Historically one of the shortest meetings of the year, the City Council will meet Monday on the eve of election day to refer a number of items to committees, including:
Resolution presented by Council Member(s) Newton; Co-sponsor(s) Martinez, Burns, Cruz, Herron & Valle re: Proposed Resolution for the City Attorney to draft an ordinance for the City Code to restrict selecting, reclassifying or otherwise placing political appointees/unclassified service appointees in vacant positions in the classified service during period Mayor is a “lame duck,” referred to Ordinance Committee.
The above, following an OIB story, received a torrent of opinions in the OIB comments section defending the integrity of the Civil Service merit system undercut by several mayoral administrations shoehorning political appointees into classified positions. This is something that should be done by City Charter policy all the time, posters commented, not a short-term patchwork during lame-duck windows, the period when a mayoral administration fills out a term awaiting a successor.
Why not just enforce what’s already on the books governing Civil Service regulations?
Election eve meetings tend to be quick as pols urge to head out the door for some last-minute campaigning, except this time members of the legislative body will be home, or some remote location, plugged in virtually due to the health pandemic that appears to be throated in a second wave.
Meeting starts at 7 p.m. Full council agenda here.
The public may listen into this meeting by calling the following conference line and then entering the conference code:
Dial-In Number: (929) 436-2866
Meeting ID: 381 083 245
To Councilman Newton; Co-sponsor(s) Martinez, Burns, Cruz, Herron & Valle, if it’s wrong shoehorning political appointees into classified position during lame-duck windows, why isn’t it wrong all the time? What you six are saying it only wrong one time during the tenure of a city Mayor!
No, what you are saying comrade, no matter what he does, in this particular act, he can do no right. It’s a sound policy. The city, mayor, or CC actually adhering to things that say and enact is a totally different issue. But on the merits, it is as sound policy. Does it move the needle for the betterment of the city, or Port’s residents, not so much? But what do you expect? 🙂 JS
Excellent point Donald. It’s OK to play games with Civil Service 365 days a year BUT it not OK for 60 days when the mayoral term is expiring.
What’s wrong with THAT picture.
You need a City Council with a backbone.
You need a way in which adherence to City Ordinances and the City Charter are enforceable.
You need penalties for not abiding by Charter and Ordinances.
You need an honest government not looking to create loopholes or shortcuts to obtain what it wants.
How do other cities do it? I can only say they they have the basic honest government.
Bob, The only council member with a backbone is Maria but she doesn’t know how to win friends and influence people. Joe Ganim was in office for just two years in (G2) when he started running around the State with Mario to be governor instead of managing the City. Now these council members are going to put the chicken in the cage with the fox by letting Hamilton Burger to draft this ordinance.
And what does the resolution say?
“For the City Attorney to draft an ordinance”.
What happened to we are proposing what other cities say about this?
Mark please draft an ordinance for us. Wink, wink 😉.
One step forward then one step back, this is nothing but a feel good City Ordinance that does nothing but they can pad theirself on their back.
Oust the Fig Newtons!
Don and Bob
I put this in because of the actions of Bill Finch as he was leaving office. He gave everyone a raise because he wanted to F_ _K Joe Ganmin because he lost the election. Why should a Lame Duck Mayor be allowed to create a 20 Million dollar hole for New people coming in. We could have used some of that money towards Education adding new polices and firemen classes etc. Our city attorneys had nothing to do with this language we put it from other places through out the state. ITS work in progress. I guess you two didn’t see anything wrong what Finch did to our City!
Let me see if I understand this, this City Ordinance was put into place because of what former mayor, Bill Finch did in 2015 after he lost to Joe Ganim? So what was the City Council doing when all of this was going on, you mean it has taken the council 5 years to see what Finch did and what Mayor Ganim doing to correct that problem?
