The political action committee Residents For A Better Bridgeport has produced three new videos that makes the case to voters, if you want to continue progress for children “vote yes for charter reform.” If this charter question goes down in flames it won’t be for the lack of trying by Mayor Bill Finch and supporters of a mayoral-appointed Board of Education. A yes vote Nov. 6 will provide the mayor that authority.
Residents For A Better Bridgeport www.residentsforabetterbridgeport.com is expected to spend roughly $200,000 on this effort by the time election day arrives in two weeks. Direct-mail pieces, cable television, neighborhood canvassers and election-day workers are all part of the plan. The effort is financed heavily by the regional business community. Nice to go to a business and say hey we need 10 grand and get it. Charter questions are not easy to pass. In the last 20-plus years voters have approved mayoral appointment of police and fire chiefs to no more than two five-year terms, as well as a four-year term for mayor in 1998.
We’ve heard a lot from supporters of a yes vote. It helps to have money. Does the opposition have enough dough to persuade a no vote? The Bridgeport Education Association, Connecticut’s Working Families Party, Connecticut Citizen Action Group, Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition are among the groups working against it, claiming this effort is nothing but a power grab that lances voter rights. A door-to-door effort is underway to educate voters why a no vote is in their interests. A bunch of city politicians, most of them opponents of the mayor, are also working against the question.
Have you heard from both sides of this effort? Let us know. Two more videos below from Residents For A Better Bridgeport.
So what were the proposed Charter changes? The vote Yes coalition could put out a piece of video with a sweet as a toothache audio backdrop and name it “A charter for my child.” Maybe it could run on Lifetime starring Valerie Bertinelli or one of Charlie’s Angels. It would still not answer the question, but at least we would get to see more bad acting and some better than average plastic surgery.
*** The man’s desperate to take the BOE bull by the horns and run with it. And if he fails voters can vote him out without a “recall” or should he happen to run again in three years, no? Not a bad deal if you believe in flying pigs! *** Wee, Wee-Wee, Weeeee! ***
This video was published October 12, 2012 and has 27 viewings–two of which are from me and the rest from other OIB readers who are voting: NO!
“Maybe my kid would be better in this school.”
Maybe your kid would be better off if your kids went to Black Rock School like the Mayor’s?
Paging the Bored of Ed, CT Post, Jon Pelto and Lennie Grimaldi?
ANYONE?
In June 2008, Senator Robert D. Russo (R-Bridgeport) announced Governor Rell has approved a $250,000 grant he requested to help fund a comprehensive management and operational study of the Bridgeport Board of Education. The study, supported by the City of Bridgeport and the Bridgeport Board of Education, will be managed by the Bridgeport Regional Business Council and include a full forensic audit of the City’s school system to identify inefficiencies and out-dated practices, and solutions for fixing them.
www .youtube.com/watch?v=rPC1HmB3z6A
What happen to this audit and the $250,000?
If we have a 50% dropout rate for the past four years, where the hell was Bill Finch then?
With a 50% dropout rate and a $290 Million Dollar School budget per year, what happened to the $580 Million School surplus?
Bill Finch DROPPED the ball on the BoE 50% dropout rate for the past four years.
He Dropped the Ball on the Russo Audit back in 2008.
What makes you think Bill Finch will not drop the ball AGAIN on our kids and schools?
Just Vote NO!