Keeping Relevant With Ronnie Eldridge

Joel J. Ehrlich, The Harmony Group president and FIT marketing professor defines, explains, and illustrates advertising, marketing, branding, social media, integrated marketing and more, commenting on their power to effect people and events.

Brooklyn Defender Services provides legal representation to those unable to afford an attorney. The Family Defense Practice, part of BDS, founded and directed by Lauren Shapiro, works to keep the family together and children out of foster care.

Wayne Barrett applies Ocean Hill-Brownsville experiences to today's issues in education. Author of "Grand Illusion" and with Jack Newfield, "City for Sale," and "Trump" books about NY's governments, politics, Mr. Barrett is the "go-to" person on Trump.

The Irish and the Italian immigrant shared poverty and the Catholic religion. What prevented them from getting along in 19th century NY? In "An Unlikely Union," author Paul Moses recounts the rivalry of these ethnic groups so important to the City.

Angelo Falcón, founder president of the National Institute for Latino Policy, describes Puerto Rico as being in a political "twilight zone," with a fragile economy, a poorly managed government, and out-of-control borrowing leading to a $73 billion debt.

Allen Roskoff, gay rights activist, president of the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, discusses Stonewall, campaigns of the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activists Alliance to change minds and hearts, rules and practices about the LGBT community.

Doug Muzzio, Baruch College Survey Research Unit, discusses "polling," an integral part of our political lives and more, facing significant problems: the increase in cell phones, for one, making it difficult and very expensive to reach people.

Asha Bandele, "The Prisoner's Wife" talks about the policies of the "prison industrial complex" on the community and on the lives of the incarcerated and their families. Technology in private prisons substitutes "virtual visits" for face-to-face visits.

Emily Horowitz, St. Francis College, and author of "Protecting Our Kids? How Sex Offender Laws are Failing Us" discusses draconian sex offender laws, asking if these laws protect children or are they examples of unfair practices that are not effective.

Mika Dashman, founder of the Restorative Justice Initiative in NYC discusses the victor/offender dialogue, face-to-face mediation, which seeks to address the needs of the injured, while encouraging those who have caused injury to take responsibility.

Landmarks Conservancy president Peg Breen discusses the public's concern of especially tall buildings going up in Tribeca, Lower Manhattan, near parks and particularly on 57th Street, affecting the character and quality of life of these communities.

NYS Senator Liz Krueger lists some of the most important issues of government today, including affordable housing, public education, equal pay, and jobs, discussing rent regulation, 421-a, ethics reform among many areas requiring attention.

Dr. Carol Burris, principal of South Side High School for 13 years, named New York State Outstanding Principal of the Year in 2013 is taking early retirement to continue to write and advocate against test-based accountability for students and teachers.

Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer discusses zoning, 421-a, up-zoning, destabilization, air rights - a dizzying array of complicated and even contradictory programs, plans, laws, practices, that must be considered when dealing with housing in NY.

Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services oversees an extensive portfolio that includes many services and operations that effect the most vulnerable in our society - the poor. 1/3rd of those in shelters are working at full-time.

Letitia James, NYC Public Advocate, says that while embracing being the first African American elected to citywide office, this fact is nothing more than an "historical footnote if you don't do something with it," talking of work on behalf of the public.

SayAh! is a service designed to make health care safer, more effective and easier to manage for patients and caregivers. With health professionals and the community, Anna Allen and Helene Eisman Fisher work to improve health literacy in a complex system.

Richard Brodsky, former New York State Assemblyman, sponsor of the Public Authorities Reform Act signed into law in 2009, talks about the current NYS legislature, corruption due to campaign financing law, interference in voter rights, and more.

NY's Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation brings gymnastics training to over 15,000 inner-city children for free-or at a very low cost. An advocate for her sport, national and international medalist, Hilliard supports opportunities for women in sports.

Jerry Goldfeder, top election lawyer, discusses the impact of redistricting and state's efforts to place restrictions on voting. To encourage voter participation, he suggested same-day registration, early voting, easier voting by mail.

WE ACT for Environmental Justice, co-founder and executive director, Peggy Shepard describes the work of the organization and the local community to correct threats to health and the environment from the North River Sewage Treatment Plant.

Tom Robbins, investigative reporter, Investigative Journalist in Residence at the CUNY School of Journalism, describes conversations with officials and inmates at Attica Prison, culminating in The New York Times article, "A Brutal Beating Wakes Attic

Martin F. Horn, Distinguished Lecturer at John Jay College/CUNY and former Commissioner of Corrections discusses Rikers Island, its issues going back 50 years and steps to be taken to correct conditions in the prison.

Dennis Goodman, M.D., cardiology professor/director of Integrative Medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center describes the holistic approach as treating the whole-person- not just the disease. He is the author of "Magnificent Magnesium" and "K2."

Ester Fuchs, professor, public affairs and political science at Columbia University commented on some of the issues presented by Mayor de Blasio in his "State of the City" address: keeping the city safe, environmental stability, and affordable housing.