BPs-in-waiting
With Bronx Boro Prez Ruben Diaz Jr. floating a test balloon that he’s WEIGHING a run for Public Advocate, we’ll have some fun playing the political guessing game of who wants to move into the County Building.
And BTW, running for citywide office is a great way to grab political donations from citywide fatcats. Wouldn’t be the first time a local pol used a run for city office to 1. Test the waters. 2. Raise some bigger bux for a local run. 3. Establish yourself for run the next time around.
As for a possible successor to Ruben, our first guess would be Councilman Jimmy (Not acceptable!) Vacca.
The gold-standard hardworkin’ pol is more focused at the moment on beating out a pack of pols for term-limited mayoral wannabe Chris Quinn’s job as all-powerful Council Speaker.
Boro-wise, Jimmy would be a white candidate running in a boro that’s half Latino, then evenly-divided salt and pepper.
He could count on his heavily white east Bronx territory and on Riverdale, and a strong following in heavily minority Co-op City from his district manager days at Community Board 10.
If there’s a replay like the race in which now term-limited Council Majority leader Joel Rivera challenged Ruben Diaz for boro prez, two Hispanics in the next race could dilute the vote in Jimmy’s favor.
If Papi Jose Rivera’s Albany seat isn’t in the cards for Joel, the real estate broker may want to add Boro Hall to his listings. Though we think he’d prefer to make money.
Other names – in consultation with some astute political operatives:
•South Bronx Councilwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo. “Long odds and investigative baggage. And she’d have to learn to be nice to people!”
•West Bronx Councilman Fernando Cabrera. “A newbie. And with the ministry thing, gay marriage and abortion issues could hinder him.”
•West Bronx state Senator Gustavo Rivera. “Prodigious fundraiser, but doesn’t play well with other pols in the County sandbox.”
Booooor-ing
Aw, all our fun villains are disappearing.
Last week is was Councilman Larry Seabrook. Before that ex-state Senator Pedro Espada, both heading off to Chez Fed.
Others on the borough Corrupt Hall of Shame: Senators Efrain Gonzalez and Guy Velella, Assemblywoman Gloria Davis, and the list could go on.
We were having dinner recently with a trio of savvy boro politicos back in “The Politicians’ Corner” over at Joe’s Place on Westchester Ave. , commiserating with each other over the Bronx getting a bit boring, with no potential perp walks on the near horizon.
Not that there aren’t a couple of electeds who might be worthy of keeping half an eye on….
Where’s Larry?
Within hours of his conviction, Bronx city Councilman Larry Seabrook’s name was off the offical council website, with a big “vacant” where his pre-criminal mugshot used to be. The site does still list his Boston Road and Council office addressess and phone numbers.
Cop Corner
Dinner at the cop-favorite F&J Pine in Van Nest recently with “the boys” from the old 41st Precinct Fort Apache and other vets of the Bronx is Burning days.
Best line of the night to retired Detective Carl Greenberg, recalling whenever a detail from the “combat zone” precinct was assigned to work some glitzy Manhattan event, the word from the bosses was : “Throw ‘em some raw meat and keep ‘em outta the way.”
Bionic hombre
State Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz calling himself “the bionic man” after transplant surgery on his left knee last Thursday by noted borough orthopedic surgeon Dr. Louis Rose.
He’ll be laid up for five to six weeks, he writes, adding: “So, to all of my friends and to all my foes,” he wrote in a press release, “…knowing how impatient, hyperactive and the demanding person that I am, this will be torture for me.”
While it probably won’t hurt his own reelection campaign, he’ll probably be missed by Luis Sepulveda, who’s been joined at the hip with him running for the local Parkchester/Castle Hill assembly seat vacated by new state labor commissioner Peter Rivera, whose chief of staff Danny Figueroa is running a David vs. Goliath race.
Downtown?
Some folks suggesting maybe it’s time to start calling the south Bronx Downtown Bronx. Let’s kill this one fast…..
Sign up
Candidate-in-waiting for SOMETHING Haile Rivera reminding us to remind folks that Sunday, Aug. 19 is deadline to register to vote in the Sept. 13 Primary. Go to
the city Board of Elections website at VOTE.NYC.NY.US.
Mea culpa
Apologies to Diane Cerino, 80th A.D. state Committeewoman running on the slate of Mark Gjonaj, who’s challenging Naomi (Snooki) Rivera for her Morris Park assembly seat. We misspelled her name last week. Thinkin’ ‘bout the lovely lady musta made our typing fingers all twitchy. Okay, we even now?
Bronx Birthdays
July 29 – Hardworking Soundview Assemblyman Marcos Crespo.
Aug. 9 – Recently retired longtime Community Board 11 staffer Susan Nolan. She and ex-Boro Hall hubby Bob (now a city Health and Hospitals Corp. board member) celebrating their 37th anniversary today (Aug. 2).
