The Party Plantation Owners

When did some of the Democratic party regulars die and come back as plantation owners? They seem to think they have a lock on black primary voters. We are the big bad DTC political machine, they say, and we control enough votes. Well, the machine needs an oil job.

The notion that the big bad Democratic Town Committee cannot be defeated is horseshit. How many times did it challenge Chris Caruso in his state rep district and got its ass kicked? As for the 2007 mayoral race, the DTC didn’t win that race, Caruso lost it. A tweaking of his corruption message and he’s mayor today. In 2003, the only reason John Fabrizi won the mayoral primary was because a bunch of other candidates split the anti vote.

When State Rep. Auden Grogins defeated Bob Keeley in 2008, Keeley was the endorsed candidate. Marilyn Moore defeated the endorsed Anthony Musto in Bridgeport in their 2008 State Senate primary. Votes in Trumbull and Monroe saved Anthony. When Paul Ganim defeated Kevin Boyle for judge of probate in a 1998 primary Boyle was the endorsed candidate.

To the party regulars’ way of thinking, challenging us is a waste of time, there should never ever again be an election in the city. And that’s just the way they want it. The battle to replace Chris Caruso in the state legislature again pits the party against the insurgents, the Mario Testa/Bill Finch endorsed candidate Rev. Charlie Stallworth against a Caruso coalition of State Senator Ed Gomes, Moore and others supporting police officer Verna Kearney. Several other candidates will be on the ballot for the Feb. 22 special election assuming their petition signatures are approved.

Over the past few days I’ve spoken to a bunch of party pols about the special election and the possible entry of Mary-Jane Foster, co-founder of the Bridgeport Bluefish, into the mayoral race. “How are they going to get the black vote,” the party regulars declare. What?

It’s amazing. They don’t wonder how they are going to get the white vote, or the brown vote. They ask about the black vote like it’s a foregone conclusion black voters will cast a ballot because of some party hack. Are black voters slaves to the party apparatus? Are they that naive? How do they feel about that? We’re not talking about Democrat versus Republican, we’re talking Democrat versus Democrat. “You can’t beat us because we control the black vote.” These are white politicians talking about black voters.

And then it gets better when the subject of Foster comes up, and you pose the following question to party regulars.

“Who’d make a better mayor, Finch or Foster?”

“Well, Foster would.”

“So why won’t you support her?”

“Well Lennie, you know why, c’mon.”

Oh yeah, it’s the job, the consulting gig, the legal work, the wife on the payroll. Ah yes, the party regulars are slaves in their own way.

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56 comments

  1. The pulse of the city, the real people, not just the white money people says Gomes makes a better mayor than either Finch or Foster. But of course there’s no way anyone here would know this.

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  2. Lennie can’t wait ’til Mary-Jane Foster sends that check for the OIB ad. Lennie, Ernie Newton must be burning under the collar after reading this. Lennie, tell me why Blunt didn’t run. Lennie, I used that Ernie Newton OIB piece on about 10 White people in the 126th. You should have seen their reaction. I used it on African Americans and Hispanics and they didn’t like it. I’ve taken a good look at Black Rock and the East End, paying particular attention at the apparent race of the people living in the area. The Hispanic vote potential is strong. The voters lists aren’t accurate–they’ve never been. Now Lennie, there are lots of ways for the machine to win–even if by one vote. More snow is coming. Do you think the 126th. will get less snow removal service as to slow down the door knockers? Or maybe they get better and more special attention from the city to keep voters happy. Money, Operation, Message–whoever has it wins.

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      1. JUST BECAUSE Lennie has granted Joel Gonzalez journalistic asylum here doesn’t mean he has anything worthwhile to say.

        Just because he has two OIB handles doesn’t mean he has twice as much to offer.

        No, he might be a former City Councilman but he’s a current zero.

        TWICE he suggested the BPD would disintegrate in his vacation-induced absence–TWICE he was wrong.

        Even his wife says “don’t mess with him.”

        I disagree.

        Why?

        Joel, your mind is my playground.

