Category Archives: politics

New York City Politics – My Personal Endorsements

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I’ve always been interested in politics. I’m a lifelong Democrat and have not seriously considered voting otherwise. I’ve never voted for Michael Bloomberg and do not plan to vote for him this fall. I never related to the billionaire financial mogul and didn’t appreciate his attempts to buy my past votes by flooding my mailbox with expensive glossy marketing materials. I’m a true Democrat and will be supporting Comptroller Bill Thompson’s bid for Mayor of New York City.

A recent poll shows that Bill Thompson is gaining on Mike Bloomberg’s lead in this fall’s mayoral race. Thompson is seeing a surge in support from African-Americans and true Democrats. The GLBT community in NYC also strongly supports Thompson, including the Out People of Color Political Action Club, of which I am a member.

This fall I encourage the majority of New Yorkers who supported term limits to go out to the polls and show Bloomberg the strength of true democracy by electing Bill Thompson Mayor of NYC.

I would also like to throw strong personal support to my good friend Jimmy Van Bramer. Jimmy is running for a seat on the New York City Council representing Sunnyside, Woodside, Long Island City, and parts of Astoria and Maspeth, Queens. Jimmy’s campaign is gaining momentum and he and his dedicated staff is working hard to get the Democratic primary vote out on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009.

If you know registered Democrats in the 26th district of Queens, please ask them to consider voting for my friend Jimmy Van Bramer for NYC Council.

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Puerto Rico’s Economic Crisis

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The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico has seen its economy steadily decline prior to the global economic crisis and will likely continue to suffer after others see signs of recovery.

Puerto Rico has a history of economic problems. The Puerto Rican government is much poorer than the poorest U.S. state and its economy has always relied heavily on U.S. federal aid.

In March, Puerto Rico’s unemployment rate jumped to 14.7 percent from 12 percent in January. It was listed as 14.3 percent last April. However the Government Development Bank (GDB) for Puerto Rico, an agency that protects the Commonwealth’s fiscal stability, registered Puerto Rico’s unemployment rate at 15.8 percent, the highest in 13 years.

There have been some glimmers of economic hope, however much more is needed to get Puerto Rico on its financial feet. A large number of people are hurting everywhere. Puerto Rico’s recession has reached historic proportions and some predict the situation will continue through the summer of 2011.

For more information about Puerto Rico’s current economy, read July’s “Our Politics” column at EL BORICUA.

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Puerto Rico’s Political Status?

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(I recently joined the Facebook group “I Support the Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2009” and wrote a column in EL BORICUA about the unresolved issue of Puerto Rico’s political status. Here’s a synopsis – )

The future of Puerto Rico has been in status quo limbo since the 1952 constitution that officially created an unincorporated territory of the U.S. with commonwealth status. Puerto Rico’s political status is an emotionally charged and often culturally sensitive issue for Puerto Ricans on the island and mainland.

To understand the future of Puerto Rican politics one must visit the island’s past and present political status. Votes expressing opinions on political proposals, known as plebiscites, were held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, and Puerto Rican residents chose not to alter the existing commonwealth status over the possible independence of Puerto Rico or statehood.

Puerto Rico today does not stand unified toward a collective political status. Puerto Ricans must define Puerto Rico’s future. Commonwealth status was not intended to be a final political destination. It is time for Boricuas to move from the status quo and find strength to become the 51st U.S. state, or an independent nation.

(To read the full column in EL BORICUA click here.)

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Judge Sonia Sotomayor, future US Supreme Court Justice

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I am extremely excited about President Obama’s United States Supreme Court nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor, who would be the first Latina to hold a seat on the highest court of the land. There has been much written about Judge Sotomayor since her nomination was made public on Tuesday, May 26, 2009. As a person of Puerto Rican descent I strongly support Sotomayor’s Supreme Court nomination, not only because her family is Puerto Rican, but because she is also qualified to hold the position and will bring a unique legal and personal perspective to our judicial branch of government.

According to Wikipedia, Hispanics/Latinos constitute 15.1% of the total US population or 45.4 million people. Hispanics/Latinos have lived in the US since the 1565 founding of St. Augustine, Florida by the Spanish, the longest among European American ethnic groups and second–longest of all US ethnic groups, after American Indians. The Latino presence can even be said to date from half a century earlier than St. Augustine, if San Juan, Puerto Rico is considered to be the oldest Spanish settlement, and the oldest city, in the US.

There have been a total of 110 Supreme Court Justices, of which two were African-American and two have been women. We are long overdue for a Hispanic person on the US Supreme Court. There have already been several negative stories published about Sotomayor’s Latina pride and temperament and some Republicans have even gone as far as calling her a member of the Latino KKK. This is a desperate Republican tactic and shows us how low some conservatives may go to fight Sotomayor’s confirmation. I hope all Latinos and like-minded allies will come together to rebut these smear campaigns and ensure that Judge Sotomayor’s nomination is confirmed.

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U.S. Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez

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Nydia Velázquez is a Latina of many firsts. She has been a member of Congress since 1992. She is the first Puerto Rican woman to be elected to the United States House of Representatives. The Congresswoman, who represents sections of Brooklyn, Queens, and Lower Manhattan, was also the first Latina to hold a seat on the New York City Council. Velázquez is Chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and was named Chair of the House Small Business Committee, making her the first Latina to chair a full Congressional committee.

As Chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus she is setting an agenda to ensure that Latinos are leading the way “Towards 2030,” when the Latino population will make up 25 percent of the U.S. population. U.S. Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez is the subject of a recent political biography written for EL BORICUA, an electronic monthly cultural publication for Puerto Ricans. I will be writing future articles on Puerto Rican island politics for EL BORICUA. If you have a topic you would like to read about please feel free to contact me via email or leave a comment on my blog.

EL BORICUA’s website and monthly magazine are dedicated to Puerto Rican descendants – where ever they might be – so that they can remember our culture, learn about their roots and history, and be proud to call themselves Boricuas and Puertorriqueños.

(Photo courtesy of Sourcewatch.org.)

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