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.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Espada to Paterson: 'Do What Pedro Does'
Friday, January 30, 2009
Bronx News Roundup, Jan. 30
Let's start this Friday with some not-so-cheery citywide budget news:
Mayor Bloomberg's giving his budget speech at noon. Some highlights (lowlights?): reportedly, the mayor wants to raise sales tax, from 8.375% to 8.75% and cut the city's workforce by 23,000 jobs (15,000 of those jobs may be in the Department of Education). In addition, Bloomberg may ask city workers to pay for some of their health insurance benefits and scale back some bigger construction projects.
The Albany Times-Union reports that nearly two dozen state lawmakers, including six Democrats (and one former lawmaker) from the Bronx, had received warrants for failing to pay tax debts (such as back taxes, fines and interest). Assemlyman Peter Rivera owed $20,000 (he says he's since paid this off), while former Senator Efrain Gonzalez still owes $43,462. Others who were served, included Gonzalez's replacement, Pedro Espada ($949.51), Sen. Ruben Diaz, Sr. ($2,328.73), Assemblyman Michael Benjamin (2,634.18), Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera ($1588.85) and Assemblyman Jose Rivera ($481.32).
A college student from the Bronx who helped manage a prostitution ring connected to ex-Gov. Eliot Spitzer was sentenced to six months in prison yesterday, but the judge praised her for getting her life back on track.
A rookie firefighter talks about how his life flashed before his eyes during the Black Sunday fire in the Bronx in 2005.
Two Bronx Science students are finalists in a national science talent search.
The Daily News reports that Riverdale businesses are closing at a rapid pace. For more on Riverdale businesses, go to the Riverdale Press Web site.
A Bronx mom who smothered her newborn son on a city bus was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Video from NY1 here.
More on the new film-focused high school in the Bronx, The Cinema School.
Sports Salsa is coming to Bronxnet.
