The Serrano Report, vol. IV, #2

On Capitol Hill This Week

Serrano Opposes Bush’s Iraq Escalation

In light of President Bush’s announced escalation of the Iraq war this week, Congressman José E. Serrano again voiced his deep opposition to our continued military occupation of Iraq.

“President Bush is like a gambler who has lost everything, but yet continues to try to salvage his fortunes by doubling down one more time,” Serrano said. “The problem is that he’s gambling with other people’s lives. There is no military solution to the problems in Iraq—Bush must recognize this reality.

“The majority of American people want to de-escalate and disengage from this misguided conflict. I believe their government, and the President, must listen to them. Along with many of my Democratic colleagues, I co-sponsored a resolution against this escalation. But I must add that I not only oppose an escalation, but also oppose our ongoing military presence in Iraq, and ask the President: what just cause could our further involvement possibly advance? We must bring the troops home and out of the way of a civil war that they cannot control or even influence.”

Serrano Supports Taxpayer Advocate’s Call to End IRS Private Debt Collection

This past week, the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) Taxpayer Advocate Service, an independent organization within the IRS designed to assist taxpayers with resolving their tax problems, called for the elimination of an IRS program that assigns certain taxpayer accounts to private collection agencies. Congressman Serrano, as the new Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee that funds the IRS, also expressed his opposition to this program, which he called both “wasteful and inefficient.”

“This program privatizes a function of the IRS without any added cost-effectiveness,” said Serrano. “Paying up to 25 cents on the dollar collected by the private debt collection agencies takes much-needed revenue away from the federal government, which could do the work more efficiently. I do not believe in outsourcing simply for outsourcing’s sake especially when it is more costly to taxpayers.”

Democrats Move Forward with First 100 Hours Legislation

After swiftly passing legislation aimed at severing the unethical ties between lawmakers and lobbyists on the first day of the new Congress, House Democrats moved forward with their 100 hours agenda this week, an ambitious plan to pass key measures affecting the lives of everyday Americans during the first 100 legislative hours of the 110th Congress. As of today, Democrats have been successful in passing four of the six bills on the agenda and plan to pass the final two measures after the Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday.

Legislation cleared thus far includes:

• H.R. 1, a bill implementing the 9/11 commission recommendations, which passed the House 299-128;
• H.R. 2, a bill to raise the minimum wage to $7.25 per hour over a two year period, which passed the House 315-116;
• H.R. 3, a bill promoting life-saving stem cell research, which passed the House 253-174;
• H.R. 4, a bill requiring Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, which passed the House 255-170.

“With the passage of these measures, this body has perhaps accomplished more in one week than it did in all of the Republican-led 109th Congress,” said Serrano after the House finished its business for the week. He added: “These measures will have a positive impact on every American, whether they live in New York City or Omaha, Nebraska. Furthermore, they reflect our party’s core belief that government should play a role in not only providing security for its citizens but on helping them to live healthier and more fulfilling lives as well.”

Next week, House Democrats look to complete work on the 100 hours agenda by passing H.R. 5, a bill to cut interest rates on student loans and H.R. 6, a bill to repeal big oil subsidies and investing in renewable fuels. All four bills cleared by the House this past week now await action by the U.S. Senate.

In the Bronx This Week  

Serrano Arranges Tour of Abandoned Rail Line

On Thursday, January 11th, Congressman Serrano arranged a tour of long abandoned rail spurs in the southern end of his district for local organizations and members of Community Board #2 (Hunts Point/Longwood). The spurs, which run from Randall's Island all the way to the Bronx River, are mostly elevated one story above grade. A generation ago, they were used by industry to ship products and raw materials to and from factories in Port Morris and Oak Point. Because the tracks have not been utilized for so many years, they have become overgrown with trees and other vegetation.

Similar to the High Line that runs through the West Side of Manhattan, this potential "linear park" may hold great promise as the "missing link" in the planned South Bronx Greenway, a project Congressman Serrano has actively promoted since 1998. When completed, the greenway could connect Hunts Point, Longwood, Port Morris and Mott Haven to various waterfront destinations that will be developed in coming years.

Mitchell-Lama Taskforce

Congressman Serrano, in conjunction with other Bronx elected officials, has joined with tenants and tenant organizations to create a Bronx Mitchell-Lama Task Force to preserve affordable housing for existing and previous Mitchell-Lama developments and to address broader housing issues. The Task Force will serve as a central resource for the empowerment of Mitchell-Lama residents by providing educational tools, creating networks between developments and advocates, assisting the organization of tenants associations, promoting fair legislation, and holding owners and oversight agencies accountable. 

Please look for further details regarding the new task force in upcoming editions of The Serrano Report. 

Community Organizations Tour Wastewater Treatment Plants

Last month Congressman Serrano’s office hosted a day-long fact-finding trip to Boston to tour Boston Harbor and the Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plants for community-based organizations, local elected officials, government agencies, and concerned residents of the South Bronx. The purpose of the trip was to better understand the role that municipal infrastructure has played in the revitalization of Boston Harbor. A long-term collaboration between government and community groups has revived decaying parklands and created new ones in and around the Harbor. With Hunts Point poised to shoulder the burden of an $800M+ expansion of the Hunts Point Water Pollution Control Plant, this tour offered essential information to South Bronx residents seeking to understand best practices for cleaning up New York's waters while developing a community-friendly waterfront.

A day after this tour the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) hosted a community investment workshop as part of DEP's dialogue with the community to mitigate the impact of the plant's upgrades. This workshop grappled with how to balance the local impact of DEP's facilities with quality of life in the area and minimize the impact to local parklands, such as the newly-opened Barretto Point Park, which adjoins the DEP expansion site. The Boston Harbor trip helped inform much of the discussion at the workshop.