Election Day Numbers

Many of the City Council members were away from the Monday meeting. My comments, though short on Tuesday numbers above, were completed simultaneous with the five minute notice to public speakers.
Dear OIB readers, the following was addressed to CC chambers on Monday November 5, 2018:
Let me guess that your minds are focused on Election Day tomorrow. You hope to have as many people voting as possible. Bridgeport has a poor voting record in this City when you compare the number of people registered to vote to those who come out to vote. Why is that? Does one vote mean that little? Are folks frustrated that they vote and the elected do not listen? Are people cynical when the rich get richer and folks don’t have food, shelter, clothing or good public educations? We have heard a lot about “fake news”, lies and equivocation in politics in the past two years. But what do you call a communication that was handed out in my District this weekend published by the Democratic Town Committee? Did DTC leaders hold a meeting to declare that the DTC Chair Testa and each District Chair are in favor of “fully funding education”? Those are words put in the mouth of the Democratic candidates. They further claim that certain candidates have led the fight to restructure Bridgeport finances. Where is the evidence? What does MARB offer the City? The subject is school operations. In 3 months you’ll be dealing with this again. Aren’t you happy to know that the Bridgeport DTC, your sponsors and endorsers have paid for this ad promotion and approve its message??

As Communications Director for the Greater Bridgeport NAACP for several years now, I looked for what we might do this year. I heard about the NAACP motto for the year: DEFEAT HATE – VOTE!!! I figured that this community can see hate when it shows its ugliness in words and/or action. I ordered 500 buttons. I have worn mine every day and had many conversations with “friends I had not yet met”. People know hate and know it has no place in the public square. Sometimes the hatred is about racial matters and it gets hidden institutionally.

For instance if you have a problem and wish to contact the City about it, there is a program that started as Bridgeport 311 under the previous administration that has morphed into SeeClickFix. I have talked with more than one homeowner resident and/or Council member. You seem to be happy about the ability to report an issue, have it officially recorded, and get a response that often by itself is the answer. For those of you who have Park City Communities residents in your Districts or know of their situation, why do they have a paper and pen system for reporting critical issues like failures in heating, days when no hot water is available. And multiple complaints about water, sewage and precipitation issues that cause mold and damage personal possession that are never solved. I reference months and even years of this. No accountability when paper files are lost. Fear by citizens that complaints will be met with eviction or further ignoring of basic quality of life components. Why are there two systems in play in Bridgeport with those who are caught in public housing offered one system that fails often and is not accountable ever? And another that seems to deal reasonably and timely with complaints from taxpayers? Is this equal treatment? Is it fair? (Is that part of our voting problem, too, when governance fails to deliver?)

Finally, I attended a meeting with Acting Chief Perez and Lt. O’Donnell regarding the van that was “not abandoned” on October 2. Last week Linda Lee told me that there was no action and she needs a lawyer to sue. The Chief is a nice friendly guy, but by telling the public on June 18 that he could fix it the next day and allowing nearly five months passing, he demonstrates a lack of effectiveness. And when the story of Captain Straubel, his right hand assistant, turned into a soap opera with serious racial overtones, did he do everything possible to investigate all other forms of electronic communications that would either show other patterns of racial discrimination within the department or not. Was this completed? No word on this subject is revealed as the panels listen to candidates. This reflects poorly on the current administration in my opinion. Time will tell.

John Marshall Lee
November 5, 2018