Comments on: Surf’s Up! Mario’s Big Wave Question

By: Ron Mackey

Ron Mackey — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:39:36 +0000

“Hector A. Diaz,” You asked do I think that a tragedy can occur again? The answer is YES, and there is still only one way out of the apartment, nothing has changed at PT.

I still want Mayor Finch and Fire Chief Rooney to go to PT and demonstrate to the residents of PT on how they would go of the window on the second floor apartment and down 20 feet to the ground safely.

By: Mojo

Mojo — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 04:18:49 +0000

*** Right now Caruso seems to be the man to beat regardless of who runs, however things could change! *** As far as the Blacks & Latinos getting together to find a candidate of their liking, “fat chance”! What keeps them both, as well as themselves from uniting? How about Envy or Greed, maybe even Pride against coming together & Not in Bpt. politics anyway, too many looking for something and every time someone of color takes a small step up, there’s always somebody that’s looking to knock them down, right or wrong! *** forgetaboutit ***

By: Joel Gonzalez

Joel Gonzalez — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:24:10 +0000

From the Connecticut Post:
“Board member Patrick Crossin, chairman of the Finance Committee, last week proposed expanding Black Rock from a kindergarten-through-sixth-grade school to include seventh and eighth grades. He told his committee residents in that neighborhood pay a high level of taxes and want Black Rock to be a complete neighborhood school. He said state Rep. Auden Grogins, D-Bridgeport, who lives in the neighborhood, is working to secure the state’s share of the $28.2 million construction cost.”

My OIB rival Pat Crossin needs some political schooling from his favorite Puerto Rican political instructor: yours truly. The “high level of taxes” is the bi-product of the very same Democratic machine that got you elected in the first place. If you paid any attention to other parts of the city other than Black Rock, you would realize that there aren’t any other neighborhoods in Bridgeport with waterfront properties like Black Rock. That is why tax levels are higher. Try finding a $1.5 million home near my street. The mil rate is the same on my street as it is in yours. You with ‘your’ priorities! The same priorities that you demanded be given for Black Rock police protection, while on other parts of your district, dozens of people died and were injured in gun violence. The same priority given to Ellsworth Park while the park in front of P.T. Barnum remains the way it has been for 20 years. Black Rock deserves to be looked after the same as other parts of the district. Not all the folks who live in Black Rock and pay the higher levels of taxes have school-aged children. Many Black Rockers who have children and moved there within the last 15 years knew about the conditions and availability of schools in their neighborhood. I’ve never heard any outcry from Black Rock other than your crying Pat.

By: harley76

harley76 — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:37:31 +0000

Ron, I know the group you are referring to and they met over the weekend, energized and outraged over the abrupt termination of Dr. Marian Evans. They might just be angry enough to band together behind one candidate. I hope they do. What concerns me is members of this community who are getting bought off with jobs, promotions and raises being doled out by Finch.

By: Joel Gonzalez

Joel Gonzalez — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:20:21 +0000

The threat of fire is everywhere one looks. It happened again on North Avenue (not public housing) where one man died and there was very little attention paid to this case as it only involved one tragedy. Two years before the P.T. fire there was the one on Fairfield Avenue with a Mexican family. There have been dozens of close calls involving fires in smaller buildings.

By: Joel Gonzalez

Joel Gonzalez — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:13:01 +0000

“Surf’s Up! Mario’s Big Wave Question”
Big Wave? I beg to differ! The Tsunami that hit the country is no longer a threat. Lennie, even if Mario brings Barack Obama to Bridgeport, he would still have to struggle to beat Caruso without Bill Finch’s political machine. Finch is stronger with control of civil service, unions, and the Board of Education. Finch is raising money and the word is he wants to raise $800,000 to battle anyone who steps up to the plate. Can he raise that kind of money? He sure can as Fabrizi got close to raising $500,000 (Lennie I need a figure here to be sure) in campaign contributions. Every City Employee (Supervisors and top $ earners), vendors and appointed official who values their jobs will seriously think of donating time and money to Finch’s campaign.
This is just the money that appears on paper Lennie (wink). Let’s Pry Open A Juicy One! The soft money–that rubbing sound you hear is Mitch Robles rubbing his hands–that is used on get out the vote (GOTV) operations on election day. To win, each district leader has to get $10,000 apiece; in most cases half the money goes missing during the transaction process. Most of the money really doesn’t reach the volunteers or workers as most receivers of soft money don’t hire people because they know they are going to win. All Bill Finch needs is 46 Democratic Town Committee members to go along with him. And he can get them! The economy is bad enough that 46 DTC members see it.

By: town committee

town committee — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:43:19 +0000

Ron: this is what happens when you basically do away with a ful- time fire investigative unit. You are forced to rely on outside agencies to do your investigation and you are then at their mercy as to when you get results.
The previous chief went to a rotating system of having Fire marshals on call 1 week at a time. You cannot gain the experience and the knowledge required using this method. Sure it’s great for the on-call pay but it does not get your investigators trained. We are now waiting 2 months for a report that should have been ready in a few days.