Participatory Budgeting Comes to Council District 11

 Through Participatory Budgeting, community members, instead of elected officials alone decide how public funds should be spent from start to finish. The second year of Participatory Budgeting in New York City expanded upon the success of Year 1 by bringing together almost 14,000 New Yorkers from eight City Council districts, 6,000 more participants than Year 1. Data collected from over 8,200 surveys, 30 observations, and 63 in-depth interviews show that many of these participants were from diverse backgrounds, and that Participatory Budgeting engaged community members who would not otherwise participate in politics or have contact with government.

  The eight participating Council Members allocated almost $10 million in capital discretionary funds to the 46 winning projects selected by community members in their districts. The research findings for each district are available here:

• Melissa Mark-Viverito (D-8)
• Dan Halloran (R-19)
• Mark Weprin (D-23)
• Erich Ulrich (R-32)
• Stephen Levin (D-33)
• Brad Lander (D-39)
• David Greenfield (D-44)
• Jumaane D. Williams (D-45)

PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING RESULTS 2014

Through Participatory Budgeting in New York City (PBNYC), New Yorkers are directly deciding how to spend millions of dollars of public funds every year. In the third annual cycle of PBNYC, residents across 10 NYC Council Districts came together to discuss ideas for improving their communities, and nearly 17,000 people voted on how to spend over $14 million. Here are the results:

District 5, Ben Kallos (Midtown East, Upper East Side, El Barrio, Roosevelt Island) RESULTS  |  Ballot District 8, Melissa Mark-Viverito  (East Harlem/El Barrio, Mott Haven, Highbridge, Concourse, Longwood) RESULTS  |  Interactive Map  |  Ballot  |  Videos District 23, Mark S. Weprin (Fresh Meadows, Oakland Gardens, Queens Village, Glen Oaks, Douglaston, Bayside, Hollis) RESULTS  |  Interactive Map  |  Ballot District 31, Donovan Richards (Arverne, Far Rockaway, Bayswater, Edgemere)RESULTS  |  Interactive Map  |  Ballot  |  Videos District 32, Eric Ulrich (Rockaway Beach, Rockaway Park, Belle Harbor, Breezy Point, Broad Channel, Neponsit, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park, Woodhaven)RESULTS  |  Mainland Ballot  |  Rockaway Ballot

District 33, Stephen Levin (Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Boerum Hill, DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights) RESULTS  |  Interactive Map  |  Ballot  |  Videos District 38, Carlos Menchaca (Sunset Park, Red Hook, Greenwood & parts of South Slope, Borough Park, Gowanus)RESULTS  |  Interactive Map  |  Ballot  |  Videos District 39, Brad Lander (Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Park Slope, Gowanus, Windsor Terrace, Kensington, parts of Borough Park) RESULTS  |  Interactive Map  |  Ballot  |  Videos District 44, David Greenfield (Borough Park, Midwood, Bensonhurst) RESULTS  | Ballot District 45, Jumaane D. Williams (Flatbush, East Flatbush, Flatlands, parts of Midwood) RESULTS  |  Interactive Map  |  Ballot

  Here the Chief of Staff to Councilman Andrew Cohen Mr. Daniel Johnson explains Participatory Budgeting at a meeting that was held in the office of Community Board 7 in the Norwood/Bedford Park area of the district.  More such meetings are to be held to explain this new process that allows district residents to vote on projects they would like to see in their council district. Councilman Cohen has put one million dollars of his allotted city funding into this process, and is the first full Bronx council district to do this. Speaker Mark-Viverito who district is partly in the Bronx has done this process since its inception in the council in 2011. 

This summer, the Council Member and his staff will be hosting information sessions throughout the district to let residents know more about participatory budgeting and how they can get involved. The confirmed information sessions are listed below and they will all begin at 7:00pm.  Additional information sessions will be confirmed shortly.

Thursday, July 10th at Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center, 3225 Reservoir Oval East

Tuesday, July 15^th at the Emerald Isle Immigration Center, 4275 Katonah Avenue

Thursday, July 17^th at the Riverdale Y-MWHA, 5625 Arlington Avenue

Join Borough President Diaz for free healthy food

Working Families Party Pulls Back Endorsements of Oliver Koppell and John Liu

  The Working Families Party has rescinded its initial endorsements of IDC opponents Oliver Koppell and John Liu today after voting in May to endorse both IDC challengers. In November there will be no name on the Working Families ballot line in the state senate races against IDC members Jeff Klein and Tony Avella.  There were no petitions filed in those two races so there is to be no candidate of the WFP in the two senate races. 

