The charter revision ballot question for November is a hot topic both in the way the question is presented to voters as well as what it means for the future structure of the Board of Education. Jeff Kohut, 2011 mayoral candidate who’s opposed to a mayoral-appointed school board, shared this notification below:
There will be an extremely important public meeting/informational forum at the North End Branch library from 6:00-7:30 PM on Tuesday, September 4–the same day as the special election for Bridgeport Board of Education.
The meeting/forum is being presented by the North End Community Council (NECC) as a public service designed to educate Bridgeporters on the implications of the Charter Revision referendum item that will appear on the Bridgeport election ballot in the November 6 elections.
The aforementioned charter revision item is a deceptively-worded ballot choice intentionally designed to mislead voters concerning the granting of new powers to the mayor and the city council. Specifically, the question seeks to avoid the direct mention of the loss of voting rights by Bridgeporters (in regard to the loss of their right to democratically elect the members of the Bridgeport Board of Education–the body responsible for the education of our children and the spending of our tax dollars in our public school system). In the same vein, it seeks to camouflage the blatant power grab by City Hall in this regard.
A “Yes” vote for the referendum item on the November 6 ballot in Bridgeport will give the mayor the power to appoint all members of the Bridgeport Board of Education, whereas we now have the right, as voters in the City of Bridgeport, to democratically choose those who will sit on that critically-important board.
The referendum item to appear on the November 6 ballot–which covers several other areas of critical importance to Bridgeporters (in education, public safety, and municipal governance) (see links, below, for more complete discussion)–reads simply, as follows:
“Shall the City of Bridgeport approve and adopt the charter changes as recommended by the Charter Revision Commission and approved by the City Council, including education governance reforms?”
(see links–
www.ctpost.com/news/article/Keila-Torres-Ocasio-Charter-question-on-3770011.php;
onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/smith-charter-revision-document-flawed/)Obviously, a voter who isn’t familiar with the (many) parts of the referendum item will be likely to believe they are simply approving some minor tinkering with the city charter, designed by the Charter Revision Commission to make the charter a “better” document. Voters are likely to either vote “Yes,” or not vote on the item at all, thus ensuring its approval, if even by only a tiny number of votes.
That is why it is extremely important to come to the meeting on September 4, 6-7:30 PM, at the North End Library, where presentations by retired judge Carmen Lopez, budget watchdog John Marshal Lee, and others, will shed some light on the Charter Change deception initiative (and more). [Also, see the attachment, below–an op-ed piece by Judge Carmen Lopez that delineates the City Hall machinations leading up to the illegal dissolution of the Bridgeport Board of Education on July 5, 2011 and which presents background germane to the present Charter Change controversy–“Removing the Mask from Education Reformers,” Connecticut Post, July 18, 2012.]
Don’t forget to vote for your choices for the Board of Education on September 4–before you come to the meeting (it may be your last chance to vote for the membership of this board–if City Hall has its way).
Let me get this straight, Bridgeport residents will vote soon to give up their vote for BOE members? Interesting. So a charter vote yes means we lose the right to vote? And if so, mayor then appoints. Why the mayor? Why not have a panel of citizens appoint?
Last night we interviewed most all BOE candidates at Burroughs center and they had interesting stuff to say about all this, will air next Tue.
Why the mayor? Why not have a panel of citizens appoint? Maybe we can vote for the panel of citizens who want to appoint people to the BoE, this way we all win. I’m confused!
I’ll be voting NO.
When will removing vote for mayor happen next? How about a panel of citizens who appoint the mayor who appoint the BOE, etc.?
I have no problem with a mayoral-appointed board or mayoral appointees as in NYC and elsewhere.
If things run well in city and schools, the mayor gets re-elected. If not, out he goes.
Additionally I concur with Mojo, let’s see what the Vallas changes will bring, good or bad. Right now, there has not been enough time but a number of the changes make a lot of sense. (Although I do question why his predecessors didn’t make the obvious changes.)
Vallas was a Finch decision and if it goes badly, then he should not get re-elected. The general tenor on OIB almost seems like they wish for bad news so they can vent on Finch.
Vallas was recommended by the state education commissioner. Finch had very little input. This was part of the grand scheme to take away the people’s right to vote, pure and simple.
