17th City Council Special Election Update

   As of 12:01 AM January 20th, one minute after the deadline to file there are now 11 candidates who have filed petitions to run in the special election for the currently vacant 17th City Council seat. Inside City Hall did a report on the candidates last night interviewing some on camera. One of the candidates interviewed was Current Community Board #2 District Manager Rafael Salamanca. The interview however seemed to have taken place in the office of Community Board #2, and the room of the District Manager. If the interview did take place inside the Community Board #2 office, and in the room of the current District Manager Rafael Salamanca that would be using the Community Board #2 office and District Managers room for political gain. If that is indeed true then it would be a conflict of interest on the part of Community Board #2 District Manager Rafael Salamanca that I am sure that the New York City Conflict of Interest Board would want to know about. It appears there have been other community board district managers who have mixed politics and their position as a District Manager who were cited by the New York City Conflict of Interest Board, fined, and worse. This has happened in the Bronx, and one such incident was very recent. Shortly afterwards there was a new District Manager hired by that community board.  I am not accusing Mr. Salamanca of anything, but I have given the Community Board #2 office a Freedom of Information Letter requesting six different items that I am seeking to see or get information of. This FOIL request was given to the Community Board office on Monday January 19th addressed to the Chair of Community Board #2 Dr. Ian S. Amiritt. Since the information requested (that should have been in the community board office) was not available when I asked to see it, I may have to find other means of getting that information as I don't expect to see it before the special election that the District Manager of Community Board #2 Mr. Rafael Salamanca is involved in. Since the Bronx Democratic County organization is heavily involved in the Salamanca campaign, I wonder if the U.S. Attorney's office has not already started its investigation.    

  This morning Former Assemblyman turned journalist Michael Benjamin reported that candidates Carlton Curry and Helen Hines Foreman did not file certificates of acceptances, and should be ruled off the ballot by the Board of Elections at the petition hearings. Benjamin also reported that candidate Amanda Septimo's petition has a fatal flaw that will also invalidate her petition, because the word Democratic appears on it. 

   I have been told that there are two other candidates who will be thrown off the ballot, but the information has not been confirmed yet, so the names are not being printed. That would leave only 6 candidates, and that number could be reduced by one or more by the time the election rolls around. 

   More updates as they happen. 

News from Bronx BP Ruben Diaz Jr.

Borough President Diaz Denounces

Anti-Muslim Bias Attack in Parkchester

January 19, 2016: Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. talks with Mujibur Rahman, who was picking up his nine-year-old niece from the school when he was attacked for being dressed in traditional Muslim garb.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. was joined, on Tuesday, by Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda and members of the local Community to protest the Friday evening anti-Muslim attack on Bengali man dressed in traditional Muslim garb.

 

Bronx resident, Mujibur Rahman, 43, was picking up his nine-year-old niece from P.S. 119, when he was attacked by two masked teens, yelling "ISIS" -- in reference to the Islamic State group, leaving Rahman bloodied and bruised with swollen eye.

 

"The Bronx is one of the most diverse places in the world, and we celebrate that diversity every single day. Friday's hateful attack on a Muslim individual in Parkchester is in no way representative of the shared values of the people of this borough.

 

"An attack on one of us over race, religion, gender or sexual orientation is an attack on us all. The people of The Bronx are united in their condemnation of this abhorrent incident. My office will continue to work with the New York City Police Department and community leaders to bring the perpetrators to justice. We wish the victim of this attack a speedy recovery, and our thoughts are with him and his family during this difficult time," said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

 

Anyone with information about this attack can contact the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 800-577-TIPS.

BP Diaz Criticizes "Bag Fee" Legislation
 

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. has issued a letter expressing his strong concerns about Intro 0209-2014, more commonly known as the "bag fee" legislation. While the legislation seeks to protect the environment, Borough President Diaz is concerned that it places that burden on low-income New Yorkers and seniors that are struggling to pay bills, and represents a regressive tax.

 

"The bill operates like a regressive tax, and will not yield the environmental goals the legislation hopes to achieve," said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. "Higher-income New Yorkers will not be motivated to change their behaviors through this proposed fee, and lower income New Yorkers will bear the brunt of this proposal. While the environmental goals of this legislation are laudable, the methods are flawed."

