Bronx Reps Say Debt Limit Deal Unfairly Burdens Middle Class, Gives Free Pass to Rich

[Video: Engel talks about his opposition to the debt limit deal.]

Earlier today, the U.S. Senate voted in favor of a budget agreement that would allow the nation to raise its debt ceiling while making trillions of dollars in cuts to government spending programs. Last night, the Republican-controlled House approved the same plan and President Obama is expected to sign it immediately before the country starts defaulting on its debt obligations.

While Democrats were split evenly between yays and nays, the three Bronx representatives, all Democrats, in the House -- Jose Serrano, Eliot Engel and Joe Crowley (who's more of a Queens guy than a Bronx guy, but he still counts) -- all voted against the deal.

Cuomo Pulls New York From Federal Deportation Program

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced today that he'll be suspending the state's participation in the controversial Secure Communities program, a measure that requires local law enforcement agencies to share the fingerprints of anyone who's been arrested with federal immigration officials, who then check the prints for a person's green card status.

Cuomo's move comes after weeks of mounting pressure from local legislators and immigrant advocacy groups, who say the program is not meeting its supposed goal of deporting serious and violent criminal offenders. Critics point to data showing that since its start in 2008, a majority of the people who have been deported through Secure Communities--some 79 percent--had never actually been convicted of a crime.

Last month, a number of Bronx legislators and others from across the state sent a letter to the governor asking him to withdraw.

"There are concerns about the implementation of the program as well as its impact on families, immigrant communities and law enforcement in New York," Cuomo said in a statement sent out today.

Other states, like Illinois, also dropped out of the program recently.

“Governor Cuomo has demonstrated tremendous leadership," Congressman Jose Serrano, who represents the South Bronx, said in a statement this afternoon.

"He is firmly in line with our state’s pro-immigrant tradition, and on behalf of the immigrants and their friends in our community, I would like to thank him. Having New York State pull back from this aggressive program should be a wakeup call to the Department of Homeland Security. It is time to end this program and I am glad my home state will no longer take part."

The Department of Homeland Security had previously stated that participation was mandatory, but announced this week that there would be an investigation into how the program has been carried out.

Bronx Pols Want Out Of Federal Immigration Program

Local elected officials are speaking out against a program that requires law enforcement agencies to share digital fingerprint records of people who are arrested with federal immigration officials, who then check the prints for a person's green card status.

The program, known as "Secure Communities" and run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was originally intended to deport criminals who were determined to be in the country illegally and to focus on "the most dangerous and violent offenders," according to the ICE's website.

But data shows that the so far, 79 percent of the 102,000 immigrants deported under the program have never been convicted of any crime, according to the Gotham Gazette.

A group of 38 New York legislators, including 13 Bronx Senate and Assembly members, sent a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo last month imploring him to withdraw the state from the program.

"Our communities are far less safe because of this program," State Sen. Jose Serrano told the Gazette.

"It will only further fuel what law enforcement officials and immigrant advocacy communities have been saying for years: immigrants will be distrustful of their local law enforcement and will allow for crimes to go unreported or unsolved," State Sen. Gustavo Rivera said in a press release.

At the moment, counties in 44 percent of the state have been activated in Secure Communities--none yet in New York City.

In early May, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn announced that the state would stop participating, though the Department of Homeland Security has said the program is mandatory and that all U.S. counties will have to be enrolled by 2013.

Congressman Jose Serrano, representing the Bronx, also issued a letter urging Cuomo to withdraw, and along with several other member of Congress, called for President Obama to halt the policy entirely until it can be reviewed further.

Bronx News Roundup, Nov. 5

In the Daily News' there's an article (in print but not online) about the New York City Marathon, which is being held this Sunday. In the piece, Alec Diacou of the non-profit Yes The Bronx is quoted as saying the Bronx is "the best place to watch" the action. The runners (and some walkers, too, no doubt) will head over the Willis Avenue Bridge into Mott Haven before re-entering Manhattan by way of the 138th Street Bridge. The section is known as "The Wall," the Daily News reports, because it begins at mile 19, when many marathoners are beginning to flag. 

