Battle of The Political Titans For Bronx County

By Former NYC Councilman Rev. Ruben Diaz

You should know that, in the County of the Bronx, the county of Salsarengue (Translation Salsa & Merengue combined) there is a "war" among Political Titans, to determine who will be the next “Capo de Tutti Capi", the Chief of all Chiefs, in the Bronx’s Political Power.

 

Next Tuesday, August 23, when the Democratic Primaries are held, the election results will determine who the new Political Chiefs in Bronx County will be.

 

It is important for you to know that Senator Jamaal Bailey, Chairman of the Bronx Democratic Party, and the leadership of the Democratic Party have joined forces with Congressmen Adriano Espaillat and Richie Torres to replace Puerto Rican Senator Gustavo Rivera with Ms. Miguelina Camilo of Dominican descent.

 

On the other hand, Congresswoman Alexandra Ocasio Cortes has placed all her resources, Reputation and Prestige in support of Senator Gustavo Rivera in opposition to the Bronx Political Machine.

 

It is important that you know that Puerto Rican Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortes has become the most influential Hispanic figure Nationally. "AOC", as she is called, has become so influential among the Progressive Wing of the Democratic Party that her name is circulating as a likely candidate for the Presidency of the United States in the not-too-distant future.

 

A victory for Senator Gustavo Rivera next Tuesday, August 28, would certify and seal the political power of AOC, here in Bronx County and Nationally.  AOC and Gustavo Rivera would become the absolute leaders of the County and even Adriano Espaillat, Richie Torres, and Jamaal Bailey would have their days numbered as Elected Officials.

 

My dear readers, if Senator Jaamal Bailey, and Congressmen Adriano Espaillat and Richie Torres, manage to unseat Gustavo Rivera and defeat AOC and her followers, the entire political future of Congresswoman AOC could suffer a Political Cataclysm. This would increase the political strength, influence, and power of Congressman Adriano Espaillat here in the Bronx.

 

You should also know that Bronx County leaders in the past created affordable housing, opportunities, and entitlement programs for Bronx residents.  In contrast, the residents of Washington Heights, in upper Manhattan, have been losing affordable housing and other benefits.   As a result, many Dominican Residents have fled and relocated to the Bronx. Washington Heights has experienced a loss in the Dominican population and political strength. In turn, this has caused the Bronx to become a Dominican stronghold.

 

Congressman Adriano Espaillat, being wise, cunning, and astute, has seen that the Dominican Hispanic force is now in the Bronx, therefore he has been moving his political cannons, and operations to the Bronx.  A win by Miguelina Camilo would seal Espaillat's leadership in the Bronx.

 

The battle among these Political Titans for the Bronx has us waiting to see who or whom will be the new "Capo de Tutti Capi" in Bronx Politics.    On Tuesday, August 28, we will know!!!!!

 

I am Reverend Ruben Diaz, and this is What You Should Know.

This has been corrected to reflect the correct date of the primary which Rev. Diaz incorrectly marked as the 28th in the second paragraph. 

Attorney General James Cracks Down on Tenant Blacklisting

 

Clipper Equity Denied Rental Applications After Obtaining Applicants’ Housing Court Records 

AG James Warns Landlords Against Using Housing Court Records to Conduct Background Checks for Tenant Applicants  

 New York Attorney General Letitia James today continued her efforts to protect New York tenants by cracking down on “tenant blacklisting,” or when landlords use housing court records as a basis to deny a potential tenant’s rental application. Tenant blacklisting was made illegal in 2019 following changes to the Real Property Law, which outlawed efforts to deny housing to renters with a history of landlord-tenant court cases. As a part of her efforts to eliminate tenant blacklisting in New York, Attorney General James took action against, and secured a settlement with, Clipper Equity, LLC (Clipper Equity), a New York City real estate company that denied applicants with past housing court records and violated city and state Human Rights Laws by requiring applicants to disclose their marital status. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has also launched an online complaint form for New Yorkers to report instances in which landlords have engaged in tenant  blacklisting.

