THE PEREZ NOTES

Linares Makes a Power Play El Diario NY

2012-05-30T17:45:00.000-04:00

POR: Roberto Pérez | 05/30/2012 | El Diario

We all know that in politics it is rare for someone to do something for nothing. So when I learned that Assemblyman Guillermo Linares publicly endorsed Congressman Charles Rangel I knew something was brewing.

The reality is that a victory by Senator Espaillat against Congressman Rangel is not a good thing for Linares. As it stands, Linares is now facing a three-headed political monster in his own backyard in District Leader Mark Levine who is vying for the same state senate seat he covets currently held by Espaillat.

Everyone knows that Espaillat and Levine are working together. Levine's club endorsed Espaillat and he has made donations to his congressional campaign. Everyone is also aware that Espaillat and Linares are like oil and water, and Linares endorsement of Rangel has only made things worse. Linares also has to battle with Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, who is closely aligned with Espaillat and was thinking of running for the Senate seat, or get on the ballot and then make way for Espaillat if he loses.

So by supporting Rangel, Linares gains the endorsement of the congressman for his race in September and curries favor with the Harlem machine and Democratic leader Assemblyman Keith Wright. Rangel meanwhile, gets to drive a wedge through the 72nd AD which is Espaillat's base and make it appear as though Espaillat cant unite his own community let alone anybody else's.

In the Democratic primaries of 2010, when Espaillat ran for the senate, Linares ran for the assembly and Rangel defended his congressional seat, the numbers demonstrated that Espaillat was a stronger vote-getter in the 72nd than Linares- Espaillat got 5.911 votes, Linares got 3.543 votes and Rangel, whose district includes the 72, got 3.355. So the Linares endorsement of Rangel is also about self preservation, because if Rangel loses Espaillat will most definitely be looking for payback.

If Rangel wins Linares could also try to make a play for the congressional seat himself in two years. My sources tell me that Linares is still considering running a Linares Linares ticket with his daughter Mayra for the Assembly and him for the Senate.

La jugada de Linares El Diario NY

2012-05-30T14:42:00.000-04:00

http://www.eldiariony.com/La_jugada_de_Linares&template=blog&by=<pbs:queryparam param=by>&tags=<pbs:queryparam param=tags>

POR: Roberto Pérez | 05/30/2012 | El Diario

Todos sabemos que en política es muy raro que alguien haga algo sin obtener algo a cambio. Por eso cuando supe que el asambleísta Guillermo Linares respaldó públicamente al congresista Charles Rangel sabía que algo se estaba cocinando.

La realidad es que una victoria del senador Espaillat contra el congresista Rangel no es buena para Linares. Linares ya enfrenta a un monstruo político de tres cabezas en su esfuerzo por hacerse del puesto de Espaillat en el Senado Estatal. Me refiero el líder distrital Mark Levine.

Todos saben que Espaillat y Levine están trabajando juntos. El club político de Levine respaldó a Espaillat y ha realizado donaciones a su campaña. Todo el mundo sabe también que Espaillat y Linares son como agua y aceite, y el respaldo de Linares a Rangel sólo empeoró su relación. Y, por supuesto, Linares también tiene que batallar con el concejal Ydanis Rodríguez, que está estrechamente alineado con Espaillat y que estaba pensando en postularse para el escaño senatorial, o entrar en la votación y luego dejar el camino libre para Espaillat si éste pierde.

De modo que con este apoyo a Rangel, Linares obtiene el respaldo del congresista para su postulación para septiembre y se acerca al asambleísta Keith Wright, el líder demócrata local y estatal. Rangel, por su lado, lograr entrar de lleno en la base de Espaillat en el distrito senatorial 72 .

En las elecciones primarias demócratas de 2010, cuando Espaillat se lanzó por el Senado, Linares por la Asamblea y Rangel defendió su escaño congresional, los números demostraron que Espaillat era más fuerte que y Linares en el Distrito 72 - Espaillat consiguió 5,911 votos, Linares consiguió 3,543 votos y Rangel, cuyo distrito incluye el 72, logró 3,355.

Si Rangel gana, Linares también podría tratar de obtener el escaño para sí mismo en dos años. Mis fuentes me dijeron que Linares aún está considerando lanzar una papeleta Linares-Linares con su hija Mayra para la Asamblea y él para el Senado.

Rangel Uses SUPER PAC Backing Espaillat as a Fundraising Tool El Diario NY

2012-05-23T17:36:00.000-04:00

POR: Roberto Pérez | 05/23/2012 | El Diario

Congressman Rangel is using the support his opponent Adriano Espaillat is receiving from the Super PAC Campaign for Primary Accountability as a fundraising tool.

