The New York Observer » Joel Rivera

Member-Item Time

Rivera’s request to fund the group through his member-item allotment was denied.

Member-Item Time

Last year, the mayor’s office blocked City Councilman Joel Rivera from giving $10,000 in public money to the Davidson Community Center, saying the group had a “poor performance on past contracts.” Rivera’s request to fund the group through his member-item allotment was denied. Now, that group is tentatively slated to get $75,000 in member-item money Read More

Joel Rivera’s Challenger Withdraws, None Others Are Forthcoming

Well-funded City Council challenger Radame Perez has withdrawn from his bid to unseat Joel Rivera of the Bronx, and the head of the Democratic Party in the borough said the organization is not looking for another candidate.

Bronx Democratic County Leader Carl Heastie said in a brief telephone interview that Read More

Gioia Faces the Threat of Fast Food, Publicly

Eric Gioia said he wants a moratorium on new fast-food restaurants opening up within 500 feet of public schools.

“This has a direct impact on our children’s health” and represent “a clear and present danger” to their health, Gioia told reporters on Sunday.

Like his publicity-savvy friend, Morgan Spurlock, who built a career on Read More

For Diaz, Lots of Signatures, Few Opponents

Bronx Borough President candidate Ruben Diaz Jr. today unloaded a gigantic volume of signatures to get on the ballot for the April 21 special election, a traditional gesture to indicate depth of support.

Not that it's necessarily needed: Rivera now has a straight path to the office, now that that field has been Read More

Date Set for Bronx Borough President Election

The date of the special election for Bronx borough president, made necessary Adolfo Carrion took a job in the Obama administration, will be April 21.

Since it's a special election, candidates will run on party lines they create.

The candidates will include State Assemblyman Ruben Diaz Jr., whom the Bronx Democratic Party has endorsed, and City Councilman Read More

Bronx Democrats Endorse Diaz for Borough President

This weekend the Bronx County Democratic Party endorsed Assemblyman Ruben Diaz, Jr. in the race to replace Adolfo Carrion as Bronx borough president.

The endorsement caught my eye since the competitive race still includes at least one other established Democratic candidate, City Councilman Joel Rivera. According to reporter John DeSio—who launched a Read More

Rivera and the ‘Appointed’ Senator

City Councilman Joel Rivera is organizing a rally tomorrow on the City Hall steps to urge newly minted Senator Kirsten Gillibrand to change her position on immigration and gun control issues.

“I’m not jumping on a band wagon just to jump on a band wagon,” he said.

Rivera, speaking to me in City Hall just now, Read More

With Carrion Still in B.P. Office, Rivera Opts Out of Race (For Now)

Joel Rivera, a City Councilman who was running for Bronx borough president, has frozen his 2009 campaign account, saying he had to make a “calculated decision” because it’s not clear the incumbent, Adolfo Carrion Jr. is leaving for a job in the Obama administration.

“We had to make a calculated decision on whether to Read More

A Vote of Support for Diaz (Jr.)

ALBANY—Chalk up one, albeit for now tepid, supporter in Ruben Diaz Jr.'s column in his run for Borough President.

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, whose district includes Riverdale, says he thinks fellow member Ruben Diaz Jr. would be a great replacement for Adolfo Carrion, who was tapped by President-elect Barack Obama to head the White Read More

If Carrion Goes: Ruben Diaz Jr., Joel Rivera

Now that Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion is leaving his post early next year to be the director of the Obama administration's Office of Urban Policy, his successor will most likely be determined by a special election in sometime in the spring.

So who will it be?

Since Carrion was going to run for Read More

Thirty-Five Council Members for Term-Limits Change, Members Want Vote Soon

Unofficially, the bill to change the city’s term-limits law will pass the City Council with about 35 votes in favor, according to Majority Leader Joel Rivera, who spoke to me on the City Hall steps after the Council's Democratic caucus meeting.As far as what divides the two camps, Rivera said there isn’t much of a Read More

Quinn to Face Unhappy Members

This could be another tough day for Christine Quinn.

She's going to meet with the 47 other members of the Democratic conference in the City Council today at 4 p.m., which will be the first time she speaks officially with many of her colleagues about the accounting-practices scandal that she’s now spent the good part Read More

Congestion Pricing Passes Committee

Congestion pricing just passed the City Council Committee on State and Federal Legislation, 6-4. Members who voted in favor included Maria Baez, Melissa Viverito, Larry Seabrook, Joel Rivera, Mike McMahon and Hiram Monserrate. Those opposed included Lew Fidler, Joe Addabbo and Erik Dilan.

It goes to the full council tonight.

Gaming Out the Congestion Pricing Vote

On March 8, The New York Times published a survey of where some of the City Council's 51 members stood on congestion pricing. At the time, 20 were against, 12 were for, and 19 were either undecided or did not respond to the survey.

More recently, Lew Fidler, an opponent of the measure, estimated Read More