Photo from NewYorkTimes.com
Photo from NewYorkTimes.com
With being chosen as the White House Director of Urban Affairs, you would think that former Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión, Jr.’s former constituents would have glowing remarks about his leadership ability, or at least know who he is.
Carrión, whose main projects included improving housing, encouraging tourists to come to the Bronx, and trying to decrease the unemployment rate in the Bronx, might be remembered most for his unrelenting support for the building of a new Yankee Stadium. After Community Board 4, that serves the area around Yankee Stadium rejected the proposal, many of those who opposed the proposal were removed from the board by Carrión, whose motives were unclear.
A special election is being held to replace the former president on April 21. Assemblyman Rubén Díaz, Jr. and City Council member Joel Rivera are the likely candidates, according to The New York Times.
However, some residents didn’t even know a special election was being held. “What special election?” replied Carl, an employee at H & H Hardware on Castle Hill Avenue. He said he couldn’t even think about anything Carrión had done in the Bronx. When told that Carrión was a supporter of the construction of the new Yankee Stadium, he replied, ” I don’t think I like that. I think we need housing, not a baseball field.”
Twenty-two year old Jay, an employee at Pioneer Supermarket also on Castle Hill Avenue, did not even know that Carrión was the borough president.
The forecast does not look so good for Díaz and Rivera as neither Jay or Carl had heard of either of the candidates as well.
Even though he had not heard of the candidates, Jay said the next borough president should be someone who focuses on “education, [housing], the environment, cleaning up the streets…” to change the image of the Bronx.
Will the next Bronx borough president be someone who can acheive these goals and reach out to Castle Hill residents or at the very least be remembered when he leaves office?
