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Thursday, January 10, 2013

Political Field's Starting to Get Crowded in 2013

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100 PERCENT
By Robert Press


BRONX, NEW YORK, January 10- With many elected positions becoming vacant finally due to term limits at the end of this year, the field of candidates to replace most those term limited officials is growing. 

Starting with the mayor’s race on the Democratic side City Comptroller John Liu, Public Advocate Bill deBlasio, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, and Former City Comptroller Bill Thompson have been joined by another Democrat (and also past mayoral candidate) former Brooklyn Councilman Sal Albanese. Albanese could take away some of the Quinn vote with his noted support on the issue of Gay Rights, and his pro-stance on the issue of term limits while in the city council. Speaker Quinn was leading in the early polls for mayor on the Democratic side, but now as some of the other potential candidates for mayor have dropped out Quinn is now in second place to undecided by several percentage points. She still has has hefty lead over the other democratic candidates.

On the Republican side, former Bronx BP Adolfo Carrion has been joined by several higher profile candidates with former MTA head Joe Lhota being the latest to jump in. Other high profile candidates include George McDonald (founder of the Doe Fund, and good friend of current mayor Michael Bloomberg), supermarket magnate John Catsimatidis (who like Bloomberg has deep pockets of money), and others like Manhattan media CEO Tom Allon, and former Democratic State Senate Leader Malcolm Smith have also made overtures to the tune of possible Republican runs for mayor.

While the race for Bronx Borough President should be a solo race as current Bronx BP Ruben Diaz Jr. has two terms still as Bronx BP, it is not the same in term limited Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan (but who cares in those boroughs). Turning to Bronx city council races in the 11th to replace term limited Councilman G. Oliver Koppell currently there are two announced candidates, with a few other potential but not probable names. The 12th should be a contest again this year for Andy King who was just elected in November to replace former Councilman Larry Seabrook who should have a new residence in Chez Federal Pen. King has not been able to get his feet wet in the district, and will be running against several candidates again. Jimmy Vacca 13th and Annabel Palma 18th should get a free ride in their last terms, while Fernando Cabrera 14th could see a major challenge if Assemblyman Jose Rivera is true to his words of wanting to finish out his political career as a city councilman. The 15th to replace term limited Councilman Joel Rivera is the big race this year with as many as ten people possibly going for this seat, with the name of Bronx Democratic County Committee Executive Director Ischia Bravo now being mentioned. I asked Ms. Bravo about her running in the 15th recently, and she said that there is a good possibility of it happening. In the16th where Councilwoman Foster will be term limited out, the rumor is that Assemblywoman Vanessa Gibson should be seeking that seat, and a host of others that should drop out if Gibson does enter that race. In the 17th (Arroyo who still has one term) and 8th (which has a small part of the Bronx) no one knows what those districts will look like, as the redistricting commission has been asked to redraw the lines again. I caught up with Councilwoman Viverito (8th) at an event and asked her if her current Manhattan district was to be made a Bronx district for Bronx Democratic County Leader Carl Heastie's support of Speaker Quinn's campaign for mayor. Councilwoman Viverito was very candid in saying that yes indeed that there was politics involved in the redrawing of her district lines.

In other political news this month, newly elected Assemblymen Luis Sepulveda (87th A.D.) will have his swearing in at St. Raymond’s School auditorium (Tremont and Purdy Ave.) on Saturday January 12th starting at 12 p.m. Assemblyman Mark Gjonaj (80th A.D.) will have his swearing in at Columbus High School (925 Astor Avenue) on Sunday January 13th at 2 p.m. 

Don't forget to check my blog at www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com for the story on and many photos of the Annual Three Kings Celebration by Senator Ruben Diaz Sr., Assemblyman Marcos Crespo, Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda, and the New york Hispanic Clergy Organization. The Three Kings, Santa Claus, and several elected officials or candidates for office were in attendance, and some may have been wondering where their present from Santa or the Three Kings was. Also on the blog are other interesting items such as a link to mayoral candidate Adolfo Carrion's first campaign expenditure disclosure, how much has been spent in less than two short months, and which family member is on the Carrion for Mayor payroll.
If you have any comments about this column or would like to have an event listed or covered in this column or on my blog you can e-mail us at 100percentbronxnews@gmail.com or call 718-644-4199 Mr. Robert Press.



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Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Headache On Broadway

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Headache On Broadway: --> Riverdale Report By Robert Press BRONX, NEW YORK, January 7- The MTA is replacing the tracks on the elevated # 1 subway line alon...
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Headache On Broadway

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Riverdale Report

By Robert Press

BRONX, NEW YORK, January 7- The MTA is replacing the tracks on the elevated # 1 subway line along Broadway from West 238th Street down to at least West 231st Street.

