BP DIAZ RELEASES SOUTH BRONX TECH SURVEY

  Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., in collaboration with the New York University Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, has developed a community survey questionnaire as a follow-up to the two previous meetings of the Bronx Tech Summit hosted at the Metropolitan College of New York Campus in The Hub.

 

The purpose of the survey is to gather information from the public on living and working in the South Bronx. Responses to this survey will help inform a report being prepared by a team of New York University urban planning graduate students on the tech industry in the Bronx. 

 

“If you live and work in the South Bronx, we want to hear from you,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “Technology plays a role in every sector of our borough. As we plan for the future expansion of tech in our borough and the creation of a tech hub, we want to ensure that those who live and work in this borough are guiding that conversation.”

 

A full link to the survey can be found at: http://bit.ly/2F1AiEA. The survey will be available until March 16, 2018.

STATEMENT FROM MAYOR DE BLASIO ON NEW YORK CITY SCHOOLS CHANCELLOR SEARCH MARCH 1,2018

  In a media availability today Mayor Bill de Blasio had the following to say about the hiring of a new public school chancellor, and the resignation of the new public schools chancellor.

 We had an extensive nationwide search as a lot of you reported when the announcement was made – a candidate who was very impressive and had done a lot of good work in Miami. I had offered Mr. Carvalho the job and Dean Fuleihan had follow-up conversations over a week ago and he had accepted.

We talked to him yesterday afternoon about formally putting the information out via the Politico article. We agreed on a phone call with Eric Phillips and I. I spoke to him again last night, I think it was around 8:00 pm and we discussed the next steps for his announcement here in New York City.

So you can imagine how surprised I was to get a phone call from him a few hours ago.

I’ve been doing this work a long, long time. I’ve hired a lot of great people. I’m very proud of the people who serve in this administration and a lot of people I’ve hired before that – never have had a situation like this before.

But look, we move forward. Our nationwide search has resumed. We have been immediately reaching out to candidates and will continue the search and we will have a new announcement soon as we continue the transition at the Department of Education so we can move forward.

I’m very confident in our school system. I’m confident in our teachers. I’m confident in our principals, all our educators, and all our staff. They have been outstanding and they will continue to be.

Let me also tell you, I spoke to the Chancellor. The Chancellor will be continuing her role until the end of March and I want to thank her, of course, for all she has done for this city and all she will continue to do.

So, the bottom line is what makes this school system great is our educators, our parents. Everyone who is a part of this school system will continue to do good work and we will have a new Chancellor soon.

Editor's Note:

The Mayor got a grilling from reporters on the subject of having to find another candidate to be public schools chancellor. He said that there would be one in place by the end of March, his original timetable. 

Let's see if this time the mayor can find a local educator such as the retired CUNY administrator who was mentioned at one time, instead of having to go out of town to find a new schools chancellor. 

STATEMENT FROM MAYOR DE BLASIO ON NEW YORK CITY SCHOOLS CHANCELLOR SEARCH February 28, 2018

  “Alberto Carvalho is a world-class educator with an unmatched track record of success. I am very confident that our extensive, national search has found New York City the best person to lead the nation’s largest school system into the future. I look forward to welcoming our new chancellor to New York City in the days ahead, and to working with him in the years ahead as we deepen achievement in our classrooms and build on the outstanding record of accomplishment that Chancellor Fariña has delivered for students and their families across the five boroughs.”

Bronx Chamber of Commerce Women of Distinction Luncheon

Councilmember Rafael Salamanca, Jr. - Join us for upcoming Housing Resource Fairs

Councilman Mark Gjonaj - Upcoming Event: Community Safety Meeting

CONGRESSMAN ADRIANO ESPAILLAT RECOGNIZES THE DOMINICAN COMMUNITY ON THE 174TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COUNTRY'S INDEPENDENCE

  Today, Rep. Adriano Espaillat issued the following statement to commemorate the 174th anniversary of the Independence of the Dominican Republic:

  "Founded in 1844, today marks the 174^th anniversary of the Independence of the Dominican Republic, celebrated annually as Dominican Republic Independence Day,” said Rep. Espaillat. “In honor of founding fathers Juan Pablo Duarte, Ramón Matías Mella, Francisco del Rosario Sánchez and other patriots, Dominican communities established in New York and states around the country are hard-working communities, proud of our roots and of our heritage, and supportive of our families, especially as it pertains to the next generation of leaders and ensuring our youth have the opportunity to achieve in the future.