Ron
I wasn’t there 5years ago
Ernie, my best guess those raise were arbitrary by Finch and based on just him losing the election. Renewing the Chief contract could be said to be a spiteful move that casts the taxpayer. At a Finch kicking the can on the revolution that cast city residents who were paying more than their fair share didn’t seem to bother those benefiting for things like that. I sure those Gen Now members who lived in BR wasn’t dancing to city hall for that vote or implementation. JS
Gen Now that what you get when you make a dishonest claim about Maria for political motives. JS Who next. 🙂
P.S Maria, burn the tapes. 🙂
Welcome to Port Politics, Port residents were most don’t care, just a bunch of Efl eating, lust for Elf flesh, who like to fight duty and dishonest too. I will pray for you. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cTr_XgLrdQ
Had to clean this up. Don’t want Lennie’s OIB ESL class to be characterized as the BPS system. A packet class. If anything beneficial came out of this pandemic. It forces the Bridgeport school system to invest in the education (that was minimal ) of the Port student body. An investment that the BBOE had neglected for years and still would have, Shame on you and those advocating who stayed silent on the issues and allowing this abuse to happen and continue, yet always called for more funding, Funding for you, more than the student’s educational progress. But like as said, “a computer is only as powerful as the software”. I hope the Port’s student’s software is like an up to day Playstation and not Atari Pong. If it’s lacking, you are to blame for the continuation of the Port’s student body being deprived and left behind, so please get off your high horse. JS 🙂
Ernie, my best guess those raise were arbitrary by Finch and based on just him losing the election. Renewing the Chief’s contract could be said to have been a spiteful move that costs the taxpayers.
At any rate, Finch kicking the can on the revolution that cost city residents, who were paying more than their fair share, didn’t seem to bother those benefiting for things like that. I’m sure those Gen Now members, who lived in BR, weren’t dancing to city hall for that vote or its implementation. JS
Gen Now, that’s what you get when you make a dishonest claim about Maria for political motives. JS Who next? 🙂
P.S Maria, burn the tapes. 🙂
Welcome to Port Politics, Port residents. Where most don’t care, just a bunch of Efl eating reindeer with a lust for Elf flesh, who likes to fight duty and are dishonest too. I will pray for you. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMwyfYT6PA0
Really. This gets more f’d up the longer it stays out there. I don’t care if it was Lenny Paoletta that screwed it up. Fabrizi and Finch?
Why didn’t you fix it after Fabrizi left office? And I don’t care if you were or were not on the council.
If it was fixed then you wouldn’t have a $20M hole for Finch (not that I believe it was a $20M hole to begin with).
If it was such an egregious problem why didn’t Ganim fix it.
As my good friend Ed Gomes not Gomez would say, “Don’t piss on my face and tell me it raining”.
Wouldn’t you say Ernie is trying to fix it? 🙂
PS, Moses, that 20 million was like a plague you sent on Ramses II to free your people. That shit was like David Blaine. 🙂
It just popped out of Joe and his administration’s ss mouth. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0fylxoxC_o
P.S P.S Jewish people, be it the Black Iseallites or Steve’s people, killing a bunch of innocent kids might be a bit much. Don’t you think? Just saying, that’s your God you are praying to at that wall. I don’t want to muddy the water with Allah. I know, It’s like Columbus, you can’t judge 1400 BC God to today’s standards. 🙂
Even some of the Greek gods were that cold and callous. You know, orgies. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcaHutZQiIA&list=PLha3vzfTUINamwZaoVU6LPI0r32_yryxr&index=11&t=0s
To be fair, sure you can do a lot worse the Jesus, but that hippy wants no accountability. Has he been listing to the people and police reform? 🙂
Not to mention his fucking ego. I mean, no one gets in Heaven but through you. What are you a bouncer? That boy had know peripheral consideration for anyone, not even the gays. surprise you even let women in. Some can’t even go out without a headcover, head covering the body, What you trying to hide or suppress people. JS 🙂
Some things need peripheral consideration. 🙂
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10154873603170973
Not that cold, @ ESL 🙂
Ron
I don’t know where it pop out of we had to balance a 20 million dollar hole. No Mayor should be allow to leave a city the way Bill Finch left Bridgeport Taxpayers
Moses, ask yourself this question? If Finch has won, would there have been a 20 million dollar hole? 🙂
Please.
I will not get into your motive, “Moses”. But it sounds like a sound policy, and it has no bearing on the real effects of the city residents, per se, more than how city hall conducts itself. , regardless of who is mayor. So please stop portraying it as it does with that makeup 20 million dollar hole.