Last week the MTA was working, or had Broadway half closed with no parking allowed from West 237th Street to West 233rd Street on both sides. Sections of subway track were being unloaded from tractor trailer trucks and were placed one on top of another right on the street. Broadway was closed on the southbound side with barricades and police tape along the street in the work zone. In addition all side streets on the west side of Broadway were closed, and travel was restricted to either northbound or southbound as the police tape restricted any turns into any driveways such as the one for the Stop and Shop parking lot. I asked a couple of MTA workers about the work zone, and was repeatedly told by these workers wearing Blue safety helmets that the person with the White helmet was in charge. When I found the white helmeted MTA person he was moving barricades to close of yet another side street. I asked a few questions about the work going on and if there was notice given to the community, merchants, and city agencies such as DOT. I was told that signs were put up the day before to warn of the work being done, and that the MTA did not have to let any city agency know when it is doing track work. I took several photos of the work zone on Broadway including the pile of subway tracks that were placed on top of each other on the street, and you can go to my blog at www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com to see them along with other photos and other items that may come up.

While visiting Ms. Katherine Broiher the Executive Director of the Kingsbridge Business Improvement District (BID), she said that the BID already has a problem with parking in the area now that the municipal parking lot that was at West 230th Street has closed for development of the lot into a shopping center. “Many merchants and customers parked their vehicles in the West 230th Street lot, and this MTA track work is only compounding the problem” She added that blocks of Broadway and side street parking is being taken away, and the merchants on Broadway are losing business. I visited the Stop and Shop supermarket in the middle of the track work, and the manager said that he is losing a lot of business because cars can not get into his parking lot that was more than half empty. I returned to Broadway the next day to see that there were several DOT traffic agents who were now directing traffic on Broadway at both ends and along the MTA work zone.

Former Captain Kevin Burke the commanding officer of the 50th Police precinct is now Deputy Inspector Kevin Burke. With the promotion came a raise in pay, and the fears of the community and fellow officers that a transfer will soon be coming for the new DI. In the past when captains of the 50 were promoted to DI within months they were transferred to higher positions in the NYPD.

Now that the new year has started Community Board # 8 will be having their usual monthly full board and committee meetings on matters of concern to the local community. You can check the Community Board # 8 website at www.nyc.gov/bronxcb8 and click on any of the links on the left to see when the meetings are, where the meeting are being held (as the full board and some committee meeting are throughout the community board area), what the agendas are for the full board or any committee meeting, and a brief summary of past meetings in the minutes area.

If you have any comments about this column or would like to have an event listed or covered in this column or on my blog you can e-mail us at 100percentbronxnews@gmail.com or call 718-644-4199 Mr. Robert Press.



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Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Feds Shut Down Bx Drug Gang

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Feds Shut Down Bx Drug Gang: --> Ringleaders Charged with Kidnapping, Burning the Victim with an Iron BRONX, NEW YORK, January 10 - The FBI and NYPD announced charge...
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Feds Shut Down Bx Drug Gang

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Ringleaders Charged with Kidnapping,
Burning the Victim with an Iron

BRONX, NEW YORK, January 10- The FBI and NYPD announced charges against 10 members of a criminal organization based on Wyatt Street in the West Farms section of the Bronx. Nine of the defendants were charged with conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and heroin. 

The crew’s alleged ringleader, Anibal Ramos, and one of its members, Anibal Soto, were charged in the original, July 2012 indictment with kidnapping, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and the brandishing of a firearm in connection with, and in furtherance of, the kidnapping. Ramos and Soto are alleged to have kidnapped and tortured an individual, including by burning the victim with an iron. The superseding indictment adds narcotics charges against Ramos and also charges him and three of the new defendants with possessing firearms in connection with, and in furtherance of, the crack cocaine and heroin conspiracy.

All eight of the new defendants charged were taken into custody as part of a coordinated operation involving federal and local law enforcement officers. Ramos, who was arrested in August 2012, and Soto, who was arrested in July 2012, remain detained. All the defendants arrested today will be presented in Manhattan federal court this afternoon.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said, “As alleged, for far too long, these defendants were a bloody blight on a Bronx community, contaminating it with poisonous and highly addictive drugs and the guns and brutal violence that are part and parcel of the drug trade. This case demonstrates our commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who engage in this conduct and to expand cases previously charged when we develop new evidence. With the charges we bring today in two separate cases against 19 defendants, the Bronx neighborhoods in which they ran amok are safer places for their residents.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge George Venizelos, “This case highlights once again the dual threat posed to our communities by the illegal drug trade. The drugs themselves are poison, with life-altering and lethal consequences. And violence almost always comes with the territory. We remain committed to restoring our communities to their law-abiding residents.”

