Diana Reyna and RBSCC: What’s Really Going On?
Assemblyman Vito Lopez and City Council candidate Maritza Dávila, left, and Councilmember Diana Reyna. — Photos by Aaron Short.
Why has Bushwick’s largest social service organization chosen to close a key youth center, claiming a lack of funds, while refusing hundreds of thousands of dollars from a city councilmember? Aaron Short digs deep into a petty and bitter political contest between Assemblyman Vito Lopez and Councilwoman Diana Reyna that leaves the children of the neighborhood’s low-income working families as the real losers.
For two months, Councilwoman Diana Reyna and the leaders of the Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council (RBSCC), one of the largest youth and senior service providers in Brooklyn, have been locked in a bitter funding dispute, resulting in the elimination of a popular summer camp and afterschool program for Bushwick children.
After twenty years, the Hope Gardens Multi-Service Center’s youth program will be discontinued today and ten staff members will lose their jobs. Hope Gardens is one of the centers managed by RBSCC, and the program serves over 70 children, many of whom live within several blocks of the Center in Hope Gardens, Bushwick proper’s only public housing project.
Three weeks ago, Hope Gardens’ youth counselors heard rumors of the program’s dissolution. The rumors were confirmed when temporary Director Sandy Christian said their contracts would indeed end on June 30th because the program did not receive funding for the next year. Christian replaced long-time Hope Gardens Director Anna Gonzalez, who died one month ago.
"They said there was no summer camp because Sandy didn’t find any replacement funding," said Joanna Gomez, the program’s afterschool Director. "Sandy said (RBSCC Executive Director) Chris Fisher didn’t want us to have any meetings with the parents or write them letters."
Hope Gardens staff held a meeting with parents anyway to explain that there would be no summer camp for their children this year at Hope Gardens and encouraged them to find other programs in Bushwick, though many parents and staff believe this would be difficult since existing summer programs have long waiting lists and the public school is nearly over.
"They didn’t give employees a chance to find other jobs and they didn’t give their parents a chance to find other programs and it is hard to bring their children to places like Six Flags and Splish Splash because they work full-time," said Tiffany Perez, a youth counselor and tutor with Hope Gardens. "The kids have nowhere else to go."
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The youth program may have been caught in the middle of a petty and increasingly spiteful campaign for City Council in Bushwick. Incumbent Councilwoman Diana Reyna is seeking a third term for the office, but faces a highly competitive race against Community Board One District Manager Gerry Esposito and Maritza Dávila, a housing organizer who works at Ridgewood Bushwick.
The relationship between Councilwoman Diana Reyna and Assemblyman Vito Lopez has deteriorated to the point that Lopez has encouraged and endorsed Dávila to run against her, despite the fact that Reyna used to be Lopez’s District Chief of Staff. Reyna claims that Lopez gave only tepid support for her re-election campaign four years ago and resented her independence from the office, though Lopez points to a very specific episode regarding an 8-unit development on Jefferson Street that Reyna had been holding up for approval in City Council.
"We need to have a political coalition that works together," said Lopez at an endorsement rally for Dávila at City Hall two weeks ago. "Marty [Dilan] and I work together and Maritza and I work together. There’s one link that’s missing."
The political divisions in Bushwick have not prevented Reyna from distributing funding to RBSCC, including the Hope Gardens summer youth program. Over the past year, Reyna has given nearly a quarter of a million dollars ($279,214) in discretionary funds to the Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council and its affiliate senior and youth centers.
The fact that Reyna has given so much money to an organization whose leaders are strongly and vocally opposed to her reelection perplexes some. It has particularly perturbed Gerry Esposito, Reyna’s other significant opponent in the city council race. Esposito’s campaign manager, Morgan Pehme, believes that Reyna and Lopez have a closer relationship than it appears, and has been positioning Esposito as an anti-establishment candidate. Pehme did not return calls for comment by press time, but he has indicated the Esposito campaign will release a statement further explaining the matter.
