(YANKEES YANKEES YANKEES
. I’m a happy guy today.)
Ned Lamont is screwing up my campaign to elect Mayor Bill Finch Connecticut secretary of the state.
I had the thing all figured out and he goes and throws a grenade into it.
When Bill and I used to sit around the fire on Crown Street after he was elected to the state senate in 2000 he wasn’t talking about running for mayor. (Full disclosure: I managed his state senate win.) He talked about Connecticut secretary of the state. It’s a better fit for his personality and interests. Bill loves talking about democracy, the privilege of voting, electoral education in classrooms, all that yummy stuff that touches his JFK-influenced pleasure center.
Current Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz runs for governor, Bill cuts the deal with Democratic Party State Chair Nancy DiNardo for the slot and presto Bill lands the job he’s always talked about. This announcement by Ned is a real stick in my eye. I think there’s one sure-fire way to torpedo Ned’s guber run. An endorsement from me. That would sink just about any candidate’s campaign. But I’m not quite there yet.
I’m still hoping SuBy stays in the game. Don’t let some rich dude from Greenwich spoil my plans. Stay in SuBy. Stay in! I’m not persuaded Ned can win a general election.
So what say you about Ned’s latest move? Will he empty his personal bank account or follow Connecticut’s public financing program that’s in federal court limbo. Check out Ned’s latest comments here:
www.fox61.com/videobeta/watch/?watch=8ba072cd-b0a5-438e-b610-db6b0266b86c&src=front
It Could Be Worse
Ya know, 1 mil to fund library services, as approved by voters on Tuesday, isn’t such a big deal when you examine the City Charter. There it is under the library section:
2.112.060 Library fund tax.
To provide for the expenses of the maintenance of the city’s public library and reading room, a tax of two and thirty-three hundredths (2.33) mils shall be levied and collected in the same manner as other city taxes and shall be known as the library fund. (Ord. dated 5/21/90: prior code § 18-6)
Now if 1 mil represents $6.9 million in the city budget, as bean counters say, 2.33 mils equal $16.077 million. What happens if some barrister (Paging Sly Salcedo) pushes the City Charter language in court? Maybe 1 mil doesn’t sound so bad after all.
OMG, Someone Call A Cop!
COMMUNITY FORUM AT THE BLACK ROCK BRANCH LIBRARY
“Bridgeport – How It Works”
A Discussion of the inner workings of Connecticut’s largest city
Fairfield University Professor of Politics and Black Rock resident
Don Greenberg
Author, Journalist and Blogger Extraordinaire
Lennie Grimaldi
Please join us for a fascinating discussion of how our municipal government is designed to function in Bridgeport and how it actually works in practice. Professor Greenberg and Lennie Grimaldi will share their unique perspectives on the Bridgeport political scene–the good, the bad and the ugly.
Date: Tuesday, November 17th
Time: 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
For more information please call: (203) 337-9676
Black Rock Branch Library
2705 Fairfield Ave. Bridgeport, CT 06605
A Gathering Place for the Entire Community
Lennie:
You have betrayed the trust Mayor Finch placed in you over a decade ago. Today is the latest example. He is providing genuine content for this blog. You’re monetizing your memories. Don’t be afraid to send him a rebate check.
Lennie:
Only you can give everyone the big picture. I believe the City Librarian and the Library Board members were very sensitive to and cognizant of the City’s financial situation to establish a reasonable balance at 1 mil while protecting the library’s mission and purpose for the residents and library users in the region. We know 2.33 mils is in the City Charter.
Isn’t Lieberman vulnerable right now? Why doesn’t Lamont run against him? That’s a win-win. The state gets rid of Turncoat Joe and we get rid of Finch.
Why on earth do we want to phurther the political career of the philistine phool Phinch??? Just to get him out of Bridgeport sooner than the next election? But SOTS … I don’t buy it.
On another matter …
Went to Burroughs yesterday to drop off the books I recently picked up. I spoke with an old friend who has been employed there for many years. When asked what impact the successful referendum might have, I was told that it will certainly make things easier. But I was further told, the operation, while running under austere conditions, is nonetheless operating adequately. Much will be done with the influx of resources, but there is some thought that, given the current economic conditions of the city, the newly earmarked funds might be better utilized in other departments with more urgent requirements.
That said, it looks to me like Phinch is going to have to renege on that silly deal he made with the cops to defer outrageous salary and benefit demands in order to meet the library mandate.
Why did Joe Lieberman cross the road?
To go from the left to the right.
Thanks Lennie.
“Bridgeport–How It Works” is the first of a series of Community Forums at the Black Rock Branch Library and it should be a fun night.
I hope more than a few of the OIB regulars can make it too.
“Bridgeport–How It Doesn’t Work” would be a better title.
Sounds like it will be fun between two authors.
Dr. Greenberg scribed “The Politics of Privilege”.
Thanks for making it clear that although the new library referendum increases the budget the library has been underfunded all along according to the city charter. As I have said before if this city wants to pull itself up by its bootstraps it had to reach a long way down and get to the educating of kids and young adults.These are our future voters and city leaders. We need good libraries MORE than cities with higher income levels and it makes sense that we have a higher percentage of our budget going to it.
