TOO HARD FOR ME TO SWALLOW

What You Should Know 
By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz
32nd Senatorial District 

You should know that “I can’t breathe” were the last words that Mr. Eric Garner ever pronounced.  He said these words eleven times before he fell unconscious while being subject to brutal acts of excessive police force.  While Mr. Eric Garner was being subjected to an illegal chokehold, he also had his face crushed into the sidewalk by the knees of a Police Officer.

It is important for you to know some facts surrounding that incident.

#1  The use of the chokehold was banned by the New York City Police Department in 1993.  The NYPD Patrol Guide clearly states: “Members of the New York City Police Department will NOT use chokeholds. A chokehold shall include, but is not limited to, any pressure to the throat or windpipe, which may prevent or hinder breathing or reduce intake of air.”

#2  The autopsy results that were conducted on Mr. Eric Garner’s body by the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that his death was a homicide and that a chokehold killed him.

#3  It is common knowledge that any prosecutor or District Attorney has all of the power and tools and resources to personally control the legal process in court to indict a ham sandwich if he or she ever wanted to.

#4  There is a video that was taken to document what took place during the police actions on the day of Mr. Eric Garner’s death. This video captured the conversation, the intent of the police officer to detain Mr. Eric Garner, the action of the police officer to use excessive force, the last words of Mr. Eric Garner who cried for help saying: “I can’t breathe,” and the inaction of the other police officers and the Emergency Medical team.  Lastly, the video also captured the smirk and mocking attitude Police Officer Daniel Pantaleo showed on camera during the moments that Mr. Eric Garner was taken into the ambulance.

You should also know that Americans throughout our nation – including both those who are pro-police officer and anti-police officer – as well as the full spectrum of media from conservative to liberal, have all expressed some form of repudiation, anger, disgust and disbelief about the way Mr. Eric Garner lost his life at hands of the New York City Police Department.

The questions that I continue to ask about Mr. Eric Garner’s death are:  How is possible that a District Attorney, who could indict a ham sandwich, did not find any wrongdoing to present to the Grand Jury?  What kind of evidence did the Staten Island District Attorney present to the Grand Jury? Did the Grand Jury pay attention to the video and the dialogue that took place on the same video that the whole country has seen the way that Mr. Eric Garner was treated while he was on the ground clearly saying: “I can’t breathe.” eleven times?

To me, it is very difficult if not impossible to understand why, after hearing the forensics reports and after seeing a video that speaks for itself showing Mr. Eric Garner’s head being crushed into the concrete sidewalk, how could someone claim that Mr. Eric Garner was resisting arrest?  To me, it is ridiculous to think that anyone in that position could be resisting arrest.

My prayers are for Mr. Eric Garner’s family. I am most hopeful that when the federal government takes charge of this case, the federal court will render the justice this case deserves.

Ladies and gentlemen, I believe that our city should be free of crime and safe enough for our senior citizens and our entire community to walk on our streets without fear.  I am a law abiding citizen who has always and will continue to respect police officers and support the New York City Police Department, but this specific incident is too hard for me to swallow.

This is Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz, and this is what you should know.

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, other elected officials insist that permanent changes must be made to improve service on Bx7 and Bx10 bus lines

 After hearing from MTA NYC Transit officials, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, State Senator Jeffrey Klein, Council Member Andrew Cohen, and Bronx Community Board 8 Traffic & Transportation Committee Chair Michael Heller declared the MTA’s recent efforts to improve service on the Bx7 and Bx10 bus lines to be promising first steps but insisted that more permanent measures must be implemented to address serious overcrowding issues on the two routes.

For several years, service on the Bx7 and Bx10 bus lines has been plagued by delays, overcrowding, and long waits, particularly during the morning and evening rush hours. In August, Assemblyman Dinowitz and State Senator Klein held a press conference at the West 231^st Street stop, demanding that the MTA take steps to improve service. While, over the past several months, the MTA has made a number of short-term changes that have reduced some overcrowding along the Bx7 line, the authority has not yet changed bus schedules or permanently added buses to either line. Assemblyman Dinowitz and his colleagues in government are adamant that lasting changes must be undertaken to truly fix the problem.

