Results tagged “rubendiazsr”

One of the staunchest opponents to same-sex marriage is a Bronx state senator with two gay brothers, a gay grandchild, and a gay chief counsel. Democrat Ruben Diaz, Sr., a Pentecostal minister, has been a die hard foe of any bill that would legalize gay marriage in New York State, despite his supposedly convivial relationship with many homosexuals. "I love them. I love them," says Díaz, who grew up one of 17 children in Puerto Rico. "But I don’t believe in what they are doing." more ›

The panel to investigate whether State Senator Hiram Monserrate should face disciplinary action, in the wake of his misdemeanor for assaulting his girlfriend, has been set. Senate majority conference leader John Sampson (D-Brooklyn) said, "Violence against women is simply unacceptable and will not be tolerated. It has no place in the world. It has no place in the Senate. As a father with daughters I am not only angry, but I'm pissed off. But as a leader I cannot let my personal feelings supercede the individual rights of each member. While there may be many calls for our colleague to resign, that is his choice and his choice alone." more ›

There's a growing chorus of lawmakers saying that State Senator Hiram Monserrate should step down, now that he's been convicted of a misdemeanor for slashing his girlfriend in the face with a broken glass, but one of Monserrate's Senate colleagues is standing by him. In fact, State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. said that these demands are "racist." more ›

Governor Paterson may have spent his summer struggling through a legislative mess brought on by the Senate coup and continually sagging poll numbers that threaten the possibility of his 2010 bid, but he wants to make it clear that he hasn't forgotten his pledge to bring gay marriage to New York. Paterson told that he intends to put his same sex marriage bill on the floor when senators convene for a special session he expects to call later this month. Lawmakers are not required to vote on legislation brought up by the governor, but there may be more of a chance for that now that John Sampson is Democratic Conference Leader. Former Majority Leader Malcolm Smith had a deal with the Three Amigos not to bring same sex legislation to the floor. But the most vocal opponent of gay marriage, Senator Ruben Diaz Jr., told the News, "I tell you - as a man, before God - if that issue comes to the floor, there's going to be chaos in the Democratic conference. You can take that to the bank." However Diaz also said, "(But) I'm not going to join the Republicans. Never. Never." more ›

Besides getting some great footage of State Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. essentially telling reporters to stop looking into his questionable activities, PolitickerNY's Azi Paybarah has a slideshow from yesterday's State Senators-against-Mayor Bloomberg event titled, "Anatomy of a Bloomberg-Bashing Press Event." Our favorites (and by favorites, we mean the photos and captions that make us cry): Sen. Espada saying, "Where on earth do you get the opportunity to spend hundreds of millions of dollars and not have the public know where its tax dollars are going?" (and Espada knows about pork) and Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. proclaiming, "You can call us crazy. You can call us dumb. You can call us anything you want. It's not working. It is not working." more ›

Because the two squabbling State Senate factions haven't come to any sort of leadership/power sharing deal, Governor Paterson issued proclamations for the Senators to hold special sessions at 3 p.m. every day through July 6. Which, Capitol Confidential reports, "means that the Senate will be in Albany through the holiday weekend." Nice—you can read the proclamations for July 2, July 3, July 4, July 5 and July 6. more ›

A memo outlining a (now failed) power sharing deal! Plots to overthrow the leader! Gays jamming phone lines! The State Senate Democrats are delivering an end-of-the-year bonanza of insanity for all of us good boys and girls! Or maybe it's because we were bad? more ›