But this year, Ridgewood Bushwick is receiving none of the funding — already allocated by the City Council in a budget vote last Friday — that it normally receives from Reyna’s office. Sources within the Reyna campaign say that RBSCC Executive Director Christiana Fisher ordered youth and senior center directors to refuse discretionary money from the councilwoman’s office, just before the deadline for submissions of the FY 2010 budget to the Council’s finance office. Several calls to Fisher were not returned.
"Center directors were asking Chris Fisher, ‘We need the money, why are we denying the money from Diana?’" said Antonio Reynoso, a spokesperson for Reyna’s campaign. "No senior center director is going to want to deny money. They all said call Chris Fisher, she doesn’t want to do that."
On March 31, Reyna’s office sent a letter, via fax, to Fisher reminding her to submit budget requests for her centers for the 2010 fiscal year, after learning that Fisher was refusing to sign any allocation applications. In her response, dated April 1st and excerpted below, Fisher cited criticisms from Reyna’s office concerning the nonprofit’s operations as well as several RBSCC projects currently in development for affordable housing.
What concerns me are the unwarranted attacks and criticisms of our programs and staff that have been occurring over the past few years. Your action of holding up the approval of a tax abatement enabling us to build eight more units of affordable housing for months and months without merit, your speaking out against our role in the re-development of the Broadway Triangle (even though our track record speaks to our unquestionable ability to successfully develop a project of this magnitude and said project is NOT located within your Council district), and your confronting one of my staff at a community meeting by informing that staff person that RBSCC would receive no future funding from you are all actions evidently aimed at undercutting our credibility, our funding and our role in the community. The success of any non-profit greatly depends on these factors and therefore it is impossible to have a working relationship with a person who undermines what we do on a regular, on-going basis.
On April 6th, Reyna sent her response to Fisher, excerpted below, acknowledging receipt of the previous letter but noting the passage of the Council’s budget deadline.
It is unfortunate your untimely response did not afford any opportunity for services in our community to continue as funded by my office through Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council, Inc. As evidenced by my contributions to RBSCC, Inc., since elected to office in 2001, your accusations and political tone are uncalled for and unappreciated.
Although your response alluded to other important matters, they were irrelevant to my initial letter. Your reference to the unsurpassed quality of RBSCC’s work is all the reason I have provided funding for the services made available to my constituents. The lack of any effort by your office to seek funding through my office for FY2010 speaks unfavorably to the good work you claimed in your letter.
Reyna was also disturbed by a directive allegedly sent from Fisher’s office that RBSCC center directors must ask Reyna to give one week’s notice before scheduling visits to any senior and youth centers run by Ridgewood Bushwick.
"One week’s notice? It’s unheard of!" said Reynoso, of Reyna’s office. "Usually we give them courtesy calls. Before, it’s been a couple of hours notice, and it’s never been an issue. Now it’s an issue."
Reyna has ignored the request and visited constituents in several RBSCC senior centers in Bushwick and East Williamsburg. So far, she has not heard a response from the RBSCC leadership.
"Every time she goes, the seniors love Diana, the seniors cheer, they give her hugs and kisses. It’s not about the seniors. This is all politics. This shouldn’t be about politics, not with seniors," said Reynoso.
The dispute has put RBSCC center directors, many of whom enjoy close working relationships with both Reyna and Lopez, in a difficult position. The late Anna Gonzalez particularly worked well with political leaders throughout the community. Though her absence may not have prevented further divisions from both political camps, Perez, the Hope Gardens counselor, believes that she would have been able to save the youth program.
"Anna adored the youth program and she loved helping the community," said Perez. "It’s unfair to say that we don’t have the funding at all because they don’t have the funding. If Anna were around, she would have found the funding."
Interestingly, Ridgewood Bushwick will be collecting $441,875, earmarked for senior and youth services, from other councilmembers’ discretionary allocations, including $350,000 from the Brooklyn Delegation, introduced by Brooklyn Councilman Lewis Fiddler. RBSCC refuses to comment on why the Hope Gardens services will be downsized even while making up Reyna’s portion of the funding from these other sources.