An email sent by his campaign, entitled "The threat is real", starts by warning his supporters that a Super PAC has pledged to spend an amount of six figures to support his opponent, whom he does not mention by name.

The man behind the PAC is Joe Ricketts who the New York Times said wants to spend $ 10 million in a smear campaign against President Obama.

I asked Congressman Rangel about the email and the fundraising strategy, and he said, "They don’t know my opponent, they don’t know what he stands for, but they know who the target is. They’ll be millions of dollars available. I was surprised to hear my opponent (Adriano Espaillat) say that he’s willing to accept it, but that was in the newspapers and I hope that account is wrong, because the truth of the matter is money should not dictate who represents our people in the United States Congress."

Both the Rangel campaign and Espaillat have mentioned President Obama and his support. I asked the congressman if he had the opportunity to talk with the President at Barnard College last week. "There was a separation between all of the public officials. He came in and he went out, but there’s some people that would ask about me and the President recognizing that this is a primary race and it would surprise me if the President could have time enough to get involved in any primary races. His concern is the majority and I’m flattered that reporters would ask, but I would not embarrass myself, or the President to ask him to get involved in this race."

When I saw him, the congressman was not using a walker, as has been reported. He said his back was better and he looked in good health.

In other business, the Espaillat campaign is furious because Councilman Fernando Cabrera is not supporting him. According to my sources, Cabrera is seen as an ingrate because Espaillat, allegedly bona fide his Dominican identity through out his district when he ran for the council.

Rangel usa Súper PAC de Espaillat para colectar $$

2012-05-23T14:25:00.000-04:00

http://www.eldiariony.com/Rangel_usa_Super_PAC_de_Espaillat_para_colectar_$$&template=blog&by=<pbs:queryparam param=by>&tags=<pbs:queryparam param=tags>

POR: Roberto Pérez | 05/23/2012 | El Diario

El congresista Rangel está usando el apoyo que su opositor Adriano Espaillat recibió del Súper PAC Campaign for Primary Accountability como una herramienta para recaudar fondos.

Un email enviado por su campaña, titulado "La amenaza es real", comienza alertando a sus seguidores que una Súper PAC ha prometido gastar una cantidad de seis cifras para apoyar a su oponente, a quien no menciona por nombre.

El hombre detrás del PAC (comité de acción política) es Joe Ricketts quien según el New York Times planea gastar $10 millones en una campaña contra el Presidente Obama.

Le pregunté al congresista Rangel sobre el email y la estrategia de recolección de fondos, y me dijo: "Ellos no conocen a mi oponente, no saben sus propuestas, pero saben contra quién está compitiendo. Van a gastar millones de dólares. Me sorprendió leer que mi oponente [Espaillat] aceptará el dinero. Espero que eso no sea verdad porque la verdad es que el dinero no debería dictar quien nos representa en el Congreso de los Estados Unidos".

Tanto la campaña de Rangel como la de Espaillat han invocado al presidente Obama. Le pregunté al congresista si había tenido la oportunidad de hablar con el Presidente en Barnard College la semana pasada. "Todos los funcionarios estábamos sentados lejos del Presidente. El entró y salió. Me han preguntado sobre mi relación con él. A mí me sorprendería que él tuviera tiempo para enfocarse en contiendas primarias. Su preocupación es la mayoría. Me halaga que lo reporteros le pregunten, pero no me atrevería a pedirle que se involucre en esta contienda".

Cuando lo vi, el congresista no estaba usando una andadera, como ha sido reportado. Me dijo que se sentía muy bien de salud.

En otros asuntos, me dicen que la campaña de Espaillat está furiosa porque el concejal Fernando Cabrera no lo ha apoyado. Según mis fuentes, Cabrera es visto como un ingrato por la gente de Espaillat, quien supuestamente lo ayudó a levantar su identidad dominicana cuando se postuló por el puesto que tiene ahora.

Charles Rangel on THE PEREZ NOTES

2012-05-21T15:00:00.000-04:00

Tom Allon on THE PEREZ NOTES

2012-05-20T11:47:00.000-04:00

I had the opportunity to interview, Tom Allon who is a newspaper publisher and a candidate for Mayor of New York City in 2013. Here are some of Tom's views on the issues of the day. Below the quotes, is the audio of the interview.

