From Democratic mayoral candidate John Gomes:
GOMES CALLS FOR “COMMON SENSE CUTS” TO SUPPORT A QUALITY OF EDUCATION
Bridgeport Democratic Mayoral candidate John Gomes urged the parents and community leaders to stand united in support of Dr. John Ramos, Superintendent of Bridgeport Schools and Board of Education staff, but most importantly “to support the children in seeking what is rightfully owed to them, and that first and foremost is a quality education.”
Gomes went on to say, “Educating the children of Bridgeport must be our first priority.
“As a first step towards sending a message to the residents of our community, I call on a newly elected Common Council to forgo their annual Council stipends of $9,000, and to reduce administrative spending.
“The vast majority of council members in Connecticut municipalities do not get compensated for their service to their communities. $9,000 for each Council member is not a wise use of taxpayer’s hard-earned money, especially when so many Council members also take a salary as a City employee, and in some cases, take a City-owned car home each night as well.
“I believe that Mayor Finch does not deserve to take a raise given today’s economic situation. Everyone has family to support and obligations to meet, but the leader of our City must send the message that sacrifice is critical on everyone’s part and it must start at the top.
“As Mayor, I intend to return all of the salary increases Mayor Finch has taken for himself since coming into office. Additionally, I will ask members of my administration (myself included) to take a $10,000 reduction in their salaries. It is unconscionable at a time when there are wholesale layoffs planned for the City teachers and support staff, that the Mayor should be giving himself a raise, and raises to his personal staff as well.
“At a time when we are trying to conserve every dollar and spend where it will be most effective, we need to focus on education.
“As Mayor, education will be my top priority. On DAY ONE we can cut the budget funding allocated for city vehicles, reduce outside attorneys fees, and eliminate the budget funding allocated for twenty two (22) City positions that are vacant positions (‘Ghost positions’).
“All of these actions comprise a significant step towards providing necessary funding for our schools and protecting our children. It will also send a message that we value our children.”
Gomes concluded, “This is truly a time of priorities for Bridgeport. Protecting our youth and giving them dedicated teachers and support staff to provide them with quality education is not only in their best interests, but this is also in the best interests of our community.”
Leaders act towards purpose or principle. Bleeders react to protect what they see as their thing.
Leaders listen, and it sound like John Gomes has been listening.
Only half of the Council stipends are used currently and since no Council person sees fit to defend those sums, maybe they are not needed at all. But what is needed is more assistance in being a knowledgeable group of representatives and perhaps some of that money might be spent in beefing up legislative support: Council persons asking for real help and providing backing to their assistant or others in getting it.
Unfunded positions, lowering staff salaries, cutting outside legal expenses might generate $5-6 Million additional. Perhaps the audit might be completed and get additional areas eliminated where there is redundancy or inefficiency as well as those areas previously recommended but not yet executed.
And John do you support the creation of a budget at this time (or before this time by the Superintendent and the BOE)? Would somebody ask these folks to explain why any public official is going to want to provide assistance to an entity that cannot form a budget, even if it is a bad one? A budget is a plan for spending. Plans can be changed, but having no plan in mind means you are not serious because you cannot form the most elementary financial proposal. When a plan is presented your talking points exist because of the course you have taken. If you know your numbers, have rightly considered the most positive courses of action for the students with the funds available, your case at all levels will be easier to communicate. Failure to execute compounds the communication issues. Bridgeport is losing traction in this regard among those who are financially serious. And $200 Million or more is serious money, no matter who is making it available!!!
Gomes thinks Ramos can do this?
*** It’s always about the kids when it comes to more money to mismanage by the BOE, no? *** SOS ***
That is like saying we should elect Mussolini because at least he made the trains run on time. You ought to rethink this strategy.
These are not the Clinton or Weiker good times when money was flowing. Everything’s up for debate and no idea is too farfetched.
This Ramos connection with Gomes is troubling. Now, I don’t think it would be a good idea for him to join forces with MJF. The Bridgeport BOE is fractured, ineffective and too costly under present leadership and philosophy. Anyone who supports that gaggle of goofy goons does not belong in our office.
Gomes, you shot yourself in the foot with a cannon.
Finch shot Ramos, Gomes is trying to patch the wound.
My comments on this topic a day later will probably not be read, but the topic has legs so it will be addressed again.
Are you aware the Board of Education took a vote on whether to approve a budget or not recently, and they decided 8-1 that they would not approve a budget. Linda Connor Lambeck hasn’t focused on that and neither has the CT Post, but it is a critical insight into the continuing dysfunction we see. A “budget” is simply a “plan of spending and revenue for a given period of time.” It is not the Holy Grail, something perfect to be worshiped. It is a working document that says the planners have thought about how to spend what they have with conservatism relative to incoming money and severe realism on priority expenses. If the eight people who voted NO despite their obligation to offer such a document feel they cannot do it, perhaps they should “fall on their swords” and resign with a statement that they cannot continue in good conscience.
The morality play that has been ongoing for the past three months at least has much of the public believing there is a source of funds out there who will come galloping to the rescue.
Issues in Washington DC and Hartford CT say those parties are fully engaged in their own overspending issues. Who considers them a reliable source of money?
In the meantime while Dr. Ramos said the issue is not about politics, he introduces his Board members, who are party affiliated and elected. He did not introduce or reference the Council members who passed the budget presented by Tom Sherwood that was not a collaborative City/BOE budget. And he did not reference our legislative delegation to Hartford, at least one of whom was present.
Folks, public money is political by its nature. Ramos and the BOE need to get into the game. The future of Bridgeport kids is too precious for all the rhetoric and playacting. Crusades to Hartford and Washington are less realistic than a review of what is happening at home … or, sorry, not happening here at home.
BEACON2,
Ramos has been doing a horrible job yet continues to get raises from Finch. To me that speaks volumes. The dropout rate is unforgivable, and the “graduates” are for the most part marginally prepared for the real world. I could not agree with you any more. They should fall on their swords. If you provide me with a number, I would be happy to buy the swords.
AT,
Ramos does not talk about his successes, and if they are there, they are not obvious. A flat budget from the City for the Finch years must indicate something? (Is it a distrust of BOE accounting or feeling by the City OPM there is fat or is it politics that can be resolved if BOE is “reasonable” and place several more City political picks to be employed by the BOE?) And an audit that never gets finished or reported with fanfare after all these years must mean something? But what???
It is a fact the BOE has allowed Ramos to gain additional compensation each year. It is a fact they have not provided suitable metrics to judge his performance (or if they have, they have not shared them with the taxpaying public).
Falling on your sword would mean the BOE members perceive the task as an important and moral task. Educating our youth is such a task. Willingness to fall on a sword comes from an ultimate realization of powerlessness in their position and a judgement their departure stands for something honorable. I wish no suicides in this case, but there is no good reason for accepting the present paralysis. AT, I like numbers but am not able to tell you what such a sword costs. Morality, honor, responsibility for the lives of others are ultimately priceless values necessary for a community to function well.
BEACON2,
As always you are an enjoyable read. However you missed an important consideration in falling on the sword. If you failed miserably in battle you would rather die than face the wrath of your superiors. That was my take on your original supposition. I will gladly calculate the cost of the swords, I just need to know how many to order.
Anti–
Swords are re-usable. In these budget-conscious days, you only need one. I’m sure we can find a volunteer to bring the sword around to everyone who needs to fall on it.
B2
See what results from your propensity for verbosity.