BP Diaz Honors Christine Quinn at Bronx LGBTQ Pride Awards

  Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. hosted the sixth annual Bronx Borough President & Allies LGBTQ Pride Awards Ceremony at Billy’s Sports Bar. The event was co-hosted by Council Members Ritchie Torres and James Vacca.

At the event, Borough President Diaz presented Christine Quinn, the former  City Council Speaker and the President and CEO of Women in Need, with the 2016 John Wade Award, recognizing her dedication to public service.  Photos of the event are below.

Above - BP Diaz with Mistress of Ceremonies Appolonia Cruz.

Below - Tym Moss (left) and Frankie Allday (right) perform.

Above - BP Diaz With Vivika Westwood as Appolonia Cruz streams the event on Facebook.

Below - BP Diaz joined Tym Moss for part of the 'New York New York' rendition by Tym. 

Above - Bronx Councilman Jimmy Vacca spoke to the large crowd at the event held at Billy's on River Avenue across the street from the old Yankee Stadium.

Below - Demetrius McCord of Community Board 8 was among the honorees by the BP.

Above - Former City Council Speaker Christine Quinn speaks after she received the John F. Wade Memorial Award, being held by BP Diaz.

Below - Former Speaker Quinn poses with BP Diaz, and current City Council members Jimmy Vacca and Ritchie Torres.

  

Senate passes Klein’s NYC day care report card bill

  The New York State Senate passed legislation by State Senator Jeff Klein requiring day care facilities inspected in New York City to prominently display “report cards” at their doors to better inform parents and guardians of their track records.

The legislation (S.5676A) comes on the heels of a major investigative report released in November by Senator Klein and State Senator Diane Savino (D-SI/Brooklyn), “The Hidden Dangers in Day Care,” which exposed child care facilities that consistently racked up violations. In an undercover video sting, day care providers with repeat violations lied to investigators about current and past violations.

“This report card will be presented right at the door, allowing parents to make informed decisions when choosing a day care for their child. We’ve seen too many tragedies borne out of negligent day cares with repeat violations and in unlicensed centers. This report card is a game changer because it places the most critical information in plain sight and will be an indicator of whether a facility is licensed,” said Senator Klein.

“New York City parents have been left in the dark when it comes to violations inside day care facilities. This new report card brings to light the most important information on staffing, possible suspensions, and violation history that parents must know before making a decision to leave their child in the hands of a provider,” said Senator Savino.

This legislation codifies an initiative Senator Klein negotiated with the City of New York to implement performance summary cards at the city’s 2,300 day cares. The inspection cards include information on:

• The number of years in operation
• The number of children permitted on site
• The number of teachers present
• The number of program suspensions over the past three years
• The average number of violations from its most recent inspection versus the citywide average;
• The average number of public health hazard violations from its most recent inspection versus the citywide average; and
• The number of public health hazard violations racked up over the past year    
• The report, “The Hidden Dangers in Day Care,” exposed a total of 18,102 violations issued to day cares between 2013 and 2015. The average number of violations is eight per day care. With parents unable to easily obtain complete and accurate information, many families were left to discover the perils of their day care only after enrolling their child. Day cares inspected by the State Office of Children and Family Services are already required by law to prominently display their recent inspection and violation histories.

Join the Bronx Chamber of Commerce and NY Plumbing Wholesale & Supply

North Bronx Democratic Club Petition Training Thursday June 2nd

Join Us June 2, 2016 Petition Training

Memorial Day Services at the Rudy Macina Peace Memorial Plaza

The Rudy Macina Memorial Peace Plaza at the corner of Williamsbridge Road and Pelham Parkway came alive for a wonderful Memorial day ceremony. As you can see in the photo above there are monuments to soldiers who fought in World War 1, World War 11, The Korean War, The Vietnam War, and the Persian Gulf War. The photos should tell the story.

Above - Silvo as his friends call him, was the master of ceremonies for this memorial day celebration at the Rudy Macina Peace Plaza. elected officials, veterans, their families, and friends made up the over 100 people in attendance.

