"PURA POLITICA" REVEALS CONTRADICTIONS OF OUR DEAR SISTER, FORMER SPEAKER MARK-VIVERITO
(Jordan Journal heard Fridays from 3-5 p.m. on WBAI 99.5 FM) https://bit.ly/2N8TXdc
To watch television interview type link into your address bar: https://www.mediafire.com/file/h5b52bmy46938lb/%BFQui%E9n_gan%F3_el_debate_entre_Andrew_Cuomo_y_Cynthia_Nixon_.mp4/file
I must admit I was taken aback this week by a television show I usually watch on New York 1- Pura Politica. First, Juan Manuel Benitez, the TV host featured alleged analysis of the Cuomo-Nixon debate with only one evaluator Melissa Mark-Viverito, an ardent Nixon supporter. Amazing what passes itself as journalism these days.
Perhaps even more troubling was the revelations the host Benitez exposed about former speaker Mark Viverito. He asked Mark-Viverito "Almost all the Puerto Rican elected officials are supporting Cuomo because what he has done for Puerto Rico" Her response "I do not evaluate a candidate only on what they do for Puerto Rico or because he/she is Latino." What hypocrisy the first Puerto Rican speaker of the City Council who gathered support of the Puerto Rican community in part because of her Puerto Rican roots now does not consider service to the people of Puerto Rico determinate. Truth be told her candidate Nixon has been totally missing in action on Puerto Rico and has not earned the support of any self-respecting Puerto Rican.
Melissa's VP of the Latino Victory Fund but her boss Chairman Luis Miranda is a zealous supporter of Gov. Cuomo. Perhaps they are pitching and catching from both sides? The Puerto Rican devastation is not important now because perhaps Viverito is courting white liberal votes for a perspective Public Advocate or congressional race? Or is she doing the bidding of Mayor de Blasio her benefactor who just appointed her to the Metropolitan Transportation Sustainability Advisory Workgroup an important commission and who really hates Governor Cuomo. Now I finally understand the complaint by supporters of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies that when Viverito was speaker she cut $400,000 from the budget of the Center. I guess Puerto Rico and PR serving institutions were not important then as well.
More troubling Benitez noted she had introduced Kathy Hochul for the Lieutenant Governor four years ago at the democratic convention at the behest of none other than Governor Cuomo but couldn't explain how Hochul was alright then, but an enemy of the people now. Lastly, Benitez inquired you are anti-Cuomo now but endorsed Tish James for Attorney General a diehard supporter of Cuomo and not the anti-corruption advocate Zephyr Teachout. Her response Tish is a friend and I have worked with her she did good work. (perhaps going back to the possible Public Advocate race should James become AG and could garner her some African American support).
Though I am largely insignificant in the world of electoral politics I supported Mark-Viverito in her race to become speaker and also when she was being attacked for defending freedom fighter Oscar Rivera Lopez. (see my statement on my website howardjordan.net) But as a fellow progressive, whatever that means nowadays, I cannot remain silent while political aspirations masking under progressive politics turn around and say that contributions to the people of Puerto Rico are not important in the selection of the NYS Governor. A state of nearly a million Puerto Ricans. Imagine a Jewish person saying the same about the state of Israel. On this one our dear sister, former speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito is clearly mistaken. Melissa please come home. As in the most famous lines from The Wizard of Oz "Click your heels together three times and say 'There's no place like home' and you'll be there." We boricuas will be waiting. Watch this week's edition of Pura Politica and judge for yourselves.