Bronx News Roundup, July 6

Weather: Another hot one today, with temperatures in the high 80s and a chance of thunderstorms later. (If you or someone you know needs to get out of the heat, find one of the city's air conditioned cooling centers here).

Story of the Day: South Bronx, One End of the 'Wealth Gap'
An interesting and graphic-heavy feature from this week's New York magazine takes a comparative look at one of the nation's wealthiest Congressional districts--Manhattan's East Side--and the poorest, NY 16, or the South Bronx. Among the not-so-surprising but still-glaring differences are median income ($79,385 vs. $23,073, respectively), a typical family's weekly budget ($2,222.98 vs. $539.50), the number of Starbucks coffee shops (90 vs. 1), and the number of times Mayor Bloomberg visited each district in a year (42 vs. 10).

"Whatever is happening nationwide always manifests itself much more dramatically in the South Bronx. Always has," Congressman Jose Serrano, who has represented this district for decades, told the magazine. "When people are talking about 5 percent unemployment, we may be talking about 10 percent unemployment."

Bronx Rep: Bin Laden's Death Brings 'Sense of Closure'

While we're working on getting the roundup together, thought we'd post Bronx Congressman Jose E. Serrano's reaction to the death of 9/11 terror plot mastermind Osama bin Laden:

“With the end of Osama Bin Laden, we finally have a sense of closure about the 9/11 attacks that he organized and financed almost ten years ago. Our country has healed in that time, but the news that bin Laden is gone helps us to finally move beyond that painful memory.

“For too long Americans have wondered when bin Laden would be brought to justice. We believe in swift and fair justice in our nation, and to have a known mass killer living freely in another country did not sit well. Today, we know that the wait for justice is over. I especially hope that the end of bin Laden brings a sense of closure to the families who still grieve the loss of a loved one in the attacks.

“Many parts of our national life were upended by the attacks of 9/11. Some have forgotten that it was an election day in New York—and the election was suspended. Bin Laden had planned to disrupt all areas of our national strength; our financial, military and political structures. But he did not count on the resiliency and resolve of the American people.

“Time and again in the years since 9/11, we have shown that our nation is stronger than he thought, not just because of our military or economic might, but because of the fundamental decency and extraordinary goodness of the American people. That is our key asset and it cannot be broken, no matter what is thrown at us.”

Bronx Adds 52,458 People: Census Data

The interactive map below, provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, charts the population change in New York. According to Census data collected last year, the Bronx gained 52,458 people over the last 10 years to bring the borough's population total up to 1,385,108, an increase of 3.9 percent.

The Bronx's growth outpaced that of Queens (+0.1%), Brooklyn (+2.1%) and Manhattan (+3.2%). (Totals for Staten Island weren't readily available.)

New York City as a whole saw an increase of 2.1 percent to put the total number of Big Apple residents at 8,175,133.

In reaction to the report, Bronx Congressman Jose E. Serrano said he thinks -- no, he's "certain" -- the Bronx population wasn't completely accounted for due to the fears and non-participation of the borough's many undocumented residents.

In a press release, Serrano said: "I am pleased to see that New York City is growing including a healthy increase in the numbers of people in the Bronx. I am certain that there was a slight undercount in the Bronx, as there are still many undocumented who are fearful of visits by government officials. I’m also concerned that other areas of our great city were undercounted in the Census, and that this will have an impact on our federal funding going forward.

“That said, the increase in our Bronx community by more than 50,000 people shows that our borough is on the rise and is a desirable place to live and do business."

Yet Another Bronx Post Office to Close: Oak Point Station

Another Bronx post office -- the Oak Point Station, located at 839 East 149th St. -- is going to close. 

According to a press release from the United States Postal Service, the Oak Point post office will close its doors on April 22.  “Given the extraordinary decline in mail volume — a decline of nearly 26 billion pieces last year alone — we must take action to reduce the size of our retail and delivery network,” said William Schnaars, the New York district manager

Two weeks ago, the USPS announced the Crotona Park Post Office will also be closing on April 22.

