- See more at: http://blogtimenow.com/blogging/automatically-redirect-blogger-blog-another-blog-website/#sthash.Q6qPkwFC.dpuf Gustavo Rivera Bails on Debate Tonight; Going to Event in East Bronx Instead | Bronx News Networkbronx

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Gustavo Rivera Bails on Debate Tonight; Going to Event in East Bronx Instead

The headline pretty much sums it up.

At 2:45 p.m., about four hours before he was scheduled to appear at a debate of 33rd Senate District candidates at Fordham Lutheran Church, Christopher Malone, the policy director for Gustavo Rivera's campaign, wrote us an e-mail to say Rivera would not be attending the debate.

Instead, Malone said Rivera would be attending a candidates' forum in the east Bronx, near Westchester Square, an event hosted by the Bronx branches of the NAACP.

Last week, Rivera's campaign said he would participate in the debate, organized by Transportation Alternatives at Fordham Lutheran Church, which the Bronx News Network will be moderating. On Monday night, Rivera participated in a debate with fellow candidate Dan Padernacht on the talk show, BronxTalk. Pedro Espada Jr., the incumbent in the 33rd Senate District, has refused to debate his fellow candidates.

Yesterday, Dan Levitan of the Working Families Party, which is working on Rivera's behalf, said he didn't think Rivera would attend tonight's debate, adding that he felt Padernacht was in the race to smear Rivera.

We reached out to Rivera's campaign yesterday -- as did organizers for Transportation Alternatives -- to see if, indeed, he would be backing out of his commitment. There was no response until Malone's e-mail  an hour ago. 

In the e-mail, Malone repeatedly bashed Espada, saying that instead of debating, Espada had "decided to hide from the community."

Malone added: "With all due respect to Mr. Padernacht, Rivera is the only candidate who has received enough support in this community to have a chance of defeating Sen. Espada and bringing the change and accountability we need." 

12 comments:

  1. good for him. If espada ain't debating, what's the point?

    Padernacht showed in the first debate that he's not up to snuff...why have another one?

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  2. thats crazy....rivera is scared and needs to back out of this race .........hes obviously not equipped to handle questions off the cuff.......he spits out written answers that all sound the same........this guys a fraud and should be called out on it........

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  3. Padernacht showed he's not up to snuff? He proved he is a community man and that Rivera has only done things as a paid representative. Rivera had nothing to say when Padernacht said this several times. Rivera bailing out makes him seem more like Espada, or maybe he's afraid Padernacht will show more of Rivera's true colors.

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  4. Rivera is running scared cuz he got his tail whooped in the first debate. Unbelievable. He's doing exactly what he would criticise Espada for. What a phony this guy...

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  5. I was a former Desire Pilgrim-Hunter supporter. After seeing the debate the other day, I'm glad to see Mr. Rivera maintained his position of not attacking other opponents and concentrating on Mr. Espada. It shows how strong he is of a candidate and a gentleman if you ask me.

    Mrs. Ruth

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  6. It shows, in my own humble political position-a lack of class. Yes I notified The Norwood News in an earlier posting to be heads up on The NAACP event, but a simple question for you Mrs Ruth-----If The Norwood News (as many do) call it an Eastsider debate then , as a 35 year Bronx Resident & political operative---THEY IS NO EAST SIDE IN THE 33RD District. His lack of appearence only gives Danny Boy, who made another good showing at our local Bedford Mosholu Community association meeting and this mishap---should--give Danny more access to the community--to allows voters more of choice----and as with too much choice---only the incumbent wins.
    A Gentleman on The east side...(WE NEED A FIGHTER IN THE WEST
    www.westsidebx.blogspot.com

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  7. Without Espada being there Rivera made the right move. Padernacht is just an Espada plant who's sole purpose is to attack Rivera and suck up anti-Espada votes. There is no reason to debate the bottom feeding puppet of the slumlords.

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  8. Hy Anonymous @ 7:58,

    Ever stop to think that having a debate in a heavy Latio district may have actually helped Rivera? We know Espada would never come because he could care less of the people, but I didn't think Rivera would not show. What a shame for him and a slap in the face for the community.

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  9. Espada was at the NAACP debate and ran out as Mr. Rivera got up at the pulpit. I hear it was glorious. Yep, Rivera made the right move. No need to waste time on someone who's only [supposed] qualification is that his family has been lucky enough to be from the Riverdale community for decades. Personally, I look for someone with REAL qualifications and experience.

    I will be very disappointed if Espada wins because of a small number of people voting for Dan. If that happens, I never want to hear another peep from them about bad leadership in Albany.

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  10. Well I hope the NAACP event attracted people from the district or that it will result in the NAACP phoning and calling its membership list in the district. If not the Rivera campaign needs to get a grip on local field. We shouldn't be too harsh on Rivera because the NAACP is a venerable organization and it is also under fresh & dynamic national leadership that is challenging local chapters across the country to get out – knock doors and do more then in they have in decades.