NYPD Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said, “The depraved acts of torture described in the indictment need no further characterization, other than to observe that the nexus between drug trafficking and violence is well-established, and the commitment among police and prosecutors to bring its practitioners to justice is unyielding.”

As alleged in the superseding indictment unsealed and other documents filed in Manhattan federal court:

From at least 2000 through August 31, 2012, Ramos was the leader of a drug crew that operated on Wyatt Street in the Bronx and sold significant street level quantities of crack cocaine and heroin. In addition, members of the drug trafficking organization used firearms, threats of violence, and violence to secure and enforce their drug territory, including the kidnapping and brutal torture committed by Ramos and Soto.

Ramos, Joel Cabrera, William Zacchi, Christopher Hernandez, Michael Aviles, Latrell Riddles, Charitza Quintana, Yasmine, Zelayandia, and Jacqueline Hernandez are charged with conspiring to distribute, and possess with the intent to distribute, crack cocaine and heroin.

Ramos, Aviles, Riddles, and Zelayandia are also charged with possessing firearms in connection with, and in furtherance of, the crack cocaine and heroin conspiracy.

Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the NYPD. He added that the investigation is continuing.





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Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Second class citizens

Bronx News (Bxnews.net): Second class citizens: --> Wakefield Area News By Mary V Lauro   BRONX, NEW YORK, January 10- All of these years we have helped scores of tenants ...
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Second class citizens

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Wakefield Area News



By Mary V Lauro 



BRONX, NEW YORK, January 10- All of these years we have helped scores of tenants deal with their landlords. Every now and then we realized that the small landlord, the one who owns a two or three-family house cannot be placed in the same category as the apartment building owner. But wait; let's make very clear that not all apartment building landlords are cut from the same cloth. There are many honest and decent landlords in the Bronx and the City who are judged not by their decency, but by the greed and indecent behavior of the less honorable landlords, the biggest of which is the City's own New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA).


For this reason, a certain segment of the population judges all landlords as rich, evil money grabbers. They view the rent they pay as extortion. They have no idea of the small landlord's struggle to pay real estate taxes, water charges, insurance and the cost of repairs. In most cases the landlord chose a two-family house so that the rental income could assist in paying the mortgage.


Apparently, our columns regarding evictions in two and three-family houses have struck a note. We received several calls from Wakefield residents and one from Queens. Essentially besides describing what their errant tenants were doing, the complaints focused on the feeling these small landlords had that they had no rights. Indeed it has often seemed that way.
What can a landlord do if the tenant decides to pay the rent at the end of the month instead of at the beginning? If he laughs at late charges? What can he do if the tenant does not recycle; if he runs the hot water endlessly; if he insists on keeping the hall light on all day; if he gives keys to strangers so that they use his apartment when he is not there; if he thinks they are trashing his apartment; etc.
We checked with Attorney General Schneiderman regarding any rights a landlord may have. Our phone call engendered some confusion. We were transferred to three individuals who could not respond. The fourth said “Of course he has rights. He can evict. A two-family house landlord does not even need a reason if there is no lease. It's called a Holdover Case.” Ah, yes! But that maybe, a costly proposition.
The easiest type of eviction process is for non payment of rent. It is only easy, however, if the tenant agrees to move or does not show up for his court appearance. A great deal depends on the judge too. A single mother holding her baby weeps. “Your honor I promise to look for a job. I'll pay him all the rent I owe him.” Sounds reasonable, except that is what she said twice before, so the landlord loses another two months rent on top of the year he has already lost. It is not easy for him to meet his obligations, but the judge has no time for his tears.
The other type of eviction as the Attorney General's office said requires no reason from the landlord provided there is no lease. The process begins with a notice to the tenant that he must, leave in 30 days or be evicted. If the tenant does not leave in 30 days which is generally the case, a court date is set, but not automatically. The typical landlord acting without an attorney (pro se) bounces back and forth from Housing Court on some quest or another be it the special legal forms that must be used, the court dates, and so on.
The first court date is to have the tenant and landlord come together to try to convince the tenant to leave. But why should he? From the outset of this process, the landlord cannot take rent from the tenant. If he does, it signifies that he is satisfied and will no longer pursue eviction. The tenant will take every opportunity and every guise to hold on to the rent-free apartment. Thus does the small homeowner become a second class citizen.



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