Talk Bronx New York

The DN’s Erin Einhorn sent this video of yesterday’s press conference with Sen. Hiram Monserrate at which he compared himself to murdered civil rights workers and announced he had hired civil rights attorneys Norman Siegel and Steve Hyman to take his case.

You’ll notice as Einhorn pans the crowd that three Bronx Democrats - Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. and Assemblymen Jose Rivera and Peter Rivera - showed up to support their fellow Latino lawmaker, while no officials from Monserrate’s home county of Queens is present.

Diaz Sr. is a longstanding Monserrate supporter, but I was surprised to see the two Riveras (who are allies, but not relatives) on hand.

“It’s not a question of support; it’s a question of whether somebody is not getting the kind of fair treatment I think they should be getting,” Peter Rivera told me this morning.

“I think the Senate is treading on very dangerous ground when it tries to impeach one of their members for being found guilty of a misdemeanor. Those aren’t the rules that we have lived by in Albany. Ever.”

“I have an issue with changing the rules midstream and singling out individuals, particularly when they happen to be Hispanic.” Read more..

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We’re almost glad West Bronx Councilwoman Maria Baez ducked out of that debate last week on Gary Axel bank’s Bronx Talk, to save it from being a complete embarrassment.

As it was, a lotta folks said The Rev. Fernando Cabrera and Yudelka Tapia reminded them of the dull edge of a butter knife.

Though Gary and Alex Kratz, and James Fergusson of the Bronx News Network tried, Cabrera also ducked explaining how the light shined down upon him to switch from voting Republican in 2008 to register as a Democrat in time to qualify for Tuesday’s primary.

The first post debate comment on the BNN’s blog: “You should have had 3 empty chairs.”

Even if Maria should pull it off, there’s still a potential win for Bronx Dem Party Boss Carl Heastie - “Maria won’t be head of the Bronx delegation anymore,” said a party insider.

With control of the delegation, that would put Carl up a notch when he sits down with the city’s other county leaders to talk turkey about Council largess and jobs.

Meanwhile … Read more..

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                        Bronx assemblyman Nelson Castro may face perjury charges

 A Bronx Assemblyman believed to have tripped himself up in an election fraud case is expected to be indicted on perjury charges, the Daily News has learned.

The charges against Assemblyman Nelson Castro are expected sometime this or next week, sources told The News.

Castro was accused in last September’s primary of electoral shenanigans after nine voters were found to be registered to his one-bedroom flat in the west Bronx.

A judge still cleared him to run - and he won the 86th Assembly District. Opponents complained later that he lied under oath when he said he was unaware of the registration situation.

It turned out some of the nine were his and his girlfriend’s relatives. The alleged lies under oath are what now have Castro in hot water and facing possible criminal charges, sources said.

A spokesman for Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson had no comment.

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                     Ruben Diaz Jr., center, Joel Rivera, left, and Carl Heastie, right

 The call of “Don’t forget to vote on April 21st” practically overpowers the latest Hot 97 hits pulsing from an audio store on the corner of Fordham Road and Jerome Avenue in the west Bronx.

Evening rush-hour riders depart from the screeching number 4 train, slide down two flights of stairs to the street to get a flyer, a handshake and a wide, mustached smile.

“I am running for Bronx borough president in two weeks,” Assembly member Ruben Diaz Jr. says, stretching out his hand.

Running might be an overstatement. For Diaz, who practically has a set of keys to borough hall already, walking would be a better characterization.

The seven-term assembly member has only token, Republican opposition in next week’s nonpartisan special election to replace former borough president turned-Obama administration official Adolfo Carrión. For such a high profile position, the lack of opposition is relatively unheard of.

Just weeks ago, Bronx Democrats were preparing for a brawl between two political dynasties who have been wrestling over control of the county’s Democratic party for months. Since that race has failed to materialize, Bronxites — left with little choice — can now ponder what this means for the county’s new and old political guard. Read more..

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Mayor Bloomberg wasted no time in calling a special election to fill the Bronx borough president seat officially vacated at midnight last night by Adolfo Carrion, issuing a proclamation at 9 a.m. this morning that the nonpartisan race will be held April 21.

Whoever is elected will serve out the remainder of Carrion’s term, which ends Dec. 31, 2009. That means the winner of what might be a contentious and hard-fought election will have to turn around and defend the seat in the fall.

Carrion starts his new job with the Obama administration this morning; Bloomberg had 45 days to call the special election to replace him. (It was briefly speculated that the mayor would allow the vacancy to remain until November to save money, but obviously that did not come to pass). Read more..

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