Spokesperson Darleen Reid said that since December 2009, the Crotona Park, Oak Point, and Van Nest offices have been on the consolidation list. The Van Nest Post Office, located at 715 Morris Park Ave., could be the next branch to close. She said that the decision should be made in the coming weeks.

The USPS assured us that postal employees who work at Crotona Park and Oak Point will be reassigned, not laid off.

Reid also said the USPS is considering moving the mail processing unit of the Bronx General Post Office to Morgan Distribution Center in Manhattan. The retail unit there would remain open in the Bronx. Reid said the USPS is still in the study phase and it will probably take another six months before making a decision.

For now, Reid said, customers wishing to conduct postal business at a local retail office can continue to do so at the following alternative sites:
--Hub Station, 633 Saint Ann’s Ave, Bronx NY 10455
--Mott Haven Station, 517 East 139th St, Bronx NY 10454
--Hunts Point Station, 800 Manida St, Bronx NY 10474
--Melcourt Station, 754 Melrose Ave, Bronx NY 10451
--Bronx General Post Office, 558 Grand Concourse, Bronx NY10451

In a press release, Bronx Congressman Jose E. Serrano said he sent a letter yesterday to the Postmaster General, saying "the plan to consolidate and close postal facilities in the Bronx was an unwise idea that unfairly impacts the Bronx community." A full text of the letter is below and after the jump:

Bronx News Roundup, Dec. 15

Every news outlet under the sun has coverage of Pedro Espada, Jr.'s indictment, as the now-former Senate Majority Leader and his son were charged yesterday with six counts of embezzlement and conspiracy. Here's what we posted last night.

Here's the Times' take, which reminds readers of how once upon a time, in 2006, Espada had accused his then-rival Ruben Diaz, Sr., of more or less the same things he's now being indicted for.

The Daily News' Celeste Katz includes a response from the Espada camp: "Today is a sad day for Soundview and a sad day for the Espada family. Senator Espada and his son deny any wrongful doing and we intend to fight the charges in court."

Both men are schedule to appear at a federal court in Brooklyn this afternoon. We'll have more on that later.

In other news:

Employees from the Bronx Psychiatric Center rallied yesterday against proposed layoffs at the facility, which they say will only make things less safe for patients and workers.

One of the city's largest chapters of the carpenters union, which represented workers in the Bronx and part of Manhattan, was officially shut down yesterday after a slew of corruption scandals.

A Bronx man was sentenced to five years in prison for selling cocaine in upstate Watertown, NY.

New Census data shows that more New York City residents are getting college degrees than ever before. The number of graduates in the Bronx increased by 2.9 percent since 2000.

Terrible conditions at an unemployment office in Mott Haven--including floods, rats and a bed bug infestation--make the spot even more depressing for the jobless who have to wait there.

HPD is still trying to get LNR Property Corp., the servicer to the dilapidated Milbank buildings, to cough up the $2.5 million in repairs that a court ordered the group to pay in September.

The Post takes a look at what our lawmakers in Washington are spending on their pet projects--aka "pork" spending--this year. Bronx Congressman Jose E. Serrano scored $500,000 for transportation improvements at the Bronx Zoo.

On the local level, a number of state lawmakers, including Bronx Assemblyman Jose Rivera, have found a loophole that allows them to collect pension checks while still in office.

The man accused of shooting an off-duty Bronx narcotics detective over the weekend was released on $5,000 bail.

Police will start using hidden cameras to videotape suspects in precincts in the Bronx and Brooklyn, stating next year.

"DREAM" Immigration Bill Waits for Senate Vote

Bronx Congressman Jose E. Serrano, in video above, speaks on the House floor last week in favor of the DREAM Act.

A bill that would provide a long-term path to citizenship for young immigrant residents passed in the House of Representatives on Dec. 8, but has since stalled in the Senate, as its supporters try to drum up Republican support for the bill in the hopes of passing it before the year’s end.

The controversial DREAM Act would provide a six-year route to citizenship for young undocumented immigrants who arrived in the country before the age of 16 who have been here for over five years, requiring that they get a college degree or serve at least two years in the military.

