Norwood News

 

By DAVID CRUZ

Crespo Leads Bronx County
As expected, Assemblyman Marcos Crespo was crowned the new leader of the Bronx Democratic County Committee, succeeding Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. It’s certainly a steppingstone for Crespo, who’s yearned to raise his profile. The vote was unanimous, something lawmakers kept emphasizing at a dinner party shortly after the March 5 vote, perhaps to ensure party unity remains intact.

Ethnic politics certainly seemed to play a role in Crespo’s victory, with one unnamed lawmaker admitting a party dominated by minorities representing a borough of minorities makes the most sense. What could really work against Crespo is his affinity to the New York Mets. Don’t know how the party’s Yankee fans feel about that.

King, the Motivational Speaker
Councilman Andy King of the 12th District is quite the showman, displaying moments of theatricality and sermon-like presentation at his State of the District address. King, clad in his trademark blue and orange suit, highlighted a dozen dynamite women, including our very own Marcia Cameron, deputy director of Mosholu Preservation Corporation, before a crowd of more than 300 people. That’s quite the turnout for King who came across more as a motivational speaker with the hallmarks of a preacher—he did, after all, address the flock at Beulah Church of God on East Gun Hill Road.

Preferring a headset mic over the podium (“I didn’t want to lecture you, I wanted to talk to you,” King shouted), King checked off accomplishments that included school upgrades such as a new airplane simulator, expanded youth programs, and installing cameras at NYCHA complexes.

Between the bravado and cheerleading, there were moments where King resembled a borough president. You never know. Or he could settle for being a preacher.

Bx. Council Delegation Soaked
The Bronx New York City Council Delegation was soaked with bad grades by the New York League of Conservation Voters, which released its 2014 New York City Council Environmental Scorecard.

The group examined voting records of Council members for nine environmental bills, which were skipped by some of the Bronx Delegation. Bills included a vote on whether to charge 10 cents for single plastic bags, reducing greenhouse gases 80 percent by 2050 and expanding tax incentives for employees who commute to work. The tallies include:

• Councilmembers Andrew Cohen and Ritchie Torres scoring a perfect 100, making them the only two Bronx Council members to achieve a high mark.
• The nameless Councilmembers did not make the grade. They know who they are.

Rallying for Badillo Post Office
Re-naming a post office after revered Puerto Rican legislator Herman Badillo is another step closer to reality. Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. first called attention to rename the Morrisania branch of the United States Postal Service after Badillo. Now federal legislators including Representatives Charles Rangel, Jose Serrano, Joe Crowley and U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand have drafted a bill to honor Badillo.

It would be another commemoration to Badillo, whose trailblazing status as the first congressman born in Puerto Rico and the first Puerto Rican Bronx borough president, led to a school named after him…in Buffalo, not the Bronx. Should the bill be signed, sealed and delivered, the cash-strapped USPS will have to foot the bill.

Holding Heastie Accountable
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie flexed some legislative muscle by unveiling the so-called One House Budget that pledged to fund the state’s ever-empty Campaign for Fiscal Equity funding for schools. The Bronx Assembly Delegation backed Heastie’s commitment, which would pump $503 million into Bronx schools.

Asked whether he would hold Heastie accountable should the budget fail, Assemblyman Michael Blake of the 79th Assembly District told the Norwood News that he would hold Heastie accountable. “We’re absolutely holding the governor accountable, and everyone else…” said Blake, trailing off before asked once again if Heastie’s on the accountability list. “And the speaker, absolutely,” he finished. “This is the year of CFE, this is the year of education,” Blake noted. (Side Note: Assemblyman Jose Rivera made a rare news conference appearance, mocking “wannabe journalists” out there. Wonder who he was referring to.) 

The budget once again includes introducing a state public campaign finance apparatus, where taxpayers will cover the cost of funding election campaigns. The likelihood of this happening is remote. The Senate killed it last year. When Democrats controlled both Albany houses in 2009, it was killed then too. “They’re thinking of self-preservation,” said one veiled political insider.

The New York City Campaign Finance Board drafted a letter to Heastie on the benefits of state campaign finance. “[P]ublic campaign finance has provided taxpayers with the confidence that city elections are decided by voters, not large contributions from special interests,” wrote Art Chang, chair of the Voter Advisory Committee.

West Bronx in the House
State Senator Gustavo Rivera, who leads the 33rd Senate District, has mobilized his fellow legislators to take on unscrupulous landlords in the West Bronx, home to the second most affordable housing in the city. He’s now formed the West Bronx Housing Coalition, with his office serving as a central hub to help identify a pattern of landlord-related issues. It’s relying on Assembly Members Jose Rivera, Michael Blake, Victor Pichardo, Latoya Joyner, Jeff Dinowitz and Councilmembers Vanessa Gibson and Andrew Cohen to re-route complaints to his office. So if you have a dispute with a landlord, take it to your fellow rep, who will take it to Sen. Rivera.

Editor’s Note: The print version of this article misstates the organization Marcia Cameron works for. It’s Mosholu Preservation Corporation.