Tuesday, May 18, 2010
At Low-Key Event, Tirado Sets Sights on Espada's Seat
Last night, Fernando Tirado, Community Board 7's district manager, formally announced his decision to run for State Senate in the 33rd Senate District.
Standing next to the World War I monument on Mosholu Parkway in front of his family and 20 or so friends and neighbors (including three or four CB 7 board members), Tirado gave a brief speech which, while short on specifics as to what he'd do if elected, was high on hope for a better tomorrow.
"For too long we've had to endure the frustration of a government that does not work for the people," said Tirado, who read from a prepared speech. "I tell you today that it's not only time for a change, it's time to move forward from the political culture of inaction that has paralyzed Albany for too long."
Speaking afterwards he said he would continue as district manager until the end of the petitioning process (in July), and that, if he made it onto the ballot, he'd then decide what to do next. He added, "As you get closer to the primary I am going to ask [the Board] for some time so that I can concentrate on the campaign."
The seat Tirado is after is occupied by Pedro Espada, the powerful yet embattled state senator and majority leader, who could face several challengers in September's Democratic primary.
So what does Tirado have to say about Espada? He's not saying, at least for now. "I'm not going to comment on any candidate including the current senator," he said. "I want people to judge me for me and what I can bring to the table."
Espada wasn't in attendence, but two of his staffers kept an eye on proceedings from the other side of the street.
Labels:
fernando tirado,
Pedro Espada
16 comments:
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No money...no base...no unions...no endorsements from elected= no hope of winning.
ReplyDeleteSo the Espada staffers didn't film the whole announcement, as they did Desiree Hunter's announcement?
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling county will dip their feet into this one and support him, you'll see.
ReplyDeleteFernando is an exceptional person and has done some great work for CB7. As the process moves along and he has gained practical and valuable campaign experience for a possible future position in local government, I hope that he turn his focus and energy toward fully supporting Desiree Pilgrim-Hunter. As a member of our community (unlike Dos Oportunistas -- Espada y Gustavo Rivera), Fernando recognizes that Desiree is the best candidate for our community and after the summer he will undoubtedly support her.
ReplyDeleteAnon 7:48am: What's so great about Desiree??? Why do you consider her to be the best candidate? Her lack of real experience scares me, and I haven't heard about a ton of concrete accomplishments from her supporters. Yes, Fernando HAS done some great work for CB7, and that's what I need to base my vote on -- a history of accomplishments.
ReplyDeleteHA!!........I wont be voting for either one of these 2 goons. Desiree nor Fernando have the experience to take on such a job. Nevertheless Espada is going to crush these goons in the financial area.
ReplyDeleteTo Anon at 10:23am- Some people certainly disagree with the demands of KARA with regard the Armory development -- but I don't think anyone could disagree that leading a successful community campaign against a powerful developer and even more powerful mayor is quite an accomplishment. Her leadership at Fordham Hill, cleaning up its fiscal house is equally impressive. See this link for a reminder:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=12
She has been slugging it out in the community, and has been an important leader in one of the most respected community groups in the Bronx and in the city -- NWBCCC. Since throwing her hat into the ring (long before Espada's recent legal problems)-- she has put together an impressive electoral operation led by dynamic young community organizers who know the district well, balanced with established pros like Lisa Hernandez Gioia and the folks at BerlinRosen. This and more is the history of accomplishment upon which I base my vote.
I know very little about Desiree Hunter. Her positions on the issues are not even listed on her website -- Rivera has his positions clearly listed. Fernando does not even have a website so I am not endorsing Fernando at all, but I do find it hard to support someone who lives in a high-security gated community. I looked at buying at Fordham Hill Oval (I attended an Open House and looked at a few units) but could not bring myself to even consider living in a gated community and supporting that divisive lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I looked at Jack’s link to the Norwood News article and do not see impressive leadership; it seems like a representation of anger in having to deal with people who live outside the gates. Where is she when the residents who have to deal with the noise and crime in Devoe Park plead for some relief at public meetings?! Is she comfortable enough behind the secured gates that these problems don’t concern her?
I find gated communities divide communities and do no good -- how can someone who endorses this living arrangement do good for the rest of the senate district outside the confines of her coop?
I think the Armory is a very big deal in terms of evaluating Ms. Hunter's candidacy. Jack, I respect you very much, but it's not enough to say, "Well, even if you don't agree with her, she got things done." If that rationale were employed, wouldn't Pedro be deemed a good candidate? Whether you agree with the June coup or not, Pedro accomplished what he wanted to and obtained a new extorted title, and presumably more member item dollars for the district.
ReplyDeleteAs the only real public victory/accomplishment for Ms. Hunter, the Armory is a huge factor in why people would/would not vote for her. She and the NWBCCC made the perfect the enemy of the good and have left their community with a fenced in, vacant, sarcophagus of economic development.
The Armory will be vacant for another decade, no matter what the beep and his committee decide to do. No unicorn farms will appear because we will them to be.
