While Bronx Politicians Squabble...Unemployment Continues To Go Up

As the dust was settling from last Tuesdays Democratic primary that saw Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada defeated by professional political staffer Gustavo Rivera, and Assemblyman Nelson Castro succeeding against the desires of County Leader Carl Heastie; the Department of Labor released it's unemployment figures for New York State.

As expected Bronx unemployment continues to go up, and the Bronx remains the County with the highest unemployment in the State. For the third strait month unemployment here continues to raise as it drops in other parts of the City, State and Nation.  One can only hope that the end of the Primary elections will allow Bronx Democrats to come together and formulate a unified strategy for bringing jobs to Bronx residents.

According to data provided by the NYS Department of Labor (DOL) nearly half a million Bronxites are without work. Advocates of the unemployed believe that the actual number is higher if you factor in those who are not claiming benefits.

The DOL calculates unemployment rates roughly by counting  the total number of people claiming unemployment benefits against those who are employed. The problem with this formula is that it leaves uncounted the hundreds of thousand who are not eligible for benefits either because they previously worked in the underground economy (ie. off the books) or their benefits have run out.

It would appear the we have all grown so accustomed to high unemployment in the Bronx that no one is speaking loudly about this devastating problem. It is not a topic spoken off in political campaigns, news papers and blogger are incredibly silent on the issue,  as are; ironically both business leaders and community activist.

• We here call on all elements of the Bronx Community to speak loundly and inteligently on this topic...
• We call on Newspapers and Blogs to raise the issue on every occasion -- if a tree falls in the woods and nobody hears it....
• We call on the business community to look at the Bronx as firtle ground for development and job growth. The Bronx is the home to a semi skill, SKILLED, highly skilled and professional work force. Treat us fairly and we will all grow together...
• We call on elected officials to stop the political Squabbling and use their collective power to bring in recourse from all regions of power...

On paper the Bronx is a legislative power house unlike any other county in the state. For starters all elected official in this county are Democrats. This should give Bronx legislators unanimity of purpose and action. Additionally the Bronx holds a unprecedented number of leadership post in the City Council and State legislature (see list of Bronx leadership in state and local legislators), as well as unique relationships with the White House and in the United States Congress.

The end of the primary political season should provide a unique opportunity for Bronx elected officials to come together around one issue that they can all surely agree on. Although probably losing the Majority Leadership with Pedro Espada's defeat to Gustavo Rivera, we believe that Rivera's addition to the Bronx delegation should strengthen the Boroughs claim to funds and resources. Additionally the election of Adriano Espiallat to the Senate increases the power of the Latino Caucus lead by Senator Ruben Diaz Sr.

Finally County Leader Carl Heastie should end his war against Nelson Castro & the older Riveras (Peter & Jose... CUANTO'S POLITICOS RIVER HAY EN EL BRONX?????). Although he lost his all out effort to remove Castro and destabilize the Rivera's he he will surely remain the county leader. If he can lick his wounds and bring the Bronx Assembly delegation together, he will be able to become a significant power broker in the assembly and provide an effective counterweight to the Assembly leaders from Manhattan Speaker Silver and Ways & Means Committee Chairman Denny Farrell Jr.

In doing so these leaders will raise each other up; as it has not been done in the Bronx for decades. Most importantly they will also start to bring back to the Bronx much needed results. There are to ways to achieve unity. The first is to eliminate the opposition, the second is to come together share recourses and work on common goals. Bronx political leaders have been trying the first for years. Shouldn't they give peace a chance?

Posted in: Bx Dems,Castro,Democrats,Diaz Jr,Diaz Sr,Dinowcratz,Espada,P. Rivera,Schneiderman,unemployment