Assemblyman Dinowitz said, “Delays and overcrowding on the Bx7 and Bx10 bus lines will never be truly resolved without permanent changes. While I credit the MTA for listening to the concerns of myself and others in the community and searching for solutions to this problem, I urge the MTA to add additional buses to both routes, as well as investigate the possibility of extending nearby bus lines into the Northwest Bronx to accommodate the thousands of commuters who rely on these public services every week.”

Assemblyman Dinowitz’s recommendations include:

• Permanently add buses to the Bx7 and Bx10 routes.
• Extend the Bx3 up Broadway into Riverdale.
• Extend the M100 from Manhattan into the Bronx or increase service to the Bx20 route.

Senator Jeff Klein  said: “The measures taken by the MTA and transit officials to fix the Bx10 and Bx7 bus lines are great first steps, but they are just that – first steps. More needs to be done to ease congestion and improve the daily commute of countless of Bronx residents. We need these buses to run on time and make the right stops for commuters. After months of trying to solve this, it’s simply unacceptable that on these lines, buses are still too crowded and people are still waiting too long.” 

“While the current efforts to improve service on the Bx7 and Bx10 bus lines have had a positive response, I believe our request to permanently add buses to these routes, as well as extend the Bx3 and M100 routes farther north into The Bronx will drastically improve the severe overcrowding conditions commuters are currently experiencing. These improvements, along with the bus countdown clock that will be installed at the West 231st Street bus stop from capital funds I allocated at the beginning of my term will also help relieve the long wait times now that the harsh winter months are approaching,” said Council Member Andrew Cohen.

Michael Heller, Chair of the Traffic & Transportation Committee of Bronx Community Board 8 said, “We were very pleased that the MTA sent senior managers to our Traffic and Transportation Committee, and we hope that spirit of cooperation extends to concrete improvements in services to our community.’

At the invitation of the Bronx Community Board 8 Traffic and Transportation Committee, MTA NYC Transit officials attended the committee meeting in November to explain the steps they have taken in recent months to improve bus service. The MTA officials announced several changes, including: temporarily adding three articulated buses to the Bx7 route between West 231^st and West 263^rd during weekday rush hours; improving communication systems between MTA drivers on each line to minimize bus bunch-ups; and eliminating the practice of having several 1 trains turn around before reaching the Bronx during rush hours, which led to doubly-full trains arriving at the West 231^st Street station. At the meeting, the MTA officials agreed to study the recommendations made by Assemblyman Dinowitz and members of the community. Bus schedules are reviewed by the MTA four times annually, with the next change coming this spring.

MAYOR DE BLASIO, CHANCELLOR FARIÑA, CSA ANNOUNCE TENTATIVE CONTRACT AGREEMENT

  Fiscally responsible agreement includes an average of 2 percent in raises a year over the life of the contract, consistent with established pattern—including unprecedented health care savings; with this agreement, 67 percent of City workforce is now settled

Pattern settlement underpins key elements of de Blasio administration’s education priorities: new Ambassador Principals/APs to support struggling schools, principals’ support to strengthen PROSE schools, new Model and Master Principal/AP roles to help strong leaders mentor peers

  

NEW YORK—Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today that the City of New York has reached a tentative contract agreement with the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators (CSA), meaning that the de Blasio administration has now reached agreements with 67 percent of the City workforce that had previously been working under expired contracts.

CSA represents public school principals, assistant principals, supervisors, and education administrators. The pattern of the tentative agreement with CSA is consistent with the pattern established with the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) contract earlier this year. The agreements also include the unprecedented health care savings agreed upon with the Municipal Labor Committee, ensuring that these raises are affordable and responsible for the City and its taxpayers. Even after the City’s budget factored in the pattern settlement for the first time since the contracts were left open in 2009, out-year gaps remained well below the historical average under prior administrations.