Supporters estimate that some 65,000 undocumented students graduate high school each year, but are hindered from attending college or pursuing other career routes because of their citizenship status.

“They have grown up here and it is past time that we recognized that they merit an opportunity to become American citizens,” said Bronx Congressman Jose E. Serrano, who voted in favor of the act.

“As a nation of immigrants, it will be a shame if we cannot even agree that these people deserve a chance to become citizens of what is for many the only country they have known,” he said in a statement.

Immigration reform advocates and liberal lawmakers have been pushing for passage of the bill for a decade, though it has been met with fierce resistance from most Republican representatives and other groups who view it as an amnesty bill for illegal immigrants.

Michael Benjamin's New Role: Blogger

Photo courtesy of Michael Benjamin's office.

Assemblyman Michael Benjamin is leaving Albany this January--he opted not to run for re-election this fall in his 79th District--but he'll be keeping himself busy post-term.

Benjamin launched a blog a few weeks ago, and so far he's posted entries blasting the city's proposed food stamp soda ban, musing the future of the state legislature and hypothesizing ways to increase enrollment in catholic schools.

"It’s a continuation, actually, of what I’ve been doing in the Assembly--writing letters and Op-Eds," Benjamin said in a phone interview yesterday. "The blog allows me to do that."

Benjamin is laying the groundwork for a Congressional run in the next election season with the blog's name--MichaelBenjamin2012--and an image of the Capital Building as the site's header.

"I think it's important for people to see my thought process and what I have to say on public policy issues," he said. "So that when I run for Congress, there's a body of work that lets people know what I think."

When he first announced plans to leave the Assembly, Benjamin said it was to challenge longtime  Congressman Jose E. Serrano, who he says hasn't done enough in his 20-plus years in office to alleviate poverty in the South Bronx. Benjamin dropped his Congressional bid shortly after but said he'll make another go of it in 2012.

You can check out his blog at www.michaelbenjamin2012.wordpress.com.

District Leader and legislative researcher Eric Stevenson will fill Benjamin's Assembly seat, which covers Belmont, East Tremont and Crotona. Stevenson won with 96 percent of votes on Tuesday.

Bronx News Roundup, Sept. 30

Mayor Bloomberg wasted no time in yanking Bronx teacher Melissa Petro from her classroom at PS 70 after he learned of her very public musings about her past as a sex worker.

Councilman Fernando Cabrera, whose district includes PS 70, chimed in about Petro--and her tenure--in a panel discussion on Fox News yesterday. Watch the video here.

A group of Bronx high school students are weighing in on the debate over the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory.

BronxTalk host Gary Axelbank was on the radio program The Perez Notes yesterday to talk about his show and Bronx politics.

A Parkchester man turned himself in to authorities yesterday for allegedly beating a traffic cop who gave him a ticket.

The Daily News has footage of two sets of baby tiger cubs born at the Bronx Zoo. 

Vandals spray painted and etched swastikas into the green at Van Cortland Golf Course yesterday.

Cesar Mercado, the Nicaraguan diplomat who was found dead in his Mount Hope apartment last week, had ingested a bottle of Drano cleaner before he died, according to police.

A new breakdown of Census figures ranks Jose E. Serrano's South Bronx Congressional District as the poorest in the country, with 38 percent of residents living below the poverty line.

The much talked about change in street signs this week--where the DOT is replacing capital letters with lowercase ones--is part of a federal mandate intended to "improve readability." It'll cost the state a whopping $27 million to make all the required replacements.

The murder rate is up across New York City, with a particularly high rise in the number of killings in the North Bronx--the rate went up 46 percent this year.

Actress Rosie Perez, in a video released by gay rights group Fight Back NY, told Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. that she is "extremely disappointed" in him for his opposing stance on gay marriage. "You are not speaking for the majority of New York Latinos," she said.

Bronx-born actor Tony Curtis died yesterday at the age of 85.

The Department of Homeless Services has shut out hundreds of families from using the agency's "Homebase" program in an attempt to see how effective it is.

