FYI: Former state Senator Israel Ruiz, Jr. is trying again for the 14th District City Council seat in the Bronx. Ruiz spent four months in a federal prison after being convicted in 1989 of lying to a grand jury about fees he received from consulting. The conviction cost him his senate seat, which he had held since 1975. Ruiz previously held the 14th District Council seat from 1991 until 1997, when he gave up it up in a failed bid for Bronx borough president. This time, he will be challenging incumbent Maria Baez, who he claims is a product of a corrupt Democratic machine. Ruiz says that his victory for District 14 residents would “send a strong message that corrupt party politics would no longer poison their community.” [6/4/03]