Tuesday, July 20, 2010

STATEMENT FROM BOROUGH PRESIDENT RUBEN DIAZ JR. RE: New York State Education Testing Analysis

   “Today’s statements from both State Education Commissioner David Steiner and Daniel Koretz, a testing expert and professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, all point to the reality that previous data used by the City’s Department of Education showing record improvement in our public schools is, in many cases, unreliable. While the City will point to these rising test scores as evidence that the system is working, the results of the National Assessment of Education Progress indicate that achievement in our schools is stagnant at best, and that our State scores are skewed too high".
   “Today’s findings show that the State’s assessment test, as it is currently constituted, is a poor measure of the achievement of our students. This is a very important first step in truly realizing where our students really are academically, and how we can best prepare them to compete in today’s global economy".
   “Also, as we raise the standards for our students let us as at the same time raise the level of support as well.  As standards are raised more students will need additional academic interventions, and we must as a State and City provide those resources to our schools and students.  Raising standards is not in itself the sole answer, we must also give our schools the needed resources, options and supports to give our students the world class education that they deserve,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr"
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Dinowitz Sets up Meeting to Talk Padernacht Into Dropping out

    Our friend Bob Kappstatter (of the Daily News) reports today in his column that Riverdale Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz set up a meeting between 33rd State Senate candidate Dan Padernacht, State Democratic Committee Executive Director Charlie King, 1199SEIU Political Director Kevin Finnegan, and Public Advocate Bill DeBlassio to try to talk Padernacht into dropping out of the 33rd State Senate race to rally behind candidate Gustavo Rivera.
   I asked 33rd State Senate candidate Dan Padernacht about the meeting, and he said that he was not dropping out of the senate race, and that there were three different challenges to his petition. Fernando Tirado the fourth candidate that is in the 33rd State Senate race has had his petitions challenged also. 
   The appearance of heavy handed tactics to have other candidates drop out can come back to haunt candidate Gustavo Rivera, who has put out a campaign literature suggesting that since 60 percent of the 33rd State Senate district has an assembly member named Rivera (Jose in the 78th A.D., and Naomi in the 80th A.D.) so the voters should also vote for him since his name is Rivera. There is speculation that Gustavo Rivera is connected to a Bronx blogger that reported a story on the fifth candidate so damaging that the candidate  not submit petitions
   By the way Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz is also the Bronx Democratic County Committee Chairman, who has been asked by the State Democratic Committee to expel current 33rd State Senator Pedro Espada Jr.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Committee of 100 Democrats Free Comunity Barbecue was a big success

   Hundreds of people came from throughout the borough of the Bronx, but most were from the 33rd State Senate District. The Committee of 100 Democrats honored State Senate Deputy Majority Leader Jeff Klein and Assemblyman Jose Rivera, both long time friends of the Committee of 100 Democrats and very hard workers for their constituents and the people of the Bronx. 
   State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. (33rd district)  scheduled to appear missed an opportunity to mingle with the many voters of the 33rd State Senate District, but all three opponents (as of now) Mr. Dan Padernacht, Mr. Gustavo Rivera, and Mr. Fernando Tirado were on hand to meet and greet those voters of the 33rd district that were enjoying the festivities.
   As usual at a Committee of 100 Democrats barbecue there were Brazilian Dancers, several different live musical bands, lots of free food, and a good time for all.
Senator Jeff Klein and Assemblyman Jose Rivera practice their musical skills with the one of the musical groups that performed at The Committee of 100 Democrats Free Community Barbecue Saturday July 17th.

Bronx Borough President, Ruben Diaz Jr. and the Woodlawn Cemetery Introduce English and Spanish Audio Tours of the Historic Cemetery on Seventh Anniversary of Death of Queen of Salsa Celia Cruz

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and The Friends of The Woodlawn Cemetery introduced English and Spanish audio tours of the historic Woodlawn Cemetery, so that visitors can enjoy self guided tours of the historic 147 year old Bronx cemetery.  The audio tour was unveiled as part of a commemoration of the seventh anniversary of the passing of "La Guarachera de Cuba” the “Queen of Salsa”, Cuban Born salsa singer, Celia Cruz who recorded twenty-three gold albums.
“Woodlawn Cemetery is one of our most important cultural institutions and is a rich source of information on people who helped shape our city and country,” said Borough President Diaz.  “This audio tour will make it more inviting and manageable for tourists, as well as locals, to fully appreciate the historical treasure it represents.” 
The audio tour which will cost five dollars will also highlight the architectural works of acclaimed architects Charles McKim, William Rutherford Mead, Stanford White, John Merven Carrère, Thomas Hastings and John Russell Pope who designed some of Woodlawn’s 1700  significant monuments and mausoleums. The Woodlawn Cemetery features 400 acres of rolling hills, spectacular trees and shrubbery, mausoleums and memorials of historic and artistic significance and a natural fauna/flora sanctuary.  
 Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. showing the map and the device visitors will receive to enjoy the Woodlawn Cemetery tour.  