I also think that Anon@ 6:45 has a point about the gated community thing - it's kind of weird for a woman of the people to dwell in a fortified complex that insulates its residents from the people for whom she claims to be fighting. Any living wage share holders in Fordham Oval?
If no one else were running against Pedro, I'd vote for Ms. Hunter; however, I’d also vote for Karl Rove or Kim Jong Il if they were running against Pedro. I am glad that we have options against the felonious lout that is Pedro Espada. I look forward to a vigorous campaign this summer - maybe even some debates. When the petitioning dust clears, we'll see who's on the ballot and we'll have to make a decision based on our real options.
I look forward to studying the policies and characters of each of the candidates and making a choice based on that. In terms of Ms. Hunter, her vision of the Armory, and by extension, the Bronx, is not my vision of the Bronx. I want to see unemployed Bronxites be able to work again; I want to see business invest in the Bronx; I want to see our neighborhoods beautified, protected, and promoted.
As someone who has lived within walking distance of the Armory for 42 of my 47 years, I'd like to add some perspective to this discussion.
ReplyDeleteIf you think the Armory is a sarcophogus now, then it has been a sarcophogus for 47 years. The 195th Street buildings have been in use, and there was briefly a woman's shelter there (I shudder to think about what that must have been like), and I remember going to a flea market there when I was about 12, but it always appeared to me to be in limited use.
Before Desiree and the Northwest Bronx Coalition started calling for the restoration of the Armory, no city-wide official was paying any attention to it. They weren't even clear on who owned it, or was responsible for its upkeep.
Thanks to pressure from the Coalition, $25-30 million was found to replace the roof, so the building would not deteriorate further and need to be demolished.
I understand the comment about the perfect being the enemy of the good, but I think we also have to learn to demand things for our community. Why should we give that 500,000 sq ft plus building to a developer for a promise of stores to be named later, with no promise on wages, minimal community space? Lots of people were dreaming of what kind of food they could buy there, but Related made no commitment to rent to a grocery, much less any particular kind of grocery.
The Borough President's Task Force, which has a lot of high-powered folks on it, will most likely come up with a better plan. We've lived with the building being underutilized for a long time -- we can wait for the right thing.
My problem with Desiree is that she is so divisive. Instead of trying to convince people in the community she was right, she seemed to shout down anyone who asked questions.
ReplyDeleteShe used paid employees from an interested business to yell so much that actual residents with other views stopping feeling comfortable speaking at meetings.
We need someone who builds community through honest debate and respectful discussion. She may believe in the righteousness of her cause, but we need someone who listens to everyone instead of using thuggish tactics that drive wedges into the heart of our community.
Amen, do the right thing, amen!
ReplyDeleteSo outside of $25-30 million of taxpayer money to renovate a largely unused building, what has NWBCCC done for the Armory? Maybe send a message that the Bronx is hostile to investment?
ReplyDeleteThe grocery thing was dead on arrival because NWBCCC played footsie with Morton Williams, let's not kid ourselves here.
And I wouldn't say the Armory was being given away. Anything that happens there will take hundreds of millions of dollars to renovate, and we had someone willing to invest that type of money in the Bronx and turned it away. The 'subsidies' granted by the city and the state were an investment to produce future tax revenue, and to steer shoppers who now go to Westchester back to the Bronx.
The fact that this thing has been a sarcophagus for close to a half of a century does not change my evaluation of what happened; it heightens it. The chance to substantively transform the largely unused site was in arm's length, and NWBCCC and a politically opportune Ruben Diaz did a grave disservice to the Bronx by hooting and hollering their way to square one - a vacant sarcophagus.
We will be waiting a LONG time...maybe my daughter will be able to use whatever the ends up in the Armory before she graduates high school in 16 years.
In any case, this argument is more about Ms. Hunter and the fact that we are excited to have other non-Pedro options.
The Armory is Ms. Hunter's landmark issue. Those of us who disagree with Ms. Hunter's tactics and vision for the Armory (and by extension the Bronx and the state) have the right to desire alternate candidates.
Okay everyone! We can debate the Armory again and again, but you are not going to change my mind no matter how twisted your logic is... the BX needed that investment! Maybe you can wait for it to be invested in, but I can't; my neighbors need the dignity of work as well as a paycheck.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, again, what are Ms. Hunter's attributes? I only see some ability to shout people down and keep herself behind the gates.
I think it is important to look at all the candidates’ resumes. The 33rd district has never had a Senator with as much clout as Senator Espada. Moreover, the stuff in the media is not in way, shape, or form fact. Senator Espada has done many good things for the community that do not make into the papers or onto the news. These various candidates are coming against our current Senator because it is trendy. Senator Espada has been fighting for the people for over 30 years and I strongly believe he deserves to defend himself in a proper forum. In closing, Andrew Cuomo has some skeletons in his closet that in conjunction with his rise to power reek like a governor not to long ago shot down from the top—Spitzer!
ReplyDeleteIf you call ripping off unemployed janitors "good thing for the community" you might have a point about Espada.
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing trendy about coming out against a crook. It's just what you do when you have a conscience!