“Fair access to housing is a human right. No one should ever be denied that right due to previous, private circumstances often beyond their control, such as an inability to pay rent during a public health and economic crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Attorney General James. “Let this be a reminder to all New York landlords — blacklisting prospective tenants because of their housing court history is an unfair and illegal practice, and it will not go unchecked. I have always stood up for tenants, and my office will continue to fight tenant discrimination and ensure lawless landlords are held accountable.” 

In 2019, the enactment of the New York Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act (HSTPA) made it illegal for a property owner or landlord to deny a rental application based on the applicant’s housing court records. If there is documented evidence that a property owner or landlord obtained an applicant’s housing court records and subsequently denied the application, the law presumes the landlord or property owner made the decision to deny based on the applicant’s court records. The burden is on the landlord or property owner to prove the applicant was denied for other reasons. 

To remain in compliance with the law, OAG recommends landlords and property owners refrain from requesting a potential tenant’s court records and rental histories altogether and cease relationships with tenant screening bureaus who continue to provide court records. Any New Yorker who believes that they have been denied an apartment because of their rental history should submit a tenant blacklisting complaint online with OAG. 

In its investigation of Clipper Equity, OAG determined the company had improperly obtained housing court records for 25 potential tenants and then denied housing to seven of those same applicants. The OAG found that Clipper thus violated the law. Clipper also violated city and state Human Rights laws by requiring potential tenants to disclose their marital status. As part of the agreement, Clipper Equity will take the necessary steps to comply with the laws it broke and has committed to ending its discriminatory screening policies. Clipper Equity was also required to produce evidence proving its compliance to OAG, and OAG reserves the right to take further enforcement action if Clipper Equity violates the agreement. 

“Now more than ever, tenants need basic protections against efforts by landlords to deny them access to housing,” said Adriene Holder, chief attorney of civil practice, The Legal Aid Society. “With the lapse of eviction moratoria, coupled with skyrocketing rents and New York City’s exorbitant cost of living, demands for housing is at an all-time high, and government must ensure that landlords abide by the law. The Legal Aid Society thanks Attorney General James for her continued support and advocacy on behalf of tenants statewide.”

This agreement is the latest in Attorney General James’ efforts to protect tenants. Earlier this month, the Attorney General secured more than $400,000 for tenants harassed by Ink Property Group, along with up to $1.75 million for affordable housing and joined New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas in preserving an affordable housing cooperative development in Rockland County. In July 2022, she recovered nearly $300,000 of illegally withheld security deposits for Brooklyn tenants. In June 2022, Attorney General James delivered $50,000 to Community Action for Safe Apartments (CASA), a tenant organizing project, from law firm Kucker, Marino, Winiarsky & Bittens LLP after they unlawfully provided improper and damaging legal advice to New York tenants and shut down a landlord for exposing children to lead paint hazards in Syracuse. In April 2022, she sued Brooklyn-based eviction lawyers for engaging in deceptive rent collection practices and initiating frivolous lawsuits against New York tenants.

Governor Hochul Announces Groundbreaking Of $33 Million Affordable Housing Development In East Hampton

 

Three Mile Harbor Will Create 50 Energy-Efficient Homes for Working Families

Rendering Available Here

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that construction has begun on Three Mile Harbor, a $33 million housing development that will bring 50 energy-efficient apartments to East Hampton. The development offers affordable family homes in a vibrant community in the high performing East Hampton Union Free School District.

"My administration remains steadfast in our commitment to creating affordable housing for all New Yorkers that is high-quality and sustainable," Governor Hochul said. "Three Mile Harbor will create 50 new, energy-efficient homes and provide opportunities for working families in East Hampton and strengthen the community through much-needed housing. We will continue taking bold action to help ensure all New Yorkers have a more stable and equitable future for the next generation, and developments like Three Mile Harbor bring us closer to this goal."

Three Mile Harbor is part of Governor Hochul's sweeping plans to make housing more affordable, equitable, and stable. In the FY 2023 State Budget, the Governor successfully secured a new $25 billion, five-year, comprehensive housing plan that will increase housing supply by creating or preserving 100,000 affordable homes across New York, including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations, plus the electrification of an additional 50,000 homes.

