Friday, November 14, 2014

"Applause... Applause... Laughter...": Mayor de Blasio Delivers Remarks at the Fall 2014 Somos El Futuro Conference Reception

Mike Nova comments: Why don't you, our dear New York politicos, address openly and directly, head on, as proper "Yankees" and "Gringos" should do, the real problems of Puerto Rico, instead of indulging in self-congratulatory, sweet and meaningless pleasantries; because this is one large family indeed, and because this is your responsibility also: 
"Do not complain either if elections are a joke, if impunity and corruption are rampant among the ruling class and if the violation of civil rights is constant, starting with the corrupt Police of Puerto Rico. 
In short, if all forms of accountability are ineffective in Puerto Rico, you cannot complain, because you are an essential part of the problem and are not well informed; you should demand more rigorous performance standards of our public officials." - The degradation of public debate by CNE Group - By Sergio M. Marxuach 

"We thank all the sisters who are here tonight for the extraordinary work they do, and it's good that we're supporting their work. Let's thank them for the beautiful things they do for the people of [inaudible]... [Applause]"... - Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Delivers Remarks at the Fall 2014 Somos El Futuro Conference Reception


Mayor de Blasio and State Sen. Jeff Klein huddle in Puerto Rico over future of IDC


Mayor de Blasio (pictured Saturday in Puerto Rico) and State Sen. Jeff Klein, both in Puerto Rico for the annual Somos el Futuro conference, met earlier today for a private pow wow to discuss whether the Bronx pol and his breakaway Dems would caucus with their party during the next Senate session.
MARCUS SANTOS/NEW YORK DAILY NEWSMayor de Blasio (pictured Saturday in Puerto Rico) and State Sen. Jeff Klein, both in Puerto Rico for the annual Somos el Futuro conference, met earlier today for a private pow wow to discuss whether the Bronx pol and his breakaway Dems would caucus with their party during the next Senate session.
On the first sunny day of his stay in Puerto Rico, Mayor de Blasio skipped the beach Saturday to opt for his true favorite pastime — behind-the-scenes politicking.
The mayor, attending the Somos el Futuro conference along with hundreds of other New York politicos, privately met with frenemy state Sen. Jeff Klein.
The two had a closed-door meeting to discuss whether the Bronx powerbroker and his crew of rogue Democrats would fully align with their party during the next legislative session, or continue to caucus with the GOP.
Although Klein has seemed to indicate he was going with the GOP, the mayor said no decisions have been made. Prior to last week’s election, however, Klein told de Blasio and other party leaders that he would caucus with the Democrats.

Mayor de Blasio (right) visiting with Puerto Rico governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla Saturday.MARCUS SANTOS/NEW YORK DAILY NEWSMayor de Blasio (right) visiting with Puerto Rico governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla Saturday. 
“It’s quite clear there is no arrangement and there is no plan, so I think we have to wait and see how things develop on that front,” de Blasio told reporters.
Asked if he would feel betrayed if Klein’s breakaway Democrats — who avoided facing tough primaries in large part because they agreed to come back in the party fold — sided with Republicans, the mayor refused to take the bait.
“I don’t get into those kinds of phrases and personalities,” said de Blasio.

De Blasio and Padilla took a walk through San Juan Saturday.MARCUS SANTOS/NEW YORK DAILY NEWSDe Blasio and Padilla took a walk through San Juan Saturday.
He did say he’d keep in “close contact” with Klein because the legislator can help push the progressive agenda in Albany — including raising the minimum wage, passage of the DREAM Act to help immigrant students and campaign finance reform — “matters immensely to the people of New York City.”
If Klein does caucus with the GOP, the mayor is pushing him to agree to at least one progressive agenda item in his negotiations with Republicans, a source said.
Although Republicans have outright control of the state Senate — unlike last year — they still want the alliance with the group of Dems, known as the Independent Democratic Conference, because more members in their caucus will make it easier to govern. 