I can only assume it is not what the city, Ganim), current mayor, or even some, powers at be, wants.
I can only also assume some, power at be, are trying to look out for the city and its residents that have been neglected, used, and taken advantage of, for far too long, by its political system, (I hope), hence your resolution.
The criticism of you is based on you only do what the powers ask of you. You are who you are. They say God used everyone. That can be said by the powers at be, too. That has been your political career. JS Moses.
P.S That’s the game of politics. JS people. It’s never what it’s said to be, and that rabbit hole is a whole lot deeper than a 20 million hole, feel me?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_ES3f5XEQk
Bob
Remember I wasn’t on the city Council
Ernie what the hell does that have to with anything, Bob, Don and myself are not on the council but we speak out. Ernie, that Ordinance does nothing and if it did how would you enforce it, oh that’s right it’s up to Hamilton Burger.
If JoeyG2 was going to run for another term, he would never let this proposal see the light of day. So the fact that he’s letting it go is telling; anyone wondering if he’s going for a 3rd term, think no more, he’s not. Ernie, I wonder why it took you so long to conjure up this ordinance? I don’t care if you weren’t on the council, as a so-called, long-term public official, you should have moved on this right after you were sworn in to this term. I’m not saying that what John or Bill did on their way out was right, I’m just wondering what took you so long. Did this just pop into your head 11 months into your first year back? Ernie, I know you, you’re up to something and we’ll all be watching and waiting. There are no secrets in politics, eventually something that doesn’t make sense, and coming from you this doesn’t, you may be burning your last chance at reelection to any office.
Lisa, I’m in full areement with you. JoeyG2 does not have his law licence so as Democrat he will looking for the Party and Presdent Biden transition to plug him into a spot because he will need a job. Lisa, Ernie came back to Bridgeport in 2012 and if he’s saying that he’s the “the Moses of his people” then his words would have been loud and clear for those to hear in the City.
For giggles. Let’s not muddy up the waters here.
Auther note, Keep the strong positive stuff, and discard the crap. 🙂 Words are like food, you took in the nutrient and shit out the crap. JS I think, 🙂
Happy Easter, Chocolate eggs and bunnies, good, those peeps, not so much. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hROqyyATw0I
“Table it”..lol,Ernie,stop,you know this is a waste of time, ……Anastasi will finish drafting this ordinance by the end of next October…
Ernie,any chance you can support Maria’s resolution demanding Joe pay back HIS attorney’s fees he has taken upon himself to put on the taxpayers tab??
Hey Steve. Down below. I’d change that ad if I were you. Telling people To vote by mail is to late now. If they vote by mail it won’t get counted. Just saying.
I think that Constance Vickers, who clever that is, may be working for the opposition.
Resolution presented by Council Member(s) Newton; Co-sponsor(s) Martinez, Burns, Cruz, Herron & Valle re: Proposed Resolution for the City Attorney to draft an ordinance for the City Code to restrict selecting, reclassifying or otherwise placing political appointees/unclassified service appointees in vacant positions in the classified service during period Mayor is a “lame-duck”, referred to Ordinance Committee.
If you take closer look at this ordinance the only information give for this ordinance is from Ernie Newton, “I put this in because of the actions of Bill Finch as he was leaving office. He gave everyone a raise because he wanted to F_ _K Joe Ganmin because he lost the election. Why should a Lame Duck Mayor be allowed to create a 20 Million dollar hole for New people coming in.” Where is the supporting facts and documentation for this ordinance, is this base just on what said? Who will make the determination that this new ordinance is being violated and who can take acion against the violator and enforce what type of penalty and can this action be challenge?
What about that Ernie?
Bubba, your talking way over his head. He’s reactive not proactive. Ernie’s been all over the political spectrum and has mastered no office he’s held. But, I still like the little guy. Bridgeport seems to attract these little people.
Hey Ernie
How did this get by B & A???
Maybe that should be your first question. $20M dollar budget hole and it didn’t need a budget transfer? I’d start there with my questions. It seems as if the entire council is in cohorts with the mayor.