Reactions to Steinbrenner's Passing

There's been an outpouring of obituaries and statements from public figures this morning following the death of legendary Bronx Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, who passed away from a heart attack today at his home in Tampa, Florida. He was 80 years old.

"This is a sad day not only for Yankee fans, but for our entire City, as few people have had a bigger impact on New York over the past four decades than George Steinbrenner," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement. 

"He committed himself and all of the Yankees' resources to one thing and one thing only: winning. And he won quite often," Governor David Paterson said in a press release. "Opposing players and fans may have bristled at his outspoken leadership over the years, but it was only because they wished they had a Steinbrenner of their own."

A number of Bronx politicians, including Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., released their own statements (we included Diaz' words in our news roundup earlier today). Click the jump for more.

Bronx News Roundup, April 30

Bronx Supreme Court Justice George Villegas is being sued by a Queens woman who claims the judge borrowed $500,00 from her to pay off gambling debts and keep loansharks at bay.

Congressman Jose Serrano wants the MLB All Star game moved from Phoenix to protest Arizona's new immigration law.

Also on the Serrano front: the rep praised a new bill passed in the House yesterday that gives Puerto Rico, a longtime U.S. territory, the option of becoming a state.

Three lion cubs make their debut at the Bronx Zoo today. You can help name them by submitting suggestions to the Daily News here. 

An Emily Dickinson-themed garden show opens at the Botanical Garden today, an homage to the poet's passion for horticulture.

Environmental justice group Sustainable South Bronx scored a public health award from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Police are looking for the suspect in a March robbery at E. 187th and Grand Concourse.

More on the second lawsuit filed this week against Pedro Espada by the Attorney General's office, from the Village Voice's Tom Robbins. WCBS aslo interviews a whistleblower from Espada's Soundview clinic, who said employees were regularly used to do campaign work for the senator.

A new playground in  Longwood is modeled after a rotary printing press.

Horace Mann in Riverdale made a list of the nation's top 20 prep schools, compiled by Forbe's (NYC had seven schools on the list total).

Bronx News Roundup, March 11

Congressman Jose E. Serrano is calling for an end to the war in Afghanistan. He spoke on the House Floor yesterday as Congress began debates on war legislation. You can watch the video of his statements here.

The Perez Notes has an interview with Patrick Jenkins, a political consultant and Carl Heastie staffer.  

A city-run apartment for homeless families in Morris Heights is under fire after its ceiling collapsed on a family of five--just days after another apartment in the same building gave a two-year-old lead poisoning.

Sen. Jeff Klein has been named chairman of a Government Efficiency Task Force that's looking to cut wasteful spending in state agencies.

A Bronx woman was arrested for the February hit-and-run accident in Brooklyn that left mayoral aide Erinn Phelan brain dead. 

The Riverdale Press has coverage of last week's state of the borough address from Ruben Diaz, Jr.

Police arrested 27 people on drug charges at the Pelham Parkway Houses yesterday. The investigation of the complex had been going on for nearly a year, according to the Daily News.

More on the demolition of the old Yankee Stadium. The borough president was on the scene as well, and posted some photos of the deconstruction.

Made your St. Patrick's Day plans yet? AmNY features some of the best Bronx spots to celebrate.

A nonprofit arts group named 1520 Sedgwick Ave. the birthplace of hip-hop.

Bronx Congressmen Celebrate House's Passing of Health Care Reform Bill

On Saturday, November 7, Bronx Congressmen Eliot Engel, Joseph Crowley and Jose E. Serrano were three of the 220 House representatives to vote in favor of the highly debated Affordable Health Care for America Act.

This revolutionary health care reform bill narrowly passed through the United States House of Representatives on Saturday night with the support of most Democratic representatives. Now, the bill will go on to the Senate, where it is expected to undergo more debate and reform.

“I voted in favor of the health care reform bill this evening in one of the most important votes of my 35 year career in public service,” said New York 16th District Congressmen, Jose E. Serrano, on the night of November 7. “Nothing I have voted for in all those years will change more lives for the better than this bill."

