Update, Blumenthal video: Just when you thought it was safe to attend a City Council meeting a fight broke out Monday night. Former City Council President Tom Mulligan didn’t dub the meetings the Monday Night Fights for nothing. Here’s the short version from witnesses in council chambers:
Community gadfly Cecil Young was on his usual tear taking city officials to task, rambling about sewage issues at P.T. Barnum Apartments, and a bunch of other stuff during the public speaking portion of the meeting between 6:30 and 7 p.m.
Cecil apparently didn’t like the facial gyrations coming from council member Evette Brantley who wasn’t feeling well. Cecil misinterpreted Evette’s expressions as being directed at him and launched into a rant. Okay, time is up says City Council President Tom McCarthy who chairs the public-speaking portion of the meetings.
After Cecil was done speaking, Evette approached him to explain her frown was not intended for him and she wasn’t feeling well. She got in Cecil’s face, as a review of the film shows. Cecil wasn’t buying it. Yell, scream, finger pointing. East Side council member Angel DePara moved in to break them up. Pushing, shoving occurred and then Black Rock Council member Marty McCarthy came to Angel’s defense followed by council member Richard Bonney and then Tom McCarthy. Within seconds most everyone was rolling around on the council chamber benches and the floor.
By the time the cops showed up relative peace was restored. No one, apparently, was hurt, but Cecil reports he was treated for minor injuries and has filed a complaint with the police department. Don’t be shocked if Cecil sues. He likes to sue.
What was on the council agenda for the regular meeting? Nothing much. Just the fighting! Here’s video of the fight:
Dick Steps On Dick
Did Richard Blumenthal serve in Vietnam? The attorney general says he did. But he really didn’t and admits so in a New York Times article when trapped. So what else has he exaggerated? Check this out. Dick’s chief Republican opponent Linda McMahon is taking credit for feeding the story to The Times. I’m not sure I’d be bragging about that. Why do I get the feeling Dick’s Dem surrogates will be firing back at Linda and her wrestling factory? And maybe The Times will take an equal approach to opponent revelations? Flanked by veterans Tuesday afternoon in the hope to put out the fire, a defiant Blumenthal said at a news conference that he regretted misspeaking on a couple of occasions, takes responsibility for it, but would not apologize when asked by reporters. Dick seemed more intent on bathing himself in his cause on behalf of veterans–that’s not in question–than getting to the point, apologizing and moving on. I don’t think he’s made it worse for himself, but today was not exactly a moment of contrition.
Dick’s news conference and statement:
Well there were a few interesting matters, besides the fight, discussed at tonight’s City Council meeting.
Walsh and Baker questioned how an insignificant piece of property could have been sold to a family for $200 yet taxed at 250 times that amount. Mark Anastasi said he was confident once the council committee reviewed the facts they will be satisfied that all City procedures were followed.
Walsh and Baker questioned how Edmund Winterbottom and Dennis Murphy could be hired as high-paid consultants during a hiring freeze. Why is there money for consultants when employees are being laid off and asked to give back? What other deals has Finch made behind the council’s back? Mark Anastasi said he is confident once the relevant information is presented the council committee will be fully satisfied all procedures were followed.
And that my friends is why Mark has achieved such longevity with the city.
Mark Anastasi is useless, and his son is no better. They collect a paycheck for Zero Services. Where do they reside, not in Bridgeport, do any of the attorneys live in Bridgeport?
Anastasi lives in Bridgeport off of Silver Lane.
The Ordinance Committee (Walsh and Baker) might want to ask where in the Mayor’s Budget one might find the consultant fees. They are obviously hidden as the average citizen (like myself) cannot find them. So my question is: what else is hidden? After we lay off teachers and school crossing guards, what other political cronies will be hired? I must say the council did a lousy job reviewing the budget if items like this are still in there, hidden from view.
If I’m not mistaken most of the department heads are nonresidents. I believe only Zoning, Building, and the Assessor are Bridgeport residents.
THEY ARE ALL PART OF THE MACHINE … that has ruined this city.
Can’t wait until next year. I hope the residents will vote the machine out of power.
