Council Member Ruben Diaz Sr - EVANGELICAL MINISTERS. SUPPORT CATHOLIC JUDGE AMY CONEY BARRETT

 

What You Should Know

By Councilman Rev. Ruben Diaz

District 18, Bronx County

EVANGELICAL MINISTERS. SUPPORT

CATHOLIC JUDGE

AMY CONEY BARRETT

 

September 25, 2020

 

Hon. Donald J. Trump

President of the United States

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Washington D.C.

 

Dear Mr. President:

 

As a New York City Councilman, elected by the residents of the 18^th District in Bronx County, New York, also as the Senior Pastor of The Christian Community Neighborhood Church and on behalf of the (139) {mostly Democrats}New York Hispanic Clergy Organization and its members, ministers, pastors, and bishops, mentioned below, I want to extend these lines to express to you our gratitude, satisfaction, and admiration for your committed promise, to the American people, to appoint constitutional judges, especially to the Supreme Court Judge Amy Coney Barrett.

 

As Evangelical ministers in New York State, mostly residing in New York City, we want to publicly thank you for, not only making the promise, but also for fulfilling it.  You have demonstrated your commitment to appoint judges who are dedicated to defending and protecting the integrity of the Constitution of the United States. We have seen your effort to defend the right to life, and religious liberty for people of faith.  

 

Know that we will be praying for you, members of your cabinet, your family and for this entire nation. We pray that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ grant you peace, and the strength to lead this nation forward, as one nation, one people under God.

 



 

Respectfully

 

___________________________

Councilman Rev. Ruben Diaz Sr.,

and the (139) ministers of the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization. 

Senator Alessandra Biaggi - How to Vote in District 34

 

Dear Community, 

As we continue to adapt to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, my colleagues and I passed several laws to safeguard every New York voter’s access to the ballot box this November – including my legislation to expand eligibility to vote by absentee ballot amid the public health crisis. This year, New York voters have three options to safely and easily cast their ballots: by mail (absentee), during early voting, or in person on Election Day. However you choose to vote, I urge you to plan ahead now so your voice is heard in the upcoming election. 

Voting by Mail (Absentee Ballot)

The first voting option is by mail, also known as voting by absentee ballot. This summer my legislation S.8015D was signed into law to allow all New York voters to vote absentee this November due to the ongoing pandemic. You can request an absentee ballot online by filling out the application form at absenteeballot.elections.ny.gov, or by mailing, emailing, or faxing a copy of the form, which can be downloaded in multiple languages at www.elections.ny.gov, to your County Board of Elections. If you are voting absentee due to concerns about COVID, you must select “temporary illness” as your reason for requesting an absentee ballot on the application form.

If you plan to vote absentee, I encourage you to request your ballot as soon as possible, to ensure you have time to receive it and return it. 

• Your application must be submitted online, via email, faxed, or postmarked no later than October 27th, or delivered personally to your County Board of Elections no later than the day before Election Day, November 2nd.
• Your ballot must be postmarked no later than Election Day, November 3rd, and received in the mail no later than seven days later, November 10th. 

Voters can also drop off their completed absentee ballot at their: (1) County Board of Elections office by November 3rd, (2) early voting site from October 24th to November 1st, or (3) polling site on Election Day. 

New York City voters can track the status of their absentee ballots by visiting www.nycabsentee.com/tracking. 

You can find more information about requesting a ballot and vote by mail deadlines at www.elections.ny.gov/votingabsentee.html.

Voting Early

The second voting option is voting early in-person between October 24th and November 1st. New York City voters can locate their early voting site and its operating hours on the NYC Board of Elections website here. Westchester voters can vote early at ANY of these locations during operating hours. You must wear a mask or face covering and maintain six feet of distance from others when at your early voting site.

Voting on Election Day

The third voting option is to cast your ballot in-person on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3rd. NYC voters can find their Election Day polling site here, and Westchester voters can find their site here. Polls are open from 6AM to 9PM. You must wear a mask or face covering and maintain six feet of distance from others when at your polling site.  

Register to Vote 

Lastly, if you haven’t already registered to vote or updated your voting address, you can do so by filling out a voter registration form located at www.elections.ny.gov, in either English or Spanish, and mailing it or delivering it to your County Board of Elections. You can also request a voter registration form be mailed to you at www.elections.ny.gov or by calling 1-800-FOR-VOTE. Your voter registration form must be postmarked no later than October 9th and received by the Board of Elections no later than October 14th for you to be eligible to vote in the November election. The deadline to drop off your registration form in-person is October 9th.