I believe the current process of electing a Board of Education gives the voters more say and more hope in self-determination as a City. The mayoral election is too influenced by his and the DTC’s political machine. It is a little less so with the Board of Ed. Keep the electoral process our forefathers died for!
I believe there is a typo up above. The correct spelling should be: May-whore as in May-whore Finch. Not mayor.
This is why a good education is sooo important.
Off Topic here. In regard to the posting 8/20 at 6:35 by the Grin Reaper regarding the letter Tom Mulligan wrote in the CT Post. I have known Mr. Mulligan for over 25 years, I can tell you he is a man of character and integrity. He is a very well-respected attorney, has volunteered for years in little league (even when his own children were no longer involved), his church and for the City of Bridgeport in numerous elected positions. While you may disagree with his position, to label his letter a “piece of crap” and it “should disqualify from ever serving in an elected position” is ludicrous. Your final comment that “you are an embarrassment to your profession and to the Democratic Party” again, in my opinion is ludicrous. One of the negatives of a blog is people post whatever they want, and quite often it is to tarnish the reputation of a good, law-abiding citizen. In this case your posting was one of them. Either you don’t know Mr. Mulligan or you don’t like him, either way that is no reason to write what you did just because you disagree with him. Knowing Mr. Mulligan, I’m sure his attitude is one of forgiveness. Luke 23:34, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.
EverHopeless,
If you stayed abreast of the news you would know Paul Vallas WAS NOT a May-whore Finch decision. Paul Vallas negotiated the terms of his employment directly with the State of Connecticut.
I personally have no problem with a government disbanding a duly elected board or individual. But why did the state stop with the BOE? They should have also unelected the City Council and the May-whore. Then it might make sense.
I am all in favor of disbanding the 20-member council; they don’t do anything but rubber stamp what Finch and company want so let’s have the mayor appoint the council. With the mayor’s record for not filling boards and commissions this could be a good thing. Just think, no council, no dumb ass ordinances and less spending. One more thing, how is the curfew doing?
Andy,
I know you are interested in the curfew, but it must be working ’cause no one is reported shot late at night, right? Is that the proper metric to use?
Talking about the Council, where did that new Ordinance relative to Council stipends go? Did it pass while I was on vacation? Are each of the Council members getting $750 per month to spend? Where do they get to practice OPEN, ACCOUNTABLE and TRANSPARENT recording of what taxpayer dollars are spent on? Will FOI be the only route to an answer? Ask your Council person and see if they know. Imagine if you will they are currently spending over $100,000 of the $180,000 available to them for stipends annually without providing info to the taxpayer while at the same time NOT SPENDING about $100,000 or so that they annually allocate to the Council for OTHER EXPENSES and fail to spend on worthwhile and necessary support services. Why not spend money that will make your votes on the public business more effective? And perhaps less money on personal uses that go unreported. Keep an eye on this for Council elections next year. Now is the time for the Council to address this issue (and bare the financial secrets)! Time will tell.
*** As most OIB readers know, I am not a fan of Finch & Co. politics, but “Denis OMalley” you’re right. I feel it’s still much too early to prejudge all of Vallas’ changes so far especially in the long term sense and its overall effects in the future. As JML would say, “time will tell!” I also was not a fan of the way our local elected BOE members had been doing their jobs for the last 25 years to say the least and if “done right” would have welcomed a “temporary” State Appointed BOE for a couple of years ’til hopefully good changes came about! However now with the tricky Charter Revision Marching Order hurry up and vote for an “elected” or “appointed” BOE question come Nov; I must vote “NO” because total control of the Bpt school system’s Benjamin$ by the Mayor will not necessarily mean a better education for the city’s kids! Also I’ll be voting for both WFP candidates and GOP’s Joe Borges for the BOE. *** OVERALL CHANGE, IT’S TIME! ***
Mojo, you have a point … it will not necessarily mean a better education for the city kids … As a matter of fact it will not mean a better education. I and my family will be voting “NO.” I will make sure those I come in contact with will also vote “NO.” I like JB but I think he will be a puppet as well …
I will be voting “No” on the charter question. On September 4th I will be voting for the WFP candidates, but I have not made up my mind about the third. Still gathering information. From what I understand and read, Kelleher has her mind in the place I need it to be to garner a vote from me, but the jury in my mind is still out.