Under the bill, all Americans will have access to health care, health insurance companies will not deny coverage for pre-existing conditions and Americans will have significantly lower price rates for health care plans, among many other conditions.

“Our health care plan gives American families peace of mind. A peace of mind that health care is not just a luxury for some, but an affordable, accessible benefit for all,” said Congressman Joseph Crowley, who represents the 7th District of New York.

In a press statement, Congressman Eliot Engel of New York’s 17th District of New York outlined a list of how the health care bill will affect people in his district, which covers parts of the Bronx, Rockland County and Westchester County.

“Of the 98,000 uninsured in district, 16% of residents under 65, will have access to coverage. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that this legislation will cover 96% of Americans. That means 61,000 New Yorkers in my district will be able to receive coverage,” said Engel.

Engel also said the health care bill will improve health care coverage for women, seniors, small business employees and the youth.

As for the future of the health care bill in the Senate, Engel said, “I look forward to prompt action by the full Senate to make this health reform measure a reality.”

A Friendly Baseball Wager Among Political Colleagues

With the Bronx Bombers set to open their series against the Miracle Minnesots Twins in about half an hour (read BxNN Yankee columnist Graham Kates' first round playoff preview here) , I thought I'd post a light-hearted press release from Bronx Congressman Jose Serrano.

It appears Serrano and his counterpart in Minneapolis, Keith Ellison, have made a gentleman's bet on the five-game opening round playoff series. The reprentative of the losing locale must "sing the praises" of the other team on the House floor.

Classic stuff here. Serrano plays on the Yankees air of elitism, while Ellison takes on the underdog role. Pitch perfect exchange. Below is the full press release:

[Washington, DC – Representatives José E. Serrano (D-Bronx, NY) and Keith Ellison (D-Minneapolis, MN) announced today that they had agreed on a way to settle the budding playoff rivalry between their hometown baseball teams. The two members decided that whoever finds himself representing the losing team in the 2009 American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and the Minnesota Twins will take to the House floor to sing the praises of the winning team. As avid fans of the two teams, the Congressmen felt that this was the best way to settle the series at a Congressional level.

“I remember the 2003 and 2004 ALDS, but I think my friend Keith Ellison has forgotten those magnificent series,” said Congressman Serrano. “Luckily I went ahead and reminded him that both times my Yankees beat the Twins in four games. I feel confident that the Yankees will continue the streak, since they already swept the season series against the Twins. Congressman Ellison had better bone up on his Yankees knowledge, because it’s practically inevitable that he will end up on the House floor giving a speech about the greatest franchise in sports history. I look forward to the series, and the speech.”

“Here’s a history lesson for my friend José Serrano: The Twins played their very first game on April 11, 1961 and beat the Yankees 6-0. Victory this week will be just as sweet in their final season playing in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome,” said Congressman Ellison. “Today the Yankees may have more trophies and money than the Twins, but none of those things are tools for winning a game. My friend likes to talk about inevitability, but I rather like the proverb: the bigger they come, the harder they fall.”

This is the 3rd time since 2003 that the Yankees and Twins have met in a divisional series. The series will feature one ballpark hosting its first playoff games (Yankee Stadium), and one hosting its last (the Metrodome).]

Enjoy the game.

We'll have more Yankee coverage throughout the playoffs, including Graham Kates' "Yankees, Unobstructed" columns on Fridays.

Congressman Jose E. Serrano Testifies for Sotomayor

In testimony during the Senate's confirmation hearings last week, the local congressman for the 16th District, Jose Serrano, praised the nomination of native Bronxite Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The hearings on Capitol Hill wrapped up last Thursday and it's widely assumed Sotomayor will be confirmed sometime in early August as a replacement for David Souter.

In his testimony Serrano chose to focus not on the accomplishments Sotomayor has made throughout her career as a New York City judge, but on the obstacles that are common to those people (like himself) who come from her kind of background.

"We come from rough neighborhoods," Serrano said inf ront of the Senate Judiciary Comittee. "We were surrounded by people making do on too little."