Somos conference kicks off in PR

By CB Online Staff
cbnews@caribbeanbusinesspr.com; cbprdigital@gmail.com

The Somos El Futuro Fall Conference, an annual policy retreat that draws much of the New York State political establishment to Puerto Rico, kicked off Thursday in San Juan.
The four-day event organized by the New York State Assembly and Senate Puerto Rican/Hispanic task force is being staged at the Condado Plaza Hilton in San Juan. Activities started with a golf fundraiser.
New York Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio is slated to attend.
Friday’s agenda includes a workshop comparing Puerto Rico’s current fiscal and economic challenges. Other issues to be covered include mobilizing voters, empowering Latinas and diversity on corporate boards.
Saturday’s workshops include discussion on Puerto Rico’s medical tourism push; entrepreneurship and education
The Puerto Rico Tourism Company is sponsoring a formal reception on Saturday night at is headquarters on the Paseo de Princesa in Old San Juan.
Sunday’s activities will include a brunch and closing speeches.
Somos is the principal sponsor of the annual Somos Legislative Conference. It’s mission is to create opportunities that increase the participation of the Puerto Rican/Hispanic community in the public policy making process and build the capacity of New York’s Hispanic communities to work towards the development of policies, laws, state rules and regulations that address the needs and issues of Hispanics across the state.
Somos seeks partnerships with private corporations, educational Institutions, and the philanthropic sector to continue to expand the overall work and reach of its annual legislative conference and both; the Angelo Del Toro Youth Leadership Institute and the Leadership Institute for Puerto Rican/Hispanic College Students. These Institutes promote educational excellence and civic responsibility.
Last month, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo took his successful campaign for a second term to the Caribbean on Friday with stops in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic — two places with significant ties to the state that Cuomo governs.
Cuomo met with Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro García Padilla and pledged to boost business ties between New York and the U.S. territory. He said the island’s ailing economy could benefit from New York state government initiatives such as Global New York and a planned state import-export program aimed at developing markets for New York businesses.
Cuomo also promised to bring more trade missions to the island to bolster the territory’s struggling economy and take advantage of the deep ties between Puerto Rico and New York.

Delery to Chair Obama Task Force on Puerto Rico Independence, Economy
Latin American Herald Tribune
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Outgoing U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced Friday that Stuart Delery, the Acting Associate Attorney General, will serve as the Department of Justice's designee as Co-Chair of the President's Task Force on Puerto Rico. 

Delery to Chair Obama Task Force on Puerto Rico Independence, Economy
Attorney General Holder Announces Stuart Delery Will Serve as the Department of Justice Designee as Co-Chair of the President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Outgoing U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced Friday that Stuart Delery, the Acting Associate Attorney General, will serve as the Department of Justice’s designee as Co-Chair of the President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico.

“Stuart Delery is an exceptional public servant who will continue the work of his predecessors, Tom Perrelli and Tony West, as Co-Chair of the President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico,” said Attorney General Holder. “Stuart demonstrated his commitment to strengthen our nation’s security and to protect public health and safety in his prior role as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division. Stuart will serve the Task Force – and the people of Puerto Rico – well.”

“The ongoing work of the Task Force reflects the Administration’s – and the Department of Justice’s – commitment to the people of Puerto Rico,” said Associate Attorney General Delery. “I am pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to the Task Force, and look forward to working with my federal colleagues and Commonwealth officials in Puerto Rico and Washington.”

The President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico, which is co-chaired by the Attorney General’s designee and the White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, was created by President Bill Clinton to examine Puerto Rico’s political status and to identify a process by which the people of Puerto Rico could express their views on the subject.

The Task Force continued to address these issues through the Administration of President George Bush.

President Barack Obama expanded the Task Force’s scope and directed it to recommend policies to promote job creation, education, health care, clean energy, and economic development on the island. The Task Force published its report and recommendations to the President and Congress in March of 2011, and the government says its efforts to implement the recommendations continue today. 


Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Delivers Remarks at the Fall 2014 Somos El Futuro Conference Reception
Friday November 14th, 2014 at 12:07 PM