As part of today’s tentative contract, the City and the CSA have agreed to deepen the commitment to improving struggling schools. Ambassador teams will go to targeted struggling schools, including Renewal Schools, across the city to support and reinvigorate leadership. The Master and Model positions combine for leaders who excel and take on substantial additional roles and responsibilities outside their usual roles and, in many cases, extend their reach to other schools. This will leverage great leaders across the city. 

The proposed nine-year, one-month, 15-day contract with CSA would begin, retroactively, on March 6, 2010 and expire on April 20, 2019 and include an average of 2 percent per year in raises over the life of the contract.

“This agreement with CSA means that all of our school administrators will get the fair wages they deserve in a way that protects the City’s long-term fiscal health,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Our administration has made it a priority to restore a productive and respectful dynamic between the City and its employees—and, as a result, we’ve reached agreements with 67 percent of our workforce that are consistent with the pattern we established earlier this year, including the unprecedented and guaranteed health care savings. But above all else, this is an education contract that will spur innovation and help us ensure the best educators are leading our schools.”

“As a former member of CSA, I believe strongly that principals make a major difference in the lives of children, families, teachers and everyone they come into contact with,” said Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña. “Being able to work collaboratively towards this contract ensures that the children of New York City will come first in many different ways. Today, we are celebrating a new beginning for the City with our school leaders coming together around the most important school issue: to support our students learning and ensure student achievement.”

“CSA members will now have the contract they demanded, one that recognizes their invaluable role in educating our children, and one that reflects Chancellor Fariña’s ethic of cooperation,” said CSA President Ernest Logan. “Every one of our DOE members will get the compensation they expected. And this includes the lump sum payments they earned as teachers of our children. This encompasses those who were promoted from the classroom into CSA leadership positions; those who will be promoted into CSA in the future; and those who have been promoted out of CSA to superintendent positions or management positions at Tweed and other offices throughout the system. The wisdom of this is that the Chancellor will now have little trouble promoting from within the school system to get the experienced, professional educators she needs to carry out her visionary agenda. With this agreement, CSA members will also have more authority to effectively manage their work days to be better able to deal with longer Monday and Tuesday class days; a more carefully monitored paperwork load; and a more expeditious system of investigations. All of these advances will help lessen certain gratuitous burdens on our school leaders and let them be better able to focus on their first priority, the instructional needs of our children.”

Under the tentative agreements announced today, CSA employees would receive the same restructured payments in lieu of the raises that had been granted by the previous administration to much of the municipal workforce: 4 percent for 2010 and 4 percent for 2011, provided in increments from 2015 through 2021. CSA employees, including those who had been promoted to supervisory positions since 2009, will receive the full restructured payments; the cost of these payments will be shared between CSA and the City, ensuring that the total cost of the contract remains affordable.

All employees would also receive raises of approximately 2 percent a year, each year from 2015 through 2018.

In total, the MLC and the City have agreed to secure $3.4 billion in health care savings through Fiscal Year 2018, and $1.3 billion in savings every year thereafter. The City and the municipal unions will work to secure cost-cutting measures, aimed at bending the curve of rising health care costs for the first time. These savings are guaranteed and enforceable by arbitration. 

All additional benefits agreed upon with the CSA will also be fully funded within the pattern settlement. 

CSA’s over 6,000 employees have worked without a contract since 2010. The terms of the agreements must be approved by the union’s full in-service membership.

Key Educational Reforms

Ambassador Program to Support Struggling Schools

To bring strong leadership to struggling schools, including Renewal Schools, the contract establishes a Principal/Assistant Principal Ambassador program for accomplished leaders to turn around low-performing schools. These expert teams will include a highly skilled principal and assistant principals from successful schools, who will be brought in to fill vacancies or take over leadership at struggling schools. These leaders will have the option of remaining at their new schools after one year, or returning to their home schools. Ambassador Principals and Assistant Principals will be compensated an additional $15,000 and $10,000, respectively. 

PROSE Schools

The contract reinforces the administration’s PROSE Schools program, paving the way for 200 schools to innovate new ways to improve student outcomes, ranging from reworking the school day and year, to wider variations in how a school day is programmed. The changes will be accomplished through exemptions to certain Chancellor’s Regulations or CSA contract provisions. 

