Espaillat to consider running for Congress (UPDATE)

Congressman Espaillat?

Today, state Sen. Adriano Espaillat will announce the formation of an exploratory committee to run for Congress, a source close to Espaillat told Bronx Press Politics.

According to the most recent draft of redistricting maps, that could mean Espaillat could run against Rep. Charlie Rangel in the 13th Congressional district (currently the 15th). According to those maps, the district would include Washington Heights, Inwood and parts of the west Bronx. It would be 55 percent Hispanic, 12 percent non-Hispanic white and 27 percent non-Hispanic black, which would shape up nicely for a Latino candidate to challenge the incumbent.

It should be noted that a new draft of the Congressional maps could alter the districts, and therefore the races, in northern Manhattan.

The largest problem for Espaillat's campaign, aside from unseating an incumbent, would be for multiple Hispanic candidates to run, diluting the voting bloc and giving Rangel the easy road to victory.

Rangel, who has represented the 15th Congressional district since 1971, is the third-longest currently serving member of the House of Representatives.

Espaillat would make history with a win against any opponent, becoming the first Dominican-American in Congress if he were to win in November. 

Espaillat released the following statement: 

"This is a historic opportunity for the State of New York to send a clear and unmistakable message that the growth of the Latino community demands that our government reflect our diversity.  

“I have been privileged to serve in the NYS Assembly for 14 years and in the Senate for the last two years. Throughout my career in public service, I have advocated for our community to be represented at the highest levels of government.  We are forming a committee that will explore the possibilities of what a predominantly Latino district would look like and whether there is support for a candidate who represents us. 

“While it’s premature to target one particular district, given the fact that final district lines have not been settled, launching this exploratory committee is an important step in making sure we are ready, when the final district lines are established.”

Espaillaat's exploratory committee is comprised of the following individuals:

Ø  Jeff Korek, Esq

Ø  Rev. Calvin Butts, III

Ø  Ralina Cardona

Ø  Kim Ramos, Esq

Ø  Hon. Maria Luna

Ø  Ricardo Oquendo, Esq

Ø  Jefrey Pollock

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'Dream' speech

Here is the famous 'I have a dream' speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., given Aug. 28, 1963. Below are some statements from various officials and a video of mayoral candidate Bill Thompson.



Also, here is Thompson speaking at the Trinity Baptist Church today. Introduction by Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.

Bronx leaders react to NYSOS (Update)

The New York State of the State was held Wednesday, Jan. 6. Here are some reactions from local leaders:

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.:

“I applaud Governor Cuomo for putting forward a strong vision for the future of New York State in today’s speech, and I look forward to working with him and his administration on the critical issues of job creation, education, infrastructure, tourism, public safety and other themes that have been high priorities for my administration.

“What is good for the Bronx is, of course, good for the state. Moreover, the agenda he has outlined reflects the action plan we have set forth for the Bronx, whether it is our recent education summit, our East 153rd Street hotel development proposal, and the expansion of Metro North service to the East Bronx. My office will continue to work with the Cuomo administration on these and other major projects we have planned for the Bronx in 2012, including the redevelopment of the Hunts Point Produce Market—an area where Governor Cuomo has already shown his commitment to our borough through his allocation of almost $30 million in funding through his Regional Economic Development Council." 

Happy Holidays, from Adriano Espaillat

Check out this Holiday mailer that's been landing in the mailboxes of state Senator's Adriano Espaillat's constituents (myself included, actually).

"What's more, I look forward to returning to Albany after the holidays to fight for our common goals--like creating more good paying jobs, improving access to health care for all families, strengthening our education system, and enhancing support for seniors..." Espaillat writes.

Espaillat Holiday Mailer Riverdale

Get back from Israel, go to Albany

I'm from Albany. I've never been to Israel. But I'd be willing to bet that going straight from Israel to Albany is going to make you appreciate Israel a lot more.

The Legislature's near-certain return to action for a special session is going to be very difficult for a handful of elected officials who are in Israel this week.

Bronx/Manhattan state Senator Adriano Espaillat and Bronx Assemblyman Nelson Castro are two of 18 lawmakers from America, Chile and Uruguay who are currently visiting the Middle East nation, sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League.