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November 8, 2014
Mayor Bill de Blasio: Thank you so much. I have to tell you that I have been working with Felix for years. And he is someone – years and years I've seen clearly some of the changes we need to make – he's had an impact not only in the city of New York, and the state of New York – beyond, with his work nationally.
And I give him – whoa. Hold on. Wardrobe malfunction.
[Laughter]
Good? I give him tremendous credit for his leadership as chairman of Puerto Rican & Hispanic Task Force. He keeps making this organization stronger with every year. Let's thank him for his tremendous leadership. Felix, thank you.
[Applause]
It is especially important that, tonight, we're giving back to this extraordinary island, helping people in need. We thank all the sisters who are here tonight for the extraordinary work they do, and it's good that we're supporting their work. Let's thank them for the beautiful things they do for the people of [inaudible]
[Applause]
And, as Felix said, part of what happens at Somos is we connect to the people of Puerto Rico. We have such a profound understanding as New Yorkers that New York would not be all it is today if it weren't for the contributions of the Puerto Rican people over the last century that have made New York so strong, so vibrant. We owe a debt of gratitude to Puerto Rico for making New York great.
[Applause]
And we have to deepen our connection. So today, with Felix, with Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, and so many of the other leaders here – we went to Caño Martín Peña to see a neighborhood in distinct need, that deserves help from our federal government. And it doesn't matter if the injustice of those 27,000 residents of that neighborhood – the injustice they're living with, it doesn't matter if it's hundreds and hundreds of miles away from the five boroughs – it's our business too, because these are our people too. And we have to stand up for them. And it was an honor to be with Felix and with so many of you, in defense of the people of that neighborhood, calling on our federal government to remember its obligation to Puerto Rico as well. Stand up for that.
[Applause]
I want to thank all my colleagues, all the elected officials who are here tonight, and here, part of this conference. I want to thank my fellow citywide elected official Tish James for her leadership. She's here somewhere.
[Applause]
Thank you Tish. I want to say, as some people used to be elected officials, and we still appreciate their contributions. I want to thank Freddy Ferrer for all he did for this city.
[Applause]
And here, on this island, it's been a tough last year, but leaders have stood up, and are turning the tide in Puerto Rico and making it stronger than ever. I saw Governor Garcia earlier. I am so impressed by his leadership, and so thrilled to have with us the President of the Senate Eduardo Bhatia. His great leadership is turning this island, making it stronger all the time. Thank you, Mr. President.
[Applause]
You will never have to wear a tuxedo again in our city or state.
[Laughter]
Entoncés –
Buenas noches a todos! Es un placer estar aquí con ustedes otra vez. A Chirlane y a mi nos encantan nuestras visitas a la hermosa isla de Puerto Rico – un lugar que tiene un sitio muy especial en nuestros corazones. Nos encanta el paisaje, el clima, la comida y, sobre todo – la gente de Puerto Rico.
[Applause]
Now, if I may speak a less elegant language, I will tell you that 20 years ago, Chirlane – 22 years ago – 22 years ago, Chirlane and I were still in the first year of our relationship – and you know when you start out dating someone, you're trying to figure out where it goes – one of the ways you find out, if this is actually the love of your life, is you go on a big vacation somewhere, you go on a big trip – so we came to Puerto Rico.
And to everyone at the tourism board, I want to say thank you, because we visited one parador after another. We fell in love with the paradores. We had – and by the way, the paradores were the only things we could afford at that time in my life.
[Laughter]
And, la isla de encanta is true – we fell in love, we were enchanted by this beautiful place. It deepened our love. And we keep coming back and coming back. It reminds us of what it was like to first find the love in each other, and we just have a profound love for this place and its people. And we love being here with all of you.
[Applause]
A year ago, I had the honor of being here, just days after being elected your mayor, and we talked about the vision ahead. And Chirlane and I really looked forward to coming to this conference. It would be the first opportunity to really speak to people after the election, and start talking about the road map. And we gained such encouragement from so many leaders, so many activists here – elected officials, and labor leaders, and civic leaders who said, let’s do this. I think some people used the phrase – I heard it once – “Sí, se puede” – and I just heard it. Sounded like a good phrase – Sí, se puede.
So, we had a sense of real support and real belief here. We talked about what had to change. And we talked about the fact that it began with having leaders in the administration that looked like all of New York City. And this administration today is filled with such extraordinary leaders and I’m going to name some because I’m so proud of them – our Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Lilliam Barrios-Paoli; our Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña; our Administration for Children’s Services Commissioner Gladys Carrión, who is a force of nature; our Film and Television Office director, Cynthia López; our design and construction commissioner – who is an incredible leader – Feniosky Peña-Mora, who is helping to build the city of New York every day; and here with us tonight, the commissioner of our Community Affairs Unit, Marco Carrión. These are great leaders in this administration.
[Applause]
And we are continuing to build the administration, and with your help, we’re going to recruit more and more people from all of the communities of New York City to make this administration stronger and stronger. Now we said a year ago, we needed to create a city of opportunity for all. We said a year ago that we had to this quickly and intensely. So, in the first 10 months, we passed the expansion of paid sick leave to over a million more people and that matters to the Latino and Puerto Rican communities deeply.
Soon, we will have municipal ID cards for all New Yorkers, regardless – regardless of where they come from, regardless of documentation status – as a message of respect and inclusion for all. That is the vision we have of this city.
[Applause]
And we like to do things that are for everyone – so, our affordable housing plan, 200,000 units over the next ten years so people can live in the city they love, and the neighborhoods they love. And our pre-k for all – next year, every four-year-old in New York City will be guaranteed full-day quality pre-k.
[Applause]
And so much of that is because of people here tonight. All of these changes don’t happen accidently. They don’t happen just because you elect a single leader. Elections do matter. They make a huge difference. But the change happens because people work for the change. They organize for the change. They make their voices heard in Washington, and Albany, and City Hall. Everyone in this room participated in those victories. And there are more to come, to make it a city that’s truly for everyone. So, we come here each year. We remember – Chirlane and I remember – love and joy. We come here to become encouraged and energized by each and every one of you. We come here to renew our partnership to make it a more just city for all. And I thank you for that, from the bottom of my heart. Muchas gracias a todos.
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Future of IDC discussed in Puerto Rico
Friday November 14th, 2014 at 11:52 AM