Christine Quinn

"I think she hasn't shown enough independence from the Mayor. I think she's deserved the nickname Deputy Mayor for the City Council. She made a mistake on term limits, she's made numerous mistakes on slush funds, she continues to make mistakes in doling out pork to her members, there's been 2 billion dollars spent over the last couple of years in member items, which I think are wasted money."

"I think she plays small ball. I think the recent living wage bill was a mistake it affected 500 workers it was purely a political pandering play. What she should be doing is focusing on getting the minimum wage bill passed in the state legislature and lobbying for that, that will affect hundreds of thousands of people not 500 people, so I think Christine Quinn is unfortunately, I think she set out and I've known Christine for many years. I think she set out with good intentions and like many politicians, she got sort of eaten up by the system and her eagerness to move up the ladder of political success, I think has compromised her of her principles."

Education

"One of my ideas is to sell the land above schools, the air rights above schools, to developers in exchange for them rebuilding the schools and making them 21st century schools and not 19th century schools."

"I was a member of the UFT in 1986 and 87 unions can do good things and unions can do things that are less than good."

Liberal Party

"An even larger goal that I have than being Mayor is to bring the Liberal Party back and to give New Yorkers and alternative, because the Democratic Party has lost its way in many ways, its become a one party town in some respects, many times you have a primary for Democrats and that's the whole election. The Liberal Party was created to keep the Democratic Party honest and the Republicans liberal."

“I can guarantee you I’ll be the best writer as mayor that the city has ever seen. I write for the Huffington Post twice a week. I speak well. I’m articulate. I have been in media and communications for 25 years. So everything that I’ve done has prepared me for this race.”

Steve Levin on THE PEREZ NOTES

2012-05-19T11:27:00.000-04:00

I had the opportunity to interview, Councilman Steve Levin. Here are some of Steve's views, on the issues of the day. Below the quotes, is the audio of the interview.

Living Wage

"I think that the bill that we just passed is a good bill. I think that it's a really good first step, it will have a real lasting impact just as it is, but what it also does is it starts the conversation moving forward about what we can do to support decent paying jobs in the city of New York. What we have now in New York City, everyone knows it is income disparity, that you have the very very rich and the very very poor sometimes living right next door to one another."

"In this city to have a situation where we have economic development that's based on giving large companies huge tax subsidies, tax breaks and direct subsidies and then not require them to pay a decent wage, I think that system has to end."

"Whoever the next Mayor is going to be, I think that you're going to see a greater movement in that direction."

Education

"I think that most New Yorker's if you look at the recent polls most New Yorker's don't think that that's worked. They're not happy with the state of the education system under the education Mayor."

"We gotta reform the system, I think that it's gonna be ripe for reform under a new administration and I'm hopeful that all of the candidates for Mayor really go out there listen to groups like AQE, or CEJ and really engage."

"I would hope that the next administration would say, how do we work collaboratively."

Council minimizes Hispanic Role El Diario La Prensa

2012-05-16T18:26:00.000-04:00

POR: Roberto Pérez | 05/16/2012 | El Diario

The decision by the City Council to include only one Hispanic on the redistricting commission has raised eyebrows among Latino leaders.

The interesting thing is that the appointment, with the exception of those working in politics or insiders-nobody would have ever guessed that the one Latino chosen is Hispanic. Because his name is John Robert, and the last name Robert is not what most would consider a Latino surname, he happens to be a resident of the Bronx of Puerto Rican descent.

Earlier this year, Angelo Falcon, of the National Institute for Latino Policy, met with First Deputy Chief of Staff Ramon Martinez, Speaker Quinn's point person on the matter. At the meeting with Martinez, Falcon made some recommendations as to what the Council should take into account when addressing the issue.

Now Falcon is furious with the outcome.

"The appointment of only one Latino to the NYC Districting Commission of the eight that the City Council is supposed to elect is a slap in the face of the Latino community. According to the City Charter, the Districting Commission membership should reflect the population of the city, which means that there should be at least four Latinos on this Commission. With the Council only appointing one, that means that the Mayor has to appoint the 3 other Latinos from the 7 he has yet to appoint. One would think that the City Council should have done better than just appointing one Latino.

The whole appointment process of this supposedly “independent” commission is controlled by those same politicians that personally benefit from the Commission’s decisions. This process should have been more open and yet I bet you that most of your readers didn’t even know it was occurring. This is not good.

The National Institute for Latino Policy (NiLP) issued a report on the NYC Council redistricting process called “Latinos and NYC Council Redistricting, 2012: An Introduction” to inform Latino community leaders of this process and the issues we need to address. For a copy, email afalcon@latinopolicy.org."

Meanwhile, in The Bronx ...

