BP’s State of the Borough on BronxNet
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, M BTR ARCH 1-7, 2019 69
The borough’s achievements
and goals took center
stage as Borough President
Ruben Diaz, Jr. delivered the
2019 ‘State of the Borough’
address from H.E.R.O. High
School/The Samuel Gompers
Campus. Bronx residents
and others can experience it
all with rebroadcasts of the
entire speech, on BronxNet.
Delivered Thursday, February
21, and broadcast live,
the ‘State of the Borough’ is
being rebroadcast on Bronx-
Net Channel 67-Optimum
and on Channel 33-Fios on
Friday, March 1 at 1:30 and
7:30 p.m.; Saturday, March 2
at 8:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.; and
Sunday, March 3 at 3:30 p.m.
Viewers from all over the
world can also share the experience
at www.bronxnet.
org.
“The ‘State of the Borough’
would not be the suc-
Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. Photo Credit: Khaleem Poole
cess it is each year without
the hard work and effort of
the entire team at BronxNet.
I encourage all Bronxites
and viewers across the world
to enjoy this year’s broadcast
and take in BronxNet’s continued
coverage of this important
event,” said Diaz, Jr.
Bronxites who were unable
to attend the live event,
as well as attendees who
want a recap, will hear Diaz’
comments on protecting children
from the dangers of
the streets through initiatives
like ‘Camp Junior,’ an
upstate camp created by the
borough president’s offi ce,
the Fresh Air Fund and the
NYS Department of Parks, in
memory of Lesandro ‘Junior’
Feliz-Guzman, the 15-yearold
murdered by gang members
in June.
Diaz talks about cleaning
up public housing and
the future of the New York
City Housing Authority (NYCHA),
success in developing
new units of affordable housing
and preserving existing
housing, and Bronx ferry
service and expanded metro
north service. He shares his
views on climate change, an
open, democratic society and
much more.
“Borough President Ruben
Diaz, Jr. delivers a momentous
address about the
progress of our borough, the
challenges we face and more.
We are proud to share it with
our Bronx audience and with
the world on BronxNet,” said
BronxNet executive director
Michael Max Knobbe.
BronxNet is the independent
not-for-profi t organization
serving the people of the
Bronx through the provision
of media production training,
access to technology, and
cable television channels.
BronxNet programs six
channels - 33, 34, 35, 36, 37
and 38 on the Verizon FiOS
system and six channels -
67, 68, 69, 70, 951 and 952 - on
the Optimum system in the
Bronx.
Action
Association
BY FRANK V. VERNUCCIO, JR.
Conspicuously missing
from the headlines throughout
most of the media is the
growing strength of the
American economy, due to the
change in the White House
following the 2016 elections.
That reality simply fails to
meet the dire, and totally incorrect,
predictions of a biased
media that the return
to traditional American economics
following the failed,
leftward path of the Obama
Administration would produce
salutary effects.
Total nonfarm payroll employment
rose by 304,000 jobs
in January, far surpassing
market expectations (165,000)
January 2019 marked 16th
consecutive month of employment
growth of at least
100,000 new jobs. Numerous
sectors experienced
job growth in January, including
mining and logging
(7,000), transportation and
warehousing (27,000), construction
(52,000), education
and health services (55,000),
and leisure and hospitality
(74,000). The economy has
added 4.9 million jobs since
January 2017.
The Wall Street Journal
reports that “U.S. stocks
post their best January in 30
Years…Gains by banks and
small caps helped lift the
Dow and S&P 500 to their best
starts since the 1980s….”
The 163,229,000 who participated
in the labor force
equaled 63.2 percent of the
258,239,000 civilian noninstitutionalized
population,
an increase from the 62.9%
when the Obama Administration
left offi ce.
Market Watch reports
that Manufacturing jobs
have grown at fastest rate in
23 years.
This is a vital statistic.
According to the Bureau
of Labor Statistics, President
Obama’s tenure in offi
ce presided over the loss of
over 300,000 manufacturing
jobs. The former president
was rather nonchalant about
that reality, stating, as his
administration was winding
down to its fi nal months, that
“some manufacturing jobs
‘are just not going to come
back.’”
Obama’s legion of admirers
in the media wholeheartedly
agreed with the former
president’s gloomy and incorrect
analysis.
Forbes noted that “…as
the shock of a President-elect
Donald Trump was still being
absorbed, New York Times
columnist and economist Paul
Krugman tweeted on November
25, 2016, ‘Nothing policy
can do will bring back those
lost jobs. The service sector
is the future of work; but nobody
wants to hear it.”
Well, a funny thing happened—
Trump’s policies,
and just as importantly, the
expectation of Trump’s policies,
ignited a manufacturing
resurgence…In the fi rst
21 months of the Trump
presidency… manufacturing
employment grew by 3.1%,
reversing the trend under
Obama … Comparing the
last 21 months of the Obama
administration with the fi rst
21 months of Trump’s, shows
that under Trump’s watch,
more than 10 times the number
of manufacturing jobs
were added.”
The Obama Administration,
with its extreme regulatory
policies and leftist
economics, hindered manufacturing
growth. An analysis
by Bloomberg outlines
the dilemma: the minimal
amount of jobs that are were
created were in traditionally
lower-paying fi elds, furthering
a transfer of employment
from middle income to lower
income. Payrolls at middleclass
paying factories fell,
while jobs in low-paying
fi elds such as retail, leisure,
and hospitality fi elds rose.
In addition to the Trump
Administration’s push to
lower taxes and ease the regulatory
burden, its tough
stance on China’s unfair
trade policies have had an
impact. China has not abided
by reasonable trade practices
following normalization of
commercial relations. Its
resulting domination of several
industries resulted in
decimating American industrial
production and the loss
of vast numbers of manufacturing
jobs. U.S. News reports
that within the fi rst 13
years since normalization,
3.2 million American factory
jobs were lost.
A specifi c example of how
President Trump’s tough
stance on China has produced
results can be seen in
a study of the U.S. aluminum
manufacturing sector. The
Economic Policy Institute
found in December that “One
and a half years ago, the U.S.
primary aluminum industry
was hanging on by a thread.
Between 2010 and 2017, 18 of
23 domestic aluminum smelters
shut down, eliminating
roughly 13,000 good domestic
jobs. In 2016, there were three
alumina refi neries supplying
U.S. smelters; by 2017, only
one remained in operation…
after the Section 232 tariffs
were imposed on aluminum
(and steel) on March 8,
2018, the domestic producers
of both primary aluminum
and downstream aluminum
products have made commitments
to create thousands of
jobs, invest billions of dollars
in aluminum production,
and substantially increase
domestic production.”
Re-run reminders! Just
some dates to remember for activities
that will occur before
our next meeting:
Sunday, March 10 is the St.
Patrick’s Day Parade, 9:30 a.m.
Mass at St. Benedict followed
by breakfast, form up 11 m. .at
East Tremont and Lafayette avenues
for step-off at noon.
Tuesday, March 12 is Capital
Hill Day, Albany. Contact
Pat is you wish to attend and
meet our elected offi cials.
Wednesday, March 13 is
Belly Bomber Bingo at the
Bronx VA. Volunteers are still
needed. Meet up at 5:03 p.m.
Friday, March 29 is the
Commander’s Visit and Dinner
at Antun’s of Queens Village,
$65 per person, cocktail hour
at 6 p.m.
Note: Our 3rd Sunday meeting
in April will be held on the
4th Sunday as the 3rd is the celebration
of Easter.
Remembering today our
comrade Ed Shipp, Hawkins
Post 156, City Island.
Until next time: Try to make
one or more, bring a friend!
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