But the governor is about ready to call a special session to have the elected officials vote on a budget that will hopefully fix a rising deficit.

Espaillat spokesman Ibrahim Khan said the state senator will be back Wednesday night and could be in Albany Thursday if need be.

The Daily News has the full saga:

During their eight-day trip the lawmakers are visiting “places of religious, political and historical importance and meeting with Palestinians, Arab Israelis, Bedouins, Holocaust survivors, members of the Knesset, the Supreme Court and representatives from the Israeli government and civil society,” according to a press release from the ADL.

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, who was not on the tour and is on his way up to Albany today, is a bit upset at the lack of clarity over the past week.

"They need to give us a little notice," he said. "It's a little ridiculous. People have plans."

Dinowitz highlighted Espaillat's trip (they share a bit of Riverdale), saying that it could "easily cost $1,000 to change that flight," and it would come out of Espaillat's own pocket.

Quickly checking Expedia, one-way flights from Israel to the NYC area range from $662 to $4,950, with many around the $1,000-$2,000 range.

There's at least one assembly member won't be ending his in-country vacation short for the special session. 

Related side note: the Riverdale Review will hopefully have a story about Espaillat's trip in the Dec. 15 issue.

Espaillat hails court ruling upholding prison gerrymandering reform

Espaillat applauded a court ruling that
upholds gerrymandering reform.

While there is absolutely zero consensus on what the state and federal districts will look like next year, at least one part of the process has taken a step forward: prisoners will be counted in the district they called home before incarceration, not the district where they reside during their sentence.

State Senator Adriano Espaillat congratulated Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (who represented Espaillat's district before winning the AG seat) on successfully defending the state law that Senate Republicans challenged.

Criticized by civil rights and good-government groups, prison gerrymandering wrongly counted prisoners as residents in areas where they are temporarily incarcerated, instead of the communities they come from, Espaillat says. Prison gerrymandering is especially harmful to minority, urban districts because that is where many of the prisoners come from, but then are incarcerated in upstate, rural districts.

“Prison gerrymandering harmed Downstate communities, particularly those with high numbers of minority constituents, like the ones I represent," Espaillat said. "It cost our communities valuable resources and equal representation in government. We commend Attorney General Eric Schneiderman for successfully defending the ill-conceived challenge to prison gerrymandering reform that we passed in the legislature last year.

“We must immediately implement requirements of the prison gerrymandering reform as part of the redistricting process and count incarcerated individuals as residents of the communities they come from. Additionally, we must move aggressively towards independent redistricting and restore New Yorkers’ faith in government." 

“As a lawmaker, I fought to end the practice of prison-based gerrymandering that distorted the democratic process and undermined the principle of ‘one person, one vote.’ This decision affirms and applies a fair standard to the drawing of state legislative districts and makes it easier for counties to do the same by providing them with an accurate data set," Schneiderman told the Daily News.

Here's the court ruling.

Prisoners Decision and Order

New answer for school traffic woes?

A story from this week's Riverdale Review. There is a similar story in a separate post that fully explains the 'slow zone' practice that debuted in Claremont this week.

By Brendan McHugh 

Last month, elected officials requested slower speed limits, new signage and speed bumps for the area around PS 24 and MS/HS 141. 

Turns out, the City has a new program that can do just that. 

On Monday, the Department of Transportation announced its first-ever Neighborhood Slow Zone in Claremont. The slow zone reduces the speed limit in the quarter-square mile neighborhood from 30 mph to 20 mph, adds nine new speed bumps and over 50 new signs—both on poles and stenciled onto the street—to the area alerting drivers of the speed limit. 

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, one of three legislators who wrote to DOT in October, says Independence Avenue is a model candidate for the new traffic safety program. 

“Given the area’s proximity to several schools, a public library, and houses of worship, I believe this stretch of Independence Avenue would be an ideal location for a Neighborhood Slow Zone,” he wrote in a letter to DOT commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan earlier this week. 

Jump below for the full story.

End to end for the 99 percent

Espaillat and Rodriguez announcing the march last week.

Today, State Senator Adriano Espaillat and City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez led a march through nearly all of Manhattan in support of the 99% protests at Zuccotti Park. They created a Twitter account, endtoendfor99, and live tweeted the 11-mile march.