A political operative from the Bronx called to tell me that Manny Tavarez, Senator Gustavo Rivera's opponent has begun to assemble his campaign team. Right now he is deciding between Stanley Schlein and Jerry Goldfeder for legal counsel and Benny Catala as a consultant. I also heard that he met with Rangel Campaign Manager Moises Perez and will be meeting with Senator Jeff Klein and Mike Nieves in the near future.

For his part, Senator Adriano Espaillat, has in addition to the MirRam Group hired Red Horse Strategies to manage his field operations.

Concejo minimiza rol de hispanos - eldiariony.com

2012-05-16T14:18:00.000-04:00

Concejo minimiza rol de hispanos - eldiariony.com

La decisión del Concejo Municipal de incluir a un solo hispano en la comisión que redibujará su nuevo mapa legislativo ha causado seria molestia entre líderes latinos.

Lo interesante de la designación es que –a excepción de quienes trabajan en política o la siguen con regularidad– nadie adivinará que la persona escogida es hispana. Su nombre es John Robert , un residente de El Bronx de ascendencia puertorriqueña.

A principios de año Angelo Falcon , del Instituto Nacional de Politicas Latinas , se reunió con Ramon Martinez , el contacto principal en este asunto en la oficina de la presidenta del Concejo Christine Quinn. En la reunión, Falcón le recomendó a Martínez varios puntos que el Concejo debía tomar en cuenta en el proceso de redistribución de distritos.

Ahora Falcón está furioso con el resultado.

"La designación de sólo un latino para la Comisión de Redistribución, de los ocho que el Concejo debía elegir, es una bofetada en la cara para la comunidad latina", lanzó Falcón.

Según la carta de derechos de la ciudad –continuó– esta comisión debe reflejar la población a la que representa, lo cual significa que debe tener al menos cuatro hispanos. Ahora, explicó Falcón, para alcanzar a una representación proporcional, el alcalde tendrá que designar a otros tres latinos, de los siete que a él toca escoger.

"El proceso de selección de miembros es supuestamente independiente, pero la Comisión es controlada por los mismos políticos que se beneficiarán de sus decisiones. Este proceso debió haber sido más abierto, pero te apuesto que la mayoría de los lectores ni siquiera saben que está ocurriendo", dijo Falcón.

Mientras tanto, en El Bronx…

Un operador político de El Bronx me llamó para decirme que Manny Tavarez , el contrincante del senador Gustavo Rivera ya comenzó a armar su equipo de campaña. Me dicen que está decidiendo entre Stanley Schlein y Jerry Goldfeder para consejero legal y a Benny Catala como consultor. También escuché que ya reunió con uno de los jefes de la campaña de reelección del congresista Rangel Moises Perez y con el senador Jeff Klein en próximamente.

Por su parte, el senador Adriano Espaillat , además de los servicios de MirRam Group contrató a la firma Red Horse Strategies para que maneje sus operaciones de campo.

Bob Kappstatter on THE PEREZ NOTES Part 2.

2012-05-15T17:08:00.000-04:00

Bob Kappstatter on THE PEREZ NOTES Part 1.

2012-05-15T16:57:00.000-04:00

Tom Allon's looking for a Latino running mate El Diario La Prensa

2012-05-09T17:59:00.001-04:00

POR: Roberto Pérez | 05/09/2012 | El Diario

Publisher and mayoral candidate Tom Allon is looking for a Latino or Latina running mate to accompany him on the Liberal Party line. In a conversation I had with him on Friday Tom confirmed that he is looking for a Hispanic to run for City Comptroller and Public Advocate.

Allon said he was not looking only among elected officials, but among leaders in media, business, or labor.

I later learned from other sources that Allon has met with several Latinos, including former Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion , although it appears that Carrion is only interested in running for mayor, and State Senator Jose Peralta , but apparently he is also only interested in running for Queens Borough president.

Allon also reportedly met with ex assemblyman Adam Clayton IV , and has contacted Assemblyman Felix Ortiz , whom he hopes to meet with soon. In the list of potential candidates who Allon wants to sit down with is Assemblyman Francisco Moya and State Senator Gustavo Rivera . Allon I also hear plans to meet with State Senator Adriano Espaillat , and plans to endorse him in his effort against Congressman Charlie Rangel .

Moreover, the Bronx Freedom Party has three members who are planning to challenge three incumbents in the boogie down. One candidate is activist Maximino Rivera , who as has been reported wants to run against Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo . The other two are Attorney Kafahni Nkrumah , who would run against Senator Ruben Diaz Sr ., and 32BJ member Ed Figueroa who wants to unseat Assemblywoman Vanessa Gibson . "There is a desert of leadership in the Bronx with all the family political dynasties. The Bronx Chapter will support these candidates with full force," said lawyer and Freedom Party member Ramon Jimenez .

