Talk Bronx New York

It’s been an embarrassment of political riches these days.

Latest is Mayor Bloomberg shaking up Bronx and other pols by saying voters (with guidance from his $100 million-plus campaign checkbook) can fairly (?) decide if he and those hardworking (?) City Council members should glom a third term to save us all from financial implosion.

Bronx BP Adolfo Carrión is still playing coy whether to back out of the controller’s race if it happens. Not to mention the fallout down the boro political ladder.

Then there’s that schizo leadership battle involving Bronx Democratic Party Boss “Jose Heastie.”

While we await expected court action, the rebels opened “the new Bronx Democratic headquarters” Friday in Longwood.

Advice to rebel Party Boss Carl Heastie: After Jose Rivera camp’s thuggery at that stacked vote, we’d keep the records safe elsewhere.

The whole third term thing seems to have bitten Riverdale Councilman Ollie Koppell on his, er, nose, since his bill would abolish term limits instead of Mayuh Mike’s plan for a one-term extension.

Ollie told Crain’s Insider the mayor’s plan “would make this thing look so self-serving that I think it would be on the borderline of offensive.”

One thing for sure, Ollie’s in the Ben Franklin Reform Democratic clubhouse doghouse for backing Jose.

He finally woke up and smelled the cafe con leche, trying last week to get Jose “to step down gracefully.”

If Ollie wants a third term, he’ll really have to do some serious groveling to club leaders and “rebel” County Chairman Jeff Dinowitz.

“There are a lot of people extremely unhappy,” said District Leader Bruce Feld. “Ollie could face big problems.” Read more..

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While Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión is playing coy about his political plans should Mayor Bloomberg succeed in extending term limits, other Bronx politicians are not.

Carrión, who is running for city controller, said last week he has no doubt the City Council will approve the term limits extension, but he insists it’s still too early to say whether he will flip back and seek reelection to his $160,000-a-year borough presidency.

Much will depend, of course, on what the current controller, Bill Thompson, chooses to do. For now, Thompson is insisting he’s still running for mayor, Bloomberg or no Bloomberg.

Assuming that neither Thompson nor Carrión are politically suicidal, the smart money is on both running next year to keep their current jobs.

That, of course, would force Carrión’s would-be Bronx successors to rethink their game plans for 2009.

Heading the list is Councilman Joel Rivera, (D-East Tremont) son of endangered county Democratic leader Assemblyman Jose Rivera.

“I think you’re going to see a lot of the citywide and local officials postpone their plans for four years,” he said. “And that’s all it’s going to end up being.”

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Home Buyers Increasingly Thinking and Buying Green

Improved air quality and energy savings cited as key housing factors for all families, new study finds. Green homes are seen as a bright spot for all income levels.

New York, NY (Vocus) July 23, 2008 — Lower energy costs, healthier living and improved indoor and outdoor environments are increasingly demanded by and available to home buyers at all income levels, according to preliminary findings from a survey released by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and McGraw-Hill Construction.

Families and individual homeowners with the lowest incomes are overwhelmingly satisfied with their green home, more likely to recommend a green home to family and friends, and strongly prefer green homes as a purchasing option. The survey found that 78 percent of homeowners earning less than $50,000 per year say they would be more inclined to purchase a green home. The first findings from the study were released at the site of affordable multi-family homes under construction in the Bronx, N.Y. The development, Melrose Commons 5, is being built with LEED certification as a goal.

“The benefits of green homebuilding must be accessible, and affordable, for every American family,” said Michelle Moore, senior vice president, U.S. Green Building Council, which develops and administers the LEED Green Building Rating System for homes, offices, schools, hospitals and other buildings nationwide.

“Being able to afford your utility bill is as important as being able to pay your mortgage,” Moore added. “Green homes are shining through as the bright spot in an otherwise gloomy housing market.”

The survey estimates that within the last three years more than 330,000 market rate homes with green features have been built in the United States, representing a $36 billion per year industry. An estimated 60,000 of those homes were third-party certified through LEED or a local green building program.

“Fully committed to sustainability for the long-term, green home buyers and remodelers cut across all demographic lines, regardless of income, zip code or anything else. Builders are seeing great interest in green across all income levels,” said Robert Ivy, vice president and editorial director of McGraw-Hill Construction.

“We’re crossing the tipping point for green home building,” added Harvey M. Bernstein, McGraw-Hill Construction vice president of Industry Analytics, Alliances and Strategic Initiatives. “Concerns about energy costs, health and even resale value are adding up green for builders, buyers and renters. Green homes are here to stay.”

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Eleven schools in Bronx will have new play spaces for September 

When students at 11 Bronx schools return in September, ready to buckle down to work, they’ll also have a place to play for the first time.

The nonprofit Out2Play is building playgrounds this summer at elementary schools that have dilapidated play spaces or lack playgrounds altogether.

Andrea Wenner, the group’s founder and director, said a recess period without a playground can lead to trouble.

“They’re not being physically active,” she said. “They’re getting into fights and not interacting in a constructive way.”

A lack of exercise coupled with overeating is a serious problem in the Bronx, where the obesity rate is 42% - the highest in the city - according to a report by Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión’s office.

The three-year-old organization has already put up 15 city playgrounds, but Wenner said there are still more than 120 elementary schools, including 25 in the Bronx, lacking a place for kids to play.

At Public School 55, a playground has meant fewer fights and falls, fewer scraped knees and fewer bloody noses, said Principal Luis Torres.

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Rumblings of a Bronx Comeback From Espada

He has been out of the political spotlight for a few years. But Pedro Espada Jr. is clearly thinking serious of re-emerging into the raucous Bronx electoral life.

Mr. Espada, a former Democratic state senator and one-time candidate for Bronx borough president, is strongly considering running again for the State Senate. However, Mr. Espada, who represented the Hunts Point and Bronx River sections (the 32nd Senate District), is now looking instead at running in the adjacent 33rd Senate District, which stretches from Kingsbridge to East Tremont. He would be challenging the incumbent, Efrain González Jr.

Mr. Espada has long been a colorful political figure and, for a long time, the most prominent enemy of the Bronx Democratic Party organization. He has also been a lightning rod, of sorts, in the heavily Democratic Bronx because of his announcement in 2002 that he would switch parties and become a Republican.

In the end, however, he never officially changed his registration, although he began to sit with the members of the Republican majority to participate in that party’s conferences.

“My wife and I moved to the Mosholu Parkway area and people started asking me to get more involved in community activities, from visiting schools to participating in Little League activities,” Mr. Espada said. “And most of all, these people kept telling me that there should be an alternative to the present incumbent, Senator González.”

As a result, he said, those residents who urged him to run for the Senate, began circulating petitions to collect signatures to qualify Mr. Espada to get a spot on the ballot for the Sept. 9 Democratic primary.

“As of this moment, I have not announced my candidacy,” Mr. Espada said. “And I won’t until I’m convinced that the residents truly want a change.”

But then, Mr. Espada began sounding very much like a candidate ready for political battle.” There is a huge vacuum of leadership in this area and there is no time to lose,” he said. “And I’m positioned to offer them the leadership that this area deserves.”

Mr. González, the former senator said, is a virtual absentee official. “People have simply not heard from the incumbent,” he added. “And that’s not just in the last two years, but in the last 20 years.”

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