With all the applicants race organizers turn away, some are wondering if one annual New York City Marathon is enough.  Last year, the city considered - and then squashed - a proposal to bring a marathon to the Bronx.

The city Department of Education is withholding John F. Kennedy High School’s Progress Report, after questions were raised over its student discharge rate.  Other high schools' reports were released earlier this week. 

Since the new school year began, there have been 336 confirmed bedbug cases in public school buildings, compared to 135 in the same period last year.  Of the 336 cases, 39 were in the Bronx.   Brooklyn and Queens had the most. 

The driver of a tractor-trailer was knocked down and killed on the Cross Bronx Expressway yesterday afternoon.  According to police, the man exited his vehicle after it broke down and was struck by an SUV.

Two women were mowed down by hit-and-runs drivers in separate incidents yesterday evening, one in Throgs Neck, the other in Morrisania.  Both women were seriously injured.

A Bronx man has been sentenced to 15-years in prison for the attempted rapes of two women near Times Square. 

The Bronx woman married four men between 1985-94 as part of a cash-for-citizenship scam, the authorities say.  Sonia Estrada applied for another marriage license this past summer, but was denied after city officials became suspicious.

Michael Benjamin, the soon-to-be ex-assemblyman, is preparing for a congressional run in 2012, when he'll challenge Jose Serrano or Eliot Engel.   Benjamin, who's stepping down at the end of this year (Eric Steveson is replacing him), considered running against Serrano this fall, but eventually discarded the idea.  As we reported yesterday, Benjamin's also started blogging. 

State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr. is continuing to live up to his critics' charge that he's a Democrat in name-only.  If there's a 31-31 tie in the Senate, Diaz told the Observer yesterday that he would consider voting for a Republican as majority leader.  The State of Politics blog has more.  At least one person - Haile Rivera, a staffer of the soon-to-be former State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr. - believes Diaz himself should get the job.  Diaz insists he's not interested. 

Councilman Jimmy Vacca is sponsoring a bill that would require property owners to pay outstanding fines owed to the city, before they could be awarded building permits.

Bronx News Roundup, Aug. 31

With the Bronx continuing to head many "worst of" lists, Crain's wonders who will save it.

A NY Post reporter kayaks the Bronx River, and likes what she sees.

The Bronx is home to a growing number of DVD and video stores specilizing in Nigerian-made movies. The film industry there is called "Nollywood."

Councilman Jimmy Vacca is supporting a bill which would force the city to address the rising raccoon population in the outer boroughs.

In his weekly column, the Daily News' columnist Bob Kappstatter calls out Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera for skipping a televised debate. We wonder what annoys Rivera more - the criticism of her record or being called "Snooki." Kappstatter also suggests Assemblyman Carl Heastie, the Bronx Democratic party boss, is loath to endorse Gustavo Rivera in his race against State Senator Pedro Espada, Jr., in case Espada retaliates by supporting Assemblyman Nelson Castro, who faces a primary opponent in Heastie-backed Hector Ramirez.

Fight Back New York, a pro-gay marriage group, has been digging up dirt on State Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr. 

Dan Doctoroff, the former deputy mayor and development czar, played a key role in getting several massive construction projects off the ground, including the new Yankee Stadium and Bronx Terminal Market. City Limits looks back at his legacy.

Local residents and shoppers will be able to purchase special "parking memberships" when the Botanical Garden's new 825-spot parking garage opens in 2012.

One of the men on trial for allegedly trying to blow up two Riverdale synagogues last year, ranted about his hatred for Jews in secretly-recording conversations played in court yesterday.

Fordham Prep's talented soccer team has high hopes for a strong season.

Bronx Congressmen Jose Serrano and Eliot Engel, and several of their colleagues, are currently receiving hefty taxpayer-funded pensions on top of their six-figure salaries.