The development will offer 10 one-bedroom, 29 two-bedroom and 10 three-bedroom apartments across five two-story residential buildings. A one-bedroom apartment will be set aside for the development's superintendent. A community building will include a meeting space, kitchenette, broadband Wi-Fi hotspot available to all residents, laundry facilities, and a generator in the event of power outages. Additional amenities include a playground and community patio. Five of the units will be accessible and adapted for persons with mobility impairments and three of the units will be equipped for persons with hearing and/or visual impairments.

Apartments at Three Mile Harbor will be affordable to households earning at or below 60 percent of the Area Median Income, with eight of the apartments serving households at 30 percent of the AMI. HCR will provide Housing Choice Vouchers for eight apartments.

Three Mile Harbor will be green certified under Enterprise Green Communities Criteria 2020 and Energy Star Certified Homes V 3.1, with the development utilizing Energy Star appliances, electric heat pump heating and hybrid electric hot water heaters. The design, operations and maintenance of the development will also incorporate water conservation and energy efficiency strategies.

The development is designed to complement the aesthetic of East Hampton and the natural vegetation and qualities of the surrounding area.

Three Mile Harbor is being developed by Georgica Green Ventures, LLC and the East Hampton Housing Authority.

State financing for Three Mile Harbor includes Low-Income Housing Tax Credits that will generate $18 million in equity, $3.4 million from New York State Homes and Community Renewal's Housing Trust Fund, and $350,000 from the Federal Housing Trust Fund. Suffolk County provided $2.2 million in subsidies.

In the last decade, HCR has invested over $200 million in Suffolk County, which has created or preserved 1,853 affordable homes. This includes Gansett Meadows, also in East Hampton, which provides 37 homes for working families, and Riverview Lofts in the town of Riverhead, which provides 116 affordable apartments and 12,000 square feet of commercial space in an environmentally sustainable building resilient to flooding and severe weather.

Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, "Three Mile Harbor will provide 50 safe, affordable homes in a beautiful community with high-performing schools so that working families can create a better future. And the development's sustainable, energy-efficient design and ample green space demonstrates our commitment to building new housing that leads to a cleaner, healthier environment for all. Thank you to all our partners, including Georgica Green Ventures, LLC and the East Hampton Housing Authority, for their work to help us reach this milestone."

State Senator Anthony Palumbo said, "As an Assemblyman and State Senator I have worked tirelessly to expand affordable housing to the east end of Long Island. The Three Mile Harbor Apartments will provide urgently needed affordable living options for area residents and help reduce traffic congestion on our highways. This project is the latest example of what can be accomplished when state and local partners work together to address the region's affordable housing shortage."

Assemblymember Fred W. Thiele, Jr. said, "This 50-unit new construction project will help to address the affordable housing crisis in our region. This crisis has also exacerbated other East End issues such as traffic congestion and the recruitment and retention of fire and emergency service volunteers. I thank Governor Hochul, Homes and Community Renewal, and the East Hampton Housing Authority for their partnership on this project. Still, so much more needs to be done to address the demand for housing on the East End. This November, voters will have the opportunity to approve the Peconic Bay Community Housing Fund, which was signed by the Governor last October. Approval of this proposal will greatly expand additional housing options for local families."

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said, "Here on Long Island we are facing a housing crisis like never before. Home and rental prices are at record highs and the resulting shortage of affordable housing restricts economic growth and mobility in our region. The new Three Mile Harbor affordable housing development in East Hampton will provide opportunities to families, seniors and vulnerable individuals to live in a place they will be able to call home. Suffolk's funding of this development is an investment in our community and helps ensure a future in Suffolk County where residents can afford to stay."

East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc said, "I am pleased and excited to see this project, which will provide homes for 50 residents and their families, get under way. Safe, year-round housing that is accessible to our community members is crucial to insure a healthy diversity in East Hampton, and to maintain the fabric of our community. As I have stated, we need an 'all hands on' effort to address this critical need, and I appreciate the participation of the East Hampton Housing Authority and Georgica Green Ventures, with the support of NYS Homes and Community Renewal, in working alongside the Town of East Hampton to create community housing."