Yes Grin, it was a typo.
I don’t know how it was done 30 – 40 years ago, but where were you guys calling for action when the elected boards of the past continually failed in their duties to provide quality education to the youth of the city?
Now that someone new is calling for change, the same old guys who did nothing want to bring back the old days.
I’m sorry, but it’s not the ’70s and ’80s anymore. The old system didn’t work and in all honesty I think the city will vote to give the mayor appointing capabilities. Not because they’ve been duped by a vaguely worded ballot question, but because they are tired of the same old ineffectiveness that has been BoE’s past.
You give the impression education in Bridgeport in the past has been bad and inadequate. I am here to tell you that is not the case. The BOE under Michael Bisiglia’s leadership as president of the board was very good and did a lot to improve education in Bridgeport. Parents who attended BOE meetings were welcomed and their suggestions were listened to.
Education in Bridgeport started a fast track downward to where it is starting with the hiring of Ms. Salcedo as school super. It continued under Ramos only in the Ramos case he had a partner in screwing the system up further and that partner was Bill Finch and the six (out of nine) democratically picked BOE members.
You may ask why pick on Finch? Let me say this. For three budget years he flatlined (no increases) the BOE budget. This was his plan to make the schools look so bad and wasters of money and he was the only one who could straighten it out.
Just a short history, I am the product of the Bridgeport School system having graduated from Harding High. I was unable to go to college (military instead) but with what I was taught I was able to reach a six-figure income prior to retiring. I also became a fire investigation expert, all with a Bridgeport education.
You can sit back and knock the older generation but without them no man on the moon, no cellphones, no computers and on and on. We didn’t sit on our asses and wish for things, we went out and did them.
Today’s CT Post:
www .ctpost.com/news/article/School-board-must-play-role-of-watchdog-3812603.php
Brick,
There are people all over the City and region who got educations courtesy of Bridgeport schools of which they are proud in past years. At least one of those people was on the Charter Review Commission. So it wasn’t always as desperate or dysfunctional as noted by 2010-11.
Voting by citizens for board representation has not been identified as a major problem at any time, except perhaps those rare comments that identify the City voters as too ignorant to understand the issues. Folks who think that about their neighbors need to begin informing and educating them and teaching them that democratic institutions may be messy but they are still the best for the people.
Totalitarian regimes can be clean, and occasionally effective, but they are cruel and ignore voices from the people who ask to be heard, who challenge the status quo, who question conflicts of interest and other ethical issues. Ultimately history indicates they are not sustainable.
The good news is Bridgeport’s day-to-day problems are being addressed on two levels at this moment:
1) The policy setting and oversight level of the BOE appears to have more qualified candidates available than in recent memory. Candidates sense the need for folks to stand up on behalf of a community vision to benefit the youth and spend the dollars effectively.
2) The second level is a team of school professionals (interim administrators) who have knowledge of current National, State directions and local status. By using their special skills can result in an effective plan working efficiently for the City. That initial assessment and detailed and well-communicated planning has already resulted in a multitude of personnel changes, balancing of a budget, and evaluation techniques that should make teachers better at their work and student results increasingly better as they catch up with norms and goals that show real progress.
So use the Internet, go to the Bridgeport education website and begin to see what is occurring right now and cut the useless name calling and recitation of what was broken. That train has left the station. Get on it. It is truly a new day with new opportunities. We don’t need one person (claiming to be a practitioner of accountability) in City government having all the power and control over resources and how they are directed. Let’s share the responsibilities and authority. Let’s practice OPEN, ACCOUNTABLE and TRANSPARENT governance. Get out to vote for your favorite three candidates on September 4. And I would encourage you to reject the new Charter on November 6. That’s my opinion. It’s based on my reading of the facts and my belief in many people rather than just a few, operating the machinery of a messy democracy. Time will tell.
Dear John,
So are you going to write me a thousand-word essay every time I disagree with you? If so, I think I can keep you pretty busy writing responses and retorts! I too, can go on and on (and on and on) to argue for or against a particular position. However writing the longest response doesn’t mean you’re actually right.
I think you’re suffering from excessive zeal and it severely inhibits your ability to allow a meaningful dialogue with those who disagree.