By the way, Chris Fisher is Vito Lopez’s former lover before he hooked up with Angela Battaglia. (THAT IS A FACT!) Also, Battaglia is part of RBSCC and also a Commissioner on New York City Planning Commission.
Ouch!
I declare shenanigans on Vito!
people are losing their jobs and we have to worry that these parents have to actually pay for their own kid’s day care now? Wahh. but I do like the intrigue, keep it up!
Diana Reyna has been the one to support RBSCC even after all the attacks from them. What more proof this hood needs that she supports her community first! I hope we don’t forget in SEPTEMBER!
http://www.columbiajournalist.org/article.asp?subj=state&course=rw1_reisig&id=1170
Please publish this in spanish and local news papers as well as in the television news to have the community know what is really going on. No one should MONOPOLIZE our community. Assemblyman Vito Lopez has shown signs of insecurity even before Diana won her first election, because she is so charismatic, genuine and loved by the community. He has a “Godfather” complex…I do for you and in turn you do for me, despite the fact that you never requested anything. Whatever happened to I love Diana like a daughter. He obviously would pick up any staff member and run them for a seat, in the hopes that he was the one to really control it. That’s what he means by “working together”. It’s just his way of running the “Lopez Team”. Vito you should have paid attention long ago. Diana was always a leader even before you came along. You didn’t make her who she is.. you simply guided her and she confided in you. Diana has always demonstrated herself to be a great leader, that is why when she was your Chief of Staff, people would come in asking for her..Y REYNA? We all know what you’ve done in our community.. but remember that you had the support of many residents and agency’s as well Vito. You have pushed so many people and agency’s away throughout the years!!! How do you explain that? Vito it’s sad that it’s more important to give you credit, than have you service our community rightfully so. Remember, we pay taxes this money is not from your own pocket.
by the way… You were never given the right to use my original poster designs for Diana’s election. They will never look as good as they did with Diana’s Picture though! And they seem a bit outdated at this point. But thanks for the compliment of thinking that you’ll need them to win.
I have to say, this article is far from objective. Perhaps RBSCC is skeptical of her visits to senior centers because she is campaigning for elected office, and campaigning at senior centers is not allowed. Also, the idea that Reyna and Lopez do not get along because SHE has been more independent is a joke. People that know Lopez know that he demands competence, and Reyna repeatedly let him down. Williamsburg-Greenpoint rezoning? Reyna was willing to trade luxury development for affordable housing vouchers, without any affordable apartments on the waterfront. Independent? Reyna has failed to pass any legislation worth speaking of during her two terms in office. The reality is that Lopez stopped being Reyna’s mentor when it became clear that Reyna was the runt of the litter that would never grow up and never be anything more than a pretty face.
burger: bullshit.
Perhaps if people didn’t hide behind ficticious names, I would give them an ounce of credit…
It’s funny how hamburger is so defensive…r u a recent staff member dear? You obviously don’t know him very long…
You seem lost in Reyna’s beauty and you sound awfully bitter.
“Litter”?… That makes you sound like the low life you probably are…
Interesting, Reyna is incompetent, but good enough to work for Vito for over 6 years I believe it was. What does that say about his choices for staff? He further supported her for city council office. Should we not rely on his word to back that new girl?? Where did she come from? I wasn’t very impressed when I saw her speaking at a meeting not too long ago. Her eyes were searching for words in the ceiling, while I won’t even comment on her attire. Real poor choice in candidate this time Vito. Good luck!