Friday, July 16, 2010

Hector Ramirez Fund Raiser

   Last night Hector Ramirez currently Male District Leader from the 86th Assembly District held another very successful fund raiser for his bid to win the 86th assembly seat away from incumbent Nelson Castro.
   The support for the Ramirez campaign goes from grass roots all the way to the Bronx Borough President. Bronx BP Ruben Diaz Jr. was "in the house", and presented candidate (and friend) Hector Ramirez not only his support, but also a check for one thousand dollars saying "I am with you Hector one thousand percent".
   Other elected officials on hand were City Councilman Fernando Cabrera and Assemblywoman Vanessa Gibson. Candidate Ramirez has the endorsement of the Bronx Democratic County Organization, Congressman Jose Serrano, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, State Senators Ruben Diaz Sr. and Jose M. Serrano, Councilwoman Annabel Palma, and the Working Families Party as of now with more to come..

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Bronx County Dinner Huge Success

   Bronx Democratic County Committee Chairman Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz estimates the crowd at the Bronx County Dinner to be close to one thousand people, in what is now being called the largest and strongest show of support for any Bronx County organization. 
   Every Bronx elected official (minus one or two for one reason or another) were in attendance as this was a dinner of unity. The program went well with the with the combination of honorees and short speeches by elected officials. Bronx County Democratic Leader Assemblyman Carl E. Heastie and his assorted district leaders moved the pace of the evening smoothly and quickly.
   Among those in attendance were New York State Governor David Paterson, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Senate Conference Leader John Sampson, State Comptroller Tom Di Napoli, City Comptroller John Liu, former City Comptroller Bill Thompson, Public Advocate Bill deBlasio, Council Speaker Quinn, as well as current and former elected officials and county leaders from other boroughs to support the Bronx County organization.
   Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer told me that he will soon be gearing up for what could be a very crowded field of candidates in the 2013 mayors race, as did mayoral candidate (2009) Bill Thompson. Former Queens Councilwoman and Comptroller candidate in 2009 Melinda Katz said that she is working on other campaigns this year, and would not rule out a run for her old council seat or other position in 2013. We would like to see Ms. Katz run for Queens Borough President in 2013, a position that would fit her talents best.
   Even with the three state legislative leaders in the house there is still no final state budget, and I asked Governor Paterson what the consequences to local governments could be. The governor said that the state has enough money on hand for day to day operations for only about a month, that the legislature ignored his three budget proposals, and that he would have to call a special session in about a week or two to complete the budget process one way or another.
   The exact amount of money that was raised won't be known for a while, but by the crowd of support we saw this was a record breaker.
 Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, and City Comptroller John Liu.
Is Governor Paterson trying to win over Senator Ruth Hassel-Thompson for his budget plan?

Bronx Borough President, Ruben Diaz, Jr. To Introduce English and Spanish Audio Tours of Historic Woodlawn Cemetery in Honor of Seventh Anniversary of Death of the Queen of Salsa Celia Cruz

 
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. and The Friends of The Woodlawn Cemetery will introduce English and Spanish audio tours of the historic Woodlawn Cemetery located at Webster Avenue & E. 233rd Street in the Bronx, at 10am on Friday July 16th  At the Woodlawn Cemetery located at Webster Avenue & E. 233rd Street in the Bronx.
 
The project is made possible through a grant from the NYC & Company Foundation to the Friends of Woodlawn Cemetery which was supported by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.  The project was arranged for by The Bronx Tourism Council which helped to produce it.  The Council is a program of the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (BOEDC). 

Established in 1863, the cemetery’s cultural significance is represented in the famous names that grace its monuments and mausoleums: Herman Melville, FW Woolworth, JC Penny, Jay Gould, Ralph Bunche, Fiorello LaGuardia, Robert Moses, Irving Berlin, George M. Cohan, Duke Ellington, RH Macy, Miles Davis, Bat Masterson and Joseph Pulitzer.

The audio tour will also highlight the architectural works of acclaimed architects Charles McKim, William Rutherford Mead, Stanford White, Daniel Chester French and John Russell Pope who designed some of Woodlawn’s 1500 significant monuments and mausoleums. The Woodlawn Cemetery features over 400 acres of rolling hills, spectacular trees and shrubbery, monumental mausoleums and memorials and a natural fauna/flora sanctuary. 

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Hunter calls it quits in 33rd Senate Race

It has been announced that Ms. Desiree Pilgram-Hunter who of late had been the target of criticism by the BoogieDowner Blog has called off her campaign for the 33rd State Senate. While there were reports of lack of dollars, sources said that Ms. Hunter had only raised $30,000.00 we think that it was not getting the endorsement of the New Roosevelt Initiative (and the $250,000.00 bounty that went along with the endorsement) that could have played a major role in Ms. Hunters decision. 
Ms Hunter was the first to announce as a candidate for the 33rd State Senate District against the incumbent Pedro Espada Jr. Three other candidates announced their candidacies after Ms. Hunter. Mr. Dan Padernacht, Mr. Gustavo Rivera, and Mr. Fernando Tirado. Mr. Gustavo Rivera had gotten the endorsement of the NRI only a few days ago, and it was reported that the NRI would be asking the other candidates in the 33rd State Senate race to drop out and support Mr. Rivera "For the good of defeating Mr. Espada". In our column 100 PERCENT in the Bronx News, Parkchester News and Coop-City News we report speaking to the other two candidates who said that neither were contacted by the NRI to either drop out or endorse Mr. Rivera.
We also reported that Mr. Rivera may need the $250,000.00 bounty from NRI to help keep himself on the ballotif and when his petitions are challenged. 
You will see our prediction on this race in a few weeks when all the challenges and court cases are over.