Below - State Senator Jeff Klein talks about the disservice that veterans are getting as the government tries to cut back on veteran benefits. 

Above - Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj explains that he is proud to be an American Albanian.

Below - The laying of the wreath on the monument. 

Above - The firing of the ceremonial gun, by the Theodore Korony American Legion Post 253.

Below - The bugler finishes playing taps in the background as the ceremony comes to an end for this year. 

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. Endorses Jamaal Bailey for New York State Senate

  

    Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. endorsed Jamaal T. Bailey for the 36^th Senatorial District. Borough President Diaz has worked with Jamaal in several capacities over the years. In 2015, Borough President Diaz awarded him the Inaugural Jonathan Hicks Memorial Award.

“Jamaal Bailey is a hardworking, dedicated young man who will be a wonderful addition to our borough's delegation in Albany and a strong member of an amazing team of Bronx elected officials. Jamaal understands the needs of the 36th State Senate District and the needs of our borough, and he will be a strong fighter in Albany for us on the issues that matter the most--economic development, job creation, healthcare, education and more. I am proud to support Jamaal Bailey's candidacy, and I urge all Democrats to show him their support and vote for him on September 13," said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

“I’m honored to accept the endorsement of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.  His dedication to the revitalization of the Bronx has served as an inspiration and it’s a privilege to garner his support in my effort to represent the constituents in the 36^th Senatorial district,” said Jamaal Bailey. “I look forward to working with Borough President Diaz to continue to uplift the residents of the Bronx.”

Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. joins the prominent list of Bronx elected officials supporting Jamaal Bailey, including Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Bronx Democratic County Chair, Assemblyman Marcos Crespo.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The 36th State Senate seat is currently held by State Senator Ruth Hassel-Thompson who will be leaving to join the Cuomo administration in July. Since there is no incumbent the Bronx Democratic County organization is free to endorse any candidate in the race, as all incumbents this year are being endorsed by the county organization. 

Perillo Tours and Bronx Chamber of Commerce presents Six-Day Trip to Cuba: Sept 21-26

Perillo Tours, in partnership with The Bronx Chamber of Commerce, presents A Trip to Cuba Experience Havana, Cuba on a 6-day trip with Perillo Toursfrom September 21 - 26, 2016 TODAY IS THE LAST DAY FOR THE MAY 31st EARLY BIRD SPECIAL to receive $100 off per person!

News From Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman

Holding Domino’s Accountable For Mistreating Its Workers

The Attorney General announced a lawsuit against Domino’s Pizza, Inc., and three franchisees for allegedly underpaying workers over $565,000 at ten stores in New York. This is the first case the Attorney General has alleged that a fast food corporation is liable as a joint employer for labor violations at its franchise stores. The lawsuit revealed that Domino’s allegedly urged franchisees to use payroll reports from a computer system called “PULSE” that under-calculated gross wages. His office’s investigation found that the company also knowingly caused many store operation violations and pushed an anti-union position on franchisees. 

Expanding Mortgage Assistance Efforts for Homeowners

 

The Attorney General announced a $100 million expansion of foreclosure prevention efforts to help New York families avoid foreclosures and remain in their homes. The expansion is expected to help over 3,000 families across the state and could preserve $875 million in property value through no-interest loans that will help New Yorkers pay off their mortgage. 

Receiving a Fair Shot to New York Housing

Three settlement agreements were announced with real estate brokerage firms that conducted unlawful housing discrimination against potential applicants with Section 8 housing vouchers. The Attorney General’s office conducted an investigation which found that all three companies violated local law by discriminating on the basis of source of income. Operating in New York City, Nassau County, and Westchester County, the three firms agreed to reforms including developing new non-discriminatory policies and forwarding any complaints about housing discrimination to the Attorney General’s office. 

Have a question, comment, or complaint? Click here. You can also learn more about the various initiatives of the Attorney General's office by visiting our website atag.ny.gov. You can also call our General Hotline: 800-771-7755.