Jump below for the tweet-by-tweet, which also has bits and pieces of a touristy day. They saw Philip Seymour Hoffman, checked out the outside of David Letterman's Late Show studio, overtook Times Square, and (I'm assuming) blocking New Yorkers from getting to where the need to be by taking up the entire sidewalk and walking slow.

Also, make sure to check out our other coverage of OWS here, here and here.

Espaillat and Rodriguez to lead march from northern Manhattan to OWS Monday

They're going from the top to the bottom to support the bottom 99%.

The press conference was held outside an abandoned building
to highlight the inequality between the economic classes.

Local elected officials and leaders from various communities joined labor union representatives and grassroots activists in Washington Heights today to announce an 11-mile march to connect New York’s communities with the Occupy Wall Street Movement.

The “End to End for 99%” march – to be held on Monday, Nov. 7th starting at 10:30 am – will start at 181st Street and St. Nicholas Avenue and work south through Manhattan on its way to Zuccotti Park, where it will join Occupy Wall Street protesters in solidarity.

“Our communities have been devastated by the economic assault on middle class and poor families, even as Wall Street has enjoyed a historic financial bonanza,” said State Senator Adriano Espaillat.

Jump below for the full story.

Three local pols discuss environment issues at town hall meeting

Here's a story that didn't make this week's Riverdale Review.

By Brendan McHugh 

Dinowitz (center) speaks to constituents as
Espaillat (left) listens and Koppell (right) takes notes.

In a special environmentally focused town hall meeting, Riverdale residents had the chance to quiz elected officials about hydrofracking, Indian Point, tree safety and other issues.

Around 50 people showed up to the Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale for the third of four recent town hall meetings in the area, this one including Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, state Senator Adriano Espaillat and City Councilman G. Oliver Koppell. 

“We wanted to have a meeting with the community…to hear what issues you’re concerned about, get input and give people an opportunity to speak out,” Dinowitz said as he opened the meeting. 

Dinowitz and Espaillat, both who scored at the top of the legislature with their voting record by the EPL/Environmental Advocates’ scorecard, said Democrats and Republicans are on opposite sides of many topics and it’s up to Gov. Andrew Cuomo to be a decisive factor when dealing with certain issues.

Jump below for the full story.

Diaz Sr. congratulating Hispanic colleagues in Skelos boycott

State Senator Rev. Ruben Diaz Sr. has congratulated the members of the state legislature who joined him in boycotting Republican Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos' Unidad Latina Legislative Conference last week. We've got the full backstory here and here.

The GOP called the conference a success, citing the fact that two current Hispanic members of the Assembly attended. Diaz ponders why they did attend, but ultimately is pleased that most of the Hispanic members of government did not attend. Diaz said in an earlier letter that he was boycotting the conference because Republicans hurt Hispanics in the state budget this year, and the conference was nothing more than a publicity stunt.

Jump below for the full statement.

From Diaz to the members of the Puerto Rican/Latino Caucus:

This memo is to congratulate my Senate colleagues who serve as Members of the New York State Senate Puerto Rican/Latino Caucus: Senator Adriano Espaillat, Chair; Senator Gustavo Rivera, Vice-Chair; and Caucus Members Senator José Peralta, Senator Martin-Malavé Dilan, and Senator José M. Serrano.  I congratulate all of you for showing real unity on behalf of our Caucus and our community by not attending the so-called Legislative Hispanic Unity Conference that was organized by our Senate Majority (Republican) Leader Dean Skelos.

Most importantly, I have to admire our Caucus Chairman, Senator Adriano Espaillat for his leadership.
I have to admire our Caucus Vice-Chair Gustavo Rivera for being forthright in the media last week by stating: “I will not be attending the conference. If the majority leader and the Senate Republicans were serious about addressing the issues affecting Latinos, they would have asked their Latino counterparts in the Senate to help them organize a conference that reflects the issues that are impacting Latinos throughout the state such as immigrants’ rights issues as well as the need to extend the millionaire’s tax so that New York State is able to continue funding important services like education, housing, and healthcare that are so critical to our communities.”

Bronx State legislators calling on Quinn to support living wage

There will be a full story in this week's Bronx Press and Riverdale Review on the living wage, but check this out anyways.