Support Quality Public Schools in Underserved Communities

The agreement establishes new incentives to attract and retain quality principals and assistant principals in high-need schools. The “Hard to Staff School Differential” will additionally compensate principals and assistant principals, selected at the Chancellor’s discretion.

Reward and Retain the Best Professionals

The contract establishes an unprecedented career ladder for excellent educators through new Model and Master Principal/Assistant Principal positions. These positions, created at the Chancellor’s discretion, will give principals and assistant principals who excel additional responsibilities, including coaching their colleagues. Master Principals will be compensated an additional $25,000; Assistant Principals will be compensated an additional $20,000. Model Principals and Assistant Principals will receive an additional $15,000 and $10,000, respectively.

Excessed supervisors will have severance opportunities and an expedited disciplinary process mirroring the process created earlier this year in the teachers’ contract.

Fair Wages

The tentative contract agreement includes an average of 2 percent in raises a year over the life of the contract, conforming with the pattern settlement in place for other City unions.

For the “2008 to 2010” round of bargaining, as with UFT employees, CSA employees will receive restructured payments in lieu of the raises that had been granted by the previous administration to much of the municipal workforce: 4 percent for 2010 and 4 percent for 2011.

The wages CSA employees did not receive will be restructured and provided in incremental lump sum payments, from 2015 to 2020, reflecting a percentage of the balance as of the payout date—12.5 percent in 2016, 12.5 percent in 2018, and 25 percent each in 2019, 2020, and 2021. 

The increases they did not receive will also be restored to their salaries at 2 percent a year, each year, from 2015 through 2018, as follows:

September 6, 2015: 2.0%

September 6, 2016: 2.0%

September 6, 2017: 2.0%

September 6, 2018: 2.0%

For the “2010 to 2017” round of bargaining, employees will receive increases, also based on the established pattern:

September 6, 2013: 1.00%

September 6, 2014: 1.00%

September 6, 2016: 1.50%

October 6, 2017: 2.50%

October 6, 2018: 4.00%

                                                                        

The agreement also includes a one-time $1,000 ratification bonus.

Affordable Costs

The costs of today’s tentative agreement are as follows:

FY2014-2018:

Gross Cost: $500.9 million

Health Savings and Stabilization Fund: ($73.4 million)

Net Cost: $427.5 million

FY2019-2021:

Gross Cost of Lump Sum Payments: $390 million

Health Savings: ($74.1 million)

Net Cost: $315.9 million

The contract adheres to existing labor patterns in place for all other City unions. The total costs above include $72 million required to ensure CSA employees receive comparable benefits to other City workers; all other costs above were included in previous budgetary projections.

Just What is the Speed Limit - Especially by a School

  The above photo was taken on the Thursday December 4th afternoon outside Public School 81 on Riverdale Avenue. This is the school that former Mayor Mike Bloomberg visited with his then Traffic Commissioner to thank Senator Jeff Klein for the Speed Camera legislation that Senator Klein had sponsored. 

  Moving to today Mayor Bill de Blasio stood outside PS/MS 95 boasting of the increased number of speed cameras in New York City that was passed by the state legislature. You check the September archive section for September 2nd '120 New Speed Cameras', and you can read about it and see one of the six speed camera cars the mayor showed off. 

  Starting November 7th the Mayor and City Council passed a law reducing the speed limit on New York City roads from 30 miles per hour to 25 MPH unless otherwise posted. It was said that all street speed limit signs would be changed especially by schools. 

  So Mister Mayor why is it that in front of a public school that the former Mayor made such a big stink about speeding still has the higher 30 MPH speed limit sign? Is this another 'Tale of Two Cities ' where Manhattan comes first and the outer boroughs come next? Didn't you promise to end that?