   It appears that since the deal between State Senate Co-Leader and IDC head Jeff Klein and Governor Andrew Cuomo to have the IDC members share the leadership of the state senate with the Senate Democrat Conference instead of the Senate Republican Conference, all seems to be well with the WFP. 

   Despite the move by the WFP to have no name on their November election ballot line in the two state senate races where IDC members have Democratic primaries the two challengers Oliver Koppell and John Liu are continuing with their campaigns in the Democratic primary. 

  Queens state senate candidate John Liu has picked up the endorsement of Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, and one has to wonder what Mr. Katz (AKA Curtis Swila) will have to say on the political rundown tomorrow night on Inside City Hall. 

Mayor Bill de Blasio endorses state Senators Jeff Klein and Tony Avella

In a major announcement on Tuesday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio endorsed state Senators Jeff Klein (D-Bronx/Westchester) and Tony Avella (D-Queens).

“Throughout this past session, Sen. Jeff Klein and Sen. Tony Avella worked tirelessly on behalf of the residents of New York City and helped make progress on issues that had been stalled for far too long,” Mayor de Blasio said.

“With their leadership, we secured a record increase in funding for universal Pre-K, a fair budget for New York City, needed property tax relief for victims of Hurricane Sandy, and the changes we need to save lives and improve street safety.

“As part of a united Democratic majority in the State Senate, I look forward to working with Sen. Klein and Sen. Avella as we work to implement a progressive agenda, including increasing the minimum wage, expanding affordable housing, ensuring women’s equality, passing the DREAM Act and much more. I am proud to endorse Sen. Klein and Sen. Avella for re-election,” Mayor de Blasio added.

Both Independent Democratic Conference members looked forward to working with Mayor de Blasio and advancing important progressive legislation next session.

“As Co-leader of the State Senate,  I partnered with Mayor de Blasio to deliver $300 million for full day Universal Pre-K, brought home 120 additional speed cameras for school zones and passed life-saving legislation to reduce the City's speed limit, a crucial piece of his Vision Zero plan.  We both agree that there's still more work to be done including, passing the DREAM Act,  protecting a woman's right to choose and enacting real, meaningful campaign finance reform.  I'm honored to receive his endorsement and look forward to achieving more Democratic victories for all New Yorkers," said state Senator Klein (D-Bronx/Westchester).

FREE Children's Events this Sunday in Van Cortlandt Park

  FVCP’s City of Water Day Event 

Sunday July 13th from 11am to 1pm

The Firends of Van Cortlandt Park presents: Hands on activities for all ages: Collect and Identify Aquatic Invertebrates, Guided Hike Around the Lake and EcoCrafts.

Van Cortlandt Lake near the VC Golf House, enter the Park at Van Cortlandt Park South and Bailey Ave. Bronx, NY 10463

For more info call (718) 601-1553 or email info@vancortlandt.org

 

Babar the Little Elephant

Sunday July 13th at 1 and 2:30pm

The Friends of Van Cortlandt are hosting a children’s performance with Bronx Arts Ensemble.  Master mime/storyteller W.T. McRae tells the popular story of Babar, growing up from a baby to the king of the jungle. With our old friends Queen Celeste, Cornelius and Arthur. Special thanks to Partnerships for Parks for helping to support this event.

Van Cortlandt House Museum Lawn, enter the Park at Broadway and W. 246th St. Bronx, NY 10471

For more info call (718) 601-1553 or email info@vancortlandt.org

New York City Could Become the Next O.K. Corral

What You Should Know 

Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz 

32^nd Senatorial District 

New York City Could Become the Next O.K. Corral

You should know that since New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton eliminated the Stop and Frisk policy, the number of shootings and loss of life by innocent bystanders has increased to the point that if this does not stop soon, New York City might become the next O.K. Corral.

You should know that the O.K. Corral involved the shooting between the Earp brothers, Wyatt, Virgul and Morgan – and the Clanton brothers – in Tombstone, Arizona on October 26, 1881. It is still regarded as the biggest gunfight in the American Old West.

Under the Administration of New York City’s former Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, the Stop and Frisk policy was established, stopping a lot of crime and getting guns off the street.  While there are those who will argue against Stop and Frisk, statistics show that crime was better controlled and the loss of life was decreased.