Letter to Speaker Quinn from Bronx State Legislators

Diaz Sr. urges Espaillat to ignore Skelos (UPDATE)

Outspoken state Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. sent a letter to his fellow Democrat, state Senator Adriano Espaillat, asking him to not attend a Hispanic legislative conference that GOP Majority Leader Dean Skelos is planning.

Diaz asks that Espaillat--who chairs the Senate's Puerto Rican/Latino Caucus--and the rest of the Hispanic community boycott the conference to show Skelos they do not approve of the way he voted on the budget.

Here's a little snippet of the letter. Jump below for the full letter, as well as Espaillat's response.

I believe that many will agree with me that this event has been whipped up by Senator Dean Skelos to win the affection of Hispanic New Yorkers and is insulting  and  disrespectful  to  the  New  York State Puerto Rican/Latino Caucus and to New York’s Hispanic community.

(UPDATE) Also below is a statement from fellow Bronx state Senator Gustavo Rivera, who will not be attending the conference.

Dinowitz applauds another grade, this time a passing one

Coming off a failing grade from the Conservative Party, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz is again delighted at a grade he received--though this time it's a passing one.

He has been awarded a score of 105, tied for the highest score in the Assembly, by EPL/Environmental Advocates in their 2011 Voters’ Guide (PDF--jump below if you don't want to download it). Dinowitz voted for or co-sponsored every bill EPL/Environmental Advocates supported.

Among the bills on which EPL/Environmental Advocates agreed with Dinowitz were his votes in favor of a hydraulic fracturing moratorium, closing the fracking waste loophole, the Water Resources Protection Act, a global warming pollution cap, the Solar Industry Development & Jobs Act, wetlands protection, encouraging “complete street” designs that promote walking, biking and public transit, and mandating recycling of certain materials.

“I am very gratified to have received the highest score from EPL/Environmental Advocates. I have long been an advocate for protecting our environment, and I will continue to fight for this vital cause,” Dinowitz said in a statement.

Jump below for the scores of every Bronx state legislator and the full report.

Four town hall meetings coming to the northwest Bronx

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Rep. Eliot Engel, City Councilman Oliver Koppell, state Senators Gustavo Rivera, Jeffrey Klein and Adriano Espaillat are hosting several town hall meetings to answer constituents’ questions and hear their concerns.

The first is a lighthearted meet and great, and will be the only one that Engel attends. The third, on Tuesday, Oct. 25, will be focused around environmental issues, including Indian Point and hydrofracking. The other two, I assume, are free for alls.

Sunday, October 23 • 1:30pm	Monday, October 24 • 7:30pm
Vladeck Hall	St. Barnabas High School
74 Van Cortlandt Park South	425 East 240th Street
Meet and Greet Your Elected Officials	Town Hall Meeting
Sponsored by the Amalgamated Housing Cooperative	Sponsored by the Woodlawn Heights Taxpayers and Community Association
With Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Congressman Eliot Engel, Council Member Oliver Koppell, and State Senator Gustavo Rivera	With Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Council Member Oliver Koppell, and State Senator Jeffrey Klein
Tuesday, October 25 • 7:30pm	Wednesday, November 2 • 7:30pm
Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale	Mosholu Montefiore Community Center
475 W. 250 St. (on Henry Hudson Pkwy. E.)	3450 Dekalb Avenue
Special Forum on Environmental Issues	Town Hall Meeting
With Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Council Member Oliver Koppell, and State Senator Adriano Espaillat	Sponsored by the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center
	With Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Council Member Oliver Koppell, and State Senator Gustavo Rivera

Elected officials tackle school traffic crisis

I said I would hold off until tomorrow, but I thought I'd leak one story from the Riverdale Review today. Jump below for the full story, plus a document drop of the letter sent to the DOT.

By Brendan McHugh and Miawling Lam 

Stop signs, a lower speed limit and another change in arrival times are among the proposals flagged to solve the traffic snarls and gridlock outside two of Riverdale’s public schools. 

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz joined Councilman G. Oliver Koppell and State Senator Adriano Espaillat and submitted a list of five traffic-calming measures to the city last Tuesday.

The recommendations were drawn up amid growing safety and traffic concerns of the streets surrounding P.S. 24 and M.S/H.S 141, particularly along Independence Avenue. 