Se busca latino para correr con Tom Allon - eldiariony.com

2012-05-09T14:03:00.001-04:00

Se busca latino para correr con Tom Allon - eldiariony.com

POR: Roberto Pérez | 05/09/2012 | El Diario

El empresario de medios comunitarios y candidato a alcalde Tom Allon está buscando a un latino o latina para que lo acompañe en la boleta por el Partido Liberal. En una conversación el viernes, Tom me confirmó que está buscando a un hispano para que se postule por Contralor de la Ciudad o Defensor del Pueblo por ese partido.

Allon dijo que no estaba buscando únicamente entre funcionario electos, sino entre líderes en medios, negocios, o sindicatos.

Después me enteré por otras fuentes que Allon se ha reunido con varios latinos, entre ellos, el expresidente de El Bronx Adolfo Carrión, aunque parece que escuchó que Carrión sólo estaría interesado en correr para alcalde si se lanza al ruedo el año que viene; y con el senador estatal José Peralta, pero éste tampoco estaría interesado porque quiere postularse para presidente de Queens.

Allon también se habría reunido con el exasambleísta Adam Clayton IV, y contactado al asambleísta Félix Ortiz con quien espera reunirse próximamente. En la lista de posibles candidatos con quien Allon quiere hablar también figuran el asambleísta Francisco Moya y al senador estatal Gustavo Rivera. También me dicen que Allon planea reunirse con el senador estatal Adriano Espaillat, a quien le lanzaría su apoyo en su esfuerzo contra el congresista Charlie Rangel.

Por otra parte, el Partido de la Libertad de El Bronx (The Bronx Freedom Party) tiene tres miembros que están planeando retar a tres titulares en el condado de la salsa. Uno de los aspirantes es el activista Maximino Rivera, quien según reportes quiere correr contra la asambleísta Carmen Arroyo. Los otros dos son el abogado Kafahni Nkrumah, quien correría contra el senador Rubén Díaz Sr., y el miembro de la unión 32BJ Ed Figueroa quien quiere destronar a la asambleísta Vanessa Gibson. "Hay un desierto de liderazgo en El Bronx con estas familias de dinastías políticas. El capítulo de El Bronx van a respaldar a estos candidatos con toda su fuerza", dijo el abogado y miembro del Freedom Party Ramón Jiménez.

Bob Liff on THE PEREZ NOTES

2012-05-08T21:10:00.000-04:00

Tom Allon on THE PEREZ NOTES

2012-05-07T20:45:00.000-04:00

Stephen Levin on THE PEREZ NOTES

2012-05-04T20:10:00.002-04:00

Who's Behind Manny Tavarez Vs. Gustavo Rivera? El Diario La Prensa

2012-05-02T19:39:00.000-04:00

POR: Roberto Pérez | 05/02/2012 | El Diario

On Monday, I spoke to Manny Tavarez, the mysterious candidate who is running against Sen. Gustavo Rivera, he finally spoke publicly about his campaign.

I asked Manny to set the record straight and tell me what the facts are.

The first rumor I heard is that his campaign had the support of Bronx activist Hector Ramirez.

According to a biography that Tavarez sent me, he worked on Ramirez's campaign for State Assembly against Nelson Castro in 2010.

Manny said, "Hector Ramirez is an old friend, but he is not behind my campaign."

Another rumor is that Tavarez has the backing of the Bronx Democratic Party via council member and Pastor Fernando Cabrera, whose congregation Tavarez is a member of.

Manny also denied this. "I am a member of his church, but he is not behind my candidacy."

Another person who might be supporting Tavarez is state Sen. Jeff Klein, who my sources tell me was trying to recruit a candidate to run against Rivera.

But Tavarez also denied this. He said he knows who Klein is, but he has nothing to do with his campaign.

That leaves us with the last rumor, which is that Tavarez is secretly being backed by Congressman Charles Rangel and his allies.

About the same time that Senator Rivera threw his support behind Sen. Adriano Espaillat against Rangel, Tavarez opened his campaign committee.

I asked Tavarez, who is Dominican, who he supported Rangel or Espaillat,: "I support Congressman Rangel 100%. The Dominican community here in the Bronx supports him as well."

Tavarez said he definitely will try to oust Rivera, and that he has people who are going to help him do it, but he declined to give their names.

