation like this passed.

 BP Diaz thanks Senator Klein for his hard work in the state senate.

Mayor de Blasio (center) with Senator Klein, Councilman Cohen, Assemblyman Dinowitz, and Bronx BP Diaz Jr.

What Happens if Tim Wu Wins Primary For Lt. Gov.

  Fred Dicker of the New York Post writes some of Governor Andrew Cuomo's political operatives are preparing for a possible Tim Wu victory over Kathy Hochul for Lieutenant Governor on primary day. Dicker writes that should WU (who is picking up more momentum every day) win the Democratic primary that Kathy Hochul would remain on the other lines (Independence, Working Families, and Women's Equality). The votes on those three lines would not be counted since Cuomo would have a different running mate from the Democratic line. 

  The one saving grace for Cuomo is that he would have until September 16th, one week after the primary to have Kathy Hochul be placed on the ballot for a judgeship position, which would allow for Cuomo to put Wu (should he win the primary for Lt. Gov.) on the other three ballot lines. 

  Dicker also goes into what even a 30 percent vote for Wu and running mate Zephyr Teachout for Governor would have on Cuomo's political future as a candidate for President. The entire New York Post article by Fred Dicker "Cuomo may Dump Hochul Fearing a Tim Wu Primary Win can be found HERE.

STATEMENT FROM BP DIAZ RE: Sen. Ted Cruz's Bronx Bashing

  Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. has issued the following statement in response to Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz’s attack on The Bronx, made during a speech before the conservative group Americans for Prosperity on Saturday:

“Ted Cruz's willingness to traffic in the outdated stereotypes of past decades is disgusting, and is totally devoid of truth. The Bronx has seen unprecedented positive growth in recent years, and Senator Cruz's infantile attempt to score cheap political points by slandering our borough is revolting, and unworthy of the title of United States Senator." 

"Grow up, Senator Cruz," said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr."

Coverage of Sen. Cruz’s remarks can be found here: http://read.bi/1Cg0PaV.

DiNapoli: State Agency Overtime Tops $316 Million Halfway Into 2014

State agencies spent more than $316 million on overtime in the first six months of 2014, a jump of $22 million over the same period in 2013, New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced today.  State employees worked more than 7.8 million overtime hours, up 7.6 percent over the same period in 2013.

“This troubling trend could again result in a record-breaking year of overtime hours and overtime pay,” DiNapoli said. “Our state agencies need to examine their practices, get to the root of what is driving high overtime and better manage these costs.”

DiNapoli’s office routinely issues reports on ways to improve the efficiency of state operations, including periodic reports on how overtime is managed by state agencies.

The total cost of overtime as a percentage of gross payroll rose slightly from 3.9 percent to 4.3 percent in the first six months of 2014. If overtime continues to rise at this pace, total costs for 2014 could exceed $640 million.  Last year, overtime at state agencies rose to a record $611 million, up nearly 16 percent over 2012.

Some of the increase is due to recent salary and other increases paid to state employees, which resulted in a higher cost-per-hour of overtime worked. However, total overtime hours also rose for many agencies.

The four agencies identified below accounted for 97.6 percent of the statewide increase in overtime costs in the first six months of 2014.

Agency	OT Spending  (Jan-Jun 2014)	$ Increase	% Increase
Dept. of Corrections	$79,787,588	$6,864,970	9%
Office of Mental Health	$51,199,194	$6,167,989	14%
OPWDD	$67,092,038	$5,992,504	10%
Taxation & Finance	$4,595,174	$2,556,199	125%

Three of those agencies, which operate institutional facilities, accounted for 62.7 percent of total overtime spending: Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, and Office of Mental Health. These three agencies also accounted for 63.2 percent of all overtime hours worked.

The highest increase in overtime hours was at the Department of Taxation and Finance, which saw a 128 percent jump, followed by the Office of Information Technology Services with 110 percent. Last year, Taxation and Finance ran up more than $8 million in overtime costs due in large part to problematic monitoring and processing of paper income tax returns.

Other state agencies decreased overtime spending in the first six months of 2014. The highest percentage decreases among agencies which spent at least $500,000 on overtime were: Department of Labor, down nearly 72 percent; Division of Homeland Security, down 67 percent; and the Department of Financial Services, down 65 percent.

Generally, state employees who are eligible for overtime compensation are paid at a rate of 1 ½ times their regular pay. Overtime may also impact pension payout calculations.

For overtime spending data, click here:http://www.osc.state.ny.us/press/releases/aug14/comp_ot_earn_cy2013_14.pdf

For overtime hours data, click here: http://www.osc.state.ny.us/press/releases/aug14/comp_ot_hr_cy2013_14.pdf