I’m excited. Mark April 25 on your calendar. That’s when the Rev. Al Sharpton comes to town as guest speaker for the 21st annual awards banquet dinner for the Bridgeport Guardians, an organization that fights for the rights of minority police officers.
(Why do I get the feeling Wondering is rolling his eyes?) That begs a question, what’s a minority these days anyway? Barack is a little bit of this, a little bit of that. Shoot, my father’s a Sicilian immigrant when Sicilians were considered the blacks of Europe. That’s what I love about Democratic Town Chair Mario Testa. He doesn’t care if you’re white, black, brown … if you want to book an event at Mario’s restaurant, he’ll take you.
Rev. Al at Testo’s Restaurant? Will the North End ever be the same? I might have to attend this event. I enjoy listening to Rev. Al speak. So what if he has an IRS problem; he was blowtorching George Bush, the worst president of my lifetime, when most everyone was gooey for him following 9/11.
If you want to order tix, just $50 per head, contact OIB friend Sgt. Ron Bailey at 203-543-5522.
New Downtown Chief
I’m sorry that OIB friends Bill Murphy, Nancy Hadley and Local Eyes didn’t get the DSSD managing director’s job that oversees activities in the central business district. The good news is the Gods Downtown (that would be board members) decided to select someone with likewise experience with some history in Bridgeport.
So welcome back Rick Myers, who formerly headed the Neighborhood Housing Services in Bridgeport, an organization that Mayor Bill Finch worked for 30 years ago. Myers will be leaving an organization in Wallingford similar to the DSSD.
Even in this crappy economy, we’ve got some some slammin’ stuff going on, particularly on Fairfield Avenue’s restaurant district. New housing including Citytrust and The Lofts on Lafayette Boulevard, (and when Phil Kuchma’s project at Bijou Square is completed) is adding a boatload of active folk downtown.
So, welcome Rick. But can you do something about the old Poli and Majestic theaters?
By the way, kudos to Local Eyes for sharing the following link to read about the state’s shovel-ready stimulus projects:
www.stimuluswatch.org/project/by_state/CT
OIB Milestone
OIB had its 10,000 comment today, according to WordPress, the software that runs our blog. It also shows that more than 99.5 percent of all comments were approved. So much for censorship! The 10,000th comment? The legendary Joel “Speedy” Gonzalez came in at 9,999, but Black Rockin is 10 grand.
Lennie you are right I just rolled my eyes and said to the bride here we go again.
The Rev. Al who has made a fortune being a race baiter. The Rev Al of Tawana Brawley fame is coming to Bridgeport. BFD and that does not stand for Bridgeport Fire Department.
Lennie
I’m not sure if it’s the cold weather or old age that could be getting to you. Surely $50 pp would be much more beneficial to an after-school program for children or some other charitable organization. One of the few good things about having Obama in office is that it decreases the need much less desire to hear Sharpton’s mouth. Isn’t it that time of year for you to take another jump in the icy cold water? Maybe Sharpton will join you!
brown eyed, I heard Lennie chickened out from jumping into Black Rock harbor this year.
Why would I want to scare all of the fish out of the water?
“Charlatan” is the kindest word I can use that you would print to describe Al Sharpton.
While I don’t remember Rick Myers, his bona fides appear to be right on and his previous experience in the city should be a plus. Good luck to him.
Rev. Al is coming in to honor “Hear Comes The Judge” Cofield.
I have to admit that for all of his good works in the civil rights department, I’ve never quite forgiven the “Reverend” Sharpton for his involvement in the Tawana Brawley debacle and the Central Park jogger case. It always seems to be a race thing with Al, even when it isn’t. flubadub is right on the money. With Barack Obama as president there is no real need for Al Sharpton, Louis Farrakhan or Rush Limbaugh, public figures who only create division to ensure their own continued existence. (A friend of mine has been living in rural Oregon with a couple who get virtually all of their news and information from Rush Limbaugh and the Fox News Channel. Being a Yankee from the liberal northeast this drove her nuts, of course. Mr. Limbaugh should be commended for his financial success, but at what cost? The politics of divisiveness have proven to be very expensive to our nation.)
