Hold on to your absentee ballots. City Councilwoman Lydia Martinez, an admitted absentee ballot cheat, wants to be Democratic Registrar of Voters. She has contacted several district leaders for support. Lydia has been fined twice, the latest for absentee ballot fraud, by the State Elections Enforcement Commission for elections infractions, but why should that stop her from becoming the city’s top Democratic elections official? Only In Bridgeport, say you? Only Lydia Martinez.
Veteran Democratic Registrar of Voters Santa Ayala has come under fire, most notably for the ballot shortage in 2010, following Barack Obama’s visit to Bridgeport, but compared to Lydia, Santa Ayala is Santa Claus, Mother Goose and Mother Teresa rolled into one. Lydia, a councilwoman from the East Side, is legendary for her absentee ballot scams. She has quite an operation going that includes senior citizen road trips to casinos and ferry rides to Port Jefferson and then presto at the end of the fun the seniors fill out absentee ballot applications. And sometimes Lydia actually helps them fill out the absentee ballot, a violation of state law. She was recently fined $500 by the state along with an admission that she helped a voter fill out an absentee ballot.
While Lydia is schmoozing district leaders with her syrupy Zsa Zsa Gabor (Lydia’s been married as many times) flirtations, first things first: control of the 137th District, the base of her absentee ballot grift. Lydia and a few of her supporters on the Democratic Town Committee have pushed out district members with whom she has clashed including Alberto “Tito” Ayala and long-time district member Gil Hernandez. Tito Ayala, the ex-husband of Santa Ayala, and Gil have assembled their own nine-member slate to challenge Lydia’s crew in a March primary showdown. Joining Tito Ayala and Gil are former City Councilwoman Maria Valle, veteran political operative Dimas Couto and five others.
This is going to be one hell of a district fight. The challenge slate against Lydia is securing petition signatures to wage a primary. The paperwork must be returned by next Wednesday. Lydia wants to win all nine district seats in her quest for 46 votes from the 90-member Bridgeport Democratic Town Committee to secure the endorsement for Democratic Registrar. The endorsement session will take place in May for an August primary, if there is a primary. Santa Ayala doesn’t appear to be concerned about her standing with party regulars, but with city pols you never know. A primary challenge can be waged with certification of petition signatures from five percent of registered electors in the city. The registrar’s position is citywide.
Lydia, in addition to her absentee ballot operation, has a history of falling in and out of love with city pols. Can you imagine her deciding, as a registrar, which candidates qualify for the ballot? How do you spell lawsuit? Grand jury?
Lydia is also chair of the City Council committee that oversees the city’s Community Development Block Grant program that disburses funds for the needy. Look for her to try to wire those funds to her council district as she scours votes for her town committee primary battle, many of those votes ending up via absentee ballot. Does she know any other way?
Does it ever stop? This women belongs in jail and not on a ballot. The shame of it is there is a real strong possibility she could get the 46 votes needed for the nomination.
I will tell you this, Lydia is dumber than a box of rocks. I don’t understand how the people in her district keep electing this selfish women.
Jesus putting her as chair of the committee that oversees grants is one of the dumbest things Tom (no balls) McCarthy has done. Why not just throw the grant money out into the street?
If she wins the TC primary, she will get the votes needed for Registrar … Word has it, she has commitments from Mitchy, Tommy Boy, the Doc and Warren Buffet …
So, in order to avoid this, the challenging slate needs A LOT of help … Lydia has her AB’s locked in and she has the assistance of Chris Rosario, the Mayor’s Aide, because he has a relative on her slate, Woody and Felipe will help too …
I think those who were or could be victims of her AB ops should come out and support the challenging slate … Paging Mary-Jane Foster and team, paging John Gomes and team, paging State Rep Andres “I’m Neutral” Ayala, paging Santa Ayala …
Celia,
Page Gomes and Foster yourself. I’m sure Gomes would love your help.
Not for nothing, but I think Lisa Miro should go for this slot. She put the conservation dept. on the map, which was given to Wilfred Murphy last spring and he made it fail. I heard he was hired for more money after she ran a successful program–and did not fulfill the job scope when it called for a college degree and other qualifications he definitely never had nor will he ever have!!! She treats every human being with respect and kindness. Now she got a Rehabilitation program off the ground–it sat for years and she did it by herself. People love her … she can make anything happen–including getting people to vote … City Hall, wake up and stop putting the wrong people in positions they don’t deserve …
Let’s have a ménage à trois for the Registrar’s primary.
I don’t think Dead Wood and Moonbeam will be throwing Santa under the #1 City Line Bus after they orchestrated their primary ballot conspiracy against Foster.
Quick call Judge Judy as this could end up in the Peep Holes Court!
With apologies to Groucho and with the humble suggestion other OIB songwriters can add some verses:
Lydia, Oh Lydia,
Now have you met Lydia,
Lydia the tattooed lady.
She has votes pols adore so
ABs even more so
No have you met Lydia
Lydia the Queen of Tattoo?
Well this is just one more swell bit of maneuvering by the Finch/Wood administration. Nobody thinks Lydia is doing this on her own, do they?
What have you heard city hall smoker? You must be up to a pack a day at this point …
This is news to me. Incredibly bad decision if they give her the nomination. Worst part is the Latinos fighting with each other again. No loyalty whatsoever. Lydia doesn’t care as she is being rewarded for helping Mario steal the election. Someone call Bill O’Reilly; he loves this stupid shit. Bpt will be the laughing stock once again.
