Youth from Sistas and Brothas United Fight for the Student Safety Act Click here for ABC 7 Story

(Original story on NY1 website)
City Council Holds Hearing On Student Safety Act
By: Lindsey Christ
November 10, 2009

The City Council held a hearing Tuesday on the Student Safety Act, which would require more transparency on the police presence in schools. NY1's Lindsey Christ filed the following report.

More than 5,000 New York City Police Department school safety agents work in the city's public schools every day, and City Council members want to know more about how they interact with the students they are there to protect.

"Our bill is focused on providing more information and clearer information in three areas: discipline in schools, crime in schools and complaints about school safety agents," said City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

At a packed hearing Tuesday, with more than 100 people in overflow rooms, Council members heard testimony on the Student Safety Act, which would require the Department of Education and NYPD to report detailed information about school safety issues.

Before the hearing, students and advocacy groups insisted the program has to be reformed, saying the police presence in schools not only sets a negative tone but sometimes results in abuse.

"A school safety agent grabbed me by the shoulders, another agent came up and hit me twice over the head with a flashlight," said one city public school student.

"Very often school discipline becomes a matter of going to the precinct instead of going to the principal’s office," said New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Donna Lieberman.

In the decade that the police department has managed school safety, reported crime in schools has gone down 34 percent. But there have been several high profile incidents of alleged abuse. Just last week, the city agreed to pay $55,000 to Stephen Cruz, who was hit in the head last year by a door kicked open by an officer.

The Safety Act would encourage students to report misconduct, but the police department says that invites false accusations.

"To prominently advertise, in schools and on our websites, the ability to call 311 to make a complaint against SSAs can be seen as an invitation to drive a wedge between school safety agents and the rest of the school community," said Officer James Secreto of the NYPD School Safety Division.

The DOE says it won't be able to report the details of every incident in each school, as called for in the act, without revealing private information about students.

With 33 Council members already signed on as co-sponsors and hundreds attending the protest and hearing, calls for more information on the relationship between police and children in the schools aren't likely to die down anytime soon.

Immigration testimony from Martha Felipe at Blueprint for the Bronx

Immigration testimony from Martha Felipe at Blueprint for the Bronx 10/25/09

My name is Martha Felipe of Our Lady of Mercy Church. But when you see me today, don't just see my face, but the thousands of immigrants in the Bronx, that I represent, each one of them with their own story.

Immigrants come to this country to obey the first natural law – to survive. We came here to have better educational opportunities for our children, to find better work, and to reunite with our families. We are not terrorists, we came here to work very hard and make something better of our future.

It’s so difficult to come here legally, and has gotten since September 11^th.

- Many countries don’t have enough visas, and most of them are for professionals. The number of visas available has not been increased in 15 years, even though our economy depends on immigrant workers.

- Once you apply, the wait for papers can be as long as 22 years!

- Also, every year they increase the cost to just file the application for citizenship – now it is $700!

- That is why 12 million people don’t have papers. We’ve come here because we’re in between life and death – so we have to try!

I want you to listen to what happens every single day when people chose to fight for their families. I’m going to tell you the story of a parishioner at our church; I’ll call her Maria….Maria tried to cross the border from Mexico, to come here, and the “coyotes,” who said they would help her across the border, instead robbed her and raped her. As a product of that rape she became pregnant. On this side of the border, she was discovered and deported, losing the baby on the way due to miscarriage. Her family rejected her after what had happened, and she was depressed and suicidal, with nobody to turn to. She has a sister here who told her try again and she did. This time she was able to make it and now she is a member of our church, working hard to make a good life for her family. This story has a happy ending but we don't know how many others never survive the journey to this Promise Land.

We cannot live in a world where people have to struggle so hard to make a better life for themselves and their families. We have to change the immigration system. We cannot stop our fight until all our families can be reunited and allow then to have legal papers. This is our goal and we are going for it.

BLUEPRINT FOR THE BRONX: Breaking Ground, Building Together!!