Con Edison comes to the Boston Road Area

  This was what the corner of Boston Road and Waring Avenue looked like this past week, as Con Edison came to the area to dig and lay high pressure gas lines. You will see in the other photos just as I have been reporting in the Northwest Bronx area of Community Board 8 that the Boston Road area of Community Board 11 will have the pleasure or should I say displeasure of having Con Edison Rip up their streets. You will also see as before how Con Edison leaves the street condition, and always is up to date on permits. Just who am I trying to fool. you will also see the posted permits where the completion date on one is 12 - 9 - 2009. 

Left - The dates of start and completion have been scratched off on this permit.

Right On the only other permit the date of completion is Dec. 9, 2009, almost 5 years ago.

Left -  The middle of Boston Road and Waring Avenue.

Right - Just how deep are they digging.

  

Waring Avenue is left like this after the high pressure gas pipe is laid in the street.

Shades of the movie Tremors, no this is only the high pressure gas pipe being placed underground not one of the giant worms from the movie.

MAYOR DE BLASIO, COMMISSIONER STEVEN BANKS AND COMMISSIONER NISHA AGARWAL ANNOUNCE FULL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AND OPERATIONAL DETAILS OF IDNYC

  Mayor de Blasio commits to robust fraud prevention measures and strict privacy protections for applicant information

   Mayor Bill de Blasio, Human Resources Administration (HRA) Commissioner Steven Banks, and Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs Nisha Agarwal announced today the publication of the municipal identification card program eligibility and privacy policies, establishing broad access for all New Yorkers to apply for the card while implementing strong measures to ensure applicant privacy and prevent against fraud and identity theft. The administration also announced the official name and logo of this historic initiative: IDNYC.

“A great deal of analysis and care went into ensuring our IDNYC card is strong on privacy and security, while providing access to as many people as possible,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We want New Yorkers to feel proud to carry this card in their wallet, but also to feel confident knowing that their information is safe and secure. I am pleased to announce today that we are truly delivering on the most ambitious municipal ID card program in the country, built with the best technology, secured with thoughtful privacy protections, and accessible to the widest cross-section of individuals.”

“HRA is proud to have been selected as the IDNYC program administrator based on our experience and expertise in serving millions of New Yorkers, while protecting against fraud,” said HRA Commissioner Steven Banks. “After listening closely to the feedback provided at the public hearing and in other forums, we developed Executive Orders that detail our commitment to applicant privacy, general program integrity, identity theft prevention and the creation of a customer-friendly appeals process. Through IDNYC, HRA will offer New Yorkers exemplary customer service on the front end and robust quality assurance and integrity procedures on the back end.”

“Thanks to the feedback we received from advocates, focus groups, immigrants, and the public hearings process, the IDNYC card reflects the needs and concerns of our communities,” said NYC Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs Nisha Agarwal. “We are going to continue to develop the program, working with businesses and our community partners to make new benefits available to cardholders as the program grows. Today’s announcement underscores our commitment to delivering to New Yorkers the best possible and most robust municipal ID card program in the country.”

“The City Council is proud to have spearheaded IDNYC, a groundbreaking program that will provide all New Yorkers with a safe, secure form of identification,” said City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “We are strongly committed to helping residents take full advantage of what the City offers so they can contribute to the economic vibrancy of New York. The eligibility policies established by the Administration will ensure that no person will be excluded from applying for the largest municipal ID program in the nation.”

“New York City continues to push the boundaries that have historically kept government and community disconnected from one another,” said Councilmember Carlos Menchaca. “The launch of IDNYC addresses the growing concern that because of a lack of proper identification, New York City residents are missing out on some of the key resources that make New York both a world class cultural destination, and a City with resources available to help secure dignified life for hardworking families and individuals. This ID program represents the way that government can ensure that residents are enfranchised, empowered, and able to be fully a part of our diverse communities. I look forward to working with the Administration, my colleagues in the Council, and with community groups to ensure the success of this program in my district, and across the five boroughs.”

“The New York Immigration Coalition applauds the de Blasio Administration for creating a safe, secure, and accessible Municipal ID Program,” said Steve Choi, Executive Director of NYIC. The rules and executive orders announced today for IDNYC represent a program that will allow the fullest eligibility possible, the most privacy permissible under current law, and critical protections for our communities against fraud. We stand confidently behind IDNYC and thank the Administration for listening to and acting upon the concerns of immigrant and other communities. We look forward to continuing to work alongside the City to ensure successful implementation of IDNYC.”