East Hampton Housing Authority Executive Director Catherine Casey said, "The East Hampton Housing Authority greatly appreciates the commitment of the state and county agencies that support our efforts locally to create attainable housing in our community. The East Hampton Town Board declared that they would actively facilitate affordable housing initiatives at the January 2022 State of the Town address and they have been true to their word. The scarcity of decent, reasonably priced rentals is now affecting all economic strata; even businesses and individuals with significant resources are feeling the effects. Housing is now on everybody's agenda and the Three Mile Harbor development is a significant step toward providing the community with stable, year-round housing for those who might otherwise be forced to leave or compromise their own health and safety in an effort to remain. The free market is not tending to the needs of a large percentage of our population, necessitating publicly funded housing opportunities. East Hampton Housing Authority is grateful for the state and county funding that made Three Mile Harbor possible, and also that we have such an excellent partner in GGV."

Georgica Green Ventures LLC President David Gallo said, "Three Mile Harbor will be a transformative project for the Town of East Hampton and we are excited to mark the start of construction with today's groundbreaking ceremony. This project serves as a model for how state and local agencies, coupled with the private sector, can work together to address the need for affordable housing by undertaking a thoughtful approach that considers sustainability, transit access and community resources. We are thankful to all of our partners for supporting this project and we look forward to continuing our work to make Three Mile Harbor a reality."

EDITOR'S NOTE:

This sure does not look like the affordable housing that is being built in the Bronx, I can think of no better place for Bronx residents or even some of the new immigrants from Texas to live in. A safe community with good schools and a commitment by the community to help out. 

Mayor Adams why not send a bus of the Texas immigrants to East Hampton?

Construction Breaks Ground On Baez Place Affordable Apartments At 334 East 176th Street In Claremont, The Bronx

 

Construction has broken ground on Baez Place, a 154-unit affordable housing development at 334 East 176th Street in Claremont, The Bronx. Designed by ESKW Architects and developed by Community Access, the structure will comprise 105 studios, 21 one-bedrooms, 22 two-bedrooms, and six three-bedroom apartments. A total of 154 homes will be reserved for households at 30 to 80 percent area median income (AMI). The remaining 86 units will be available to the formerly homeless, who will also have access to on-site support services rendered by Community Access. Each apartment will come equipped with free broadband internet access.

“We’re tackling housing insecurity and homelessness head-on with this project that will deliver high-quality, affordable homes to New Yorkers,” said governor Kathy Hochul. “This development on Baez Place in The Bronx will uplift the entire community with more than 150 units of housing as well as wraparound services for seniors and people experiencing homelessness, the latest effort from our $25 billion housing plan to unlock opportunity and give families a safe, stable place to call home.”

Planned amenity spaces will include a community room with a commercial kitchen, a computer room, a laundry room, and a fitness center. Residents will also have the opportunity to participate in urban agriculture in an outdoor green space and a greenhouse located on the top floor of the building.

Available social services will include individual counseling, self-help groups, structured group activities, harm-reduction services, access to community mental health and health care providers, medication management assistance, and employment referrals. Additional services for senior tenants will include individual support from dedicated senior advocates and on-site primary care.

Ground breaking ceremony at Baez Place

“New Yorkers with a serious mental illness often find themselves and their families facing housing instability as a result of their condition,” said Daniel W. Tietz, commissioner of the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. “Permanent supportive housing, like the dozens of new units Baez Place will soon offer, will provides the services these individuals and families need to remain safely housed in an independent setting. Governor Hochul’s continued effort to expand permanent supportive housing throughout our state demonstrates her resolve to ensure all New Yorkers have access to safe, affordable homes.”

Supportive services and rental subsidies will be funded through an Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative award administered by the New York State Office of Mental Health.

State financing for Baez Place Apartments includes $17.6 million in permanent tax-exempt bonds, Federal Low-Income Tax Credits that will generate $38.7 million in equity, and $12 million in subsidy from New York State Homes and Community Renewal. The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance is providing $7 million through the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program.

