Following Community Outreach Hiring, Councilman Cruz Blasts Mayor For Lack Of Hispanic Employment

The hiring of Shanda Scott as the city’s new victim services coordinator has drawn a sharp rebuke from City Councilman Jorge Cruz who asserts Hispanics are being passed over for community outreach employment positions.

Cruz on Saturday issued the following email to OIB as well as communication he sent to Mayor Joe Ganim, Chief Administrative Officer Janene Hawkins and all City Council members.

Jorge Cruz is not a racist or playing the race card here. However, I thought to share this with you of my opinion that I emailed to Mayor Ganim and all of the city council members today. There’s a malpractice pattern for Hispanic employment opportunities in Bridgeport and I blame the Mayor, Janene Hawkins and the entire administration. Yes I would like for you to place this entire opinion of mine on your blog if it qualifies. I really don’t who gets offended by how I say what’s on my mind. I just wish there were more reliable employing firms like this Utah County staffing company.

Cruz email to city officials and council members:

Good morning everyone, this new hire is an insult to the Hispanic population in Bridgeport CT. The mayor is trying to save face for the disastrous failure by him and the police department to communicate with both families of Lauren Smith-Field and Brenda Rawls by hiring an a Black Woman for the Victims Services Coordinator position. Other have been found due to overdoses and their families the question is have their families been contacted? We need people hired that are bilingual who can communicate with both English and Spanish speaking residents. What is wrong with this administration? Are they being deliberately ignorant treating the Hispanic population as STUPID, UNEDUCATED ENOUGH for these positions? I’m not going to be quiet anymore and frankly I DON’T GIVE A DAMN EITHER. I’m sick and tired of the Hispanic population being kept out of Jobs that has a connection via Outreach and Engagement with our Hispanic population. SHAME ON YOU MAYOR GANIM AND YOUR ENTIRE ADMINISTRATION.

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5 comments

  1. This is from “Councilman Jorge Cruz, “who asserts Hispanics are being passed over for community outreach employment positions and this new hire is an insult to the Hispanic population in Bridgeport CT.” Cruz also said, “We need people hired that are bilingual who can communicate with both English and Spanish speaking residents.” This is one appointed position that could be filled by someone white if the criteria is for a bilingual who can communicate with both English and Spanish speaking residents.” Of course, Mayor Ganim is trying to save face for the disastrous failure by him and the police department to communicate with both families of Lauren Smith-Field and Brenda Rawls. Cruz what you are doing is pitting one black woman for one Hispanic woman.

    Councilman Jorge Cruz, you are not looking at the big picture here, the Bridgeport Fire Department has not ANY Hispanic women in 12 years (no black females were hired) where has your voice been as well as any other Hispanic city councilperson?

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  2. Comrade, what is the big picture?

    You could have easily said, Joe could have hired a Black person who is bilingual, both English and Spanish speaking skills for Port residents to save face.

    Let’s not forget though Joe’s is seemly, by extension, trying to say face for the disastrous failure of a ‘Female Hispanic who is in charge of the police department.

    But let’s be fair, this disaster landed on this Hispanic Female’s desk, not only because of the BPD failures but because of only one family, Lauren’s, and the national sensationalism of News media’s narrative and its “racial/philosophical identity politics”.

    They say follows the money. There are two Go Fund Me. One for each black family of the BPD failures. One’s at $75,000 and the other is at $1,000. Both families are searching for answers and justice for its failures.

    They say the enemy of my enemy is my friend. But what happens when that enemy no longer exists?

    As our Publisher/Editor Lennie stated, Port politics tends to be a myriad of, dealing, double-deal, fighting infighting, back-stabbing, coupled with patronism of job opportunities, again Mazel Tov, Port’s favorite son. 🙂
    http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/more-ganim-chutzpah-patches-fence-near-trumbull-gardens-after-neighbors-complain-about-crime/

    JML, to your point, It’s not that the current Port’s mayoral administration is not interested in hearing from qualified dedicated citizens especially if learning in expressing a diverse opinion is part of their charm. It’s more about their opinions and views are often insincere.

    Those qualified educated dedicated citizens with diverse opinions tend to come with an oppositional viewpoint in one form or another, generally one-sided, “biased”. To be fair/kind, I’ll say, “ inclination”.