“I am very excited for the launch of the Municipal ID program and commend the Mayor and his staff for listening to our concerns, taking them to heart and ensuring that New Yorkers get the best quality service and protections as they go through the process,” said Linda Sarsour, Executive Director, Arab American Association of New York.

On July 10, 2014, Mayor de Blasio signed Local Law No. 35, establishing the New York City Identification Card Program to ensure that every New Yorker is provided with the opportunity and peace of mind that comes with possessing a government issued photo identification. On August 4^th, Mayor de Blasio signed Executive Order 6 of 2014 designating the Human Resources Administration as the administering agency of IDNYC.

The newly published rules provide that:

•         The IDNYC Card will be provided to applicants free of charge (the de Blasio Administration has committed to making IDNYC available free of charge for the first year of the program throughDecember 31, 2015)

•         The IDNYC Card will expire after five years

•         The minimum age to apply for the card will be 14 years of age

•         Applicants will be required to present proof of identity and proof of residency in New York City

•         Homeless New Yorkers without a permanent address will have the ability to obtain a card

•         The card will provide address confidentiality protections to survivors of domestic violence

Additionally, the rules establish which documents may be used to demonstrate identity and residency.  The rule sets forth over 40 categories of documents that may be used to establish identity, including foreign passports and consular identification cards, foreign birth certificates, military identification, U.S. high school diplomas, and U.S. voter registration cards. Applicants will be able to demonstrate residency in New York City with cable, phone or utility bills, bank statements, and residential leases, among other documents. The documents will be accepted on a point-based system that weighs document value, similar to the one used by the New York State DMV.

Applicants without a home address will be able to list a Care Of address on their card. Passports that are machine-readable will be accepted up to three years after expiration, but all other documents must be current. There will be a 30-day window for applicants to appeal IDNYC denials.

The need for the City of New York to create an additional form of government-issued photo identification is significant, as approximately half of New York City residents age 16 and over do not have a New York State Driver’s License. The IDNYC Card will connect New Yorkers in all five boroughs – regardless of immigration status, homeless status, or gender identity – to public and private sector services, including one-year free membership packages at 33 of the City’s leading cultural institutions.

On October 8, 2014, HRA held a public hearing on the proposed IDNYC rules, receiving feedback from advocates and members of the public on how this card should reflect the needs of all New Yorkers, and address concerns about privacy and security.

As a result of the feedback received at the hearing, Commissioners Banks and Agarwal formed a workgroup to develop three executive orders, mandating high levels of protection for cardholder information and stringent processes for dealing with third party requests for IDNYC cardholder information. The HRA Executive Orders establish that only HRA staff designated by the IDNYC Executive Director and the HRA General Counsel will have access to the IDNYC applicant database, and all access to databases and servers will be tracked through audit logs.  A fourth executive order sets forth details concerning the administrative appeals process for applicants who have been denied a card. Commissioner Banks signed and issued the executive orders in conjunction with the publication of the rules.

Read the full HRA Executive Orders Here: http://www1.nyc.gov/site/muniid/about/executive-orders.page

The technology firms Prutech and MorphoTrust were chosen through a competitive bid process to develop the card enrollment system. MorphoTrust is an internationally renowned company that works with 42 state DMVs to provide highly secure driver license and state identification cards. The firm has established itself as a leader in developing topline security systems that protect against fraud and offer among the most advanced security protections in the world. Prutech has a breadth of experience delivering complex technology projects for the City of New York.

The enrollment system will feature ID verification scanning technology and high-tech cameras. Additionally, nearly two dozen experienced HRA investigators have been hired by the IDNYC Program as Integrity Specialists to protect against fraud and verify applicant identity. IDNYC cards will be printed by 3M, which has established a reputation for its extensive experience printing fraud-resistant identification cards for states and national governments. The cards will be printed on polycarbonate cardstock and features will include an embedded hologram, applicant signature, an engraved City seal and a secondary, black and white ghost photo of the applicant.