The mayor of East Haven insults Latinos and now this, Lydia “my peoples my peoples” Martinez to run for registrar of voters. Talk about getting it from both ends. Lydia is an insult to Latinos, women and the city of Bridgeport, this brings us shame.
One other statement I must add … Lisa Miro is so compassionate about helping others and doing the right thing to help citizens, I and MANY OTHERS KNOW she would go door to door to help each resident understand the importance of voting. Anyone who has had the opportunity to get to know her understands exactly what I mean … Bridgeport needs someone like her to be in such a position … compassion, honesty, sincerity, LOYALTY–need I say more?
I don’t know if Lisa is a good choice or not, I don’t know her. What I do know is Lydia is an all-around bad choice for all concerned factions of the Democratic party in BPT (current Administration included), as well as a ludicrous choice for Registrar of Voters considering her history with voter fraud. I just fear a three-way primary will keep corruption in the Registrar’s seat.
You may want to confirm she is a Democrat.
Lydia is aided by district leader Martha Santiago who runs the Spanish senior center on the East Side. Word on the street is Martha lets Lydia gather her absentee ballots at the senior center and they both “assist” non-english-speaking seniors in filling out the ballots. All done during working hours.
Martha Santiago, another name that insults Latino pride. She also brings shame to Bpt, she will sell her soul to get an atta girl from Mario. She loves to say “I control my people Mario and the Massa will do anything for me because I control my people.” Martha you’d better listen to Alanna, she is your boss now, you have to answer to her, you’re her little brown one.
Martha Santiago is only Puerto Rican when it suits her, otherwise she claims Filipino heritage. Martha is a lowlife and loyalty means nothing to her. She just pulled some more bullshit in the 138th.
She failed to tell Ann Barney, a sitting TC member, she was not going to be on the town committee list Martha submitted. Ann found out by accident she was not on the list.
The reason Ann was left off is she refused to kiss Martha’s ass and would not always go along with the vote Martha wanted.
The only two who benefit from being on the TC in the 138th were Martha who got a job she is not qualified for along with a big raise, the second person was Rich Paoletto who also got a big raise to go along with his promotion.
Martha’s day is coming and one day the Hispanic community will realize she is using them to further herself.
www .youtube.com/watch?v=cS4LCoh0VGQ
And finally you have the inmates actually running the asylum. OMG!!! This makes Ernie Newton actually look like the second coming …
City employees will vote for a challenge slate, finally.
EYES ARE WIDE OPEN.
Chosen 1, how can you be sure city employees will actually vote for a challenge slate? We thought that was the case during the primary, and I am not convinced it went down that way. I understand this is not the mayoral race but the Registrar of voters is a key cog in the Machine mechanism. It keeps the Pasta machine churning out wet noodles.
State Rep Ayala … will play the game … not taking sides.
Harley … you are right about the ab … plays dumb and looks the other way.
If these district leaders endorses Lydia … shame on them … Lydia is an embarrassment to our community. I do not want her as a councilwoman NOR REGISTRAR OF VOTERS!
Look at what she did to the 139th, right under their noses … extended the 137th so the house she has lived for all this years now falls under the 137th (Grant St.). I cannot believe Holloway allowed her to get away with this act.
I can see it now, Lydia filling out abs in the registrar’s office stacked high on her desk with a line out the door. Martha will have to bring the seniors there during the day because seniors do go to bed early.The Massa will authorize the use of the senior bus then give them gift certs. This I hope is a joke, please.
Maybe Bill Finch could put something in HIS charter that says it is OK to have people convicted (plead guilty) of voting irregularities serve as registrar.
Then he can sit there and say he is opposed to this absurdity but the charter says he must do it.
Mark A could then give a legal opinion (notice I wouldn’t say write a legal opinion) saying the constitution requires Lydia serve as registrar.
Then Bill Finch can disband all boards and commissions in the city under the same powers he disbanded the BOE and then the City Council can vote to remove Bob Walsh from office. (I know he is no longer on the council but you know we’d still like to take the vote.)
Heil Bill. First Emperor of Bridgeport.
La Diabla.
CHEAT???!!! DOES THIS SAY THERE WAS “CHEATING” IN BRIDGEPORT?
Hmmmmmmmmm. Let’s take a walk down memory lane to October 2010.
blog.ctnews.com/lynne/2010/10/16/how-dare-you-an-open-letter-to-david-pia/
Don’t feel like reading the link? Jennifer Lynne, after stalking my personal facebook page, said:
“Dear David Pia:
You must’ve not gotten the memo that just because you friend-ed someone on facebook, it doesn’t mean they are really your friend … starting with me. Let me clarify my problem with you.
Yesterday, October 15 2010 at approximately 8pm you posted this on Facebook:
David Pia time will tell – I really need every vote we can get – Bridgeport is 5 – 1 Dem to Republican … and they cheat!
Look familiar?
“You lost my hypothetical vote. I am a proud, registered Democrat who is strong and independent enough to cross the line. This woman votes best man for the job and you sir, are not that man.
Bridgeport doesn’t cheat, and we also don’t take it on the chin. You messed up and you owe me and mine an apology.
For the record, I was man enough to apologize for the “insensitive” remark. Will Ms. Lynne be woman enough to admit it was not an inaccurate statement?
My loyalty lies with my City.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jennifer Lynne, DC, FIAMA”