Incoming!!!
video.nytimes.com/video/2010/05/17/nyregion/1247467839994/blumenthal-says-he-served-in-vietnam.html
Lennie, sniper to your right.
www .nytimes.com/2010/05/18/nyregion/18blumenthal.html
*** Served “at” or served “during” the actual Vietnam era is playing with words. I’m sure Vets in general will not try & hold Richie B accountable for his “?” war accounts as long as he backs “all” Vets. (Hoorah!) *** Though Mr. Young has a right to speak provided he follows the sign-up & time-limit rules, most of his speaking intentions sometime seem not for the benefit of the public but for his usual “I got screwed by the city” speech! Besides, the excitement might have awakened some of the walking dead in the hall chambers (wink). *** FORGETABOUTIT ***
Sorry Mojo Blumenthal stated he was a combat veteran. There was no gray area here. He did not state he served during the Vietnam era. He was a Marine Reserve not a regular Marine.
If he lied and it seems he did about his military service what else has he lied about? It seems he was not on the Harvard swim team either as he claims.
I for one will not vote for Blumenthal because of the misrepresentation he put forth about serving in Vietnam. Millions of poor and lower middle class kids served in that war and 55,000 were killed in action. Untold numbers were wounded and millions were spit on and called names when they came home. Blumenthal dishonored every one of them. He can go to hell, lying bastard that he is.
TC ain’t goin’ vote for no lying politicians no more.
Duh TC ain’t gonna be voting no more.
Grin You have got a point there.
Blumenthal got 5 different deferments before he ran out of them. He then joined the Marine Corps reserve where his claim to fame was his affiliation with Toys For Tots. Noble cause but it’s not combat unless you get 2 3-year-olds fighting over the same toy.
Touché, TC. Touché.
“A” comes before “B.” What’s bad for Blumenthal is advantageous for Alpert.
www .merrickforachange.com
The Blumenthal situation is a very vivid example of why we need more primaries for municipal and statewide office.
I’ve followed CT politics for over 20 years and cannot recall one tough election for D.B. In fact, I lost all respect for him when he did not run against Rell for Governor.
It seems to me had he faced real competition within and from outside the party, this would never have happened. The Democratic Party in Bpt and CT is way too lethargic and dominated by those who know how to “game” the systems.
We need more primaries to keep everything out in the open and aboveboard. To that end, a perfect example and even though unsuccessful, great kudos to Andy Fardy for shaking things up. That should be the norm, not the exception.
My father and Dick Blumenthal were college classmates and have maintained a close friendship through the years. My dad served 2 tours in Vietnam as a Marine infantry officer serving at Khe Sanh and then again in Da Nang. I called my dad this morning to get his impression of the recently published allegations. He told me, categorically, Blumenthal never, not once, ever suggested to anyone he served as an “in-country” combat Marine. I have been in Blumenthal’s company socially with my family on numerous occasions listening attentively as he and my Dad discussed military service. I never heard him say he was in combat. Quite the contrary, Blumenthal has always admired service veterans whether or not they served in battle. I always understood he was a “Vietnam Era” veteran who wholeheartedly supports those who serve regardless of which capacity, combat or support. Oh, my dad received 4 deferments while in college … just like every other male college student progressing satisfactorily towards a bachelor’s degree.
I am ashamed of the NY Times and all those who use this misinformation to besmear an American patriot to whom all of us should aspire to emulate.
Stone, does the camera and Dick’s voice lie? He misspoke? Should we give him the benefit of the doubt?
Stone I suggest you go to the New York Times website and watch the video where Blumenthal states he served in Vietnam all this while giving a political speech. I do not aspire to be like Blumenthal and running a Toys for Tots program for the Marine Corp reserve does not make one a great American patriot.
Good post, Stone. I appreciate your personal perspective on this.
Semper Fi! or Semper Lie???
My father just called to express his further outrage at the attempt by Blumenthal’s political competition. He suggested a respected attorney from Bridgeport, Thomas Kanasky, be contacted for a statement regarding the allegations against Blumenthal. Attorney Kanasky, according to my Dad, is a Colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve, also a Viet Nam era veteran, and has had significant dealings with Blumenthal.
Cecil Young should maybe be exiled from Bridgeport.
Correction: I mentioned last week there would be a debate with Finch and Caruso. There is no such debate. My apologies for any confusion.
That’s too bad. It could have been billed as “The Thrilla in Vanilla!”
*** No need for apologies there Bridgeport Now, most local voters know that debate will never happen anytime soon. Especially with the past and present current admin’s city record. *** “What’s in your taxpayer wallet?” *** FORGETABOUTIT ***
Political scandals mean mucho blogging … here’s the good news: this blog will never run out of “white space”–blog until your fingers hurt!
