Jose Rivera, Bill Perkins Arrested at Protest [VIDEO]

As we mentioned in the post below, Bronx Assemblyman Jose Rivera--rarely seen without the red light on his hand-held video camera blinking--and Harlem State Sen. Bill Perkins, were among the dozens of protesters arrested this afternoon during a rally for stronger rent laws.

Here's some video footage of the protest, courtesy of the Albany Times Union.

Member Items: Some Districts Getting Gypped

A few weeks ago, state senator Jose M. Serrano introduced a bill that would change the way member items are distributed and called for more transparency in how representatives are spending them. (Member items—or public money generally intended for nonprofits and community needs—have landed a number of Bronx politicians in hot water for alleged misuse).

One aspect of the legislation called for equal distribution of funds to all senate and assembly members. A statement from Serrano’s office at the time of the bill’s introduction said the current system for allocating member item funds is done “disproportionately,” with larger amounts going to the majority party.

According to an article posted Monday on the Albany Times Union’s blog, that’s definitely the case—and the politicians who represent your district might be getting the short end of the stick.

The good folks at government watchdog groups NYPIRG, Citizens Union of the City of New York, Common Cause, the League of Women Voters and the Brennan Center for Justice have taken the time to analyze just how much each politician pulled in for their district. What they found was that the vast majority are getting below the average amount of funds given out.

Espada to Paterson: 'Do What Pedro Does'

Great stuff here from our upstate friends at the Albany Times-Union who spoke with a handful of Bronx lawmakers after they had just met with troubled and under-the-microscope Gov. David Paterson. (He's being investigated after it was discovered he contacted the a Bronx woman who had filed domestic violence charges against one of his top aides.)

I'll just lay out a couple of highlights. State Senators Pedro Espada, Jr., Ruben Diaz, Sr., Assemblyman Peter Rivera and Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo, who have all been linked to investigations in the past (some are ongoing), all expressed their support for the governor, basically saying he should stay until the budget gets done.

The best quote is from Espada. When asked by reporter Jimmy Vielkind what advice he gave Paterson, Espada said: “Do what Pedro does: report to work, don’t listen to and read everything that’s said about you, stay compartmentalized, stay focused on the job."

Read the whole post here.