Keep Rangel out of the Bronx, Rev. Diaz says

State Sen. Rev. Ruben Diaz has come out with another 'What You Should Know,' and this one goes after Assemblyman Denny Farrell. Diaz says Farrell (Manhattan), has no respect for Bronxites.

Farrell was recently quoted in the Daily News about redistricting, saying the first thing they work on is Rep. Charlie Rangel's district to ensure his reelection. Diaz hates this and goes after the 'machine' of Albany

"Are they are all a bunch of sell-outs or do they have the best interest for our community as their top priority?" he says. Here's the full post:

Assemblyman Denny Farrell shows no respect for Bronx residents, for Bronx elected officials, and especially no respect for the Bronx’s growing Hispanic population.

“You must understand, for the last 40 years, whatever district Charlie Rangel wants, we give it to him. I say, ‘Charlie, we can’t draw anything else in the state till we draw you.’ That’s always been our position — we do you and then everything. He’s the dean. He’s the No. 1.”

These words expressed today in a Daily News column by Bill Hammond titled ‘Albany's Gift to Charlie Rangel’ practically confirmed to the world what I have been asking all along about our representatives in Albany: Are they are all a bunch of sell-outs or do they have the best interest for our community as their top priority?

Today, my dear reader, Harlem is a very different community. Charles Rangel and Keith Wright may have brought “progress” to Harlem with great business proposals, 125th Street is thriving with stores and businesses, and people now go to Harlem to shop, but there is one big problem. They pushed their residents out – especially the African American community. They did not protect Harlem residents.

There are not enough African American residents in Harlem to keep Charles Rangel in his position, and there is no one to blame but Charles Rangel himself – and his colleagues. They allowed African Americans to lose Harlem to others communities. In other words, today Harlem is owned by others – not by African Americans as it used to be.

We cannot deny, and you should know, that Charlie Rangel is a legendary figure in the African American community and that whatever he wants for Harlem he has always gotten.
We also have to note that the historical beauty of Harlem has been their residents, their struggle for survival and their history. Harlem was a strong political power for the African American community in the eyes of the nation, until their leadership, led by Charles Rangel, sold them out to former President Bill Clinton and his business associates.

Now Charles Rangel, Denny Farrell and Keith Wright – after losing Harlem – want to come to the Bronx and without respect or consideration to the leadership, to the people of the Bronx, and to all of us who have fought to keep our community intact, contrary to what they did in Harlem. Remember Denny Farrell’s words, “Charlie, we can’t draw anything else in the state till we draw you … we do you and then everything.”

What a joke! What a farce! What a lack of respect to Sheldon Silver, to the rest of the Assembly members and to the people of the Bronx!

We in the Bronx have built housing to protect the Black and Hispanic community from leaving us. The census verified that the Bronx did not lose people – the Bronx gained residents because the Bronx leadership has been responding to the needs of its community and has not allowed others to come and push our people out.

We do not need Charles Rangel to come to the Bronx. We have enough people to get two congressional districts independent and apart from everything else, to take over our struggles and our fight.

When I hear Denny Farrell practically say that the Assembly will not do anything until “we do” Charles Rangel. I must wonder who is the real Speaker, Sheldon Silver or Denny Farrell. I also wonder how my Bronx colleagues will respond to this insult. I’d like to know how they can allow themselves to be disrespected like that.

I am Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz and this is what you should know.

From one amigo to another: Diaz Sr. wants to hand over power to the IDC to regain Senate control

Diaz would like to see the Senate Democrats hand over
leadership positions to the IDC to help regain the majority.

State Sen. Rev. Ruben Diaz Sr. really brought it this time with his "What you should know" essay.

He says the Democrats in the state senate should give state Sen. Jeff Klein and the rest of his Independent Democratic Conference members leadership positions if they agree to come back to the Democratic Party.

They should start negotiating right away with Senator Jeff Klein and his three Independent Members – even to the point, if necessary, for the New York State Senate to transfer Senator Klein’s leadership position and the leadership positions of his Members to the Democratic Conference.

Everyone needs to put aside all personal differences – and pride – and do with Senator Klein and his Members as was done with Pedro Espada when the Democrats wanted him back.

Diaz, as most remember, was one of the 'four amigos' that held the Democratic Conference hostage in 2009 after jumping to the Republican side. They only returned after they were given leadership positions, with head honcho Pedro Espada Jr. becoming Majority Leader. 

Diaz won't have the full support of his fellow Dems, however. A Democratic senate insider tells us that they will not be toyed with like they were with the Amigos. 