If you have a New York State-issued ID from the DMV, you can register to vote or change your address online at dmv.ny.gov until October 9th.

If you have any questions regarding voting this fall, you can always reach out to your local Board of Elections or contact my office at biaggi@nysenate.gov or 718-822-2049. 

Remember –– your vote, your voice! 

With Gratitude, 

State Senator Alessandra Biaggi

NYC PUBLIC ADVOCATE CALLS ON GOVERNOR, LEGISLATURE TO RE-DEFINE PUBLIC SAFETY WITH NEW PLATFORM

 

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams called on the Governor and State Legislature to re-define public safety by using his new platform as a framework for envisioning and expanding non-police alternatives to ensuring safety. He first unveiled the platform for the city in mid-September, and sent a letter to state leaders urging them to pursue the measures after Governor Cuomo reiterated his call for city leadership to present a plan for better policing or lose state funding.

"Simple reforms or discussions around policing is not the answer...While policing has an important role and improving it is imperative, the prevention of violence for example - a primary focus - can only be done through an all-encompassing approach that prioritizes public health and social well-being as alternatives to policing," the Public Advocate says in the letter to Governor Cuomo, as well as Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. 

It would be a failure, he notes, to address policing in isolation rather than recognize the broader need to redefine public safety itself. He also acknowledges the Governor's recent policing reform workbook, saying he has presented his own platform "not as a response to those reforms, but as a blueprint for effectively effectively reimagining what creates public safety."

The Public Advocate's platform is part of a campaign that aims to highlight the intersection of public safety in other aspects of city life and governance, outlining a new framework and empowering with effective tools to be the change agents in defining public safety. It addresses ten key areas of gun violence, schools, housing and homelessness, mental health, transportation, technology, domestic violence, immigration, families, and public health. More information on each of these areas is available here. 

The full letter to state leaders is below and can be downloaded here. 

Dear Governor Cuomo, Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Heastie:

I'm writing to share with you a recently assembled platform, curated by both experts and grassroots organizations, to redefine public safety. With this platform, my office seeks to help lead New York City into an era of enhanced safety and amplify the concerns New Yorkers flagged in Governor Cuomo's recent Police Reform Workbook. 

I offer the attached platform not as a response to those reforms, but as a blueprint for effectively reimagining what creates Public Safety. That begins by acknowledging that Public Safety cannot be synonymous with law enforcement. Simple reforms or discussions around policing is not the answer. 

While law enforcement has a part to play, for too long so many integral roles have not been sufficiently embraced. My platform addresses ten key areas where intersectional solutions can be discovered for inadequate services. While policing has an important role and improving it is imperative, the prevention of violence for example, a primary focus, can only be done through an all-encompassing approach that prioritizes public health and social well-being as alternatives to policing. 

The attached platform is only the beginning of a conversation on how we can transform public safety in New York. Over the next view months our plan is to expound on each one of the 10 points and engage in robust community discussions. Your consideration and support of these policy proposals could be instrumental in bettering the lives of countless New Yorkers and inspiring similar transformations across the nation. I hope to engage in further collaboration with all of you on moving forward with these critical issues.

For further discussion, please contact First Deputy Public Advocate Nick E. Smith at nsmith@advocate.nyc.gov and Rama Issa-Ibrahim, Deputy Public Advocate for Justice, Health Equity & Safety at rissa-ibrahim@advocate.nyc.gov. 

Thank you very much for your time and consideration. 

Sincerely, 

Jumaane D. Williams

Public Advocate for the City of New York

South Bronx City Councilman Rafael Salamanca Gives Out Book Bags and School Supplies in Norwood

 

South Bronx City Councilman Rafael Salamanca came up to Norwood to give out book bags and school supplies with Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and his son 11th City Council  district candidate Eric Dinowitz. Also on hand was Councilman Andrew Cohen who represents the area where the event took place. Stopping by were 80th A.D. Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez a declared candidate for Bronx Borough President, and Marcos Sierra the Male District Leader from the 80th A.D. who has declared his candidacy for the 11th City Council district.

The significance of Councilman Salamanca coming to Norwood was that he is expected to announce his candidacy for Bronx Borough President shortly after the Bronx Democratic County Committee meeting this Wednesday night where State Senator Jamaal Bailey is expected to become the new Bronx Democratic County Leader. 