 

The complete letter can be read here: http://on.nyc.gov/1ORLHrH.

 

Borough President Diaz noted that there are multiple alternatives to achieving environmentally-friendly ends without negatively impacting low-income individuals and families. He added that the City should explore public education campaigns, a free bag distribution program for low-income New Yorkers, better bag recycling programs and bans on some types of bags, among other proposals.

 

"More creative and less punitive options should be explored that would actually achieve the intended purpose as opposed to encumbering low-income people whose demanding lives make it challenging to bring cloth bags to run every errand, exposing them to this regressive, backdoor tax," wrote Borough President Diaz in his letter to Council Member Brad Lander, the chief sponsor of the legislation.

Assemblymember Blake's State of The District Date Has Deen Changed to Sunday, January 31st

  Assemblymember Michael Blake cordially invites you to his first State of the District as he outlines the progress of and the path forward for the 79th assembly district to achieve our "3, 2, 1" vision of Economic Development, Education, and Equality for All.  

Due to inclement weather, the date has been changed. 

 

Assemblymember Blake's State of The District will now be on Sunday, January 31st, 2016 at 2pm at DreamYard, 1085 Washington Avenue, Bronx, NY 10451.

 

A reception will follow the event.

 

Join us as we are transforming the South Bronx into the urban metropolis of the world.

 

RSVP link below:

https://act.myngp.com/Forms/-6440420854953867520

New York City Public Advocate Protecting Our Children

Every student in our City deserves a high quality education. Every school in our City has a responsibility to teach and protect each and every child who walks through its doors. Sadly, some schools in our City are failing this basic responsibility and severely mistreating our most vulnerable children such as those with disabilities. That's why today, I filed a federal civil rights complaint against Success Academy Charter Schools. For years, Success Academy has been denying children with disabilities and their families the educations they deserve. Success Academy has failed to provide reasonable accommodations to these children, such as paraprofessionals and occupational therapists; and has coerced students with disabilities and their families to leave the charter network altogether. We will not stand for mistreatment and discrimination against any New Yorker, especially our most defenseless children and their families. We will hold any institution responsible for their actions to ensure that every student has the education they deserve. We'll continue to take action to protect the most vulnerable New Yorkers and make sure our schools are safe spaces for all students. We were joined in our civil rights complaint by Council Member Dromm and advocates - you can read more about it here.

