Statement by New York State Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz About Mayoral Control

As Chair of the New York State Senate Puerto Rican and Latino Caucus, and as a member of the Hispanic Community, I believe that it is an assault on many New Yorkers for Mayor Bloomberg to play upon the feelings and sentiments and emotions of our communities.  These are scare tactics. Making believe that the sky is going to fall and that the walls of education are about to crumble is completely false.

I believe that Dr. Dolores Fernandez, the person appointed by the Bronx Borough President is quite capable, educationally speaking, of addressing the problems in our public education system.  I believe that Dr. Fernandez is more capable and more qualified than the Mayor and Chancellor Klein and anyone in the Bloomberg Administration.

To say that the new Board of Education is bad is an insult to the Borough Presidents for having appointed these people, especially the one appointed by the Bronx Borough President.  If Mayor Bloomberg and his editorial boards believe that those appointed by the Borough Presidents are not capable, then that is nothing less than a slap in the face to all of the Borough Presidents.

For further information, please contact Senator Rev. Ruben Diaz at 718/496-4793.