“As we celebrate Dominican Republic Independence Day, it is with great appreciation in large part to the Dominican community and the diversity of New York’s 13th congressional district, that I have the honor of being the first Dominican-American to serve in the United States Congress. I understand this great importance, and I am extremely grateful and humble for those who made it possible for this Dominican dreamer who came to America with his family at the age of 9 to reach his aspirations and follow my dreams. I vow to continue my fight and dedicate my work to ensuring that the more than 2,400 DREAMers in my district have the same opportunities to achieve a shot at the American Dream in a country as great as ours.”

News From Congressman Eliot Engel

Engel, House Dems Introduce Assault Weapons Ban of 2018

  Congressman Eliot L. Engel, a member of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, joined more than 150 Democratic colleagues in introducing the Assault Weapons Ban of 2018, which would make it “unlawful for a person to import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, a semiautomatic assault weapon.”

“As I have said many times before: the Second Amendment wasn’t written with semi-automatic weapons in mind. They are weapons of war and no fair-minded person would confuse regulating them with infringing on personal freedom,” Congressman Engel said. “It’s long past time Congress did something to stop this horrific gun violence, and there is no better place to start than getting these weapons of war off our streets.”

The Assault Weapons Ban will prohibit the sale, transfer, production, and importation of:

• Semi-automatic rifles and handguns with a military-style feature that can accept a detachable magazine;
• Semi-automatic rifles and handguns with a fixed magazine that can hold more than 10 rounds;
• Semi-automatic shotguns with a military-style feature;
• Any ammunition feeding device that can hold more than 10 rounds;
• And 205 specifically-named and listed firearms.

As the frequency of mass shootings has increased in recent years, assault weapons have become the weapon of choice for these murderers. Assault weapons were used in attacks on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida and the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas. Shooters have also used assault weapons to commit mass murder at Sandy Hook Elementary School and a movie theatre in Aurora, Colorado. When an assault weapon or a high-capacity magazine is used in a shooting, the number of victims who are killed increases by 63%. There have been almost 8,300 incidents of gun violence so far in 2018. More than 2,200 Americans have lost their lives. More than 500 children have been killed or injured.

“I voted for the original assault weapons ban which unfortunately was allowed to lapse under President George W. Bush,” Engel said. “Now we can’t afford to waste another moment without fixing that mistake. This really shouldn’t be a partisan issue—how many more children have to die before the GOP decides to act? Banning assault weapons, universal background checks, limiting magazine capacities; these aren’t outlandish ideas. This stuff is commonsense and my colleagues across the aisle need to wake up and realize that. They work for the American people, not the NRA.”

Engel Statement on Net Neutrality Day of Action

  Congressman Eliot L. Engel, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, issued the following statement:

“I applaud all the advocates who today are making their voices heard in support of net neutrality and I join them in expressing my dismay over the FCC’s continued push to destroy a free and open internet.

“Net neutrality is the principle that all data on the internet should be treated equally, regardless of its source, content, or destination.  It ensures that user choices are not limited by the preferences of internet service providers, and it allows companies to compete based on the merits of their offerings and not the size of their pocketbooks.

“The democratization of the internet should not be impeded. The FCC has failed the American people under Chairman Ajit Pai’s leadership, and thus it falls to Congress to undo the mess they have made. I am pleased to cosponsor legislation that would restore net neutrality now and for future generations, and I urge my colleagues on the right to join us in this fight.”