Sincerely,  Letitia James New York City Public Advocate

Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj Employment Opportunities

Housing Court Answers is HIRING!    Housing Court Answers seeks a full time coordinator for its NYCHA Information Table. HCA, an independent nonprofit, provides non-lawyer assistance to people in Housing Court without lawyers from Information Tables in all 5 boroughs, and through a telephone hotline. The NYCHA Coordinator will be responsible to staff an information table at 250 Broadway Tuesday to Friday from 9am to 1pm to answer NYCHA tenants' questions about NYCHA rules, grievances, and termination of tenancy hearings. The coordinator will also refer tenants to legal and social services and rent arrears assistance when appropriate. Additionally, the NYCHA coordinator will spend time in the NYHCA parts in the city's Housing Courts and assist tenants who call our hotline. The NYCHA coordinator will engage in ongoing advocacy with NYCHA to make the Authority's procedures easier to navigate for tenants and to improve access to justice for tenants facing eviction.  The NYCHA coordinator will coordinate advocacy campaigns around the following issues: Streamlined procedures for getting repairs for NYCHA tenants through Housing Court Fairer treatment of tenants at 250 Broadway termination proceedings Better treatment of tenants in nonpayment proceedings in the courts' NYCHA parts Greater legal representation of NYCHA tenants in eviction proceedings.  Specific Duties and Responsibilities: Coordinate the provision of services at the information table in the administrative hearing office at 250 Broadway Work with HCA staff and local advocates on advocacy campaigns to further the rights of NYCHA tenants Develop workshops and trainings on NYCHA procedures and related issues for advocates and social service providers across the city Develop information sheets and other tools for educating unrepresented litigants on their rights and NYCHA procedures Plan monitoring and advocacy projects Position Qualifications: Bachelor's degree required Demonstrated commitment to social justice Demonstrated ability to work with the public in a stressful and/or chaotic setting Demonstrated knowledge of housing, tenants' rights, and NYCHA Strong verbal and written communication skills Spanish ability a plus Ability to work independently and collaboratively   Salary currently $45,000 plus health insurance and paid vacation, although salary and benefits subject to Collective Bargaining process.   To apply: email cover letter and resume to info@hcanswers.org with NYCHA Coordinator in the subject line.  Employment Opportunities The Academy of Medical and Public Health Services is HIRING!  The Academy of Medical & Public Health Services (AMPHS) is a not-for-profit health service organization based in Sunset Park, Brooklyn with a triple aim to identify barriers to health and wellness in underserved immigrant communities; coordinate truly needed primary care with social assistance; and deliver care with dignity and empathy to marginalized New Yorkers.   They are looking to hire Part-time positions for the following areas: Program Coordinator Program Assistant Social Worker Community Health Worker Nurse Practitioner Chinese/Spanish Translator  Program Coordinator  AMPHS seeks a passionate and skilled professional to join the operations team. The Program Coordinator plays a key leadership role in integrating clinical and social services and ensuring the smooth coordination of all Community Health Project programming activities among AMPHS staff and partners. The ideal candidate is a seasoned program manager and exceptional communicator, relationship manager, trainer and coach. He or she will identify and contribute to the development and execution of innovative solutions to grow program capacity and expand outreach within vulnerable immigrant populations. The Program Coordinator reports directly to the Chief Operating Officer. For more information, please click here. Program Assistant  The Program Assistant is responsible for assisting in the implementation and administration of the health screening, education, and training programs at the Academy of Medical and Public Health Services. Responsibilities include event coordination, outreach, client communication, and basic reception and clerical duties. The candidate will work directly with Executive Management staff to ensure that the organization runs smoothly and efficiently. For more information, please click here.  Social Worker The Social Worker is responsible for providing high-level oversight over the organization's culturally-sensitive social service counseling program and presiding over the organization's weekly Saturday health clinics. AMPHS' unique, integrated clinical-social service program enables community members to receive direct social service counseling to connect them to theneeded care immediately following each clinical encounter. The Social Worker is responsible for managing client cases and assisting community members in navigating resources in coordination with recommendations from the clinical team. The Social Worker is also responsible for establishing and maintaining a community referral network, facilitating workshops and overseeing a team of community health workers. For more information, please click here. Community Health Worker The community health worker (CHW) is responsible for providing culturally-sensitive health navigation services to help patients and their families navigate and access community services and resources within the healthcare system, while guiding them to adopt healthy behaviors. CHWs will work primarily with immigrant families in Sunset Park, many who have limited access to healthcare. The CHW supports AMPHS clinicians, the supervising social worker and program coordinator by providing an integrated system of support services that promotes and maintains healthy behaviors and addresses the social determinants of health affecting the local community. Primary function areas include social service counseling, advocating for individuals and community health needs, and facilitating community outreach workshops. For more information, please click here.    Nurse Practitioner  The Academy of Medical & Public Health Services offers free weekly Saturdayhealth clinics for low-income, uninsured community members in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Screening participants often lack health insurance or experience language barriers that prevent them from accessing available health resources; for many, it is their first time receiving a health assessment in many years. During the clinic, AMPHS clinicians perform health screenings while partner healthcare agencies offer free specialty services, such as HIV and Hepatitis C testing, mammograms, and flu shots. AMPHS may also offer specialty theme-based services each month. At the beginning of the screening, AMPHS volunteers distribute health surveys through which it collects health data used to analyze community health trends and develop education programs. The Nurse Practitioner will be responsible for presiding over AMPHS clinics to conduct basic and specialty screenings, provide long-term medical counseling, and facilitate health education workshops. The NP will not be making diagnoses, but will identify risk factors and lifestyle changes that the community member should pursue, as well as follow-up treatment. He or she will then work collaboratively with the Social Assistance team to connect community members to the relevant services based on treatment recommendations from the clinical encounter. The ideal candidate is passionate about working with immigrant communities and has significant experience working with low-income populations who have had little or no access to care. For more information, please click here.     Chinese/Spanish Translator  The Academy of Medical & Public Health Services (AMPHS) works with a predominantly Latino and Chinese community in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, bringing them accessible healthcare through free health screenings and education workshops. At the beginning of each screening, AMPHS staff collects demographic data from each participating community member to conduct analytical research on predominant health trends in the local community. AMPHS also holds public health workshops that educate community members in health access, disease management and prevention, nutrition and wellness. They are seeking fluent or highly proficient Spanish, Cantonese and/or Mandarin speakers to interpret for AMPHS constituents during open clinics and events.    Translators will also have the opportunity to engage in other community fieldwork projects that include conducting interviews and focus groups and community outreach alongside our community engagement team. Additionally, they will be responsible for assisting with other administrative projects, such as recording Chinese/Spanish segments for educational videos, translating educational literature, brochures, flyers, and other outreach material, and writing Chinese/Spanish blog posts for our online news portal. AMPHS clinics take place Saturdays on a weekly basis; workshops take place on weekends and select weekdays. Translators will receive training in medical terminology, patient history-taking, and HIPAA prior to engaging in a service role. For more information, please click here.