Housing Lottery Launches For 305 East 165th Street In Concourse, The Bronx

The affordable housing lottery has launched for 305 East 165th Street, a seven-story residential building in Concourse, The Bronx. Designed by Marin Architects and developed by Stagg Group, the structure yields 72 residences and 17 parking spots. Available on NYC Housing Connect are 37 units for residents at 80 to 130 percent of the area median income (AMI), ranging in eligible income from $55,612 to $187,330.

Amenities include pet-friendly policies, a shared laundry room, elevator, recreation room, and a gym. Units come equipped with energy-efficient appliances and air conditioning. Tenants are responsible for electricity.

At 80 percent of the AMI, there are six studios with a monthly rent of $1,536 for incomes ranging from $55,612 to $85,440 and 18 one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,640 for incomes ranging from $59,589 to $96,080.

At 130 percent of the AMI, there are three studios with a monthly rent of $1,700 for incomes ranging from $58,286 to $138,840; seven one-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $1,800 for incomes ranging from $61,715 to $156,130; and three two-bedrooms with a monthly rent of $2,100 for incomes ranging from $72,000 to $187,330.

Prospective renters must meet income and household size requirements to apply for these apartments. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than October 17, 2022.

Hitman For Violent Narcotics Trafficking Organization Sentenced To 40 Years In Prison For His Role In Three Murders

 

 Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that OSCAR VALDEZ-GARCIA, a/k/a “Pony,” an assassin for La Organización de Narcotraficantes Unidos (“La ONU”), was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman to 40 years in prison.  VALDEZ-GARCIA previously pled guilty to participating in a racketeering conspiracy, participating in a narcotics conspiracy, and participating in conspiracies to murder three people in aid of racketeering.  

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Oscar Valdez-Garcia murdered three people on behalf of a brutal drug cartel.  His killings were depraved and despicable.  In one instance, Valdez-Garcia and another gunman shot their victim, a double-amputee who was sitting in his wheelchair, 24 times in front of the victim’s daughter.  Today Oscar Valdez-Garcia was rightly sentenced to 40 years in prison for his horrific crimes.”

According to the Indictment, other filings in this case, and statements during court proceedings:

VALDEZ-GARCIA was a member and enforcer of La ONU, a criminal enterprise involved in the distribution of thousands of kilograms of cocaine, including cocaine that was sent from Puerto Rico to New York. Cocaine supplied by La ONU was distributed in New York City, including out of a daycare center in the Bronx, New York.  Members and associates of La ONU also engaged in acts of violence, including murder, to protect and expand the enterprise’s criminal operations and in connection with rivalries with other criminal organizations.

As an assassin for La ONU, VALDEZ-GARCIA participated in the murder of at least three people in 2006. Those murders involved heinous and brazen acts of violence.  Specifically:

On June 23, 2006, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, VALDEZ-GARCIA shot and killed Ken Gonzalez-Rodriguez and Jean Adorno-Caballero on the orders of a senior member of La ONU because of the victims’ involvement in a drug robbery. On the day of the murders, VALDEZ-GARCIA asked the victims if they could give him a ride and he climbed into the backseat of their car. VALDEZ-GARCIA then asked to pull the car over and shot the victims four times each. VALDEZ-GARCIA then fled the scene and put the gun in a nearby trash can. The victims tried to flee to safety after being shot in the car, but soon collapsed and were left on the road and sidewalk to die.

On December 28, 2006, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, VALDEZ-GARCIA and another gunman shot and killed Israel Crespo-Cotto on the orders of a senior member of La ONU, because Crespo-Cotto and his wife were suspected of cooperating with federal authorities. Crespo-Cotto, a double amputee who lost both his legs to diabetes, was killed in front of his daughter while sitting in his wheelchair on his balcony. He was shot 24 times.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Furman sentenced VALDEZ-GARCIA, 40, of Puerto Rico, to three years of supervised release.

Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the New York City Police Department.  Mr. Williams also thanked the United States Attorney’s Office in the District of Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rico Police Department for their support in this ongoing investigation.

State Senator Gustavo Rivera - Tomorrow: NYS Office of Cannabis Management's South Bronx CAURD Event

 

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The Office of Cannabis Management is inviting Bronxites to attend their “Get Ready, Get Set for Cannabis: CAURD (Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary)” Bronx event tomorrow, Wednesday, August 17th, 2022 at 6:00 PM at The Point Community Development Corp 940 Garrison Ave, Bronx, NY 10474. The event aims to deliver quality education and information to best prepare those interested for the upcoming CAURD application. If you are interested in attending, please register at bit.ly/ocmsouthbronx I hope this information is useful to you! My team is available if you need assistance by contacting 718-933-2034 or grivera@nysenate.gov. Sincerely, Gustavo Rivera New York State Senate 33rd District, The Bronx

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Attorney General James Announces Debt Relief for Students who Attended ITT Educational Services For-Profit Colleges

 

U.S. Department of Education Approved $3.9 Billion in Group Debt Relief including Over $78 Million for More Than 4,400 New Yorkers

  New York Attorney General today announced that as part of the U.S. Department of Education’s group discharge for borrowers who attended for-profit colleges run by ITT Educational Services, Inc. (ITT) between 2005 and September 2016, over 4,400 New Yorkers will have their federal loans cleared. ITT had college campuses in Albany, Buffalo, and Syracuse, and thousands of New York students who attended these programs will have over $78 million of federal student loan debt discharged. These borrowers will have the federal student loans they received to attend ITT discharged without any additional action on their part. Attorney General James joined with other states to file a group discharge application in 2021, which led the U.S. Department of Education to act and achieve funds for these former students.

“Students pursuing an advanced degree to open up new possibilities shouldn’t be seen as cash-cows by disreputable, for-profit colleges,” said Attorney General James. “ITT Educational Services, Inc. fleeced hundreds of thousands of students, including over 4,400 New Yorkers at their Albany, Buffalo, and Syracuse campuses. I applaud the U.S. Department of Education for helping to secure these funds to help make New York students whole. I will continue to work with my partners in local, statewide, and national government to hold bad actors accountable and to stand up for the rights of New Yorkers.” 

The Department of Education credited the coalition of attorneys general that New York Attorney General James was a part of with conducting significant and extensive work to help uncover evidence that ITT engaged in widespread and pervasive misrepresentations related to the ability of students to get a job or transfer credits and lied about the programmatic accreditation of ITT’s associate degree in nursing. The Department of Education noted that its findings are based on extensive evidence, including internal ITT policies and records; recruitment materials and brochures; recordings of interactions between ITT’s representatives and prospective students; testimony from former students, employees, and administrators; investigative files and submissions from congressional investigators and state attorneys general; and the tens of thousands of individual borrower defense applications submitted by former ITT students.

This announcement is part of Attorney General James’ ongoing effort to protect New Yorkers from predatory, for-profit colleges and disreputable student loan servicers. In May 2022, Attorney General James urged former DeVry students who were deceived by the university to apply for federal loan discharge. This past January, Attorney General James helped secure more than $110 million in debt cancellation for New York students deceived by Navient. Additionally, Attorney General James suspended collection of some student debt owed to the state amidst the pandemic to provide relief to students.

Attorney General James has also been outspoken in calling for nationwide reforms to help protect student borrowers. In May 2021, Attorney General James sent a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Education calling for significant reforms to help student borrowers and shield them from predatory for-profit colleges. In March 2021, Attorney General James sent a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Education calling for reforms to help student borrowers. In July 2020, Attorney General James and a multistate coalition sued the Trump Administration’s Department of Education and former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to block their efforts to repeal critical protections for student-borrowers who have been misled or defrauded by predatory for-profit schools. In June 2020, Attorney General James filed a multistate lawsuit to stop the Department of Education and Secretary DeVos from repealing the “Gainful Employment” rule which helps ensure for-profit colleges and vocational schools “prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation” following graduation.