Bronx Residents Call the Community to Action to Demand a Voice in Responsible Development at the Kingsbridge Armory and Address Increasing Poverty, Overcrowded Schools, and Loss of Affordable Housing, Healthcare and Immigrant Rights

(Bronx, NY) –The Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition (NWBCCC) will convene more than 1000 residents, from faith based congregations, community groups, schools, and tenant associations to address the challenge of creating living wage jobs, schools, affordable housing, and social policies that benefit working families. Bronx elected officials will hear the concerns and present their plans to the community. Bronx residents want to begin to layout a blueprint for building a Bronx that is a powerful, vibrant, diverse community where everyone has the opportunity to participate in decision making, contribute to building the future and benefit from the growth and development of this great borough. Some of our specific demands include a community benefits agreement and good living wage jobs at the Kingsbridge Armory, four small schools to be built on the North Side of the Armory and affordable health care for all.

What: Blueprint for the Bronx- Community Action to Win Change for the Northwest Bronx

When: Sunday Oct. 25, 2009- 3pm

Who: Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, Invited Elected Officials: Congressman Jose Serrano, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.; City Council Members G. Oliver Koppell, Joel Rivera, Maria Baez, Helen Diane Foster, and James Vacca; State Assembly Members Jose Rivera, Naomi Rivera, Nelson Castro, and Jeff Dinowitz; State Senators Pedro Espada and Jeff Klein. Additional elected officials and their staff representatives are expected to attend.

Where: St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church
2345 University Avenue at Fordham Road
Bronx, NY 10468 (entrance at Andrews Avenue)

Why: “To demand that the people have a say in community development, that a people’s blueprint for the Bronx is respected.” Ronn Jordan, Vice President, NWBCCC

Visuals: Hundreds of residents waving flags for the “Blueprint”, multimedia animated map of Bronx issues, Anti Bank band and Mary Mitchell African Dancers

Bronx unites in Evening of Prayer for the Kingsbridge Armory

Over 350 Bronx residents thank God for our progress
and pray for victory for our righteous cause.

On Wed. Sept. 9 at 7pm, over 350 Bronx residents gathered from seven denominations at the site of the Kingsbridge Armory. Community residents and clergy asked for the blessing of good living wage jobs, recreational space, the construction of schools locally, arts, culture and social programs, retailers that serve the community, and a clean, healthy environment both inside and outside of the armory.

Rev. Doug Cunningham of New Day Methodist church said, "we've been to the hearings, we're at the negotiating table with the developer pushing for good jobs and schools -- but tonight we bring it to a Higher Authority!" The testimonies delivered reflected the personal struggles of Bronx residents and workers. Veronica Grumbs, a middle-aged Caribbean immigrant from Calvary United Methodist shared bravely about her experience of holding an accounting degree but not being able to find work, and Jose Luis spoke of being fired from Stella D'oro for trying to organize a union, winning the right to better wages and back pay and now struggling for the factory not to leave the Bronx.

Father Tom Lynch from Our Lady of Angels had the crowd raise their hands over the Armory and consecrate it, petitioning God to keep us strong and guide the hearts of our leaders to ensure equity in development.Creston Ave Baptist Church's choir had the conservative Catholics calling out halleluyahs! Minister Edwin Pierce from Unlimited Power of God told us that we were each a little boy, picking up a stone tonight to take down a great enemy (David and Goliath). Rabbi Ari Weiss of Uri L'Tzedek declared courageously to the crowd of nearly 400 people -- I am Jewish. I am an Orthodox Jew. -- and then told us that the Talmud commands that workers are paid a living wage.


Then, the crowd silently joined hands in a circle as organizer Abby Bellows from the NWBCCC blew the shofar again and again and then one long blast of awakening. The evening ended with residents dancing salsa and merengue, holding a stranger’s hand to dance and knowing that we were a community united in faith in action and faith in justice.

CLICK HERE for more photos of the prayer vigil

Check out our presence at the Developer’s Hearing in the Daily News

NWBCCC's Ramona Santana sends a message to Senator Espada in Op-Ed piece in El Diario

Published in El Diario de la Prensa June 12, 2009
No Todo lo Que Brilla Es Oro
Ramona Santana, miembro y lider de La Coalicion de la Comunidad y del Clero del Noreste del Bronx

Durante los últimos nueve meses, los inquilinos del Noroeste Bronx han estado luchando para la legislación de vivienda razonable en el Senado Estatal que protegería a muchas familias latinas de bajos recursos de alquileres altos y desplazamiento. Nosotros necesitamos liderazgo en asuntos como éste que afecta directamente a los latinos en Nueva York y esperábamos que un líder latino de nuestra comunidad nos hubiese ayudado. Lo que sucedió fue todo lo contrario y como dicen en mi país, no todo lo que brilla es oro.