By the way The PH joke is getting very tired. Maybe yahooy needs to freshen up his jokes and his politics at the same time.
Phugeddabout it!!!
Yes, the upcoming lecture looks to be exciting but The All-Knowing Black Rock Answer Man is here now. Direct your questions to: GoBlackRock@Gmail.com
Black Rock Answer Man
Will the Police Whoreses be out in full force at the Library symposium? I hope they will clean up their own shit.
Will the Ned Heads allow the Bird Brain to be on the slate for Secretary of The Slackers? Joe Lieberman is Bill’s next biggest hero behind JFK.
Lennie, does this mean that Ned Lamont will be coming back here to read books for Bridgeport’s school kids?
If so, I recommend the book Only In Bridgeport by Lennie Grimaldi.
Bridgeport Republicans took a couple of licks on yesterday’s Post and in the papers as we did in the polls. But I’m going to speak up in their defense.
I congratulate Sauda Baraka in her win for the BOE. Personally, I support her and think she is a fine BOE member committed to helping the students in this city. However, Sauda wasn’t seen at RTC meetings before she was up for her nomination for another term. As the party that had nominated her, she should have felt the responsibility to come to these meetings and inform her fellow Republicans on what was happening in the Board of Education. So I believe it is wrong to say the Republican Party dumped Sauda.
It was definitely a tough year for Bridgeport Republicans, but to say they’re finished is mistaken. I was encouraged this year to see great young candidates like John Slater and Nate Snow running for the Republicans. It’s exactly what the party needs. The fact of the matter is we have many members who have given years to fighting for what’s best for Bridgeport. Every time we run it’s an uphill battle and that certainly takes its toll. Hopefully, John and Nate don’t get discouraged and fight even harder. John won over donj and I know that’s not easy to do!
I think Bridgeport Republicans have a great case on many issues facing Bridgeport. Republicans won in the suburban areas on taxes and that is certainly not an issue that is totally lost on Bridgeport. When elected, I think we’ve shown we can help Bridgeport.
Remember the last Republican elected in Bridgeport got an audit for the BOE and was able to obtain funds to help save 250 jobs at Lacey Manufacturing. Now before marlys comes on here and says that was a handout from Gov. Rell, I’d point out the current state senator who replaced that Republican also just received a grant from Gov. Rell … for a detention center in the middle of a residential community on the Upper East Side. Despite his “Wait you heard me wrong I actually said the complete opposite” statement, I think even marlys may have to admit Bridgeport would be better off with the Republican.
Chris Russo,
Congratulations on your fine work in Trumbull. However it would be easier to take the Bridgeport GOP off Life Support and start a new party in town.
With fewer than 5k voters it is difficult to develop a constituency. You guys could have cross-endorsed Caruso and instead you run Mike Garrett? Rob Russo had a constituency. People know him and like him. You should be embarrassed a party with only four members beat your pants off. I never read a press release from you guys about Finch’s performance.
Instead of going to Tea Parties you guys should start the Honest Tea Party. You could even get corporate sponsorship from the Honest Tea Company that was founded in New Haven by Yale game theorist Barry Nalebuff and Seth Goldman.
Continued success with your political passions. Don’t waste your time or energy in Bridgeport as a Republican.
Up On Bridgeport, how many voters in Bridgeport are registered under WF? So a party with fewer than 5k is on life support, while a party with hardly any registered voters under it is not dead?
Joel–WF has 4 registered voters and they took 2 seats.
I will modify my statement about the Bridgeport Republican Party sans you. They are not dead, just the Living Dead.
According to Mojo, the Republicans don’t want me. Will I be counted in the modified numbers?
Re: The Fountain at Fairfield and Park
“For 30 years, that fountain hasn’t worked,” Hahneman said, “For 30 years, mayors of this city have promised to fix it and Mayor Finch has come through on that project.”
Does anyone know how long the bridges have been out of commission?
$200,000 to repair a fountain would be one hell of a reallocation for the library huggers.
How many of your sidewalks could have been fixed with $200,000? I write “your” because I’m sure that the conditions in my neighborhood will continue to be ignored. Someone, please prove me wrong!
*** Big Ups to the N.Y. Yankees on their win! As a Mets & N.L. fan, I was favoring the Phillies but they did not have the pitching & batting success that the Yankees had. *** Terrible news from Fort Hood, Texas where 2 or 3 shooters opened fire on soldiers & civilians @ a processing center and another building nearby! My son who just returned from Afghanistan a month ago, & is stationed @ “Hood” called me with the bad news. Sounds like there are about 9 confirmed dead & maybe 30 wounded? *** Not good, not good @ all! ***
Mojo, glad to hear that your son is safe. Many folks in Connecticut have loved ones at Fort Hood. You tell your son to hold down the fort, they are the true Yankees.
So sad but I am so glad that your son is safe.
I’m watching it now, Mojo. Godspeed to you and your son. No jokes tonight.
CHS read the names of suspects who committed the act.
I’m not comfortable that we are being told everything about what happened today at Ft. Hood. I will pray tonight that Mojo’s son stays safe and for the families and friends of the wounded and fallen.