IDNYC cards will be available to the public in January 2015. The full list of enrollment center locations will be announced in advance of the launch.

For more information and program updates, please visit: nyc.gov/idnyc.

Showing our Respect for the Honorable Herman Badillo

What You Should Know 
By Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz 
32nd Senatorial District 

You should know that on Sunday, December 7, 2014 at 11:00 AM there will be a Funeral Service for the repose of the soul of the Honorable Herman Badillo at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home located at 1076 Madison Avenue in New York City. 

  

You should know that Herman Badillo was an orphan from Puerto Rico who came to live in New York as a child.  He graduated from Brooklyn Law School as Valedictorian.  He was the first Hispanic to be appointed as a Commissioner of New York City.  He was the first Hispanic to be elected to serve as a Borough President in New York City.  He was the first Puerto Rican to be elected to the United States Congress as a voting Member. He was the first Hispanic to be a Deputy Mayor for any New York City Mayor. 

  

You should know that Herman Badillo’s career was dedicated to expanding the rights of all New Yorkers, and some of his greatest efforts included anti-poverty initiatives.  He established the first bi-lingual education program in the nation. His legacy and his work were on behalf of every member of the community, regardless of race, gender, age, or religion.  Herman Badillo had a brilliant mind and he represented our community with great distinction. 

  

You should know that in 1972, Congressman Herman Badillo wrote his first book titled "A Bill of No Rights: Attica and the American Prison System."  This book was about his experience in 1971 when he tried to negotiate on behalf of prisoners at Attica State Prison to help quell the riot during a prisoner-staged takeover.  In September of 1971, 1000 of the 2,200 prisoners in Attica staged a takeover and held 42 staff as hostages.  The prisoners were demanding a review of their conditions, and they asked for civilians to come and represent them. 

  

You should know that those requested by the prisoners included Louis Farrakhan from the Nation of Islam, civil rights attorney William Kunstler, Black Panthers leader Bobby Seale, and gay rights leader and playwright David Rothenberg.  Congressman Herman Badillo was also requested to attend by the Young Lords, and he went.  A discussion and meeting produced demands and terms for surrender and release of hostages.  However, Governor Nelson Rockefeller was determined to play tough and simply refused to talk or set a deadline.  He told the representatives to leave.  Most did leave, but both Rothenberg and Badillo refused.  Herman Badillo believed that if he left, then the guards would exact revenge and kill many of the prisoners. Herman Badillo fully expected to die when Nelson Rockefeller sent in the National Guard, but he refused to go. 

  

My dear reader, this was a remarkable instance of bravery and advocacy by Herman Badillo for the least among us.  It should not be forgotten when reviewing this great man’s life's work. 

  

You should know that Governor Nelson Rockefeller demanded that Badillo be forcefully removed in order to avoid a Congressional Inquiry into his death if he were killed when the State Police opened fire on the prisoners.  Because of Rockefeller’s orders, there were 43 deaths in Attica State Prison that included ten correctional officers and civilian employees, and 33 prisoners. A panel appointed by Governor Rockefeller to study this event concluded that Governor Rockefeller acted recklessly causing many deaths, unnecessarily.         

  

Ladies and gentlemen, out of respect for Herman Badillo and for all that this honorable and great man did in his life for all New Yorkers, we should all be there on Sunday to honor the life of one of the greatest leaders our city has known. 

  

My sympathies are with his family. 

  

This is Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz, and this is what you should know.

Con Edison's Time is Up

  In the above photos the top photo of the current status of the high pressure gas pipes and other materials that is being stored on West 238th Street off Riverdale Avenue time is up.
  The date of completion is 12- 2 - 14. the newspaper below has the date of December 4th as you see in the bottom photo - click on the photo to enlarge it.
  So why are these pipes and materials still on West 238th Street when the current work by Con Edison's contractor is no where near this storage site that is taking up valuable metered parking spaces.