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?

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Bronx Assemblyman Michael Benjamin is coming to the defense of Pedro Espada Jr?

While scrolling the Internet for news on the Bronx political scene, we were surprised to find this interview, where Assemblyman Michael Benjamin comes to the defense of Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada. It was refreshing to find a siting elected official speaking common sense on such a  volatile topic. Then we remembered that Benjamin is not running for re-election and although in the past he had been critical of the Senate Majority Leader he is now free to speak his mind.

As we have previously posted on these pages if Espada has committed a crime he should be punished to what ever extent the law allows. But  it is a very dangerous thing when we use the power of law enforcement to dictate who represents us.

Accusations of wrong doing are a legitimate tool to use on the campaign trail, but they do not empower party leaders to overrule the will of Democratic Voters. What is interesting about Espadagate, is not just that he should be considered innocent until proven guilty; but that he has not been charged or "Formally Accused" of a crime.

Senator Diaz speaking on behalf of the Puerto Rican/Latino Caucus of the State Senate also came to the defence of his one time opponent, turn ally: “I am troubled to learn that despite scandals and investigations surrounding several Democratic leaders in the New York State Senate, an effort is underway to oust Senator Pedro Espada, the only Hispanic under investigation, from the Democratic Party..."


"...in this country, people are presumed innocent until proven guilty, not guilty upon accusation, not guilty upon investigation. If they are later proven guilty, then let the chips fall where they may. But until that time, especially in New York State, there should be no selective prosecution of Hispanics” concluded Senator Diaz.

According to attorney Eric Dixon; "Should the Espada disenrollment movement cite his legal troubles, then it would advance the principle that any public office holder who is under investigation or indictment would risk losing his First Amendment 'right to association'." Dixon goes on to say; "If being under criminal indictment [AS OF YET, ESPADA HAS NOT BEEN INDICTED] is an appropriate trigger for disenrollment proceedings, how come another former Bronx state senator, Efrain Gonzalez, was not threatened with disenrollment or expulsion from the chamber?"

Here is Assemblyman Benjamin on the Capitol Tonight show  with Liz Benjamin making common sense.

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