From last week's Village Voice: a police officer from the 41st Precinct in the Hunts Point secretly recorded his superiors demanding that he meet a quota of arrests and summonses, something the NYPD has always denies it does. These same superiors also ordered officers to downgrade crime complaints, he claims. The revelations come on the back of a four-part series in the Voice concerning a precinct in Brooklyn and another disillusioned cop with a hidden tape recorder.

Benjamin Holds Off on Serrano Challenge

Finding a general lack of political support, Bronx Assemblyman Michael Benjamin has decided not to challenge Congressman Jose E. Serrano this fall, according to a story on City Hall magazine's website. He added, however, that he would give it another shot in 2012.

Benjamin, who generated some buzz for calling Tea Partier Rand Paul an "idiot" a couple of weeks ago, had already indicated that he would not seek re-election to his assembly seat.

Carl Heastie, the Bronx Democratic Party Chairman and a colleague in the assembly, tried to talk Benjamin out of running against Serrano several times over the past months, Benjamin said.

Benjamin believes that he might have a better chance to defeat Serrano after the congressional district lines are re-drawn in the near future, but City Hall said that reapportionment may not sway things in his favor. 

Serranos Continue Assault on New Arizona 'Anti-Immigrant' Law

Above is a clip of State Senator Jose M. Serrano, who represents the south Bronx and east Harlem, in Albany denouncing Arizona's new immigration law and calling for comprehensive immigration reform, saying the current system destroys families.

Then, just a few minutes ago, the senator's father, Bronx Congressman Jose E. Serrano sent out a statement calling for Major League Baseball to move the 2011 All-Star game, scheduled to be held in Phoenix, "due to the extremist anti-immigrant law enacted last week in Arizona."

Serrano said there's precedent for this type of stance. The NFL rescinded its offer to hold the Super Bowl in Arizona in 1993 after the players union warned that it would not play in a state that didn't honor the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., which it didn't at the time.

Serrano said: “This anti-immigrant law is unjust, wrong-headed, mean-spirited, and unconstitutional. It is important that everyone who believes in justice and our national spirit of decency speak out against this measure. MLB has a very loud megaphone and their rejection of Arizona’s action would be an important demonstration to the state that we do not tolerate such displays of intolerance in our nation.”

Bronx Pols Slam Arizona's New Immigration Law

Congressman Jose Serrano released a statement on Friday criticizing a new immigration law in Arizona which gives the authorities increased powers to identify, prosecute, and deport illegal immigrants.

Serrano said: 

It is a sad day when any state makes racial profiling and discrimination the law. This is a deeply flawed measure that singles out a specific group for harassment.

Our nation has a long tradition of welcoming immigrants, but today the government of Arizona turned their back on that tradition in favor of anti-immigrant grandstanding.

We all know that the only way to bring immigrants out of the shadows is to enact comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship.

Laws like this give greater urgency to our work to pass a humane, non-punitive comprehensive immigration reform package. The time has come for action, before this law becomes a model for other anti-immigrant activists and is replicated elsewhere.

Grand Concourse Honored on 100th Anniversary

In conjunction with Dr. Gary Hermalyn, executive director of the Bronx County Historical Society and Dr. Lloyd Ultan, Bronx Borough Historian, Bronx Congressman Jose Serrano presented a framed copy of the Congressional Resolution celebrating the100th Anniversary of the Grand Concourse to the Bronx County Historical Society. The presentation took place this past Friday at the new Poe Cottage Visitor's Center in Poe Park (Kingsbridge Road and Grand Concourse). 

“The Grand Concourse has been the symbolic heart of the Bronx since it was completed a century ago,” said Serrano. “The millions of people who have passed through the Bronx – arriving from around the world, working, raising families, growing up – they all look on the Grand Concourse as the preeminent connection in their Bronx community. It has seen wealth come and go, it has seen many famous people, it has been the home to triumphs and great creativity. It is hard to put words to the meaning of this great boulevard.

"As its centennial approached, I could think of no better gesture than to have the U.S. House of Representatives vote to recognize it for all that it is. Over the years they have helped me fund millions of dollars in upgrades for the Grand Concourse, but this would be about paying respect to our great thoroughfare. They agreed and we presented the resolution to the Bronx County Historical Society to keep and display for generations to come. As the Grand Concourse lives on and new generations come and go, we must continue to take time to honor this historic street, which is so much more than just a street, but instead is the heart of a borough.”