"Around us were many distractions that could have taken us down a totally different road," he went on, "but there was also ambition and people determined to make something of themselves."

His testimony lifted Sotomayor up to be reveled not for the work she has done in her time as a judge, but for what Serrano says, are the values of "hard work and looking out for one another" that are prevalent for someone growing up less fortunate in the Bronx.

"Everyone watching this nomination should know that based upon her background and ideals, they are in good hands with Judge Sotomayor," he said.

The Inauguration and other bits and pieces

We're getting to this a little late, but here's a roundup of today's Bronx news:

The Inauguration
The Bronx Lab School on Gun Hill Road was one of many Bronx schools to hold screenings of this afternoon's inauguration.

Mount Hope Monitor contributor Rebecca Chao visited MS 399 on 184th Street where hundreds of excited (and occasionally emotional) students watched proceedings in the school's auditorium. “He [Obama] makes us feel powerful, hopeful," said one eighth grader before the speech. "If he can do it, anyone can do it.” Afterwards, Student Council members, responding to Obama's can-do attitude and call to public service, said they were inspired more than ever to reverse the DOE's recent decision to close their school.

Bronx Congressman Jose Serrano had this to say:

Today our national dream of equality for all was one step closer as we watched the inauguration of President Barack Obama. This man who came from such an unlikely background to the presidency has become the repository of our hopes and dreams. Now he will have the chance deliver on the promise of his message. We will stand side-by-side with him and put our collective strength to fixing our nation.

As a boy from Mayaguez, Puerto Rico that grew up in the projects in The Bronx, and came to serve in the U.S. Congress, I believe in unlikely journeys and the power of the American dream.

More here.

Other news
Councilman Jimmy Vacca is co-sponsoring a bill that's sure to be popular with car owners.

State Senator Pedro Espada has once again failed to file a required financial disclosure report.

In September, Jonas Bronck Academy, a middle school, will move into Fordham Place, the building that houses Sears and Best Buy. The school is currently located on Manhattan College Parkway in Riverdale.

One of Bob Kappstatter's anonymous sources thinks he/she knows why Borough President Adolfo Carrion's confirmation as Obama's director of urban policy is taking an age and a day.

New from the Norwood News

If you haven't checked it out on Bronx streets yet, you can access all the new stories from the Norwood News online now. Here's a quick preview:

Norwood News Editor Jordan Moss wades into the struggle for leadership among Bronx Democrats and fleshes out some of the more interesting details from the raucous and convoluted affair.

An analysis of how accurate and useful the city's new School Progress Reports are.

Bronx Congressman Jose E. Serrano voted against the House bailout plan on Monday afternoon. His Bronx colleague Eliot Engel voted for it. The Norwood News finds out the reasoning behind their votes. One local resident gives a thumbs down to the bailout plan.

Lehman college breaks ground on a state-of-the-art new science building.

The Bronx Southeast Asian community is looking get more help from Montefiore Medical Center.

Plus, check out our Out & About guide to local arts and entertainment events and the online-expanded version of Neighborhood Notes, our listing of community events, programs and services.

Bronx New Roundup, Wednesday, Oct. 1

Welcome to October. Here's some news and links to get you started this month.

The Economy
Times columnist Jim Dwyer takes a walk through the South Bronx to get a sense of how people in the Boogie Down are viewing the economic crisis and the bailout plan (which their Congressional Rep. Jose E. Serrano voted against) designed to stop the bleeding.

[Bailout Plan Update: The Senate is scheduled to vote on a new version of the plan today.]

In other citywide economic news, a story in the Times says the New York City real estate boom is dead.

And David Gonzalez writes on the Times City Room blog about a South Bronx soup kitchen struggling to keep up with increasing demand from its clients and no "bailout" from the government in sight.

Pain
An NYPD detective was accidentally shot in a very sensitive area by another cop at an east Bronx firing range.

A woman was stabbed multiple times at an East Gun Hill apartment building, allegedly during a domestic dispute. She's is reportedly in stable condition at a local hospital. Nothing has been written on this yet, but we'll try to find out more information.

