From: Vivir Latino

I first noticed the Spanish language door hangers in my Latino NYC hood last week. The door hangers were promoting NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s run for a third term.
Now, I don’t think he should have been allowed to run again. Here in NYC there was this big push for term limits but now because the billionaire mayor wants to keep power, he’s using the poor economy as justification for a third term in office. I think that fear mongering, especially when his model of city as business instead of as communities of people, has hurt more people than it has helped, is a disgusting way to maintain control. Pero people are buying it and supporting him. In NYC the Latino vote is especially important which is why Bloomy is spending alot of time and effort lining up endorsers with Spanish last names.
One of the latest endorsements comes from a non-New Yorker, Puerto Rico’s pro-statehood Governor Luis G. Fortuño. .
In a statement released by the Bloomberg campaign, Fortuño called the mayor an “honest and independent leader who can make the tough, necessary decisions that will create jobs, keep the streets safe and continue the strides in education that have been made over the last few years.”
“New York also needs a leader who understands the diverse nature of the city, appreciates how invaluable it is, and works to ensure this diversity,” Fortuño added.
“When it comes to Latinos, Mayor Bloomberg wants to make sure that all of us are heard.”

When I read this, I wondered what other prominent Latinos and Latino orgs in NY and out have endorsed Bloomberg. I expected a small list but instead found a growing list that features many business leaders and even artists. Here are just a few that I took off the Mayor’s campaign website:
Carmen Pacheco, founder of the first Hispanic female-owned law firm in New York City
The Spanish-language Ecuador News
Míriam Colón Valle, founder of the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater (PRTT)
La Semana Metro
Shirley Rodriguez Remeneski, President of 100 Hispanic Women, Inc. (100HW)
New York Dominican Officers Organization (NYDO)
Peter Fontanes, President of the New York State Association of Hispanics in Real Estate and Construction (NYSAHREC)
Herman Badillo
Orlando Tobon
Jose Velazquez, Chairperson of the National Hispanic Business Group
Impacto Latin News
Alfred Placeres, President of the New York State Federation of Hispanic Chambers of Commerce
Jose Feliciano
El Especialito and El Especial
EcuaTimes
New York City Department of Correction Hispanic Society
Mexican community leader Joel Magallan
Rick Miranda, President of the Brooklyn Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Some of these endorsements really surprise me, especially those coming from the artists’/culture community. While, I will admit that the Mayor has on paper and in public statements been a champion of immigrant communities in NYC, looking at the way his educational policies have further marginalized “English language learners” and other students of color is just one example of how he has not helped the Latino community. Additionally despite the success story that is Sonia Sotomayor, Puerto Rican poverty remains a huge issue in New York City that has not been adequately handled.
I’m gonna start paying more attention to the way Bloomy campaigns for the Latino vote in NYC and out, especially since he is unlikely to get my vote or endorsement. I would also love to hear from Latino NYC grassroots activists and organizations.

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