In the joint letter sent to Bronx DOT Commissioner Constance Moran, the trio calls for stop signs to be placed at West 235th Street and Independence Avenue, as well as new pavement markings for both northbound and southbound traffic. 

The elected officials also propose the creation of a 20-mile per hour zone for the entire corridor from West 232nd Street to West 246th Street.

Jump below for the full story and the letter.

Legislators call for extended public hearing on hyrdofracking

A real cartoon character
from a coloring book.
Click here to check it out.

Five Bronx legislators have joined 23 others from around the state in sending a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo calling for an extension of the comment period and expansion of the public hearing process for the revised Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement on the Oil Gas and Solution Mining Regulatory Program (dSGEIS), which concerns hydraulic fracturing in New York.

According to The Journal News, Department of Environmental Commissioner Joseph Martens defended the department’s decision to move forward with proposed regulations and an Environmental Impact Statement at the same time:

Martens said there’s no reason the comment periods can’t be held at the same time and represents a more effective use of the department’s resources. A set of four public hearings will be held in November, with testimony being heard for both documents at each hearing.

The letter is below the jump.

9/11 remembered by politicians

The 9/11 Memorial in Manhattan.

Jump below for statements from various politicians remembering Sept. 11. Check the upcoming issue of the Riverdale Review and Bronx Press for coverage of the events from this past week.

A crackdown on nutty drinks in barbershops

It may be a nutty world, but at least there will be less nutty drinks on the streets.

In some northern Manhattan and Bronx barbershops, "nutcracker" drinks have been sold to minors, and up until last week, barbershops that were caught selling nutcrackers were allowed to keep their barber's license. "Nutties," as they're also called, are fruity, sugary, colorful and strong alcoholic drinks. The drink generally combines multiple types of hard liquor including vodka, whiskey, and rum with sugary juices like Kool-Aid. A loophole in the old law allowed barbershops to continue to operate, even after they were caught selling the nutcracker.

 

“The deadly consequences of mixing alcohol with minors are well known and especially dangerous when the alcohol is sold in the form of fruity, easy to drink beverages that are targeted towards young people,” said state Senator Adriano Espaillat, one of the sponsors of the bill that was signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo last week.

Espaillat and Assemblyman Nelson Castro applauded Gov. Cuomo for signing the law that will protect minors from the dangerous drinks. The law, also sponsored by Castro, will crack down on the selling of the nutcrackers.

“The law will close loopholes and crack down on scrupulous barbershops that sell the nutcracker and other varieties of the drink," Espaillat said. "I commend Governor Cuomo for signing our bill and look forward to taking further steps to protect the safety and well-being of young New Yorkers.”

"The signing of our nutcracker bill is a victory for all those who are concerned about underage drinking, " Castro said. "Nutcrackers contain a high level of alcohol…indeed we do not know what other illegal or dangerous ingredients are added which can be toxic, threaten the health of minors and can even kill them. This legislation will help protect our children and reduce the number of locations where minors can purchase these drinks."

Check back tomorrow or Thursday for another alcohol related story.

2012: Klein vs. the Rev?

While it's far too complicated to accurately figure out how redistricting will end up, it's really fun to wonder.

Check out this map the Daily Kos put together of the New York State Senate districts--the Bronx is pretty much torn apart and put back together in a completely new way, and it makes for some very different looking districts that what we currently have.

Lets start in Riverdale and move our way eastward.

31st Senate district: The DK calls it the 59th (they randomly moved the numbers around, so I'll just ignore them), and instead of just peaking into Riverdale and consisting mostly of upper Manhattan, the new district would not only hold all of Riverdale, but some of Yonkers as well. Last year, Sen. Adriano Espaillat dominated Riverdale with the backing of Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and the Ben Franklin Democratic Club, so adding more of Riverdale would probably work out fine (Someone did point out that Dinowitz would hate this new district. He currently has three senators within his Assembly district (Klein, Rivera and Espaillat), which can definitely come in handy when trying to find bill support in the state Senate).

All images from dailykos.com

Jump below for much more analysis of the Bronx, including one district that could pit Sen. Rev. Ruben Diaz against Sen. Jeff Klein.