Sports
The South Bronx High School football team is surprisingly dominant this year in the Cup Division, and is off to its first 4-0 start ever.

The Bronx Science women's golf team is not surprisingly dominating again this year, but faces a tough Stuyvesant team on Monday.

The Greenest Borough
Human Events, perhaps the most conservative media outlet in the entire country, wrote a long blog post about the Bronx's expansive green spaces and tourism opportunities. Who could have guessed?

Arts
The Village Voice reviews the Bronx Museum's new show: "Street Art, Street Life."

More on Bronx Dems Shakeup, Failed Bailout Fallout and More in Bronx News Roundup, Tuesday, Sept. 30

First of all, we apologize for the lateness of this post. But it's here, so let's get to the news. [Editor's note: Keep the comments coming, we love to hear the passion. But not the foul language or personal attacks.]

Bailout Fallout and Serrano
Bronx Congressman Jose E. Serrano is getting a lot of attention for voting against the House bailout plan that failed to pass yesterday (the only city rep to do so, and one of only four out of 29 in the entire Empire State).

Here's the Times blog story, which goes into some detail about Serrano's liberal leanings and possible motivations. And here's the WNYC story, where the reporter takes to a trader, Anthony Weiner (both liked the plan) and Serrano, who opposed it.

Bronx Democrats
More musings about the struggle for power among Bronx Democrats in Daily News Borough Chief Bob Kappstatter's column this week. (And credits Norwood News Editor Jordan Moss with getting an "up-close" look at the action. Thanks Bob.) A nice little tidbit in there from Hector Ramirez, the district leader in the 86th District who sided with the insurgents, who said embattled Bronx Boss (or not) Jose Rivera came up to him at the meeting and told him: "I'll see you on the street." Once again, thanks Bob.

Borough's Same-Sex Couples More Likely to Have Kids
A very interesting story in the Times about a recenlty released study that found that "same-sex couples in the Bronx are more likely to have children than those in another borough." A couple of interesting stats from the story:

• There are 3,000 same-sex couples in the Bronx.
  
• 49% of the Bronx's same-sex couples have children.
• 11% of the city's same-sex couples live in the Bronx.
  

Here's a great quote from Lisa Winters, the executive director of the Bronx Community Pride Center, the borough's only center for gays and lesbians, on the Bronx's gay scene:

"The Bronx lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community has largely been a hidden community for a very long time because of very real homophobia. The Bronx is a very machismo borough, and it’s a very religious borough. The religious institutions have a very strong foothold here, and they preach from the pulpit that homosexuality is a sin. But the world is starting to change and the Bronx is finally getting in line."

Serrano Votes Against Wall Street Bailout

Earlier today, The House of Representatives rejected a $700 billion package designed to rescue the country's devastated financial industry.

Bronx Congressman Jose E. Serrano was one of those to vote against the plan. In a statement he said:

I understand the need to shore up our nation’s big banks to prevent a larger problem, but I cannot support such an action if it does nothing to help the millions of people facing foreclosure. Leaving them out of this package is shortsighted and guarantees that we will have to address the problem in the next Congress.

We must face the fact that the crisis in Wall Street stems from a mortgage crisis on Main Street. If we only bail out Wall Street, we have not addressed the root cause of the problem.

This is a tax on my constituents – the working people – to erase the consequences of the bad judgment of the fat cats down on Wall Street. I cannot support such a bill.

UPDATE: According to Crain's, Serrano was the only one of the city's 13 Representatives to vote no.

Tale of Two Convention Speeches

Congressman Jose Serrano had some of his more pointed critiques of the Bush administration removed from his convention speech by Barack Obama’s nervous speech vetters, according to the Times. He predicted this would happen in a conversation with Mount Hope Monitor editor James Fergusson, who is down in Denver covering the proceedings.

Meanwhile, folksy Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer also had his speech sliced and diced, but he paid it no mind, ad-libbing and improvising his way to one of the more popular and well-reviewed speeches of the convention.