It’s great you have an opinion, but if you’re unwilling or unable to hear an opposing view how could you possibly fully understand the issue as it relates to the other side?
And as far as your OATs is concerned … after reading your postings for some time now, it’s really just a euphemism used to attack those who share opposing views. One thing I’ve learned about “watchdogs” is they are quick to point out the errors and misjudgements of others but their actions and lists of accomplishments are short because it’s easier to criticize than do something others might criticize.
I’m glad to know the 60+ crowd respects your insight, but the 80% of us in Bridgeport under that age group want to know what have you done lately.
#realtalk
Brick,
It’s funny you should ask about what I have done lately. My name is public and I am involved in many activities. People around Bridgeport, some young and more older, know who I am and what I do 24/7. What you do not understand is the subject is not about me (much less about you and aimless postings that provide a viewpoint but are unsupported by reliable facts).
The subject is OPEN, ACCOUNTABLE and TRANSPARENT governance. OATs is what I return to since the beginning of writing on OIB. My question, on topic to you, is: how does Mayor Finch, into whose hands you want to dump educational decisions including over $320 Million of annual spending, plus City side $250 Million (plus all capital projects) prove he is capable of being accountable based on his four-year record?
That’s short enough for you to read, understand and answer. It is a question that is not an attack on anyone’s view, but rather solicits evidence to support your view if there is any support. I have been to many City governance meetings, listening, observing, occasionally speaking, learning, and getting to know lots of Bridgeport people in recent years. I see lots of bricks in the City, old or new, standing or part of demolition debris, and even have seen a few thrown over the years, but you are the first talking “brick.” Waiting for your response. Time will tell.
I never said you were unknown, nor did I suggest you haven’t attended various city meetings. I never said our city should not provide OPEN, ACCOUNTABLE and TRANSPARENT governance either.
My suggestion was you’re a sideline heckler using OATs when it’s convenient on people you don’t care for or who otherwise don’t subscribe to your positions.
Further, you feel the need to write some long diatribe about how my position is aimless and unsupported and take little pokes on my name handle. Which further demonstrates my point that watchdogs can’t handle criticism.
Your enthusiasm for the city is admirable and I honestly believe you want to see positive things happen here. Yet, where were your OATs during the Gamin years when it seemed like $.50 on every dollar was spent lining pockets? Imagine how much better off the city would be if all that money were used properly. All that happened on your watch, I was just a kid.
To answer your question though, I want the mayor to have the responsibility to appoint a board to make decisions and “into whose hands ‘I’ want to dump educational decisions including over $320 Million of annual spending, plus City side $250 Million (plus all capital projects).” If he makes terrible choices or puts in some cronies he can and should be held accountable.
Brick,
For many decades I have provided hours, effort and money when needed to a variety of community activities, boards and initiatives. I have met many people and learned a lot that is not in books.
What I did not do was be involved in City governance activities, though I informed myself about issues and candidates and voted at each election. Ten years ago I got a wake-up call regarding governance in a religious organization. As a cradle Roman Catholic I could not initially believe the stories carried by the Boston Globe but kept reading, listened to those who had been at the bad end of power abuse by clergy (sexually abusing youth). It wasn’t just a local problem. It was not just an American problem, as the Bishops were ready to say. It wasn’t a few bad apples, because the Bishops around the world have been dealing with this sad state of power abuse for years.
I began to see the only positive target I could direct energy to with a faint potential for long-term change, was to hold out the concepts of OPEN, ACCOUNTABLE and TRANSPARENT governance. It was interesting a Bishop would not explain himself or open himself to a visit requested multiple times.
Several years ago, during the Fabrizi administration, I began researching, attending and learning about City governance. The three goals I have pursued are the same: OATs. We are probably closer to getting some OATs improvement, even marginally in the City, than my co-faithful in the Church are getting to see it appear in the clerical culture. For instance Tom Sherwood has told us total annual line item info has never been available in the City since it went broke. So while you were a child, nobody could tell who was lining whose pockets. And Mayor Finch continued that pattern for the four years of his first term. How is that accountable? Why do you support him? However, I am a hopeful person, and patient. Time will tell.
*** People, if a picture can say a thousand words then let’s start drawing on OIB blogs to save time and energy texting, no? *** happy :>>>: sad ***