NY Daily News- Top Stories
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On the first sunny day of his stay in Puerto Rico, Mayor de Blasio skipped the beach Saturday to opt for his true favorite pastime — behind-the-scenes politicking.
The mayor, attending the Somos el Futuro conference along with hundreds of other New York politicos, privately met with frenemy state Sen. Jeff Klein.
The two had a closed-door meeting to discuss whether the Bronx powerbroker and his crew of rogue Democrats would fully align with their party during the next legislative session, or continue to caucus with the GOP.
Although Klein has seemed to indicate he was going with the GOP, the mayor said no decisions have been made. Prior to last week’s election, however, Klein told de Blasio and other party leaders that he would caucus with the Democrats.
“It’s quite clear there is no arrangement and there is no plan, so I think we have to wait and see how things develop on that front,” de Blasio told reporters.
Asked if he would feel betrayed if Klein’s breakaway Democrats — who avoided facing tough primaries in large part because they agreed to come back in the party fold — sided with Republicans, the mayor refused to take the bait.
“I don’t get into those kinds of phrases and personalities,” said de Blasio.
He did say he’d keep in “close contact” with Klein because the legislator can help push the progressive agenda in Albany — including raising the minimum wage, passage of the DREAM Act to help immigrant students and campaign finance reform — “matters immensely to the people of New York City.”
If Klein does caucus with the GOP, the mayor is pushing him to agree to at least one progressive agenda item in his negotiations with Republicans, a source said.
Although Republicans have outright control of the state Senate — unlike last year — they still want the alliance with the group of Dems, known as the Independent Democratic Conference, because more members in their caucus will make it easier to govern.
Tags:
mayor de blasio ,
jeffrey klein
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Why the US Should Put Native Tribal Sovereignty in a New Constitution - ICTMN.com
Friday November 14th, 2014 at 11:24 AM

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4. US citizens and nationals of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and Washington DC have full local self-rule, and shall vote in federal elections and have federal congressional districts.
Puerto Rico's people are a mix of Taino Indian, African, and European, both by blood and culture. The island has a larger population than over twenty US states. Yet its people have never voted in federal fall elections. Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and even DC have been denied the vote or local self-rule because of a leftover status from colonial conquest. They are legally territories or a district rather than a state.
All of them are also made up mostly of people who are not white. 49 of 50 US states have white majorities, all except Hawaii. These four territories and one district all have populations with nonwhite majorities. Puerto Ricans are mostly mixed. The people of Samoa and Guam are Pacific Islanders, though the military almost outnumber Chamorros in their own homeland. The Virgin Islands is Black majority, as was DC for much of its history. Today DC has no racial majority, with many Asians and Latinos.
All these territories and the federal district are often treated like colonies. Most of the people are poorer on average than most of the rest of America. Resources often flow out of them. They have often had little to no say in their own destiny. Puerto Rico saw several independence movements crushed, and citizenship was forced on them against their wishes. Chamorros and Virgin Islanders had no self-rule at all for about 60 years. Even Washington DC had no local self-rule until the 1970s.
Both Puerto Rico and DC have seen statehood blocked because the major parties don’t want to add a state that will vote for the other party. All the islands were all either independent nations or are distinct cultures in their own right. Only DC can vote for presidents, but none of these territories or the district have a vote in Congress like the states. Over 5 million Americans are denied some voting rights and their own congressmen because of these hold overs from colonialism.
All of these peoples, American Indians, Native Hawaiians, Chamorros, Samoans, Virgin Islanders, and the people of DC, deserve self-determination and a full voice. The fact that they do not have it shows continuing system wide racism. Most of the American public does not know these histories, and that must end.
Let American Indians be truly sovereign on reservations and have them expand to include as much traditional homelands as desired. Let Native Hawaiians have status as a sovereign tribe, and pursue independence. Let Guam, Samoa, and the Virgin Islands finally vote in federal elections, and let all of them plus Washington DC finally have voting congressmen to represent them. It should be a source of shame to the US that this has continued as long as it has.
Al Carroll is assistant professor of history at Northern Virginia Community College and the author of numerous articles and books, among them Medicine Bags and Dog Tags, Presidents' Body Counts, and the forthcoming A Proposed New Constitution and Ira Hayes: The Meaning of His Life.
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somos el futuro conference puerto rico 2014 - Google Search
Friday November 14th, 2014 at 11:19 AM

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  • Somos el Futuro

    www.somosnewyork.org/

    The Somos el Futuro Fall 2014 Conference is approaching fast. ... through Sunday, November 9th,2014 at the Hilton Condado Plaza in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

  • Somos New York - Albany, New York - Non-Profit ...

    <a href="https://www.facebook.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/</a>somosnewyork

    This year at the 25th Annual Somos el Futuro Conference we were able to ... The 2014 Somos el Futuro Golf Tournament has a new location! ... in Puerto rico for the Somos el Futuro, Inc FallConference to book their hotel rooms online.

  • Somos El Futuro | Facebook

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    Established in 1987, the New York State Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force ... in our WinterSOMOS Conference in Puerto Rico from November 7-11.

