State Rep. Ezequiel Santiago has been named chairman of the city’s eight-member legislative delegation. As the delegation leader Santiago will serve as the point person for the city’s legislative priorities for the General Assembly session that begins in January and runs into June.
Santiago represents the 130th State Assembly District that covers the South End, Downtown and portions of the East Side and West End. He was elected to the seat 10 years ago.
The delegation, in addition to Santiago, is comprised of House members Chris Rosario, Steve Stafstrom, Jack Hennessy, Andre Baker and Charlie Stallworth, as well as State Senators Marilyn Moore and freshman Dennis Bradley who won the seat vacated by a retiring Ed Gomes.
Some of the big items on the agenda with a incoming legislature and new Governor Ned Lamont will center on new revenue sources such as commercializing marijuana, sports betting, tolls and MGM’s proposal to build a waterfront gaming destination along the Steelpointe Harbor development area that encompasses the East Side and East End. Its proposal seeking legislative approval for an open, competitive process for a commercial destination in the city passed the House last session but did not come up for a vote in the Senate.
The state operates under a gaming monopoly in which the state’s two tribal nations that run Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun receive exclusivity in exchange for 25 percent of the slot take that had dwindled in recent years.
The city’s delegation will also lobby for additional dollars for infrastructure improvements for schools, roads, bridges, rails and flood zones.
During the campaign Lamont pledged to fully fund the city’s public school system and reimburse the city tens of millions more from its allotment of tax-exempt properties. The city receives from the state payments in lieu of taxes for properties such as hospitals, state buildings and colleges, but not full reimbursement. If Lamont can deliver on those ambitious pledges it would represent a financial windfall to the city.
I think almost every member of our delegation is intelligent, however I also believe they have been absolutely negligent when it comes to the Bridgeport Public Schools.
You will NEVER fix Bridgeport until there is a significant increase in the investment of out TRUE public schools. It doesn’t matter how many new school buildings we build if they are not appropriately staffed and resourced.
Every member of our current delegation, minus Bradley, voted to reduce our ECS funding by $1,000,000 in the middle of the 2016/2017 school year after we had just made $16,000,000 in devastating cuts. That vote was absolutely disgraceful.
Every single member of our current delegation, minus Bradley, voted to eliminate the provision in Malloy’s Education Bill which required urban municipalities to increase their contribution to their local schools. For those who don’t know, out of 169 municipalities in CT none contributes LESS to its public schools, on a percentage basis, than Bridgeport.
Chris Rosario is 100% bought and paid for by the Charter $chool Industry and has a PAC called Build CT which is funded by white pro-charter school millionaires and billionaires. This is the same PAC that Alice Walton donated $100,000 to help elect Dennis, therefore you know he has been bought and paid for by the Charter $chool Industry as well.
In the last eight (8) years Charter $chools went from receiving $9,500 per pupil to $11,250 per pupil. That is an 18% increase while our true public schools have not received even a 5% increase.
Maria –
I have a BOE process question. I don’t see Bradley sticking around the BOE now. From what I could gather based on news reports / Linda L Twitter – he was either not present or tardy at some meetings. If he leaves, does the BOE get to replace or the mayor? I know the last few replacements seem to come from the mayor, but that appeared to be after delay tactics where the mayor can appoint after so many days (30?). Thanks
E Z does it……..
Santiago is a Ganim loyalist. Whatever Joe wants EZ will at least try to deliver. This will become another piece in the campaign to re-elect Kor Ganim.
Of course he’s a Ganim loyalist, always was and he’s still is.
I saw ES yesterday at Moe’s Burger Place Downtown. I would have congratulated him. BTW,great food at Moe’s.However,this was about 1:00PM and the pedestrian and vehicular traffic was very light. I’ve said before and I’ll say it again. There”s more traffic in Black Rock than Downtown BPT. I have no idea how Downtown Merchants survive?
The reason many people go downtown is to one of the courthouses.