A source in Senator Rivera's camp suspect's that Tavarez could be supported by Rangel allies to minimize Rivera's ability to help Espaillat. "If Gustavo has to concentrate on his own re-election campaign he can't be out there helping Adriano".

Update:

I spoke to Hector Ramirez he said that he knows Manny very well, but he has nothing to do with his campaign, and that he can't prevent anyone from running for office, who chooses to do so. He also stated, that he is supporting Congressman Rangel over Sen. Adriano Espaillat.

Here is the bio Tavarez sent me.

Manny Tavarez was born in Rochester, New York on April 26, 1979, to parents from the
Dominican Republic, and was raised in the South Bronx section of the Bronx. Tavarez’s faith in America’s promise was shaped early on by his two immigrant parents, who devoted themselves to ensure that Tavarez and his siblings had opportunities that they never had.

Tavarez attended South Bronx High School, excelling in baseball and graduating in 1998. He attended Barry University in Miami, Florida, graduating in 2004 with a bachelor of science in Sports Management. There, Tavarez’s reputation soared among professors as he was consistently ranked in the top percent of his class.

Shortly after graduating from Barry University, Tavarez founded a Sports Representation firm wherein he negotiated sports contracts and developed baseball academies in the Dominican Republic. Tavarez later went on to work for one of the premier Sports Representation firms in the United States, where he represented Major League Baseball Players, among other athletes.

Tavarez has planned and orchestrated multiple voter registration drives and other related communal activities with former New York State 86 Assembly District Leader, Hector Ramirez. In 2009, Tavarez participated in the successful campaign of New York City Councilman Fernando Cabrera. And in 2010, oversaw the campaign headquarters of the Hector Ramirez campaign for the New York State 86 Assembly. In addition, Tavarez has contributed to dozens of charities in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

As a life-long resident of the Bronx, Tavarez has a deep belief in the goodness and spirit of the diverse men and women who make up The Bronx. He will undoubtedly use his professional skills to help improve the quality of life of his constituents, as well as utilize his platform to voice their concerns.

Above all his accomplishments, Tavarez is most proud and grateful for his family. In his spare time, Tavarez enjoys international travel, Latin jazz and baseball.

Let me know if you need any additional information. Our website will be up and running by Thursday this week. www.mannytavarez.com

Regards,
Manny

¿Quién está detrás de Manny Tavarez contra G. Rivera? - eldiariony.com

2012-05-02T11:49:00.001-04:00

¿Quién está detrás de Manny Tavarez contra G. Rivera? - eldiariony.com

POR: Roberto Pérez | 05/02/2012 | El Diario

El lunes el dominicano Manny Tavarez, el misterioso candidato encontra el senador Gustavo Rivera, finalmente habló públicamente de su campaña.

Hablé con Manny para aclarar los rumores en torno a su candidatura.

El primer rumor que escuché es que tenía el apoyo del activista de El Bronx Héctor Ramírez.

Según una biografía que me envió Tavarez, él trabajó en la campaña de Ramírez para la Asamblea Estatal en contra de Nelson Castro en 2010.

Manny me dijo: "Héctor Ramírez es un viejo amigo, pero él no está detrás de mi campaña".

Otro rumor es que Tavarez goza del respaldo del Partido Demócrata de El Bronx por medio del concejal y pastor Fernando Cabrera, de cuya congregación Tavarez es miembro.

Manny también negó esto. "Soy miembro de su iglesia, pero él tampoco está detrás de mi candidatura".

Otro que podría estar apoyando la aspiración de Tavarez es el senador estatal Jeff Klein, de quien ya mis fuentes me habían dicho –sin revelar nombres- que estaba tratando de reclutar a un candidato para que corriera en contra de Rivera.

Pero Tavarez también negó esto. Dijo que conoce a Klein, pero que él no tiene nada que ver con su campaña.

Eso nos deja con el último rumor, que quienes respalda a Tavarez son los aliados del congresista Charles Rangel.

Casi al mismo tiempo que el senador Rivera lanzara su apoyo a Adriano Espaillat para congresista contra Rangel, Tavarez registró su comité de campaña.

Le pregunté a Tavarez, quien es dominicano, a quién apoya en la contienda Rangel vs. Espaillat, y espetó un ferviente apoyo al titular: "Apoyo al Congresista Rangel 100%. La comunidad dominicana aquí en El Bronx también lo apoya".

Tavarez dijo que definitivamente tratará de desbancar a Rivera, y que tiene gente que respaldará su apuesta, pero declinó dar sus nombres.