Andrew Sandler New District Manager of Community Board 7

   Last night at its full board meeting Community Board 7 chose Mr. Andrew Sandler as its new District Manager. The vote was unanimous among the community board members who were in attendance. On hand to congratulate the new CB 7 District Manager were Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj, Councilman Andrew Cohen, and the Bronx Democratic County Committee Executive Director Mr. Anthony Perez, who incidentally is a member of Community Board 7. Also on hand was Assemblyman Jose Rivera who left before he was announced. An ally of Assemblyman Rivera, his State Committeeman in the 78th A.D. Mr. Kenny Agosto also applied for the District Managers position, but was not chosen. Apparently Assemblyman Jose Rivera upon seeing Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Councilman Andrew Cohen, and Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj (who defeated Naomi Rivera Jose's daughter and former 80th A.D. Assemblywoman several years ago) knew who was going to become the new District Manager, and it was not going to be Mr. Agosto. 

   Mr. Andrew Sandler has worked for former Councilman Oliver Koppell, and kept his position as crack constituent problem solver with Koppell's successor Councilman Andrew Cohen. It is a big win for the residents of Community Board 7. New District Manager Andrew Sandler will not have to learn on the job, but come into the position with his vast knowledge of how New York City runs. The only losers will be, Councilman Andrew Cohen for loosing such a valuable and knowledgeable employee and the people of Councilman Cohen's council district outside of Community Board 7 for the same reason. 

   Once again congrats to Mr. Andrew Sandler the new District Manager of Community Board 7. 

Gas Under $2.00 A Gallon - Now in The Bronx

  As you see the price of Unleaded Regular Gas at this Gulf station located on Williamsbridge Road at Neil Avenue is now selling for $1.99 a gallon today. A gallon of Unleaded Regular gas sold for more than $4.00 a gallon over a year ago. Oil has steadily fallen in price, and the price for a gallon of gas now is less than half of what it was. With Iran begining to be allowed to sell oil the price is expected to drop even further. You may be able to see a gallon of Regular Unleaded gas selling for under $1.00 a gallon before 2016 is over.

Elected Officials and Others protest Friday Evening Anti-Muslim Attack in Parkchester by Two Assailants

   Mujibur Rahman, 43, was picking up his nine-year-old niece from PS 118 located at 1075 Pugsley Avenue about 5:30 p.m. Friday when the two assailants punched him in the head and knocked him to the ground where they kicked him several times, while reportedly yelling the anti-Muslim slurs. 

     Mr. Rahman was joined by Bronx elected officials such as Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. , Parkchester Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda, State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr., Assemblyman Marcos Crespo, Public Advocate Letitia James, and representatives of other elected officials including Mayor Bill de Blasio this morning to denounce the 'Act of Hate'. 

    Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr, called it an act of cowardice, and those who committed it need to be caught. Assemblyman Sepulveda thanked the Commanding Officer of the 43rd Police Precinct for the quick response by the NYPD in this incident which is being labeled as a 'Hate Crime'. Others at today's rally also denounced the crime. Photos of the press conference calling for the attackers to give themselves up. Anyone with information about the attack to contact the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 800-577-TIPS (8477).