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Naomi Rivera Won’t Debate and Host Shares Opinion of Her Absence

12 Sep

Naomi Rivera declined to participate in the 80th Assembly District debate on BronxTalk on Monday night.

Click here for video of the debate and following is a statement from the show’s host, Gary Axelbank:

Unfortunately, although we had worked very hard to coordinate the schedule for this debate with the incumbent, Naomi Rivera has flat declined our invitation to appear. Editorially, I will say that asking people for their vote and then not be willing to participate in a debate with other candidates is a posture that we reject wholeheartedly. The Bronx is made stronger by responsive elected officials who respect the democratic process, their opponents, and most importantly, their constituents. By refusing to appear tonight the assemblywoman is directly insulting everyone involved, BronxTalk, Bronxnet, her fellow candidates, and you the people of the Bronx. In fact, it’s the second time she has declined to participate. Viewers will remember she didn’t appear in 2010 either. Given this program’s ongoing commitment to keeping Bronxites informed and engaged, we abhor the very notion of it. And so she will be represented by an empty chair throughout tonight’s proceedings.

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Schlein May Cash In with No Money Down on No-Bid Project

25 Aug

A Bronx community garden the city razed to make way for a housing development project looks like it’s going to grow some greenbacks for Stanley Schlein, a long-time Bronx Democratic political fixer with a rather controversial work history.

Sean Carlson, a CUNY Graduate School of Journalism student guided by veteran investigative journalist Tom Robbins’, wrote this piece for the Mott Haven Herald. It’s a must-read, particularly in a city run by a mayor whose biggest claim to accomplishment is he hasn’t had to abide by parochial politics as usual.

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NY Post: AG and Bronx DA Investigate Naomi Rivera

21 Aug

The New York Post continues its coverage of Naomi Rivera, who allegedly hired boyfriends to work for her and run a nonprofit she controlled. Today the paper reports that Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson and Attorney General Eric Schneiderman are looking into the allegations.

Politicker has a rundown of the Post’s coverage so far.

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Post Reports on Another Alleged Sweetheart Deal Involving Naomi Rivera

20 Aug

Following allegations that Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera (80th District) hired her boyfriend (who  is now a Brooklyn City Council candidate) to work for her in 2010, the New York Post reported on Saturday that a prior boyfriend now alleges that Rivera hired him to run the Bronx Council on Economic Development even though he had no nonprofit experience. He also told that paper that his salary rose $15,000 just a few months after he started so that the couple would be “able to go out and do things.” More here.

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87th Assembly District Candidates Face Off Tonight on BronxTalk

20 Aug

Two candidates vying to replace Assemblyman Peter Rivera, who Governor Cuomo appointed as the state’s labor commissioner last spring, will debate tonight on BronxTalk. Details follow …

Tonight BronxTalk will present a debate for the Democratic Primary in the 87th AD that includes the central Bronx neighborhoods of Parkchester, Castle Hill, and West Farms. Beginning at 9:00pm on Bronxnet’s channel 67 (Fios 33), Luis Sepulveda and Daniel Figueroa will field questions from moderator Gary Axelbank.

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Kappy on ‘Snooki’

16 Aug

Bronx Times editor Bob Kappstatter  pours some column ink in honor of the lawmaker he famously labeled Snooki a while back ..

Who wudda thunk it!

When we slapped the Snooki tag on absentee Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera a few years ago, we never figured the “girls just wanna have fun” moniker would apply to a tabloid scandal, complete with Naomi looking alluring in a black clingy thingy and “the top of her lacy red bra,” as the Post described one photo, along with smootchy shots with “boytoy staffer” Tommy Torres on her now-deleted personal Facebook page .

But while her personal life IS nobody’s business, it raises two serious questions about her judgement as an elected official:

For the rest, here’s the link.

For the paper’s drier, fact-focused report, go here.

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No ‘Sign’ of Rivera in Norwood Commerical Corridor

15 Aug

This poster, promoting the Assembly campaign of Mark Gjonaj, was one of dozens up on storefronts yesterday on Bainbridge Avenue and East 204th Street in Norwood, a key commercial destination in the 80th Assembly District. We didn’t see a single poster for incumbent Naomi Rivera, who recently received support from Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. (not insignificant since Diaz was a key player on the diverse team toppling her father, Assemblyman Jose Rivera, as Bronx Democratic boss a few years ago).

Rivera has had a tough week as the New York Post highlighted a personal Facebook account of Rivera’s along with hiring her boyfriend, Tommy Torres, now a Brooklyn City Council candidate, as a no-show staffer. The good-government group Common Cause is now laying into Rivera for this. (Rivera doesn’t seem to have a campaign website, though Torres already has a campaign Facebook page for next fall’s Council election)

The Norwood News has many more links and details on the coverage of Rivera’s troubles.

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Seabrook Convicted; Scramble to Replace Him Begins

26 Jul

Council Member Larry Seabrook, the veteran east Bronx politician who also had stints as assemblyman and state senator, vacated his City Council seat after being convicted of fraud today. The trial was the second for Seabrook, as the first ended in a mistrial last fall.

It was the third conviction of a Bronx lawmaker in the last four years, beginning with state Senator Efrain Gonzalez who, like Seabrook, also formed nonprofits to serve as self-serving siphons. And, of course, former State Senator Pedro Espada, who sent Gonzalez packing in a 2008 primary and then was defeated in 2010 by Gustavo Rivera, was convicted for embezzlement in May.

Bob Kappstatter gives us the first rundown of  candidates expected to make bids this fall to take Seabrook’s place. Mayor Bloomberg is expected to order a nonpartisan election for Nov. 5. Even if Seabrook had been acquitted, term limits would have ended his time in the Council next year.

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