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Paging J. Edgar Hoover — As Charter Reformers Meet, How About A Lydia Martinez Rule?

January 27th, 2012 · 1 Comment · Analysis and Comment, City Politics, State Politics

The city’s Charter Revision Commission commences regular meetings on Tuesday to begin shaping questions that presumably will appear on the November ballot for voter approval. Mayor Bill Finch, who assembled the commission with City Council approval, has stated clearly where he’d like to see the focus: education. The city’s Board of Education is an elected body currently mothballed by the state in favor of a state-appointed commission. We’re awaiting a ruling by the Connecticut Supreme Court about the state-control legality. [Read more →]

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In Honor Of Speedy Gonzalez, Our Super Bowl Commercial Choice

January 27th, 2012 · No Comments · Uncategorized

Remember this one from the mayoral campaign? Mary-Jane Foster says what’s claimed about her is a bunch of baloney. Tito Ayala says it’s all wrong. Charlie Coviello says the same. But, Joel “Speedy” Gonzalez says as far as the commercial applies to him the commercial is spot on! Let’s submit this as a Super Bowl commercial in honor of Joel.

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Alvin Penn’s Legacy, ‘The Penn Act’ Against Police Profiling

January 26th, 2012 · 9 Comments · Analysis and Comment, City Politics

Alvin Penn

Alvin Penn in 1999

Not later than January 1, 2000, each municipal police department and the Department of Public Safety shall adopt a written policy that prohibits the stopping, detention or search of any person when such action is solely motivated by considerations of race, color, ethnicity, age, gender or sexual orientation, and the action would constitute a violation of the civil rights of the person.

It was the spring of 1996 and Alvin Penn, an African American state senator from Bridgeport, was stopped by a white police officer in neighboring Trumbull that had an all-white police department. The cop interrogated Penn about his location.
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Do Newspaper Endorsements Matter?

January 26th, 2012 · 3 Comments · Analysis and Comment, Media, News and Events

The Chicago Sun-Times, in a new policy, writes that endorsing political candidates is worthless. The paper noted “As many of you have told us, you can make up your own mind, thank you very much.”

Do media endorsements influence you? In this wide-open campaign season that includes the president, and a bunch of state and federal races, news editorial boards across the country and in Connecticut will invite candidates in to make their pitch why they’re worthy of an endorsement. If you could wave your magic wand would you tell Hearst Newspapers, owner of the Connecticut Post, to mothball political endorsements? Do you care about newspaper endorsements? The Sun-Times policy change:
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How Do You Spell Nuts? The Absentee Ballot Queen Wants Registrar Of Voters Job

January 25th, 2012 · 23 Comments · Analysis and Comment, City Politics

Lydia Martinez

City Councilwoman Lydia Martinez

Hold on to your absentee ballots. City Councilwoman Lydia Martinez, an admitted absentee ballot cheat, wants to be Democratic Registrar of Voters. She has contacted several district leaders for support. Lydia has been fined twice, the latest for absentee ballot fraud, by the State Elections Enforcement Commission for elections infractions, but why should that stop her from becoming the city’s top Democratic elections official? Only In Bridgeport, say you? Only Lydia Martinez.
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Health Director Takes Medical Leave–Who’s Running The Health Department?

January 25th, 2012 · 63 Comments · Analysis and Comment, News and Events

Kristin duBay Horton

Kristin duBay Horton

UPDATE: Kristin duBay Horton, the Health and Human Services director for the city, has taken a medical leave from the department. The city has contacted officials with the state health department to identify an acting director.
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Mayor Pushes New East Side Train Station

January 25th, 2012 · 2 Comments · Development and Zoning, News and Events

From Mayor Finch:

 The New York-Connecticut Sustainable Communities Consortium will host a town hall meeting, Thursday, January 26 at 6 p.m., at Housatonic Community College.
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