November 2008

For Puerto Ricans she was our Rosa Park and Fannie Lou Hammer, our Mother Jones and our Mother Teresa. She was a warrior, an activist, an educator an organizer while also being a Leader of a powerful community organization. She was a mother for her children and a mother for many of us who were lost children. She understood us, care for us, pushed us to be strong, provided support and contributed in so many ways to the sucess of many, many people. She was Evelina Antonetty. [click to continue...]

You might be wondering what is the relationship between sports and Obama? Well the truth is that I just wanted to express my feeling on this historic election and needed a spin to publish it on our sports web site. However, with a little stretch we can make a slight correlation.

For example, yesterday I was in Harlem, at the Harlem State Office Building on 125th St. and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard along with what appeared to be approximately another 50 thousand strong waiting for the election results on a giant TV screen. It was an incredible experience, especially since I have never done this before. Though I have an extensive back round in electoral politics, I have never felt this closely tied to any election. I believe that after having the worst eight years of what could possibly go down in history as the worst two terms of any President in recent memory had a lot to do with it. [click to continue...]

This election day, November 4, 2008 will be a very historical one. Many of us, long active in Civil Rights Activism, have thought we would never live to see this day. My thoughts will be on those I knew who are no longer with us. How I would have liked to celebrate with them what seems to be a victory for Obama. [click to continue...]

The recent essay I wrote, “The Last Hurrah of Boss Rivera,” has received many responses. The majority have been favorable with many expressing the sentiment that the essay said what they had been thinking for so long. A small group has been critical of the essay and have reacted by taking the position that it is Taboo for a Puerto Rican to criticize a Puerto Rican elected official, especially when he is the only Boricua county leader in all of New York State. [click to continue...]

Those of us in New York City who have been celebrating the Obama victory have little time to enjoy the moment. A New York State budget deficit of 12.5 billions is forecast for the near future. At this moment our present governor David Patterson has expressed no desire to increase taxes on the wealthy instead he has emphasized budget cuts (which will affect basic services) and layoffs.

The City also faces a budget deficit along with an incumbent Mayor whose solutions to this crisis include higher taxes (for all New Yorkers), budget cuts (affecting housing, education, senior citizens) and even plans to charge 6 cents for every plastic bag we receive from retail stores. The mayor, who recently used his political muscle to “convince” the City Council to extend term limits, believes he is the most qualified to lead New York City through this crisis. He is so convinced that he is the most qualified that he has announced that he is ready to spend 80 to 100 million dollars to get reelected. [click to continue...]

The Retire 21 Campaign has qualitatively moved to another level recently due to the television airing of the campaign’s work. The segments aired by two separate productions on ESPN’s “Outside The Lines” and on Latino TV, two prime time programs with a huge audience.

ESPN is viewed internationally with approximately 130 million viewers and Latino TV is aired into approximately 68 million homes, majority Latino. Both programs were aired in the month of October, which is known as “Hispanic Heritage Month” celebrated nationally in the months of September and October. [click to continue...]