Fairfield County Bank opened a branch on Madison Avenue. The zoning process took so long that the bank was operating out of a trailer for months. Why did it take so long? Everyone wanted their little taste. 52% of all taxable real estate within Bridgeport city limits is owned by the city of Bridgeport. Interested parties could purchase some of this property for a very good price, but it will become a money pit as soon as the purchaser submits a development plan. The demand for payoffs is so prevalent in Bridgeport that the city actually scares away potential developers.
The only candidate from southwestern Connecticut swept into office on Obama’s coattails that will make any effort on the people’s behalf is Jim Himes. He used his own money to campaign, which cuts down on the number of insiders knocking on the door claiming he “owes” them.
Bridgeport Kid: The reason that Bank was operating out of a trailer was because of the large amount of renovations that were taking place on that odd-shaped building. There was a problem with their application relating to the stream in the back of the building.
This problem required a revision in their plans. They made the revision and the application was passed. So again you speak without knowing a damn thing about the subject you are talking about. If I were the alderman or the district leader I would sue you and let you bring the subject to the public forefront. Why don’t you bring this to the FBI?
Blah-blah-blah …
KID If you can direct the City of Bridgeport Tax Collector to that bank perhaps they will deposit my tax check, after all they have had it about a month and a half!!! Does anyone know what this scam is all about? Al Sharpton to speak to the Bridgeport Guardians, what’s that all about as well? Al is a crook, he owes everyone!!! Is “slick” Sal DiNardo going to introduce him?
Obama signs stimulus bill.
LOOK! It’s working!
finance.yahoo.com/q?s=^DJI
Fed. trout fishing trip a success.
www .suntimes.com/news/politics/1435025,troutman-sentencing-four-years-021709.article
*** Actually Rev. Al Sharpton is quite the public speaker & can hold his own in any political debate against the best of them. When he made the effort to run for U.S. President in the past, I heard him speak in a debate in Arizona against some heavy hitters on the panel like Dean, Kearney, Edwards & a few others that I can’t recall @ this time, but he got a standing ovation when he was done! Once again, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. *** And yes, Obama or not, there will always be a need for civil rights activists to speak up for the oppressed, regardless of skin color, religion or gender. ‘Til you’ve actually walked a mile in an oppressed person’s shoes and experienced & felt the hate, you will never truly understand! Besides it’s not always a question of a violation of a person’s civil rights, sometimes it’s a person’s “Human Rights” that can be violated! *** Or maybe the Guardians should have some better-quality American bigots speak like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity or Pat Buchanan? After all they’re much better accepted by mainstream America than someone who lies like Rev. Sharpton! ***
Well Mojo I hate to disagree on Sharpton. Sharpton’s shameful antics involving Tawana Brawley cannot be excused. The reputation of an innocent man was ruined because of his antics and the lies that women told. The fact of the matter is he still has not paid up on the judgment that was rendered against him in this case.
What shoes did Sharpton walk in?
I do agree he is one hell of a speaker.
*** He doesn’t need to walk in others’ shoes but his own to understand ’cause he’s black; something you could never understand! Besides I didn’t say he was a saint, everyone knows he’s been a conman most his life. He just doesn’t try to masquerade what he is or believes in; like Hannity, Buchanan or Limbaugh just to name a few. However, the Brawley case was a big embarrassment as far as I’m concerned in reference to protecting a person’s civil rights or due process in general. ***
9,999 bottles of beer …
Mojo what you say is true I may not understand all of what Sharpton is about because he is black and I am white. You know what, he does not understand where I am at either as he is not white middle class who have never received help from anyone. The middle class whites are the forgotten people in America.
*** You’re right about the middle class being forgotten! And as far as Sharpton’s financial class status is concerned, I wouldn’t know his personal business. But it definitely has nothing to do with Black or White! ***
I won’t be attending the reception for Al Sharpton because I think he is a jerk of the first order. But that doesn’t mean Reverend Sharpton isn’t welcomed by others who may not share my less-than-enthusiastic interest in this despicable excuse for an activist.
Former Mayor Len Paoletta often brings notable Italians into the city for one of his BACIO events. Some of these noted goombahs have been somewhat controversial. Yet all were enthusiastically received by this group.
Therefore I say to the Reverend, welcome. After all, do we not live in a free-choice society (Bridgeport municipal government and DTC politics excepted)?
Sauseech his own!!!