IMHO there is where you start. Ask the question when was the last time a budget transfer even came before the City Council?
If no one can remember when start there.
As a matter of fact, this will also deal with funding for legal expenses too. No money no deals.
Way back when I was Vice Chair of B & A ant money spent above the budgeted amount had to have a budget transfer. Any money spent outside of the appropriated description or outside of the department needed a budget transfer. This way Mark cannot say you cannot say it’s in conflict with the charter
Come on Ernie. You remember the good old days when the council actually got involved in running the city and simply acted as ax rubber stamp for the mayor.
Lisa
You and I served together when the City Council was strong because we had John Guman and men and Women who work and understood the Legislative process. Over the years the city council lost some of that authority because Council Presidents fell asleep at the wheel. Our job is to try and restore what was given away. Thank God I done listen to the naysayers.
Ernie,any chance you can support Maria’s resolution demanding Joe pay back HIS attorney’s fees he has taken upon himself to put on the taxpayers tab??
No chance. First of all it would piss off the other council members. Second off, and much more important, it would piss off the mayor and Ernie would never do that. Unless Ernie had another play in that.
Bubba, you and John Stafstrom were the masters of the budget and all issues that required a deep understanding of finances. I just remembered, you both were my council partners. Share your knowledge and thoughts when needed. There are members who would be willing to consider it a good intention. If not, nothing lost. If I wasn’t fortunate to have you guys, I’d be in the same boat as most of the members.
You know Lisa
What I cannot understand is they spend a month and a half meeting three or four days a week and then poof it’s done.
They never ask where a the budget transfers, never get a detailed monthly report as to where the budget stands, they just congratulate each other and move on.
And yet when it serve their purposes they say Finch left them a $20M hole.
And yet they don’t even ask how did they make up more revenue or cut expenses. So sad. I almost feel sorry for them. Almost…..
And when a Co-Chair shows a little independence and they are afraid that he might start asking some tough questions, BOOM! He is stripped of his Chairmanship and vanquished to a meaningless assignment because HE DOESN’T GET HIS MAIL!!! Even though he get an electronic file.
How does that make any sense.
Ernie, you say to Lisa, “Over the years the city council lost some of that authority because Council Presidents fell asleep at the wheel.” My Brother they didn’t lose that authority, you gave it away by not challenging issues that you know weren’t in the best interest of Bridgeport or its residents. You gave it way by accepting everything Mayor Ganim wanted even though you knew it wasn’t in the best interest of Bridgeport or its residents. You gave it way when you knew that Council President Aidee Nieves was that Council President that you alluded to, that is asleep at the wheel. 😴
When this CC quits working for the best interest of Mayor Ganim and the DTC, then and only then will you get back that Authority that you think was lost. Food for Thought my Brother.
Thank you Donald!!!!!!
Don
First of all you never served on the city council. You know about Fire issues. Since I’ve been back we put into place ,for the first time Our City Council Contracts Committee will sit down with our Labor Department and go over city contracts. Police, Fire etc. Its the first time in our city’s history, before all the city council could do was vote yes or no on them. We added that to our rules on contracts in our councils Rules. We changed our set-a-side for minority contractor. Any company doing business with our city and receiving bonding dollars or doing business with our city or hiring 5% must go to Ex-felons, and 20% must be city residents. Lisa knows that over the years the City Council has been watered down. We started 1981 together we had a strong council. Lisa remember when i was Council President we took the mayor Lenny Paoleeta to court for signing a contract that didn’t come before the city council and we WON that case. I’m not New to this, I’m true to this.
Ernie, you don’t know the history, the State changed the law about negotiation when there was an impasse, in the past the negotiation the contract would into arbitration where they would take both sides by offers and make a decision for both sides but over the years the union would win more times than the city. Cities wanted change so the State voted to change the arbitration law to give cities a second chance if they lost in arbitration then the City could vote down the arbitration ruling. Ernie, that’s just item, but where has the entire city council and you Ernie been when the fire department DID NOT HIRE ANY FEMALE FIGHTERS I 12 YEARS BECAUSE OF DAVID DUNN?
Ernie, you did.