Serrano presenting the congressional resolution to the Bronx County Historical Society in front of Poe Cottage on the G.C.

Serrano Reacts to Lou Dobbs' Resignation

In a press release sent out this morning, Congressman Jose Serrano said he was "not sad to see Lou Dobbs leave CNN."

He added:

Over time, Dobbs moved from normal news analysis to using his position to spew a steady stream of hate-filled anti-immigrant rhetoric, stopping at nothing to bash the undocumented and tie them to everything he saw wrong with this nation.

I believe the slide in CNN’s ratings at the hour he was on was no coincidence—most Americans do not care to watch unbridled hatred in their evening newscast.

It is my sincere hope that Dobbs is not given another major national platform to promote hate. His conspiracy-filled, anti-Hispanic, anti-immigrant rhetoric should not be a part of the national dialogue. It is not healthy for the ratings of a news channel because it is not healthy for our nation.

Dobbs announced his resignation yesterday, effective immediately.

Bronx News Roundup for June 3

Marcos Crespo and Vanessa Gibson were, as expected, victorious in a special election held Tuesday to determine the new Assembly members in the 77th and 85th Districts. They will fill the seats vacated by newly elected Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and his new deputy Aurelia Greene. More on the story here.

A Bronx woman discovered a four-foot yellow rat snake in her Gerard Avenue apartment.

Yankee attendance records are at their lowest since the 2004 season, and a new poll suggests excessive ticket prices at the new stadium are at fault.

The four men charged with the attempted bombings of a Riverdale synagogue pled not guilty at an arraignment this morning in White Plains.

Pedro Espada, Jeffrey Klein, Eric Shneiderman, and Jose Serrano are among 20 New York state senators who say they would vote yes on a bill legalizing gay marriage.

Bronx News Roundup Jan. 14

The rise and rise of Monroe College's Lady Mustangs.

Yankees President Randy Levine is appearing before a New York Assembly committee today to answer questions about his team's request for more taxpayer money to build their new stadium. The committee was formed to probe the financing behind the much-criticized project. A public hearing will be held tomorrow. A vote on whether or not to accept the Yankee's demands is expected on Friday. Here's what Times' columnist Jim Dywer has to say.

A firefighter who jumped from a fourth floor window to escape a raging fire that killed two of his colleagues in January 2005, testified yesterday at the manslaughter trial of three men tied to the deaths.

More on Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's heating oil program, which abruptly cancelled last week and then reinstated two days later. The program saves thousands of Bronx residents hundreds of dollars each winter. Time Magazine wonders why American oil companies aren't being similarly generous.

Jazz greats Poncho Sánchez and Gato Barbieri are performing at Lehman Center for the Performing Arts this Saturday.

A Bronx firefighter underwent a painful operation so he could donate bone marrow to a Canadian teenager he'd never met in order to save her life.

A blogger has some interesting thoughts on whether or not Adolfo Carrion is qualified to head up Obama's new Office of Urban Policy. (See half way down the page.)

Congressman Jose Serrano has given two community activists from the South Bronx - ages 77 and 80 - tickets to Barack Obama's inauguration later this month.

Back On: CITGO's Heating Oil Program

CITGO's heating oil program - which provides discounted fuel to thousands of low-income Bronx residents each winter - will continue in 2009 after all, according to a press release from Congressman Jose Serrano.

On Monday, Citizens Energy Corporation released a statement saying the program had been suspended "due to falling oil prices and the world economic crisis."

Bronx News Roundup Dec. 17

NY1 looks back at the biggest Bronx stories of 2008.

A devastated South Bronx block, a throwback to the turbulent 1970s, is the backdrop for an intricate - and unusual - nativity scene.

