Assemblywoman Aims to ‘Fight the Bulge’

Teaming up with professional mixed martial artists, a celebrity fitness trainer and a dietician from Jacobi Medical Center, Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera has set out to tackle childhood obesity in her new “Fight the Bulge” campaign.

Sen. Rivera Teaching Free Civics Classes

Bronx State Sen. Gustavo Rivera is getting back to his roots as educator, teaching a series of free civics classes this month at the Bronx Library Center that cover topics like the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, elections and how different levels of government work.

Living Wage Backers Seek Compromise; Second Hearing Planned for November

Supporters of a living wage bill that’s been lingering in the City Council for over a year now are making another effort to revive the lagging legislation, in a drawn-out battle with the Bloomberg administration and business leaders who say it would ultimately kill jobs. Sponsors of the proposed Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act, which would require developers receiving substantial taxpayer-funded subsidies to pay workers $10 an hour with benefits, or $11.50 without, unveiled revisions to the bill earlier this month in an attempt to compromise with critics. Whether the newly watered-down version of the legislation is enough to

Get Civics Lessons From Your State Senator

Before Gustavo Rivera became a state senator here in the Bronx’s 33rd District, he was an adjunct political science professor at Pace University. In fact, before catching the campaign politics bug soon after moving to New York from his native Puerto Rico for graduate school in 1998, Rivera appeared destined for a career in academia. Although he never completed his masters degree, Rivera continued to teach while serving as a campaign field operative for several politicians, including former Gov. David Paterson, Bronx State Senator Jose M. Serrano and President Obama. Tonight, Rivera slides back into his role as educator at

The Making of a Liberal Politician, Part III: Senator Makes Health a Priority

Gustavo Rivera, a state senator for all of nine months, is comfortably in his element. Sitting at the head of a table in a cramped, windowless room deep inside the belly of The Family Health Center on East 193rd Street and Decatur Avenue, Rivera is asking questions and cracking jokes.

Comptroller Report Finds Millions for Bronx Project Sat Idle

The Economic Development Corporation left millions of dollars intended for public projects — including $8.9 million for the restoration of a waterfront site in the South Bronx — sitting unused for decades, an audit from the Comptroller’s office found last week.

Council Pushes 9/11 Health Bill to Cover Cancer

The New York City Council passed a resolution last week urging a closer examination of cancer cases in Ground Zero first responders and asking that those who suffer from the disease be considered for health care coverage under the Zadroga Act — the bill that provides medical funds for people suffering from 9/11-related health problems.

The Making of a Liberal Politician: Part II

It was early spring, 2010, when Gustavo Rivera became a political candidate by default and a dash of desperation. At the time, two other Democrats had declared their intention to run against the incumbent in the 33rd Senate District, Pedro Espada, Jr., who, less than a year earlier, had brought the New York state senate to its knees by offering his party allegiance to the highest bidder.

Engel Backs Obama’s Call For ‘Millionaire’s Tax’

U.S. Congressman Eliot Engel, who represents portions of the north Bronx, is praising President Barack Obama’s plan to raise the base tax rates on the wealthiest Americans to raise revenue and reduce the country’s budget deficit.