    Case in point, You had prominent members of the black community calling for the mayor to use his MAYORAL POWER and do the right thing by firing this WHITE officer who was placed on 5 years of administrative duty after his arrest on domestic violence and was recertified as a police officer over concerns for Port residents, who don’t look like him
    https://connecticut.news12.com/bridgeport-naacp-all-black-police-organization-call-for-officer-to-be-removed-from-the-force?fbclid=IwAR0PVd1r-gMqrpL1jW-LMqf8ioNVycEgdVs9Y9LvLy4H8SGhwyHLYp8F-wI

    Yet you had an incident where a black officer, president of the Guardians, a police organization for black cops who was arrested for dragging out a Port citizen of his vehicle, beat him, sending him to the hospital. Yet no outcry or call for his removal from the people who look like him or concerns of Port residents
    https://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Cop-gets-probation-in-assault-case-13352124.php

    Are we at the stage where such behavior of concern and outcry depends on if the person looks like them?

    Then when G2 does go on the record and exercises his MAYORALPOWER (debatable) in doing the right thing to put two officers on administrative leave for the department’s failures of two black families. The same black prominent members of the community say it’s too little late and wants the city employment to reflect the population of the Port. Does Garcia not reflect the Port’s population?
    https://connecticut.news12.com/black-leaders-demand-change-in-bridgeport-police-department

    Now you have a Council member, whose ancestral history is a direct /link result of Columbus’ history, for better or worse (Happy PR Day), Jorge Curz, the other silent minority group with their own unique exterior looks, who doesn’t give a shit what people think is claiming Hispanics are being overlooked for community outreach employment.

    What do you say, JML about what’s on the mind of councilman Cruz, anOIB read/contributor? Do your think Hispanics are being overlooked regarding community outreach employment” Do you think this is a position that requires bilingual speaking language skills, regardless of race? Is this new hire an insult to the Hispanic population of Bridgeport as Councilmember Cruz suggested? Is he a part of that “qualified and dedicated citizens especially if learning and expressing diverse opinions is part of their charm”?

    Clearly, you cannot win in such a political environment, of “diverse opinions. The reason is, it’s not about expressing a diverse opinion more than a political opposition viewpoint that leads up to the next elections cycle, for the most part.

    However that’s the current political game, particularly in the Port, play it. No one is immune to it, and there’s no vaccine either. For it touches more on emotion than valid views or points of concern.

    JML, you made a valid point about only one black detective out of 37, but what did you accompany it with? A “bias” politically, philosophical emotionally charged statement about G2 wanting to make the Port great again, alluding to Trumpism, racism in America/anti-American, and its political racial identity narrative that has been playing out in our national media, news, and social since he came down those escalators.

    To an extent, it’s how we got to this point, and why Lauren’s Go Fund Me is at $75,000 and Brenda’s at $1,000. So ask yourself how much and what kind of justice is being sought in the outrage/protest in the call for justice?

    I guess Cruz had to attach community outreach employment to his “diverse opinion” considering the employment among Hispanics over black in the BPD. To be fair though, that ratio between the two groups is probably relevant to the actual Port population they look like, detectives outstanding.

    As Comrade stated though, you have to look at the big picture. But what really is the big picture?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EkMkjQab_E

    At any rate, “ Don’t panic they’re just Hispanics” Play nice, people, Peace out Good luck, Bam! I’m out of here. 🙂

    I will depart with the Prophet Coolie.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPO76Jlnz6

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  3. Ron, councilman Cruz makes is stating the importance of hiring bilingual personnel especially in the area of community out reach. Just because Hispanics aren’t or haven’t been hired by the BFD it doesn’t justify not having Spanish speaking white or black person–they’re bilingual is what matters most. Perhaps the new Personnel Director should look into this.

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  4. Joel, my point is if the issue is a hiring bilingual personnel especially in the area of community outreach. Then the city could hire a white male who’s bilingual. I bring up the fire department is because the city has not hired ANY Hispanic women in 12 years. Cruz is pitting a black woman against a Hispanic woman. I’m talking about Hispanic women to have a career as a firefighter to be able to serve their city and to be a role model for other young Hispanic women and to be able raise their family with a good career. Former mayor Bill Finch and Joe Ganim said nothing and did nothing while Acting Personnel Director kept giving firefighters exams NO Hispanic women (no black women were hired) the same David Dunn who gave AJ Perez the answers for the police chief exam.

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    1. The hiring of Shanda Scott as the city’s new victim services coordinator was on Feb. 2nd after the deaths of Lauren Smith-Fields and Brenda Lee Rawls, Councilman Jorge Cruz where was your concern before the hiring of Shanda Scott?

      Councilman Jorge Cruz for 12 years you said ABSOLUTELY NOTHING along with all of other councilmember during that time frame when the city didn’t hire any Hispanic women to become a city firefighter?

      Councilman Jorge Cruz, why don’t you write you what you wrote Saturday issued the following email to OIB as well as communication he sent to Mayor Joe Ganim, Chief Administrative Officer Janene Hawkins and all City Council members in SPANISH?

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