Tom Robbins from the Village Voice takes a closer look at dubious political histories of the "Gang of Three" - Ruben Diaz, Pedro Espada, and Carl Kruger - and their efforts to block Malcolm Smith from becoming Senate majority leader in January. Robbins sums up Diaz's career like so:

Rubén Diaz Sr., 65, a Pentecostal pastor from the Bronx, was elected to the senate in 2002 to represent one of the poorest districts in the city. Most of his energy goes toward combating the scourge of homosexuality.

Indirectly, the Rod Blagojevich scandal playing out in Chicago is hurting Espada et al's demands, according to a Post columnist, who also writes that the senators have been given new nicknames ("The Three Indictees" and "Somali Pirates") by Gov. Paterson's exasperated staff. More here.

A Pelham Parkway man, who despite his best efforts has struggled since arriving from Puerto Rico a year ago, has been given $1,500 by Mosholu-Montefiore Community Center, to help pay for back rent, clothes, and a cell phone. The community center is an agency of UJA-Federation of New York, one of the organizations supported by The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund.

A coin design honoring Puerto Rico is to be included in the popular "50 State Quarter" program, much to satisfaction of Congressman Jose Serrano and others.

Bronx News Roundup Sept. 16

Senator Jose M. Serrano will be interviewed on BronxNET Perspectives Channel 67 tonight at 8:30 p.m. The Senator also has a new blog post regarding tax reform.

County Democratic Chairman Jose Rivera announced over the weekend the date of his “re-organizational meeting.” The Bronx Rainbow Rebels have now set their own meeting a week before his. The Rebel meeting agenda includes electing new party officers.

The Department of Education has released the letter grades of New York City Elementary and Middle Schools. Critics question their validity, as grades and testing scores improvements appeared too extreme. For example, Bronx Science School for Exploration and Discovery (MS 224) on Brooke Avenue was listed as a failing school in February, but now holds an A. Public School 92 in East Tremont also went from an F to an A grade in a short period of time.

Photographer Lisa Kahane’s new book, “Do Not Give Way to Evil,” depicts life in South Bronx from 1979 to 1987. The book also includes essays written by other South Bronx artists, such as graffiti-writer John Matos.

A teenage girl sustained minor injuries after being hit by a school bus in Kingsbridge this morning while attempting to cross the street at the intersection of West 233rd Street and Bailey Avenue.

M. Barry Schneider, founder of the New York City Bridge Centennial Commission says, “Our bridges get no respect.” To offset the malady, the commission will hold brassy centennials for the unappreciated overpasses. Bronx bridges include University Heights Bridge over the Harlem River between 207th Street in Manhattan and Fordham Road that already celebrated its centennial in January; Madison Avenue Bridge, connecting 138th Street in the Bronx with Manhattan over the Harlem River will celebrate in July 2010; Pelham Bay Bridge to City Island in Pelham Bay Park holds its bash next month.

Serrano on Spitzer Resignation

Bronx Congressman Jose Serrano weighs in on the Spitzer resignation in a press release, highlighting his accomplishments and support for immigrant rights. Here's the full text of the release:

“In stepping down, Governor Spitzer made a difficult decision for the good of New York State and his family,” Serrano said. "Today is a sad day, because Governor Spitzer had great potential to change the way business is done in Albany.

“Governor Spitzer worked very diligently and tenaciously on the problems faced by New Yorkers both in his role as Governor and as Attorney General. We are all deeply grateful for that service. I hope that he can be remembered for all he did in those years—especially his staunch support of the rights of immigrants.

“My thoughts are with Governor Spitzer and his family as he deals with this difficult time. I commend him for putting the good of his family and the state ahead of any personal ambitions. I wish him all the best and thank him for his service.”

Serrano Praises Castro For Graceful Transition

While it remains unclear what Fidel Castro's decision to step aside as Cuba's top leader will mean for the United States, local Bronx Congressman Jose Serrano sees it as a positive for Cuba and Castro's legacy as an agent of change.