    That said Mr. Rivera's weak point is his lack of local neighborhood relationships - he does not have to apologize for pioritizing state and national work - but he needs to get up to speed on local issues and he really needs to pay more attention to this NOW. Local events are important for many reasons the least of which is energizing a base and finding more volunteers for GOTV on the 14th.

    As for Padernacht - first a side note to the blogger that attempted to tarnish him with those remarks about living in Riverdale – Padernacht lives in Kingsbridge Heights a short walk from Mr. Rivera's address .

    To the bigger issue Padernacht claims he is not a spoiler. This is silly. Padernacht needs to take responsibility for the negative impact that his candidacy could have on the outcome of the race. This is just politically immature. It is quite clear that he has no chance of winning. Like it or not this would be the case for any White candidate in this district - regardless of how deep their roots are. Progressive White activists with deeper roots and much more visibility then Padernacht chose not to run because they understood that their candidacy would ultimately help Espada. Padernacht has only to look at a poll to understand that. As for credentials, he talks about his family's contributions but it is not a family member that is running for office – it’s him. During the Bronx Talk debate Padernacht staked a claim to the filter plant fight - this is stretch. First of all it is quite likely that someone from his family was involved - but that is not the same as the candidate himself. Secondly his family may have been active in the very local effort right around the Jerome Park Reservoir but the broader effort went on for over 10 years and he & his family were not centrally involved. The effort included four fights about where to build ( JPR, Shandler Field, Deegan near Fordham Hill and VCP ) and many many efforts to improve technology and expand watershed protection. For years there were two or three meetings a week + conference calls & email chatter. Rivera wasn't part of that but neither was Padernacht or his family. He simply can not claim that. Taking credit for that on Bronx Talk is silly and insulting to those of us that were at those meetings and on those calls. Moreover his specific claim to fame is fighting a supportive housing project. While that might have benefits for homeowners on a specific block who want to protect their property value or privacy it is not something to be particularly proud. Each of those projects needs to be judged on their own merit but in general we need people in state government who will fight for more affordable and supportive housing for our most vulnerable community members.

    If you know Mr. Padernacht - encourage him to step out of the way – so we have a real shot at Espada.

    If you know Mr. Rivera - tell him to stop running after endorsements from state and national organizations and to spend more time getting to know local tenant, block and community leaders and organizations. Time is running out.

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  11. Mary,

    It is with that same reasoning many people attempted to discourage Blacks and Latinos from getting involved in politics a few decades ago in this city. Your argument is completly without merit, as Eric Schneiderman was recently the senator for the 31st district, which is also a predominantly hispanic district. The same is true in many places throughtout the country and in the history of this city.

    Whatever happened with judging someone by the content of their character and not the color of their skin? Your attempt at justifying Rivera skipping out on a community meeting is an insult to every black, white, hispanic, etc. person in the district, and you should be ashamed of yourself.

    If Rivera cannot get the support of this district to win by the strength of his argument and on merit, then he is the one that loses the election. Trying to setup Padernacht as the fall guy for a failed campaign is riduculous and immature, and is the whining of adults who have never truly matured and cry foul when they don't always get what they want.

    I am tired of hearing from "sheeple" like yourself who are convinced that the democratic process and my civil liberties have to be sacrificed for the ambitions of one politician over another. You are all to willing to sacrifice democracy in the name of political expediency, and that is the mentality of tyrants and dictators! It's one thing to say that you support Rivera, but its a completly different animal to say that I shouldn't have a choice of who I want to support.

    If Rivera and his supporters are going to act like big babies about having to face both Dan & Pedro, then he doesn't deserve the seat.

    Mr. Padernacht & Mr. Rivera, stay in the race. And may the best man win.

    Freddy B.

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  12. RIVERA CANNOT ANSWER THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION...
    WHAT SPECIFICALLY HAS HE DONE IN THE 33RD DISTRICT SINCE LIVING THERE FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS?

    RIVERA IS ACCUSING ESPADA OF POLITICAL BULLYING BUT HE AND HIS TEAM BULLIED PILGRIM-HUNTER OUT OF THE RACE, AND THIS WEEK THEY BULLIED PADERNACHT OUT (I THOUGHT HE WAS AN ESPADA PLANT?) NOT...

    NOW THEY ARE TRYING TO BULLY THE VOTERS OF THE 33RD TO VOTE FOR A GUY WHO HAS NEVER DONE A THING FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE COMMUNITY.

    HE DIDNT SHOW UP AT THE LOCAL DEBATE, BECAUSE, HE HAS NOT DONE A THING IN THE DISTRICT AND KNOWS IT...

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