Ok so now that I have established that I am from East Harlem New York, or El Barrio as we like to call it, let me rant and rave a little.

I’ve been living in the common wealth of Virginia for the past 6 years. And during that time, I have been in a clinical depression. Oh, dont worry about it I am on medication. Yup, I am on Cymbalta, you know that omne that’s advertised on television these days. The ad asks, “who does depression hurt”, and then answers, “everyone.” Let me tell you as one living with depression that it is true. Before I took this medication I tried Prozac for a couple of years, then Wellbutron. Both of those worked for a short while but I was always in pain. For me the physical pain was in my stomache. The other aspect was the lack of desire to function, and living in a household where the understanding of depression is only intellectual, meaning it was devoid of compassion, made it really hard for me and my family.

I was very angry and moody. I even discussed the possibility of being bipolar with my shrink but that was quickly dismissed, and I thank god for that.

I am really much better now, since I have been taking Cymbalta, but I am still not well. You see, Virginia is one of the most culturally lagged stated within the union. By cultural lag I mean the laws as backwards. I can only talk to my own case or situation so don’t let me get your goat.

First let me start by saying I have an MSW, a master’s degree in Social Work, from Fordham University, and a BS degree in Human Service from Boricua College, both in New York City.

While in New York City I founded and administered youth programs, I worked as a supervisor in two foster care agencies, was the Chief of the Drug Elimination program for the NYCHA and held other responsible and trust worthy positions.

Now the begining of my depression. When I graduated fron Fordham University with my MSW, I was already a supervisor at a foster care agency. I had applied for and was accepted into the National Urban Fellowship program where I would have gotten a second master’s degree, this one in policy and planning. As fate would have it I was offered the position of Chief of the Drug Elimination program for the New York City Housing Authority. I was told that I was the ideal candidate for this position since I was a person in recovery, was involved in local politics and I had academic acheivement, i.e., an MSW. I discussed this with my wife and for the sake of our family, we had a one year old and my wife was pregnant with our second child, we both decided that this position was good for me and my career. The starting salery was 52K. The Chairman of NYCHA was Ruben Franco, and he hired me personally at the behest of a mutual friend, Willie Nieves.

Now when I met with Ruben Franco and we discussed the position, I informed him that I had a criminal record from when I was young and on drugs. Mr. Franco, a highly acclaimed lawyer, and former President of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund (PRLDEF) told me that it was all in my past and that it was not a problem especially since I had a certificate of relief from disability ( a certificate of relief from disability is just short of an Executive Pardon) which restored me with most of my civil rights. The exception being the right to bare arms and the right to be elected to the U.S. Senate.

I worked for NYCHA for just under 11 months. I interacted with the NYCPD and the Mayor’s office on a weekly basis. I really enjoyed this job, I to am a product of the projects. In fact, I was raised in the Jefferson Houses one of NYCHA’S developments in East Harlem. My duties took me all over the city to meet with resident associations and there respective presidents.

Anyway, back to my story. After about a month, I had a new boss. Jose Nicote came on board as a duty commisioner and my division became part of Community Affairs which Jose was responsible for. Politics is brutal in New York City, and Puerto Rican politics was murderous.

Ruben Franco and my buddy Willie Nieves came from one faction, Jose Nicot and his crew came from another faction. These two dudes, Ruben and Jose hated eachother. I mean they really hated eachother. Ruben was politically connected, he was afterall the former President of PRLDEF. In fact, it was under his administration that a new “mostly Puerto Rican” district was created. Another fact is that it was in this new district that Ruben Franco ran for U.S. Congress and lost to Nydia Velasquez. Jose was connected to Ninfa Segarra Mayor Guiliani’s appointed person to the school board. Now if you recall, maybe yo dont since I have no idea who is actually reading this, Guiliani was not a well liked person in the Puerto Rican and African American communities. So when Jose Nicot and Ninfa Segarra stood with him it was daring. Jose felt that he delivered the Bronx for Guiliani and therefore should have been rewarded with the Chairmanship of NYCHA and not Ruben who in Jose’s mind was a Johnny come lately. So I said all that to establish the atmosphere at NYCHA. My boy Willie Nieves worked on the 9th floor. His office was adjacent to Ruben Franco’s office. I used to hang out on the 9th floor ( this was a big thing to the civil service workers because the 9th floor was off limits, that was the Executive suite) and joke around with Willie, and we’d have lunch almost everyday that he was not in a meeting elsewhere. Through Willie Nieves I met Miriam Colon, the famous PR actress were we discussed ways to fund her theatrial organization. We also talked about renaming one of the project complexeses in East Harlem after Raul Julia whom had recently passed away.

Then one day Willie told me that I needed to keep away from the 9th floor and that I should not hang out with him at work to much because it was sending the wrong message. It struck me as odd but I simply did was he asked. So when Jose Nicot and his sidekick Eric Torro came on board I was alone to defend myself. I was not part of any of there factions, Ruben’s or Jose’s but here I was caught in the middle.

I gotta go now so I’ll continue later.