Due to term limits of most Bronx City Council members there had been a large field of candidates running for Bronx Borough President expected, but with the probable election of Ritchie Torres to Congress, and Andrew Cohen to Bronx Supreme Court the field of candidates thinned out. Currently only term limited Bronx City Council members Fernando Cabrera and Vanessa Gibson have declared with businessman Victor Gutierrez, and Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez. Councilman Salamanca who is not term limited, is undecided as to which office he is running according to the Campaign Finance Board website. One or two other candidates are expected to announce after the November election their intention to run or not for Bronx Borough President.

Above - City Council members Andrew Cohen and Rafael Salamanca with Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and his son Eric Dinowitz (background) a candidate in the 11th City Council district. Book bags and boxes of school supplies sit on the tables.

Below - 80th A.D. Assemblywoman and Bronx BP candidate Nathalia Fernandez speaks to Councilman Salamanca as Councilman Cohen looks on.

Above - Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz explaining to Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez where their district lines are, and the spot they are right now is in the 81st assembly district.

Below - 11th City Council candidate and 81st A.D. Male District Leader Eric Dinowitz handed the book bags to the children.

Above - Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz holds the box of school supplies with the Rafael Salamanca sticker on it.

Below - 11th City Council candidate and 80th A.D. Male District Leader Marcos Sierra gives this woman his card.

Bronx Progressives Virtual Meeting - Wednesday, September 30th 2020 at 6:00pm

 

Join Fellow Progressives for our September Meeting!

 

When: Wednesday, September 30^th, 6pm

 

Where:

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81747889600

For agenda click here.

 

 

Greetings Bronx Progressives Members!

 

How are you all? Hope this email finds you all well, and that your loved ones are healthy and safe during the pandemic. As I write this, I am reminded that several long months have passed by since we’ve last held a meeting. So much has happened since not only in our own personal lives, but as a society. This health crisis has changed us forever!

 

With that said, Bronx Progressives has been on hiatus since the pandemic broke out, and because of other internal challenges we’ve been facing as a group. At this moment we find ourselves in a very difficult and painful situation of deciding what is the future of Bronx Progressives. Do we disband it or create a plan of action to reactivate the group? 

 

Join us, Wednesday, September 30^th at 6pm, to take part in this crucial discussion about the future of Bronx Progressives. Your feedback and participation are crucial!

 

We will also have a special guest joining us. Sochie Nnaemeka, Working Families Party NYS Director, will be joining us to chat about the upcoming elections, and the Working Families Party.

 

We will also discuss the upcoming election on November 3, and how to plan your vote.

 

When: Wednesday, September 30^th at 6pm

 

Where:

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81747889600

***This meeting is ADA accessible and is a safe space for all races, religions, sexes, gender identities, ages and beliefs***

Bronx Progressives September General Meeting - Wednesday, September 30

Agenda

• Greetings and Welcomes (2 Mins.)

• Overview of the agenda (3 Mins.)

• House Rules (5 Mins.)

• Reviewing the Zoom features

• Adding your name/neighborhood you live in to chat box

• Sign-in form

• Introducing Sochie Nnaemeka from Working Families Party

• Sochie Nnaemeka speaks (15 Mins.)

• Q&A (10 Mins.)

• Upcoming Elections and Creating a voting plan (10 Mins.)

• History Recap of Bronx Progressives (10 Mins.)

• What is Bronx Progressives?

• Recent developments and COVID

• The future of Bronx Progressives (10 Mins.)

• Where do we go from here? 

• To disband or reactivate/The significance of disbanding/The significance of reactivating 

• An urgent call to reactivate/reboot Bronx Progressives. Why?

• Around the room discussion/Feedback (20 Mins.)

• What would reactivating and creating a new Bronx Progressives look like? As Progressives, what role do we want to play in the community? What work that Bronx Progressives has accomplished, and the brand that we have built over the years should we advance, continue, improve? What should we forgo? What issues or projects should we be involved with?

• Next Steps (10 Mins.)