"Senator Diaz does not speak for his colleagues," the source said. "We will not allow the Democratic Conference or the state Senate to be taken hostage by another four amigos who care more about power than they do about the future of New York State."

A message was left with the IDC's spokesman as of Wednesday evening. 

Jump below for Diaz's full statement (the bold is his):

Diaz Sr. tells us more about what we should know

If only because I love the title, here is state Sen. Rev. Ruben Diaz Sr., telling us what we should know about the recent Supreme Court decision to prohibit the government from restricting who religious groups may choose as their pastor.

The full text (the bold is his):

No newspaper, nor any media source with the exception of the New York Post newspaper, published the defeat suffered by the administration of President Barack Obama at the hands of the Supreme Court.

You my dear reader, should know that the Supreme Court voted unanimously; with nine (9) votes in favor and zero (0) against, that the federal Government cannot impose on any religious group or on any church who they choose as its Pastor.

This argument started when the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hossana Tabor, in the State of Michigan decided to dismiss a teacher in its school and the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission took the case before the courts to show that the Church had committed discrimination when they dismissed its teacher.

The case went before the Supreme Court of the nation, composed of nine judges, who all unanimously, something rarely seen, decided that the Federal Government cannot impose on churches who they hire or who they fire as their pastors, leaders or officers.

Mr. Douglas Laycock, an attorney from The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, who defended this small congregation from Michigan before the Supreme Court of the nation stated: "This is a tremendous victory for freedom of religion in this nation. The Supreme Court unanimously confirmed the right of churches to select their ministers and religious leaders without the intervention of the Government.”

Mr. Kevin Seamus Hasson, Esquire, a former Director of the Becket Fund said, "This decision of the Supreme Court is a total rejection of the radical, anti-religious agenda of the Obama Administration.”

When the President’s administration took the case to Court, the Federal Department of Justice under the direction of Eric Holder, stated that the first amendment of the Constitution is irrelevant regarding the ability of the churches to choose and dismiss their pastors and leaders.  In other words, they want to dictate to churches, how to choose their leaders and that the churches had to be politically correct. My friends, the Obama Administration wanted to tell the churches that sex, sexual preference or religious beliefs  could not disqualify a person from being a pastor or a religious leader in a congregation.

Thank God that all is not lost! The Supreme Court of the nation that is frequently divided five votes to four, on this occasion, came together and in a unanimous vote, gave us Christians and believers a tremendous victory by demonstrating to the Federal Administration and the whole world, that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, our God, has never abandoned us and will never abandon us as long as there are men and women that do not bend their knees to Baal.

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

St. Sen. Rev. Ruben Diaz tells us what we should know

Diaz loves Jesus.

St. Sen. Rev. Ruben Diaz has come out with another "What You Should Know" column, this one about the city preventing worship services in public buildings, such as schools and housing developments.

Diaz mentions an upcoming rally, in which a group of local religious and elected leaders, led by City Councilman Fernando Cabrera, will demonstrate against Mayor Bloomberg. The rally will be held on Thursday, Jan. 12, when the Mayor will present his State of the City Address.

Here is the full statement. The bold is Diaz's:

The Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, has decided to prohibit churches and religious groups from using auditoriums in public schools for worship services to our God.

You should know that this is not the first time that Mayor Bloomberg has demonstrated his rejection of everything that has to do with religion.

During the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers- where more than three thousand people died- Bloomberg forbid formal prayers and the participation of religious leaders, including the Catholic church’s Archbishop Timothy Dolan.

To counter this new decision of Mayor Bloomberg against churches, a group of religious leaders, led by Councilman Fernando Cabrera, has organized a demonstration against Mayor Bloomberg to be held on the day when the Mayor will present his State of the City Address.

This demonstration will take place this Thursday, January 12 at 12:00 noon in the atrium of Morris High School, located at 1100 Boston Road, on the corner of East  167^th  Street in the Bronx.

As a State Senator representing constituents who attend worship services in public high schools and as the President of the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization and through this column I invite all Ministers and members of the community to join us in our protest against having many of our churches and Ministers thrown into the street without a place to worship  God.

I ask all members of the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization that when you attend our weekly meeting this Thursday, please wear your White Jacket, as we will be attending this demonstration after our meeting.

I expect that all organizations, singers, evangelists, leaders and members of the Christian community will support the leaders who are coordinating this demonstration in the same way that we like others to support us when we have our meetings or events.

This Thursday, January 12^th  at 12:00 noon at Morris High School, located on Boston Road and  E. 167^th Street, as members of the rank and file, and not as leaders; we will be there to participate and support such a noble cause.

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