  • Somos conference kicks off in PR - Caribbean Business

    <a href="http://www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/.../" rel="nofollow">www.caribbeanbusinesspr.com/.../</a>somos-conference-kicks-off-in-pr-907...

    Nov 7, 2013 - the somos el futuro winter conference, an annual policy retreat that draws much of the new york state political establishment to puerto rico, kicked off thursday in san juan. ... Sunday, November 9th, 2014. Sign in Subscribe  ...

  • Somos el Futuro (@SOMOS_EL_FUTURO) | Twitter

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    Más que ser el futuro de Puerto Rico, ellos y ellas son el presente" Andrés Rivera ... The 2014 SOMOS Fall Conference will be November 5th-9th, benefiting the  ...

  • Future of IDC discussed in Puerto Rico - NY Daily News

    <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/.../future-idc-discussed-" rel="nofollow">www.nydailynews.com/.../future-idc-discussed-</a>puerto-rico-blog-entry-1.20...
    Jeff Klein, both in Puerto Rico for the annual Somos el Futuro conference, met earlier today for a private pow ... Published: Saturday, November 8, 2014, 1:55 PM.

  • Somos el Futuro

    somos.justaskims.com/

    Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force Meetings ... Albany, NY- After the outstanding success of last Spring's Somos El Futuro Conference, Assemblyman Felix W.

  • Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Delivers Remarks at the Fall ...

    www1.nyc.gov/.../transcript-mayor-de-blasio-delivers-remarks-the-fall-2...

    6 days ago - ... Remarks at the Fall 2014 Somos El Futuro Conference Reception ... of what happens at Somos is we connect to the people of Puerto Rico.

  • Somos El Futuro spring conference - PRFAA - PR.gov

    prfaa.pr.gov/news/?tag=somos-el-futuro-spring-conference

    March 22, 2014. Director's speech at the 27th “Somos El Futuro” spring conference. Empire State Plaza Convention Center. Albany, NY. Good evening:.

  • Somos conference kicks off in PR - Caribbean Business

    <a href="http://www.caribbeanbusiness" rel="nofollow">www.caribbeanbusiness</a>.pr/.../somos-conference-kicks-off-in-pr-101960....

    the somos el futuro fall conference, an annual policy retreat that draws much of the ... Issued : Thursday, November 6, 2014 01:25 PM ... Friday's agenda includes a workshop comparing Puerto Rico's current fiscal and economic challenges.
    • Read the whole story

    · · ·

    City & State - A Dream Deferred: Somos el Futuro and the Forgotten Promise of Latino Empowerment
    Friday November 14th, 2014 at 11:16 AM