• A call to action on reactivating Bronx Progressives

• Recruitment of reliable members to serve in a steering committee to reactivate Bronx Progressives

• Scheduling a meeting with members of the steering committee to begin discussion on formation of new Bronx Progressives

• Adjourn

Extradited Colombian National Sentenced In Manhattan Federal Court To 9 Years In Prison For Narcotics Trafficking

 

 Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Raymond P. Donovan, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Keith M. Corlett, Superintendent of the New York State Police (“NYSP”), and Dermot Shea, Police Commissioner of the City of New York (“NYPD”), announced that SANTIAGO LONDONO-VELEZ, a/k/a “Zack,” a/k/a “Carlos Avila,” a Colombian national, was sentenced today to 108 months[1] in prison for his participation in a Colombian drug trafficking organization that conspired to distribute significant quantities of heroin in the United States.  On October 25, 2019, LONDONO-VELEZ pled guilty to a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin before U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel, who imposed today’s sentence.  LONDONO-VELEZ’s co-defendant, Rolando Francisco Ossa-Calderon, was previously sentenced by Judge Castel to nine years in prison for his role in the conspiracy.  

Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Santiago Londono-Velez was responsible for the importation of multi-kilogram quantities of heroin and cocaine into the U.S.  The prison sentence he received today is commensurate with his admitted crime.”

DEA Special Agent in Charge Raymond P. Donovan said:  “Regional Priority Target Londono-Velez has found himself in the United States again, this trip with a visa based on justice.  His sentencing underscores law enforcement’s commitment to stemming the flow of illegal drugs into the United States.  I commend our law enforcement partners on their diligent efforts in this investigation and prosecution.”

HSI Special Agent in Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh said:  “With an extensive criminal history in the United States, Londono-Velez is again headed to prison for narcotics trafficking after moving cocaine and heroin through New York and Europe.  It is with the incredible collaboration between federal and state law enforcement agencies that those criminals who move highly addictive drugs through our borders will face the consequences of their illicit acts.”

State Police Superintendent Keith M. Corlett said:  “This investigation and today’s sentencing are evidence of the commitment we share with our law enforcement partners in keeping dangerous drugs off of our streets. This organization utilized ships to transport large quantities of dangerous drugs to the New York area and Europe. Great police work has stopped this enterprise and this career criminal. The State Police remain committed to partnering with other members of law enforcement to eliminate these types of operations and shutting down the distribution of illegal drugs.”

According to the Indictment and other filings in the case:

From at least in or about 2015 through in or about 2016, LONDONO-VELEZ was a member of a Colombian drug trafficking organization.  LONDONO-VELEZ’s role in the organization was to coordinate the shipment of multi-kilogram loads of cocaine and heroin to the New York area and Europe via cargo containers on ships in which the narcotics were frequently concealed in loads of fresh produce.  In one drug transaction that took place on November 3, 2015, LONDONO-VELEZ coordinated a delivery of six kilograms of heroin, which has a street value of more than $360,000, by his co-conspirator Ossa-Calderon to an undercover law enforcement officer in Queens, New York.  

LONDONO-VELEZ was previously convicted twice in the United States for felony narcotics offenses.  In 1995, he was sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida to 57 months in prison for a conspiracy to distribute approximately 47 kilograms of cocaine and deported to Colombia in 1999.  After illegally reentering the United States in 2003, LONDONO-VELEZ was sentenced in New York State Supreme Court in Queens County to six years in prison for criminal possession of approximately 40 kilograms of cocaine in 2006.  LONDONO-VELEZ was also convicted of illegal reentry in this District and deported to Colombia in 2011.  In connection with the charges in this case, LONDONO-VELEZ was arrested in Colombia on August 8, 2018, and extradited to the United States on August 16, 2019.

In addition to the prison term, LONDONO-VELEZ, 50, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.            

Ossa-Calderon, 42, of Elmont, New York, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin on March 13, 2018, and was sentenced by Judge Castel on June 12, 2018, to 108 months in prison and four years of supervised release.

Ms. Strauss praised the outstanding investigative work of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) New York Strike Force.  The OCDETF New York Strike Force is a crime-fighting unit comprising federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies supported by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.  The Strike Force is affiliated with the DEA’s New York Division and includes agents and officers of the DEA, New York City Police Department, New York State Police, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Marshals Service, New York National Guard, Clarkstown Police Department, U.S. Coast Guard, Port Washington Police Department and New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

Ms. Strauss also thanked the DEA’s Bogota Country Office, the United States Marshals Service, and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs of the Department’s Criminal Division, which provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from Colombia. 

The prosecution of his case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit.  Assistant United States Attorneys Sagar K. Ravi and Jilan J. Kamal are in charge of the prosecution.

[1] The 108-month sentence includes the 13 months LONDONO-VELEZ was incarcerated in Colombia pending extradition.