Most complaints against Stop and Frisk include the fact that more Black and Hispanic people were stopped than Whites.  That created a lot of bad feeling and a public outcry, forcing Bill de Blasio – when he was a Mayoral Candidate – to promise that when he would be elected Mayor, that he would not comply with Stop and Frisk and that he would end Stop and Frisk.

But my dear reader, the waters are running deep for Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton, because these past few weeks have been the most violent in the city. Last weekend, there were more than a dozen shootings, four dead, many injuries including a 10-year old and a 12-year old bystander. Between June 20 and 22, there were 21 people who were shot, and two of them died.

The spike in crime in New York City is soaring, preventing senior citizens from going out for a walk, and parents from feeling safe to take their children outside.

You should already know that the Stop and Frisk policy has its critics and its supporters. We all know that critics complain that the policy had a racially motivated theme, citing to the fact that the people who were stopped were almost exclusively Blacks and Hispanics, and were stopped because they were Black and Hispanic.  That was insulting.

On the other hand, supporters of Stop and Frisk say that the violent gun crimes are committed almost exclusively in Black and Hispanic communities by Blacks and Hispanics.  Therefore, the police do not go to White communities to stop people because violent gun crimes are not prevalent by White people in White communities.

Let’s look at the facts. We all know that taxi drivers have been assaulted and killed by Blacks and Hispanics.  Bodegueros have been assaulted and killed by Blacks and Hispanics.  Senior citizens and young children have been assaulted by Blacks and Hispanics.  And so, you can see, ladies and gentlemen, that there were strong pro and con arguments on both sides of the Stop and Frisk policy.

The problem now is that since Mayor Bill de Blasio and Commissioner Bill Bratton have removed the Stop and Frisk policy, crime is going up and people are losing their lives. Bullets are flying, and children are dying.

If the new initiative by Commissioner Bratton to put more police officers on the street does not work as  expected, then we need to take another look and think about the pro’s of Stop and Frisk.

We all know how Stop and Frisk took many guns off the street.  Criminals also knew it, and knew they could be stopped at any time. Now they know that no one will stop them, and they can feel the freedom to carry weapons throughout the City.

If the Stop and Frisk policy does resurface, it needs to be done in a way that all Black and Hispanic people are afforded the same courtesies that our White neighbors receive from New York City Police officers.  We all know that some of New York’s most prominent Black and Hispanic residents have been exposed to Stop and Frisk, and many have complained about rude and abusive treatment by police officers until their official identities were revealed.  If Black and Hispanic New Yorkers are treated with dignity and respect, there may be less criticism and the Stop and Frisk policy could work.

Ladies and gentlemen, I have to believe that Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton will have to decide what’s more important: reinstating Stop and Frisk, or just keep losing lives?  How long can we keep telling parents of young victims: “I’m sorry for your loss?” How long before New York City becomes the next O.K. Corral?  

This is Senator Rev. Rubén Díaz, and this is what you should know.

Klein campaign files 9,000 petition signatures with State Board of Elections

  In an immense showing of support for the reelection of state Senator Jeff Klein (D-Bronx/Westchester,) his campaign filed 9,000 petition signatures with the State Board of Elections on Monday.

The petitions, bound in four volumes, contained nine times the number of signatures required for a state Senate candidate to get onto the ballot. The campaign filed three days in advance of the filing deadline on Thursday.

“This illustrates my support in every corner of the district. It’s tremendously gratifying when 9,000 Democrats want you to be the standard bearer of the Party. I want to thank each and every person who knocked on doors throughout my district and each and every person who signed one of my petitions for their support. I’d also like to thank the political clubs that carried my petitions through the 34th State Senate District,” said state Senator Jeff Klein.

The local candidates of the Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club are shown holding nearly five hundred sheets of petitions containing nearly forty six hundred signatures of enrolled democrats to place the local democratic slate on the ballot. The signatures, which will also qualify for the ballot over three hundred members of the Bronx Democratic County Committee, were collected the old fashioned way: through grass roots, door-to-door canvasing. Pictured from left to right are Male Democratic District Leader Candidate Eric Dinowitz, Female Democratic District Leader Randi Martos, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Democratic State Committeeman William Weitz, Male Democratic District Leader Bruce Feld, and Democratic State Committeewoman Hellen Morik.