I wouldn’t be too worried if I were Reyna. The “Lopez Team” is currently relying on a few 53rd Assembly District Staff, disgruntled & threatened poll workers and burnt-out RBSCC staff. Those politicians that claim to be on Vito’s side are extremely afraid of standing up to him. However, they all talk badly behind his back. God forbid they get on Vito’s bad side, because they know what he is capable of. They want to take advantage of those poor seniors during that Picinic he holds every year to buy votes. I’ve unfortunately noticed that all who surround Vito are simply using him. I actually feel sorry for the man. The irony is, those who don’t rely on him and have the audacity to disagree with him and voice their differences, are probably the people that he should trust the most. “Keep your friends close and enemies closer” That’s how the saying goes. Those closest to you vito seem to be your biggest enemies and just want to secure their jobs. Then again I’ve pretty much heard Vito call everyone “a piece of shit”. He has really let me down.
FYI, it’s ok for anyone to stop by a senior center, as long as they are not campaining. Can’t say that I’ve ever seen Reyna campaigning, she always comes around… even if there is no election. However, I can’t say the same for the other side. Coincidently, I’ve seen Maritza come bye a lot lately. Rumor has it poor Anna Gonzalez, may she rest in peace, was being threated by Chris Fisher because of Vito’s orders… so she probably past away due to all the stress she encountered, because they didn’t want her to accept the Reyna funds mentioned above. So they can claim Reyna has denied funds. Truth is they made the check “disappear”. Vito, you should be ashamed of yourself! And then you have the nerve to go to her funeral…like nothing happened!!! Remember, God doesn’t like ugly.
Bullshit? Nice response. What I wrote above is true. Reyna hasn’t passed one piece of substantial legislation in her entire eight year career. Not one. Also, her fumbling of the Williamsburg Greenpoint rezoning negotiations is well know outside the BushwickBK community. Part of the reason that this election will be close, and why Reyna as an incumbent has a good chance of losing, which is otherwise unheard of in NYC unless the incumbent has been convicted of a crime, is that she is considered a do nothing by many of her constituents, from the South Side of Williamsburg to Bushwick. Ask around, and you’ll see that I’m right.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSa2vVMnUf0
Burger,
Diana Reyna in southside is well received and during the waterfront re-zoning they both agreed that the affordability remain in the waterfront. I agree that there was much back and forth in the midnight hour but in the end She was instrumental in ensuring affordable housing and it was voted on in the city council not Albany. By the way the original re-zoning had zero affordable housing making Diana reyna efforts one of the biggest affordable housing rezoning in the country. Now are you to expect everyone to believe that RBSCC doesn’t allow Vito to talk about her campaign at these same senior centers. Finally I do think it’s objective I just think the truth comes just came out!
Bobby,
Actually, while the rezoning went through the ULURP process in the City Council, most if not all of the affordable housing on the Williamsburg waterfront is a product of the 421-a tax abatement extension that was passed in Albany specifically to include the waterfront. Guess who got that passed in Albany? Right, Lopez. If it wasn’t for him, there would be almost no affordable housing there. The City Council re-zoning did little to provide for it. Don’t believe me, do your research. Aside from the rezoning the largest parcel of affordable housing on the waterfront is the Schaefer lander development. How did that happen? Lopez. All this garbage gossip about Assemblyman Lopez does nothing to change the fact that he gets things done. Thats why he so popular, because he gets things done for his constituents, probably more so than any other legislator in New York State, including Shelly Silver and anyone else for that matter. Reyna is all sizzle and no steak. Reyna has no substance, and everyone knows it. I mentioned above that she hasn’t passed any legislation during her eight years, and has anyone contradicted me? She’s the chairperson of the rules committee, has she sought to reform a city council rocked by procedural shortcomings? Has she in any way sought to distinguish herself as someone that is looking to open up that process? Give me a break.
I menat Schaefer landing above.
Burger,
I can brush up on my waterfront rezoning that goes back quite a few years and i’ll get back to you…
back to the article for now…
Why not accept the funds from Diana Reyna for Hope Gardens?
Then after RBSCC got the money from somewhere else why not allocate the funds for Hope Gardens after school / summer camp if Anna G. was his “family” as he puts it why wouldn’t he for the very least respect her and keep it going?
Finally, sometimes I get caught up with this Vito Diana thing, but in reality it’s Diana and Maritza why doesn’t she show up on the Youtube videos? Why doesn’t anyone recall her speaking? How can she truly be and independent it if she works for Vito?