3 cheers for The Times’ investigative reporting, regardless of the outcome.
twitter.com/PoliticalTicker <– too much ain’t enough.
The Connecticut Democratic Party’s nominating convention begins in Hartford Connecticut, on Friday.
Delegates have 4 days to reflect on today’s news. In politics, that’s called good timing.
Sorry to get off topic. The April meeting of the ZBA only had 4 commissioners in attendance. This meant a couple of applications were asked to be deferred until the next meeting, because you need 4 votes to pass. The May meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, May 11th. The meeting was canceled because only 3 commissioners showed up. It’s no wonder there isn’t any business in the city. Because based on these delays you could be out of business before you opened your business.
Does the Mayor, who is in charge of appointments and re-appointments to Boards and Commissions, keep track of how many people are currently authorized to each body, whether each Board is at 100% of authorized size not in an expired state, and how many are healthy and serving with regularity? From monitoring the City website that posts this info during the Fabrizi and Finch administrations, it is clear keeping these Boards and Commissions at healthy levels of appointment with fellow citizens of different talents and backgrounds who have passed whatever ethical screening is required is not a high priority.
So when land use boards are considered: economic development is placed in jeopardy by new and untrained candidates who have to go through a Master Plan document that will stand in place for ten years, while experienced and trained people sit on the sideline and health and livelihood issues keep some committees from critical size and the public’s business is stalled. Certainly this is neither effective administration nor efficient use of volunteers. (But then again, you can always tell the community knows there are not enough volunteers to fill the Boards and Commissions, while refusing to admit publicly to having lost the letters and requests from those who did actually volunteer.) In that sense Bridgeport is qualified by its dysfunctional systems. What City program or department was established to look at work productivity and come up with metrics to see whether work was accomplished of value and in a timely manner??? What reports have been issued??? Are employees paid for working in this area??? What does the public receive in terms of info for the salaries and compensation paid through tax revenues??? And the answer is …
Instead of being upset at the ZBA, why not put pressure on the mayor to get alternates … that would help greatly, wouldn’t you think!
“Bridgeport Now” – CH88 at 8pm. Soundviewtv.org
Fairfield University Professor Donald Greenberg will be on at 8:20pm to discuss current events including the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
We’ve been told “we’re fighting there so don’t have to fight them here.” However recent events in Bridgeport and Times Square may put this idea in question. And what is the cost at home?
Schools are closing in Bridgeport. Teachers are being fired, almost 150 of them–though Board of Ed chief gets a raise. We are even canceling crossing guards at street corners, putting kids at risk.
And why is building a new Harding School a big crisis issue, but there is no debate about spending to build a new school in Iraq?
www .ctpost.com/politics/item/Video-Blumenthal-addresses-allegations-over-1846.php
This must be a real Tricky Dick of a link.
*** Slow down Bridgeport Now; you’ve been “Dicked Up” three times now! *** FORGETABOUTIT ***
FROM THE HARTFORD COURANT
This will not affect my vote for Blummy his great record overshadows this.
12.168.248.230/svorg/Bridgeport.html
Here the link to Soundview Communications. The meeting is up on their website.
*** Whether Richie B got carried away in the moment while speaking to Vets as to his real service in the Corps, you can see & hear the man has true feelings for Vets in general. He’s human & God, country & voters will see him through this political “mine field” because Lord knows CT needs “a few good men” in the U.S. Senate! (Hoorah! Old Reliable, Straight-Leg Infantry) ***
Mojo are you a vet?
Time for Dick to pull out.
www .youtube.com/watch?v=OxVi1EzUmMI
Mojo and the Bridgeport Kid were able to settle their differences without a fight. I can see a lawsuit and I see it favoring Cecil Young. Had Evette Brantley stayed in her seat and showed some professionalism it would have ended differently. Lennie, did the city provide that cultural training course yet? Was this a Black on Black crime? It wasn’t a racial thing.
Mattel, the toy company and manufacturer of Barbie, American Girl, and Hot Wheels, will be releasing their new action figure for 2010. The action figure named G.I. Dick will hit the market in time for the holidays. The action figure is said to have the ability to get out of any situation and can bend any way you want. The G.I. Dick figure comes in a set that includes a Toys for Tots truck among other items.