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    For Puerto Ricans in the white marble halls of Albany, our time had finally come.
    There I sat in New York State Assembly Speaker Mel Miller’s office at 270 Broadway on a chilly afternoon on March 1987. I was among a group of Puerto Rican legislators discussing the Somos Uno (We Are One) conference. This was to be a statewide gathering of Puerto Ricans and Latinos that would finally put our community on the map. For years, the Latino community had been referred to by the mainstream media as “a sleeping giant” only to be largely ignored and cast aside. This group of pioneering Assembly members, Angelo Del Toro (who died in December 1994), Héctor Díaz, José E. Serrano, along with me, representing Bronx Assemblyman José Rivera, were discussing with Speaker Miller and his communications director, Eric Schneiderman, details of the formulation and organization of what would emerge as the premier annual expression of Latino influence in New York State: the Somos el Futuro conference.
    Speaker Mel Miller was clearly receptive to the idea. For years, he had heard Puerto Rican legislators privately complain about the underrepresentation of Latinos among elected officials, in state government jobs and within the circles of power. “If we work together, this is one way we can help the Puerto Rican community,” Miller remarked. Within a year, one of the largest Latino legislative caucuses in the country was born.
    As time has passed, the origins and motivations for the conference have been recast from those of the well-intentioned Assembly members who came together on that day to, at times, deceit, manipulation and political intrigue. One interpretation is that SOMOS was a deliberate strategy by Albany power brokers to weaken the Black and Puerto Rican Legislative Caucus (BPRLC), now called the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus, by splintering the Puerto Ricans from this organization that was rapidly becoming more “militant” in its approach to challenging then-Gov. Mario Cuomo and the Albany power elite. Truth be told, BPRLC was never the “militant” group that revisionists have invented. It was, in fact, in many respects just as conformist in its approach as what later became the Somos el Futuro group.
    The expansion of Somos el Futuro beyond its genesis in New York State to Puerto Rico has largely been attributed to political friction that emerged in 1988 as a result of Puerto Rico Gov. Rafael Hernández Colón’s decision to endorse Michael Dukakis in the Democratic primary for President, whereas New York City’s Puerto Rican legislators supported Rev. Jesse Jackson. Gov. Colón sought to repair this fissure with the stateside Puerto Rican community, making nice by offering to sponsor the conference on the island and cover its initial expenses.
    Regardless of whether you believe this account, the Somos el Futuro Task Force was undoubtedly the brainchild of East Harlem Assemblyman Angelo Del Toro, who was then chair of the New York State Assembly’s Social Services committee, in conjunction with Bronx Assemblyman Héctor Díaz, who provided Del Toro with assistance and support in this endeavor. Del Toro had previously held the chairmanship of the BPRLC because he enjoyed the support of two influential African-American legislators: Deputy Speaker Arthur Eve (D-Buffalo), whose father was Dominican, and Assemblyman Al Vann (D-Brooklyn), who was the former chair of the group but saw backing del Toro as his opportunity to do “our Latin thing.”
    East Harlem State Senator Olga Méndez, (who died on July 29, 2009), the first Puerto Rican woman elected to the New York Senate and to a state Legislature anywhere in the United States, had already abandoned the BPRLC because she perceived that Puerto Ricans were being treated as junior partners in these multiracial legislative caucuses.
    Del Toro came up with an innovative idea, which he later explained to me. The BPRLC was composed largely of black and Puerto Rican legislators with limited white participation. The state’s gerrymandered districts tended to segregate districts in the state between either black/Latino or white majorities, and even if you were a white legislator with a large African-American constituency rarely were you an integral part of the Caucus. But what if, Del Toro envisioned, the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Legislative Task Force—since Latinos are an ethnicity and not a race—would allow white legislators to become exoticized "Latinos"—people of color—a distinction they could not receive from the black caucus?
    Under Del Toro’s original formulation, if 15 percent or more of the constituents of an Assembly or Senate district were Latino, the Assembly member or Senator who represented it was automatically eligible to be a member of the Task Force. Among those who were accepted as an “honorary Latino” according to this criterion was Italian Assemblyman Vito Lopez of Brooklyn.
    This conception of a more expansive Puerto Rican/Latino Legislative Task Force worked like a charm and the first SOMOS conference was a resounding success. It drew thousands of people from across the state, along with Puerto Rican politicos enjoying the support of white and black legislators looking to embrace this growing demographic.
    But 27 years after its inception, what has happened to this would-be “political juggernaut” that offered so much promise for Latino political empowerment in the State of New York? Intra-group divisions, corporatization and self-interest have at times replaced what began as a purposeful, poignant political agenda and a mass mobilization of Latinos to demand proportionate power in Albany and their rightful piece of the pie from the elite chambers of government.
    Following its triumphant start, SOMOS emerged as a template for empowering Latino legislators not just in New York State, but across the country; however, soon thereafter, in 1989, intra-Latino warfare erupted. Robert Calderin, the first executive director of the SOMOS conference and a member of Assemblyman Díaz’s staff, along with a group of private businessmen of questionable reputations, attempted a coup to wrest control of the conference from Del Toro in order to privatize it and generate a profit from its operation.
    The ensuing battle nearly destroyed the budding conference. Del Toro held his ground and appealed for intervention by Speaker Miller, who, based on death threats made against Del Toro, offered the assemblyman state police protection and exerted his considerable influence to recognize the Del Toro faction as the only legitimate representative of the SOMOS conference.
    But the damage was already done. For the rest of the decade, the SOMOS conference was never the same. Interest in the conference diminished and it evolved into one of the many conferences where baile, botella, y barraja (dancing, drinking and gambling) are the unofficial agenda. Attendance dwindled and, as time has passed, the SOMOS conference has become a post-Election Day political junket.
