Bassick Student Shot Dead In The Hollow

An environment of hopelessness and despair is fomented, the sour loam in which the violent, lawless culture of Bridgeport’s poorest neighborhoods is rooted. A failed school system the mayor financially asphyxiated, a police department thinned by retirements and resignations, an unchecked unemployment rate. All these factor into the city’s continuing decline.

I live in Bridgeport because it is home. Think about the meaning of that word, “home.” Home is where the heart is, there’s no place like home. Home, sweet home. Bridgeport is OUR home. We all live here. We have a right to demand more of our elected officials, demand more of the individuals bold enough to campaign for our votes. We have a right to demand a quality education for our children. We have a right to demand safer streets and a healthy environment. More than that, we have a right to expect it.

But City Hall has not been heeding our demands, and our cynicism has devolved into a “why bother?” pessimism. Bill Finch had eight years and he built a water slide to solve the education crisis. Joe Ganim had twelve years and he took custom-tailored shirts, investment-quality wine and some cash. Mary-Jane Foster, the only Democrat who could claim to not have any connections to the corrupt political machine, has now aligned herself with part of it.

That leaves Enrique Torres as the only candidate worth considering. As a member of the City Council he has been highly effective at appealing to his fellow common council members to vote down a 35-year tax abatement for one of Bill Finch’s campaign “donors.” Mr. Torres drafted a resolution to strictly limit the predatory “boot and tow” tax collection program. He is not motivated by greed, sloth, vainglory, financial gain or ego gratification. Mr. Torres simply wants what’s best for us. He grew up in the projects, put himself through college and is now a successful business man. Before he took over Harborview Market there was no sense of community in Black Rock. Now there is. The market has become a central location for social interaction.

Enrique Torres is a consensus builder, a man who knows how to trade horses to achieve a goal for the common good. To say “He doesn’t have a chance so I’m voting for Ganim or Foster” is just so much rationalized bullshit. Anyone using that justification may as well just come right out and say “I give in, the city is always going to be fucked up so why bother to try someone new?”

The victim noted above was only seventeen years old, the second homicide in less than a week. Twenty-five years ago Joe Ganim had the opportunity to make a difference. Instead he just took custom-tailored clothing, expensive French wine, a new driveway and some cash. Bill Finch had eight years to fix the school system; he built a water slide and enrolled his kids in a charter school. A month ago Mary-Jane Foster was railing against the corruption and cronyism of Bridgeport’s entrenched one-party rule. Now she has aligned herself with that very organization.

Enrique Torres is a moderate Republican, the only viable alternative to the machine candidates. He doesn’t have a criminal record, has absolutely no connections to the politics of Bridgeport’s poisonous Democratic Party. He has identified the major problems bedeviling the people of the city of Bridgeport and has presented practical solutions to make positive change. Gamim and Foster have offered only 50- or 100-day plans of vague, “feel good” proposals. A commission here, a study there. We know what the problems are: taxes, crime, jobs, the economy. No need to hire a bunch of consultants. If you can’t fix the problems please step aside.