From CT Post reporter Alex Gecan:
>More than 200 Bridgeport residents had shown up by the time the public hearing convened at City Hall, and dozens more filtered in as parents and teachers took their three-minute turns at the lectern. Men, women and children holding placards and signs stood in the eaves after all the rows of seats filled up.
At issue was Mayor Joe Ganim’s proposal to flat-fund city schools at $254.6 million for the fiscal year that begins July 1. Top administrators have already complained that, without a significant budget increase, the district will have to cut teachers and services and close two schools. The funding deficit, they say, is due largely to contractual salary increases guaranteed to the teachers’ and other unions that work in the school district, as well as a new school opening and a projected growth in enrollment.
Full story here.
The City Council Budget and Appropriations Committee had a taste of what it means to be in front of 200 purposeful public members who find themselves poorly represented at the moment. I was the 21st speaker called upon. Though I had no prepared remarks for the three minutes allowed, I shared with the audience the “red rubber boots” symbol of the current 2016 budget mess left by Finch who had neither the guts nor the grace to be honest with taxpayers as to what would happen to the City when the labor contracts, public safety and others, went into effect on the operating budget.
I shared with the folks in the audience that five of the seven B&A members were new, with no experience of budget cutting or formation. I asked the audience what is used in schools when you have to CUT SOMETHING? And the resounding response was SCISSORS. I suggested the City Council needs practice and training in the use of scissors, because the Mayor’s proposal may be balanced as to dollars, but not as to meeting community needs, like libraries and education. More folks need to be out regularly, to learn more, and to share that info with others who are opinion leaders in their schools, churches and community in general. Time will tell.
What will Tommy Mac do?
Stand up to Joe Ganim and get money for the schools at the risk of pissing off taxpayers who don’t have kids in the schools?
Play dumb like he has with all the other budgets approved under his leadership and blame it on the mayor?
Grow a pair and fight Ganim in a very public way and try to do what is right.