Here's the beginning of his statement yesterday:

"Today’s news that Fidel Castro has retired from leading his nation proves yet again that this important figure defies the attempts of his critics to paint him simply as a power-hungry authoritarian. Instead, it proves that Castro sees clearly the long-term interests of the Cuban people and recognizes that they are best served by a carefully planned transition. Few leaders, having been on the front lines of history so long, would be able to voluntarily step aside in favor of a new, younger generation. In taking this action, Castro is ensuring that the changes he brought about will live on and grow."

Click here for the rest of the statement.

Bronx Congressman on Bush's State of the Union

For those of you who didn't tune in to President Bush's final State of the Union speech, here's Bronx Congressman Jose Serrano's take. Let's just say, aside from the proposed economic stimulus package, Serrano, an outspoken critic of the current Republican administration, wasn't too impressed.

On the Iraq war:
"Tonight the American people got more of the same from President Bush -- especially on the failed Iraq war. As we approach 4,000 fatalities, and tens of thousands of wounded, we still have yet to hear a truthful assessment of the present condition on the ground, and a clear-eyed statement on our nation's future course in Iraq."

On the economic stimulus package:
"I am glad that the package that seems to be coming together focuses on helping working class and disadvantaged people...they are the people most hurt by slumps in the economy."

"I also am fighting for the inclusion of Puerto Rico and the territories in any package -- their economic fortunes are tied directly to our own."

On special projects (so-called pork barrel projects):
[Bush] would have us believe that those projects which are aimed at the needs of our communities, are the cause of our fiscal problems at the federal level...With these projects budgeted at $11 billion in 2008, and his request for spending on the war in Iraq totaling more than $150 billion for this year, it's hard to believe that special projects are budget-busters."

In sum: "Having heard much of this same speech for the past seven years, I am looking forward to a new direction and message in the 2009 State of the Union."

News Roundup for August 7

The Daily News has two stories today on school construction plans in the Bronx with very different outlooks. Patrice O'Shaughnessy's column looks at a plan by the nonprofit New Settlement Apartments to open a k-12 school on a neglected strip of W. 172nd Street.
The front page of the Bronx Boro News section covers the neighborhood's reaction to the Kingsbridge Armory plans that are moving forward with no schools included. The Norwood News's coverage of this issue is available here.

Gotham Gazette examines whether NYC's fiscal boom is reaching neighborhoods outside Manhattan.

NY1's Dean Meminger reports on $3 million in grants to South Bronx nonprofits from Venezuela's Citgo Oil Company. Congressman Jose Serrano deflected criticism for opening the doors of the Bronx to Venezuela and Citgo.

City Limits shows the obstacles facing some of the 22,000 people who received NYCHA Section 8 vouchers when the list was reopened after 13 years.

Officially, The Birth Place of Hip Hop

Despite a steady downpour this morning, Congressman Jose Serrano, Senator Chuck Schumer, local residents and a handful of Bronx hip-hop legends showed up in the West Bronx to celebrate New York State's formal recognition of 1520 Sedgwick Ave. as the official birth place of hip hop.

The celebration was also an opportunity for the lawmakers to urge that 1520 Sedgwick remain affordable housing and to push for more affordable housing citywide. In February, the owners of the Birth Place of Hip Hop announced their intention to convert the property into market-rate housing. The 100-unit building is currently part of the city's Mitchell-Lama program, which keeps rents affordable, but is being phased out by owners throughout the five boroughs. Here's the Times' David Gonzalez's piece for some more background and depth.

Housing advocates say some 39,000 units may lose their Mitchell-Lama designation soon, forcing out many long-time tenants, unless Mayor Bloomberg puts a moratorium on buy-outs of all city-funded Mitchell-Lama buildings until a suitable preservation strategy can be created and implemented.

In the basement of 1520 Sedgwick, the hip hop music genre was born under the guidance and creaivity of DJ Kool Herc (aka Clive Campbell) in the 1970s. Herc and his sister, Cindy, threw parties in that basement featuring the first forms of hip hop music and dance. Since then, the Bronx has spawned hip hop icons such as Afrikaa Bambataa, Grandmaster Flash and KRS-One, to name just a few, and the genre has exploded across the globe.