    Our nuevo political leaders now seem more comfortable hobnobbing with Gov. Andrew Cuomo than insisting he pass the financial assistance component of the Dream Act or immigration reform, or challenging police brutality or mass incarceration in communities of color. They endorse meaningless or trifling actions and activities within the Latino community, giving them the Somos el Futuro brand in a form of marketing, while delivering few real resources or results to the people they represent. More troubling is how these Latino politicians hypocritically propose legislation knowing full well they lack the necessary support to turn these proposals into law.
    Perhaps the most recent expression of this accommodationist posture is the embrace by Latino legislators of Gov. Cuomo on his recent campaign trip to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Kneeling before the political throne of King Cuomo they bowed their heads in surrender with not even a pretense of opposition to some of the anti-Latino policies preserved and advanced by the increasingly conservative governor. These emissaries of Somos el Futuro were so castrated politically that they even permitted Puerto Rico’s Governor, Alejandro García-Padilla, to take the liberty of endorsing Cuomo on behalf of all Puerto Ricans in New York State. Talk about the blind leading the blind. The SOMOS legislators in essence have faded into irrelevancy.
    Straight after his general election victory last year, Mayor de Blasio attended the conference in Puerto Rico pledging his support to the Latino community, all the while ignoring the Campaign for Fair Latino Representation’s protestations that the mayor had inadequate Latino representation within his own administration in City Hall.
    Many of our Latino legislators, while more prepared academically than their previous counterparts, lack the community connection of their forerunners and are removed from the day-to-day realities of our barrios. Some are second-generation legislators, anointed by political machines that were never linked to the community’s struggles in the first place. The constant complaint heard in our community is that “no tienen corazón” (“They lack heart”). So disenchanted have community folks become with Somos el Futuro that when asked whether will they attend this year's conference some jokingly remark, “No, thank you. I don't drink.” Others say Somos el Futuro (We Are the Future) has evolved into “Somos Ninguno” (We Are Nobody).
    This accommodating class of electeds is made up of so many compradors that even a homophobic, pro-life senator like Rubén Díaz Sr. demonstrated more heart than the rest of his Democratic colleagues. In protest, the controversial Bronx pol chose to break with banana republic politics and endorsed Cuomo’s Republican opponent, Rob Astorino. He thereby openly rejected the subservient politics of his son, Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz Jr., who, as co-chair of the Cuomo reelection 2014 team, opted to stay the course of blind allegiance to the Democratic party.
    In this cavern of darkness a glimmer of hope still exist in the SOMOS youth student programs that prepare young people for leadership positions and train them in the process of good government. But these efforts pale in the broader context of legislators sun-bathing in Puerto Rico, dancing Salsa, and chanting “Somos Leal” (“We are loyal”) in blind allegiance to the Democratic permanent government that controls our state's capital.
    One need only hark back to the 2012 conference when the Civil Service Employees Association and major unions were taken aback by the cowardly posture of the Latino legislators and pulled out of the conference, accusing many legislators of “betrayal” for not supporting their legitimate demands for pension reform. Who came to the rescue and offered to cover the $72,000 conference funding shortfall? Gov. Cuomo and former Mayor Bloomberg—demonstrating once again who are the "white ventriloquists" pulling the strings of these SOMOS legislators.
    So what happened to the original cast of political leaders I spoke about at the outset of this piece who orchestrated the creation of this Puerto Rican/Latino institution?
    Mel Miller was removed from office on a federal fraud conviction, which was overturned on appeal. Eric Schneiderman went on to become a state senator and is currently New York State’s attorney general. José E. Serrano was elected in 1990 to represent what is now the 15th congressional district in the South Bronx, the poorest district in the United States. Twenty-four years later he is still in office. Héctor Díaz went on to become the Bronx County Clerk, retired, and today is the president of Acacia, a network of Latino-focused health providers with more than $160 million in annual revenues. José Rivera, who I represented at that historic meeting, is in his second stretch as an assemblyman. At one point he was chair of the state Legislature’s Black and Puerto Rican Caucus, the president of the Black and Latino Caucus of the New York City Council, and chairman of the Bronx Democratic Party, a position he held for six years.
    When I reflect on that meeting we held in Speaker Miller's office on that memorable day 27 years ago and the sense of hope that it represented, I cannot help but express my profound disappointment in what SOMOS has become. The potential power that was in the palm of our hands has faded into oblivion and by every yardstick the Latino community is in a serious political and financial crisis.
    Can Somos el Futuro be salvaged and return to its noble beginnings? Does the upcoming conference in Puerto Rico next month offer hope?
    Change would require the legislators who spearhead SOMOS, like Brooklyn Assemblyman Félix Ortiz, to reengage the conference in the politics of protest and to adopt an oppositional resistance strategy that challenges the citadels of power, rather than embracing them.
    Our legislators must become more than they are at current and zealously take up the defense of the grassroots Latinos stuck at the bottom of New York State’s economic well. To paraphrase Mahatma Gandhi, our Latino leadership, if they are devoted to the empowerment of our barrios, must let “the power of love overrule the love of power.”
    Can this be done?
    Sí, se puede.
    Howard Jordan is an educator, attorney, journalist and political activist. He is a tenured professor in the Public Policy and Law Unit of the Behavioral & Social Sciences Department at Hostos Community College in the South Bronx. In the late 1980s and ’90s he served as legislative assistant to former Gov. Mario Cuomo's Advisory Committee on Hispanic Affairs and later as executive director of the New York State Assembly Task Force on Immigration, a 25-Assembly member commission addressing regional immigration issues. He is also the host of The Jordan Journal, a radio show that airs Fridays from 3-5 p.m. on WBAI 99.5 FM.
    Read the whole story