Back on the funding of Hope Gardens, could it be he just needed the most money he can get to assure victory in both city council races. And when that happens some things need to get cut i.e Hope Gardens. Is Vito God? that you have yet to acknowledge any flaws in Vito? Are you part of his family that he has left behind in Long Island and feel the need to defend him in Blogs. I will never grand stand and say Diana Reyna is perfect, but you in countless blogs comments yet to be objective on Vito on any count.
Finally, I guess no comment on Vito campaigning at senior centers? Is that hard to admit, cause then you would be force to admit a flaw on the messiah?
Bobby Michaels:
Go to you tube and do a search on Vito Lopez. There is a new video I think you would be interested in.
When do we vote? Anyone?
Democratic Primary
Tuesday September 15, 2009
Let’s show Vito Lopez where he can stick his scumbag nepotistic political plotting. What a dirt bag!
Wow ms. Reyna that’s quite a lengthy comment. You sound like someone who was intimately involved with Mr. Lopez. All of a sudden he’s not supprting Diana REYNA and you no longer support him?Why should anyone take you seriously? You don’t seem like an unbias source. Your words mean nothing. You benefited from whatever the “lopez machine” could do for you and then moved on. All of a sudden he’s “monopolizing” the community? You are so full of it and should not be pointing the finger at anyone. It’s fine that you defend diana but please don’t act like you care about the community now that you’ve had a falling out with Mr. Lopez. You are just like Diana a disingenuous hypocritical opportunist. Good luck selling your story to the voters in September.
I, for one,will definitely not be voting for your sister or anyone else who extended term limits and completely disregarded the will of the voters.
Reyna seems to have a lot of trouble with numbers. She says that in 1996 there were “13 million registered voters in Kings County alone – 13 million – and we’re deciding who’s going to be mayor of the City of New York , because 1.9 million people come out to vote – 1.9 million.”
Reyna’s numbers are indeed startling. To start with, any New York City elementary student could tell you that since there are roughly 8.2 million people in the entire five boroughs that to claim that there are 13 million people in Brooklyn , let alone 13 million registered voters, is way off.
http://aaronshortstory.blogspot.com/
If you all want to vote for someone that has NO ties to Vito, then vote for Gerry Esposito.
http://www.gerryesposito.com/
Here’s another reason to vote for Esposito and not Reyna. From Aaron’s blog:
http://aaronshortstory.blogspot.com/2009/06/letter-from-phil-depaolo.html
Everyone needs to get a grip.
Another NYS Assembly Member bites the dust.
Anthony S. Seminerio
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/seminerio-pleads-guilty-in-federal-court/
(layout fix)
Check out diana reyna’s misery!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzdDDu0LrRU
the34thcouncilshow:
Please start taking your meds.
the hell with all of you what proff do you all have regarding vito lopez all he has been doing is to better bushwick and you have the f–king right to talk bad and down talk this man when all he wants is the best for all of us
pun:
I already have a dad.
AND…………the children remain w/o a summer camp 4 weeks later. It has nothing to do with free services (response to “careful”). It takes at least a few weeks to enroll your child in a camp and this process usually begins in April of every year. Thanks to Mr. Lopez and his reps. at Ridgewood Bushwick, many WORKING parents (who don’t need free services)and non-working parents were left w/o a program for their children and trying to find a way to explain why to the children w/o showing the extreme DISTASTE in these current Politicians and so called “COMMUNITY” agencies who claim to have the best needs of children in mind. AND…….4 weeks later……
These people should stop acting like children.
Lopez has encouraged and endorsed Dávila to run against Reyna to split the vote so Esposito will get elected- a guy who doesn’t even live in the district.
And another NYS Assembly Member is alleged to be a crook.
Bronx Assemblyman Nelson Castro
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/bronx/2009/08/19/2009-08-19_bronx_pol_may_face_perjury_charges.html
When will Vito Lopez and his crew have their turn?