Una fuente en la campaña del senador Rivera sospecha que Tavarez podría estar respaldado por los aliados de Rangel para minimizar la capacidad de Rivera de ayudar a Espaillat. "Si Gustavo tiene que concentrarse en su propia reelección no podrá hacer campaña por Adriano".

Dominican Bundlers Emerge to raise $$ for Espaillat El Diario La Prensa

2012-04-25T17:53:00.000-04:00

POR: Roberto Pérez | 04/25/2012 | El Diario

When Dominican President Leonel Fernandez was in town two weeks ago attending a UN activity he also attended an event with Dominican elected officials at the Plaza Hotel.

Present at the event were Assemblyman Nelson Castro, Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, State Senator Adriano Espaillat, and a number of other officials and businessmen. This meeting was different from prior ones because now, Adriano Espailat, is running for Congress.

According to some who were there, and others who heard what happened, President Fernandez publicly announced his support of Espaillat for Congress.

Sources tell me that the meeting ended up being very positive for Espaillat because Dominican money men like the president of the Fine Fair supermarkets Rudy Fuertes and concert promoter and owner of the Casa del Mofongo Felix Cabrera vowed to raise money for him.

The amounts of money Espaillat has managed to secure so far vary depending on who you talk to, but I've heard consistently that his campaign has managed to secure at least $ 250,000, and Dominican entrepreneurs have emerged vowing to raise at least a million dollars to take their countryman to Congress. That sounds like a lot of money to raise by June, but we'll see.

Espaillat raised $ 62.055 in three months, which is impressive considering he's running against an institution in Charles Rangel. It will be very interesting to see if these pledges come true.

In another related matter, the Espaillat campaign on Saturday hosted a breakfast for its volunteers and friends, which is customary. Breakfast was at Caridad restaurant in East Harlem. I'm told that among those present was Councilwoman Melissa Mark Viverito, who has yet to endorse anyone in this race. This is interesting because the Rangel camp will most likely support Councilwoman Inez Dickens for Speaker of the City Council-a position which Viverito covets, and East Harlem Assemblyman Robert Rodriguez, who supports Rangel, ran against Viverito. We'll see who supports whom here.

Llueven $$ dominicanos para Espaillat - eldiariony.com

2012-04-25T12:40:00.000-04:00

Llueven $$ dominicanos para Espaillat - eldiariony.com

Cuando el presidente dominicano Leonel Fernández estuvo en la ciudad hace dos semanas atendiendo una actividad de la ONU también asistió a un evento de funcionarios electos dominicanos en el Hotel Plaza.

Allí estaban el asambleísta Nelson Castro, el concejal Ydanis Rodríguez, el senador estatal Adriano Espaillat, varios otros funcionarios y empresarios. Esta reunión era diferente a otras porque uno de los presentes, Adriano Espailat, está corriendo para el Congreso.

Según algunos que estuvieron allí, y otros que escucharon lo que pasó, el Presidente Fernández públicamente lanzó su apoyo a las aspiraciones de Espaillat para el Congreso.

Dicen que la reunión terminó siendo muy positiva para Espaillat porque el presidente de los supermercados Fine Fair Rudy Fuertes y el promotor de conciertos y dueño de la Casa del Mofongo Félix Cabrera prometieron recaudar fondos para él.

Los montos que Espaillat ha logrado asegurar hasta ahora varían dependiendo de con quién se hable, pero he escuchado consistentemente que su campaña ha logrado asegurar al menos $250,000, y que empresarios dominicanos se han planteado recaudar alrededor de un millón de dólares para llevar a su paisano al Congreso. Eso suena como mucho dinero para reunir de aquí a junio cuando son las primarias, pero ya veremos.

Espaillat recaudó $62,055 en tres meses, lo que es impresionante considerando que corre contra una institución como Charles Rangel. Será bien interesante ver si estas promesas financieras se vuelven realidad.

En otro asunto relacionado, la campaña de Espaillat ofreció un desayuno el sábado para sus voluntarios y amigos, algo que se acostumbra. El desayuno fue en el restaurante Caridad de East Harlem. Me dicen que entre los asistentes estaba la concejal Melissa Mark Viverito, quien aún no apoya a nadie en esta carrera . Esto es interesante porque la campaña de Rangel muy probablemente respaldará a la concejal Inez Dickens para presidenta del Concejo –un puesto al que Viverito parece aspirar. Además el asambleísta de East Harlem Robert Rodríguez, quien apoya a Rangel, corrió en contra de Viverito. Veremos quién apoya a quién aquí.

Rangel CM Moises Perez on THE PEREZ NOTES Part 3.