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  • Herbalife Announces Sponsorship of the Ken Pick Scholarship During SOMOS Conference in Puerto Rico
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    NY Dem split hot topic at Puerto Rico event attended by Blaz
    Friday November 14th, 2014 at 11:04 AM

    NY Daily News- Top Stories
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    SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO — Political intrigue in the state Senate dominated conversation Friday as hundreds of New York politicos — including Mayor de Blasio — gathered for the Somos el Futuro Conference.
    De Blasio, accompanied by First Lady Chirlane McCray, enjoyed a little “down time” on a rainy day, his spokesman said.
    Much of the talk this year centered on the results of Tuesday’s elections, with Dems brainstorming about how to keep State Sen. Jeff Klein in the party fold in Albany. Klein’s a Democrat, but leads a group of rogue Democrats who caucus with the Republicans.
    “Everyone’s talking about whether Klein will go back on his promise to caucus with the Democrats, and how big a price he'll pay if he breaks his word," said one labor source.
    Also at the conference were Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Rep. Nydia Valezquez and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.

    5 facts about Puerto Rican voters, pa'que tu lo sepas -- Fusion
    Friday November 14th, 2014 at 10:59 AM

    Comments On: 5 Facts About Puerto Rican Voters, Pa’que Tu Lo Sepas
    1 Share
    As midterm elections approach, all eyes are on the Puerto Ricans, who could swing key contests.
    In the video above, we go deep into Central Florida to find out what’s on the minds of these voters. But based on the comments section from the last time we wrote about Puerto Rican voters, there are still some misconceptions we feel the need to dispel. Here are some basic facts.
    1. PUERTO RICANS ARE NOT MEXICAN.  OBVIOUSLY.
    Some of the comments in a recent Fusion article about Puerto Ricans would lead one to believe that all Latinos should be lumped in one group. Let’s be clear: Mexico is a country south of the United States; Puerto Rico is an island in the Caribbean. Like Mexicans, Puerto Ricans speak Spanish and have Spanish colonial roots. Unlike Mexicans, they are U.S. citizens and have been since 1917 when Woodrow Wilson signed the Jones Act granting them citizenship. Puerto Ricans have a U.S. passport and can travel and move freely within the United States.
    Now that doesn’t mean Puerto Ricans have all the same rights as Americans. While they’re perfectly free to fight and die in U.S. wars, they don’t have the right to elect the commander-in-chief who sends them into battle. But they can if they move to one of the 50 states. If that’s not an incentive for moving to Florida, I don’t know what is. That, and Disney World.
    2. PUERTO RICO’S NOT A FOREIGN NATION. IT’S A TERRITORY. WHATEVER THAT MEANS.
    Puerto Rico is an unincorporated U.S. territory. It’s not a state. It’s not independent. It’s somewhere in between. It has a governor and a legislature but U.S. Congress can overrule any action taken by the Puerto Rican government.  It has a resident commissioner in the U.S. House of Representatives who acts like a congressman in every way except he can’t vote. In other words, he’s a bench player…who won’t even get off the bench if the entire team gets injured.
    Puerto Ricans who live on the island pay most U.S. federal taxes except for personal income tax. They pay Social Security. A third of them rely on food stamps, assistance which comes in handy on an island where the jobless rate is more than 14 percent. That said, if Puerto Ricans were just a bunch of lazy welfare-lovers, they probably wouldn’t be moving at a record pace to the U.S. mainland seeking job opportunities. According to a Pew Hispanic Report, more than 144,000 Puerto Ricans moved from the island to the U.S between 2010-2013, with a majority relocating in Central Florida.
    3. PUERTO RICANS AREN’T ALL DEMOCRATS
    Unlike the large population of Puerto Ricans living in the northeast of the U.S., who are mostly Democrats, the growing number of Puerto Ricans who have recently migrated from the island to Florida are up for grabs. They tend to be social conservatives but are concerned with economic issues such as raising the minimum wage.
    Puerto Ricans in Florida are political swingers, crossing party lines for whatever candidate they prefer in local and national elections. A slight majority voted for George Bush in 2004. In 2008, they voted overwhelmingly for Barack Obama.
    One of the reasons they flip flop is because political parties in Puerto Rico are different than the ones here. On the island, they are centered around political status ideology—whether Puerto Rico should become a state, remain a commonwealth or become an independent country. It’s not about Democrats or Republicans.
    4. PUERTO RICANS ARE TIRED OF THE SAME OLD SAME OLD.  
    In 2012, a majority of Puerto Ricans voted in favor of statehood for the first time, in a referendum to determine the island’s political status. They’ve had four such referenda since the 1960s but each time voted to remain a commonwealth. Why statehood now? It may have something to do with the fact that the Puerto Rican economy still hasn’t recovered from the Great Recession, and crime, poverty and unemployment rates on the island are higher than any of the 50 states.
    Being granted statehood has always raised concerns that Puerto Rico would be an economic drain on the United States. However, a Government Accountability Report published in March 2014 challenges that assumption. Whether Americans can handle 51 stars on the flag is another issue.
    5. PUERTO RICAN CELEBRATIONS AREN’T JUST ABOUT PORK AND DANCING.
    Scratch that. They actually are.

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