Ahora muchas personas se están cuestionando al Senador Estatal Pedro Espada, hijo. Como yo resido en su distrito, esto es lo que sé:

Espada tiene el poder de mover la ley de la protección de inquilinos más importante del Senado, S2237-A. Esta ley terminaría el descontrol de rentas una vez un apartamento esté vacante. Actualmente cualquier apartamento que tiene un alquiler de $2,000 o más, el dueño del edificio puede subir el alquiler al precio que quiera. En mi comunidad de Fordham en el Bronx, no hay muchas personas que pagan alquiler de $2,000. Pero lo que sí tenemos son muchas personas que viven en edificios peligrosos sin calefacción ni agua caliente, reciben cargos ilegales en sus rentas y son intimidados en la corte de vivienda por sus propietarios. A mi mismo me ha pasado todo esto, y yo se muy claramente que la razón por todo esto es la ley de descontrol de rentas. Es un estímulo para los propietarios. Ellos hacen todo lo posible para subir los alquileres y para llegar a su meta de $2,000.

Yo esperaba que el Senador Espada entendiera esto, pero todo al contrario, yo creo que no tiene idea del sufrimiento que estamos viviendo en el Bronx, ya que el pasa la mayoría de su tiempo en Albany y en su casa en Westchester. Su distrito tiene más de 77,000 apartamentos regulados, la mayoría de ellos de residentes latinos. En vez de apoyarnos, el Senador Espada recibe premios de propietarios, almuerza con ellos, y se junta con millonarios en Albany. Pero cuando yo quiero reunirme con él, se me hace muy difícil. Él todavía no ha abierto una oficina en su distrito, dejando a las personas de su comunidad sin representación local.

Victory for NYC Tenants

From: Assemblyman Shelly Silver <info@shellysilver.org>
Date: Mon, Feb 2, 2009 at 6:28 PM
Subject: Victory for NYC Tenants
To: info@northwestbronx.org

Dear Friend,

Today we took a big step forward in the fight to strengthen New York City's rent laws.

A little over an hour ago the New York State Assembly voted 91-to-52 to approve legislation that will keep more apartments in rent stabilization by limiting landlords' ability to raise rents after a vacancy by repealing so-called "vacancy decontrol." The bill was a part of legislative package to preserve affordable housing by increasing penalties on landlords who harass tenants or violate rent-regulation orders, prevent landlords from exploiting loopholes to raise rents when leases are renewed and stop them from charging more rent for questionable "capital improvements."

Our legislation would also increase the rent and income thresholds for rent stabilization so that more middle income families can keep their homes.

Finally, we voted to change the law to give New York City - not Albany - control over rent regulation. New York City tenants shouldn't have to beg upstate legislators for better rent laws.

Too many families are being priced out of their communities by skyrocketing rents. That's why it's crucial that we do everything possible to protect rent stabilized and rent controlled tenants, and ensure that working families can continue to afford to live in the neighborhoods they call home.

Thank you for everything you did to get us to this point.

The legislation we approved today was the result of the tireless work of tenants and advocates who have made the calls, written the letters and traveled to Albany to share their stories.

Taking the pressure off of families struggling with the cost of housing is job one for me - and we have much more to do to make sure this legislation is enacted into law - but together I am confident we can succeed.

But for today, congratulations on a big victory.

Very truly yours,

Shelly Silver

The Bronx needs a Stimulus

Jacqui Jaiman, a staff member with the Campaign for Community Values, and a parent leader and former staff person at NWBCCC is featured in this video developed by the Center for Community Change challenging assumptions about how the economic stimulus plan will affect the everyday lives of Bronx citizens.
This March, NWBCCC will send 25-50 leaders to the National People's Action in Washington DC to address how economic stimulus can truly support the lives and issues of low-income residents throughout the nation.