2012-04-18T21:31:00.000-04:00

Candidates Preparing to run for Linares Seat El Diario La Prensa

2012-04-18T17:22:00.000-04:00

Assemblyman Guillermo Linares has not officially declared that he is running for state senate, but that has not stopped, Gabriela Rosa from the office of Assemblyman Denny Farrell, to begin to position herself for his seat.

Rosa is having a press conference Thursday to announce her campaign. She ran against Linares for the post in 2010, coming third with 12% of the vote.

My sources tell me that the district leader Manny De Los Santos is also exploring running in the 72nd AD, and that the attorney Julissa Gomez, who came second in 2010 with 24% of the electorate is not interested in running again.

It is interesting that Assemblyman Linares has decided to remain neutral in the Rangel vs. Espaillat race. Because I'm hearing that Espaillat's camp is planning on running candidates against Linares and his allies, which include new district leader Albania Lopez, the price for not supporting Espaillat against Rangel.

The rumor is that, in exchange for Linares publicly supporting Espaillat for Congress when they were campaigning for a new Latino Congressional District, Espaillat had agreed to support López for district leader, Mayra Linares vacated the post when she went to work with the Cuomo administration. According to my sources, Espaillat supporters feel betrayed by Linares and are plotting ways to get revenge, if Linares does not support Espaillat for Congress.

Gabriela Rosa is a close ally of Espaillat, so she may receive his support. But in politics things can change and Linares has not supported anyone publicly or officially announced his candidacy for the Senate.

I'm hearing from the Bronx that former district leader Jose Padilla is planning an effort to unseat Assemblyman Eric Stevenson in the 79th AD. Padilla feels he was drawn out of the district when the changes were made to the electoral map's. There's a history there because Padilla defeated Stevenson in 2006 for the position of district leader. In a redistricting year Padilla need not live in the district to run. District 79 is now 58% Latino.

Gabriela Rosa por el puesto de Linares y… - eldiariony.com

2012-04-18T16:59:00.000-04:00

Gabriela Rosa por el puesto de Linares y… - eldiariony.com

POR: Roberto Pérez | 04/18/2012 | El Diario

El asambleísta Guillermo Linares no ha declarado oficialmente que corre para el senado estatal, pero eso no ha parado a Gabriela Rosa, de la oficina del asambleísta Denny Farrell, de comenzar a posicionarse para su puesto.

Rosa planea una rueda de prensa mañana jueves para anunciar su campaña. Ella se postuló contra Linares para el puesto en 2010, llegando de tercera con 12% de los votos.

Mis fuentes dicen que el líder de distrito Manny De Los Santos también está explorando correr por el puesto, y que la abogada Julissa Gómez, que llegó de segunda en 2010 con 24% del electorado, no está interesa en volver a postularse.

Es interesante que el asambleísta Linares haya decidido permanecer neutral en la contienda Rangel vs. Espaillat. Por ahí dicen que la campaña del Senador Espaillat estaría planeando correr candidatos contra Linares y sus aliados, entre ellos la nueva líder de distrito Albania Lopez , el precio por no apoyarlo contra Rangel.

El rumor es que, a cambio de que Linares apoyara públicamente a Espaillat para el Congreso cuando estaban en campaña por un nuevo distrito congresional latino, Espaillat había acordado respaldar a López para líder de distrito que Mayra Linares dejó vacante cuando se fue a trabajar con la Administración Cuomo. Según mis fuentes, la gente de Espaillat se siente traicionada por Linares y están tramando maneras de vengarse si no apoyara a Espaillat para el Congreso.

Gabriela Rosa es una alíada cercana de Espaillat, así que es posible que reciba su apoyo. Pero en la política todo puede cambiar y Linares aún no ha apoyado a nadie públicamente, o anunciado oficialmente su candidatura para el senado.

De El Bronx me llega que el exlíder de distrito Jose Padilla estaría planeando un esfuerzo para desbancar al asambleísta por el distrito 79 Eric Stevenson. Padilla siente que él fue expulsado de su distrito cuando cambiaron el mapa electoral. Hay una historia allí porque Padilla venció a Stevenson en 2006 por el puesto de líder de distrito. En un año de redistribución electoral no tiene que vivir en su distrito. El Distrito 79 es actualmente 58% latino.

Rangel CM Moises Perez on THE PEREZ NOTES Part 2.

2012-04-18T16:37:00.000-04:00

Rangel's Campaign Manager Moises Perez on THE PEREZ NOTES

2012-04-18T16:13:00.000-04:00