The education reform group Excel Bridgeport www.excelbridgeport.com has released its latest video featuring several city parents in support of a yes vote for the Nov. 6 charter question that if approved by voters will empower Mayor Bill Finch to appoint school board members. Advocates on both sides of the charter question have launched an intense flow of information to city voters that includes mail, radio, online news sites, social media and canvassers.
Excel Bridgeport is running an independent outreach operation complementing the efforts of Residents For A Better Bridgeport, the political action committee framing a yes vote to electors on behalf of Mayor Bill Finch.
In addition, Students First, the education advocacy group started by Michelle Rhee, has 65 paid canvassers on the ground promoting a yes vote. That’s a mighty number of ground operatives touching voters.
By the time election day hits the combined financial forces of the political action committee, Students First and Excel Bridgeport could eclipse $500,000 pushing a yes vote. That’s a lot of scratch.
Opposition forces under the umbrella of www.protectourvotingrights.wordpress.com also has city canvassers compiling a list of no voters for a Nov. 6 election day pull. The No coalition includes the Bridgeport Education Association, Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition, the Connecticut Working Families Party and Connecticut Citizens Action Group. They’re framing the ballot question as an anti-democratic power grab.
Down with the Plebiscite Zombies!
*** No one on the video mentioned if they were all right with losing their “right to vote” for an elected BOE due to voting “yes.” Also it seems they think if you vote “no” all the positive improvements achieved so far by Vallas & company would all go away. The actual question is misleading and to get all the so-called city government info concerning this charter revision question you must have a computer to research the long 50-plus pages and hope you understand all the legal terms and language. Bottom line is the BOE can achieve everything good that’s happened past, present and future without citizens losing their voting rights! If you don’t like the job someone is doing on the BOE, voters have the power to vote for someone else when the time comes. You as a citizen will not be able to do that if the board is appointed by the Mayor should you vote “yes” on the charter revision question! All these supporters need to wake up and really think about what they’re “losing” by giving their god-given “right to vote” away to a politician who makes lots of empty promises! Those against this tricky charter revision question had better get on the ball quick to educate the voters concerning this possible loss of voting rights towards Bpt education. *** HERE WE GO! ***
DOWN WITH THE BIG BIRD ZOMBIES!
AND THE EXCELBISCITES!
I will be voting no on Nov 6. I also will be casting my ballot for Obama Murphy Himes.
This video was shot for the most part with the two dozen parents with equal number of children who appeared at the YES rally two weeks ago on Columbus Day.
I was there with my OPEN, ACCOUNTABLE and TRANPARANT sign and my mentee who is known to many of these parents because he has been to local schools with their children and been present at BOE meetings during the past year. He has been articulate in his opposition to the Charter question. He values his right to vote for representation when he turns 18 two years from now.
You may catch a glimpse of us in the background that they failed to edit out.
I guess I am amazed at the amount of money being spent on this issue. I have been to the Bridgeport Public School site today and reviewed the amount of material present today, updated and available for all to see. The reform these folks are asking for is present in their schools today for the most part, and they are not aware. There is still time to educate and inform. The YES folks need challenging on their facts for sure. Time will tell.
The yes people in this video, I have some questions. Where have you been the past few years?
Where were you the last five years when Finch and the council did NOT raise funding for the BOE?
Are you aware in the 6th grade in some schools they are teaching 3rd grade, then 4th grade math and then 5th grade math with no textbooks? The new 6th grade math books will not be used in the first 13 weeks, how’s that for progress? The people in these ads want what everyone wants for their kids and I understand that, it’s just they are not being told the truth. The truth is, this battle is not about the kids at all, it’s about control of over $300 million.
*** Some of the “yes” supporters either work for the city or have a relative who does. The rest really don’t have a clue and are so gullible they’ll believe anything city government tells them. And then there’s a very small percentage who are fed up with the past history of the elected BOE and just want “change” period! *** ZOMBIELAND POLITICS ***
Hey Big Bird Zombies,
It’s all about school contracts, that’s what the City of Bridgeport lives on, school contracts.
$250 million here, $300 million there, that’s the industry that pays the most in kickbacks to the DTC and Mario Testa/Bill Finch and the Machine.
Fixing up schools, replacing schools; that’s the ticket!
NBC moves to Stamford with 500 jobs so who cares, right Mario/Finch?
NBC, GE, Modern Plastics, Derecktor jobs, who cares?
And the CT Post feeds off the machine, and the FBI sits on their ass.
Control the BOE and you control millions.
That’s been the industry of Bridgeport for the past 30 years.
Keep the taxes high and you keep manufacturing out of Bridgeport, right Mario/Finch?
See who’s writing checks to the Finch Camp and DTC, the same vendors and contractors that work on the schools.
If you have control of the BOE members, you control the school bids, right Mario/Finch?
DTC needs State BOE to get out of the way before the next school projects.
Question: How will a Charter change help the Bridgeport BOE?
Answer: It can’t! Finch’s new appointed BOE members will control all school contracts and budgets.
Removing elected BOE members over appointed puts the Bridgeport BOE back on the road to corruption.
Will the Supreme Court allow this to happen?
Will the Supreme Court question the Mayor’s motive for a charter change at this time (appointed vs. elected BOE)?
So if the Supreme Court overrules the taking of the BOE by the State BOE, Finch will have in place a new charter.
So if the Supreme Court orders a new election and to reinstate all past members for the BOE, the charter change will null and void the Supreme Court’s order.
Is that what Finch thinks? God help us!
I guess they forgot to put in their attribution again of paid for by Bill Finch et al.!
For Retribution on November 6th Just Vote NO!
*** You don’t have to, but it sure helps to “pay to play” in Bpt. It’s all about getting a hamburger today and gladly paying for it Tuesday! But sooner or later someone will slip on the B/S, then they’ll start to sing like they’re on America’s Got Talent with the domino effect kicking in, then it’s time to make a deal. *** WELCOME TO ZOMBIELAND ***
Fluckarella, oh how true you are when you said, “Removing Elected BOE members over appointed puts the Bridgeport BOE back on the road to corruption.” What will be the going rate to be appointed as a BOE member?
Rich people are not tossing around half a million bucks just to feel good about B’port’s schools. When there is this much money at stake there has got to be some payback, too. You don’t need to be a graduate of Greenwich High School to know something fishy is going on here.
When in doubt VOTE NO!!!
As of the date and time next to my name, the above YouTube video had 71 hits counting mine. George Estrada can be credited for 50 hits.
*** Why are parents voting “yes” for the BOE tricky question and who’s really paying for all the ads? “GOD” only knows and he’s not telling! *** Zombie Logic ***
*** LET’S GO S/F GIANTS, DO IT FOR N/L FANS. ***