There’s a lot going on. The state legislative session–thankfully–has ended. Now everyone can go and campaign so we really have something to write about. Bring it on Auden Grogins versus State Rep. Bullet Bob Keeley.
John from Black Rock has raised a question about the Democratic convention coming up in a couple of weeks to endorse candidates for state assembly districts. Does Auden have the votes for the endorsement? If she does, it’s razor thin. The August primary is just three months away. Lydia Martinez is challenging State Rep. Andres Ayala on the East Side and there’s the 130th State Assembly seat being vacated by Felipe Reinoso. Waiting to hear official word from Sly Salcedo if he’s jumping into that.
Chuck “Slick Willie” Willinger, the unindicted co-conspirator in the Joe Ganim corruption case, seems to be holding up okay testifying as a defendant against developer Alex Conroy’s claim that Willinger helped his cousin Al Lenoci Sr. torpedo Conroy’s dreams for Steelpointe. Chuck, who harvested millions of dollars handling the legal work for the city on Steelpointe, testified that he never shared any inside information with his cousin who also happened to be his largest private-sector client. Egad! The government spent a lot of time trying to nail Chuck. He survived it. He may also survive this civil suit. We didn’t call him Slick Willie for nothing.
The Din Din Award
And the poster responsible for hitting OIB’s 50,000-pageview mark is … Tom Kelly. Claps and cheers. My techie guru who monitors the traffic to OIB explained that TK, that venerable verbal flamethrower from Black Rock, slipped in ahead of Joel “Speedy” Gonzalez by a hair. This was about the time Joel was unleashing his rant against Sly Salcedo. That’s what I love about Joel–he’s an equal-opportunity editorial slasher.
That means TK gets to chow down with Mo and me and receive a signed copy of my book Chased. (Just received a new shipment of books so if any OIB readers are interested in purchasing Chased, the life of mob infiltrator Billy Chase, don’t go to Amazon–-it’s too expensive there-–contact me and you get the special price.) TK, of course, could always invite Joel as his guest. The wry side of me was hoping Joel Hater won just so he could invite Joel. Forget the food, bring on the knives and forks.
Press Release From ACORN
ACORN Demands WaMu “Come Clean,” Stop Foreclosing on Families
On Thursday, May 8, Bridgeport ACORN members will join ACORN chapters across the country staging protests in 20 cities against Washington Mutual, demanding the company stop foreclosures and “come clean” with the number of foreclosures it has filed and its failure to work with borrowers seeking loan modifications.
WHO: ACORN members and Customers of Washington Mutual
WHEN: Thursday, May 8, 2008
WHERE: 161 Boston Avenue, Bridgeport, CT.
TIME: 4:15 PM“ACORN wants WaMu to stop foreclosures, come clean on its foreclosure record and work with housing counselors to find solutions to keep families in their homes,” said ACORN Glorestine Thomas.
WaMu, the fifth-largest servicer of residential mortgages with enormous portfolios in California and Florida, has refused to provide data on loan servicing to the State Foreclosure Prevention Working Group, a group of attorneys general and state banking regulators working with servicers of subprime loans to find ways to prevent unnecessary foreclosures. Other servicers have provided this information and have been assisting homeowners in getting loan modifications.
ACORN is demanding WaMu:
. Stop foreclosing on owner-occupied homes for the next six months
. Agree to modify all delinquent loans to affordable fixed loans
. Provide data on how the company is servicing loans — how many have been modified into affordable loans.
. Dedicate personnel to working with HUD-certified non-profits to achieve foreclosure avoidance solutions.
ACORN is the nation’s leading organization fighting foreclosures and finding workable solutions for families facing foreclosure. For more information on how to avoid foreclosure, contact ACORN at 1-866-67-ACORN or visit www.acorn.org.
Lennie
I am honored and humbled to be part of this record breaking achievement.
I would like to offer the Olive Branch or rather Cocktail Olive to my old friend Yahooy to attend the dinner. I hear he is well versed in the history of Bombay.
Congratulations to Kelly. Maybe he can take Olive Oyle if Yahooy isn’t available and have a Dirty Martini.
Interesting that Hector Diaz is breaking away from the fold and backing Keeley. Does this mean his T.C. vote is going to Keeley? Can anybody answer that question.
Congratulation, Tom K.
Now, back to the upcoming state rep. races. Can anyone, anywhere tell me and the Democratic voters of Bpt. why we should come out and support Auden Grogins, Ezequiel Santiago, Carlos Silva or Lydia Martinez.
Granted, the current Bpt. delegation has some problems, but does anyone honestly think any of the above would be an improvement? If there is a positive argument to be made for any of these people would somebody please start to make it.
John: The only one I can make an argument for is Martinez and that because Ayala has grown too big for his britches and has done nothing to help Bridgeport, not that Martinez did a hell of a lot. I am also basing my opinion on the vote in the TC primary where Ayala was defeated. That shows me that the people in his district were not for him and showed it at the polls. Flawed logic? Maybe.
I’m demanding a recount. My sources tell me that Joel G. was the actual winner but the menu was going to consist of finger food, chicken fingers, finger sandwiches, and finger-licking good KFC chicken.
Drinks? Bloody Marys.
And dessert? As Marie Antoinette would say, let them eat cake.
Lennie just doesn’t have the stomach for this banquet.
John
Thanks. I hope you’re not too pooped out today.
I just saw an article on the proposed layoffs on Connpost.com. They are going to lay off Mary Witkowski?
Give me a break!
A Tax Break!!
Wondering – well said about Andres Ayala, he isn’t all that and hasn’t done anything to benefit B-port in hartford. Martinez has been there before and has more experience and she’s a fighter. Andres is no bargain, he only thinks he is because of his big ego and his girlfriend making his decisions for him. Congratulations to Tom Kelly – hope you enjoy the dinner with Lennie, but please don’t let Grin Reaper decide whats on the menu. That was too funny Grin!
Too bad the layoffs didn’t begin at the top.
In the corporations I worked for, layoffs started with a “forced ranking” of employees according to performance, contribution and future potential. The bottom 5% were the first to go. But we spent as much time thinking about the impact on the lives of those who were terminated… and how we could ease their transition… as we did about the impact on the bottom-line.
I’d be interested in the guidelines city hall established in determining who received termination notices and who was responsible (accountable) for managing the process.
At first glance, this looks like an initiative conceived and implemented by amateurs.
Note: My post refers to the Connecticut Post article and Tom Kelley’s comment.