        (wink)

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  3. *** Is it possible that many of these small political cliques trying to push their choice candidate for state rep. against the Mario/Finch pick will be endorsing & or running on a Finch for Mayor 2011 ticket? Say it isn’t so, then smile! *** FORGETABOUTIT ***

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  4. Give me a break the machine does not have any control on the black vote I for one will not be controlled by them. Look how many times Black voters wet against the machine. I for one liked Lamont but many of my black friends went the other way and voted for Malloy … Longfellow School for example Keeley endorsed candidate gets 108 votes at Longfellow … Auden gets 154!!! Black Rock School Black voters pushed Auden over the line there to 231 Keeley … 282 Auden. So all this talk that they have the black vote locked is a bunch of bullshit to be honest.

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  5. Lennie the plantation rhetoric is fine for your column heading but it’s bullshit in real life. I have driven all over Bpt and have yet to find a plantation.
    I give Police Officer Verna Kearney credit for running against the as you call them plantation owners. It’s a wonder. She has a cushy job in the PD monitoring outside overtime. She is willing to put that job on the line to run for state rep. That takes courage given the past vindictive nature of the Finch regime. Just ask Andy Abate, ask Mr. Monaco, ask Mr. Cohen and ask a whole bunch of others who have either bucked the administration or have said no to the administration. I forgot John Gomes and Carolanne Curry. This is going to get worse before it gets better.

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    1. town committee // Jan 20, 2011 at 7:33 am
      to your posting

      TC,
      From the sad, bitter history of Finch firings you wouldn’t be surprised to know how high the numbers reached … of employees made to leave because of an illegal firing or barring that, causing the workplace environment to become so hostile the employee is forced to leave.

      On the other hand the revolving door bringing employees illegally is also unmatched in numbers.

      TC, what do you think the budget deficit really is?

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  6. The Party Plantation owners–and why they seem to think they have a lock on black primary voters is because many of our black leaders work for the plantation owners. You can’t serve two masters. Believe me no one controls the black vote. Joel, thanks for keeping my name out there in the community.

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      1. Somebody please inform yahooy that not capitalizing your own OIB handle signifies low self-esteem and piss-poor grammar.

        Then tell him he’s a pimple on the face of journalistic progress, too.

        In addition, ET is getting better while yahooy continues to marinate in what scientists call unhealthy conditions.

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        1. Ernie that is a bunch of bullshit and you know it. That’s a line the race-baiters like to use. According to you all white people were rich and owned slaves and plantations.
          You know why I ate everyday? Because I got off my ass every morning and went to work just like I did from the time I was 15 until I retired at 65. Right now in this city there are more black and Hispanic powerbrokers than there are white powerbrokers. I have no problem with that as it reflects the makeup of the city at this time.

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  7. tc: Your comment about Verna Kearney putting her cushy job on the line … if Verna is successful and wins the seat; she still keeps her job. When she is assigned to be in Hartford; she is absent from her position and her job waits for her to return. I believe her job is protected under state statute. You cannot discharge or force to resign someone who is serving in an elective state legislative office. Please correct me if I am wrong.

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    1. Junkyard I was not referring to her job if she won the election. I was referring to her job while she is running. Look at the history of this administration and the people who have stood up to them. All gone, transferred or fired.

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  8. In Bridgeport, we “Reward Mediocrity and Punish Excellence.” Too many people in power are eating with two forks while their constituents and the city are starving.

    This logic of “I have to be where I have to be” is full of a self-serving interest, instead of a service above self quality.

    Maybe the devotees of JFK quoter Bill Finch should read “Profiles in Courage.” I’m waiting for the next Finch faux-pas quote to be “I am a Berliner!”

    Guess who’s coming to dinner??? I hope it’s Foster because she can really cook!!!

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  9. Observations from the Centrist Black Rocker:

    Folks, let’s think about this one. Given all that has happened with Representative Giffords, Sarah Palin’s “targeting” poster and other assorted and sundry confrontational incidents that have plagued the news recently, does ANYBODY think it is actually a prudent idea to use inflammatory slave rhetoric to drive home what is at best a tenuous political observation?

    This isn’t East Berlin, this isn’t Pyongyang, this isn’t Gettysburg circa 1865. The city’s African American voters have supported different endorsed and “insurgent” candidates throughout the years–it has been my observation that NO ONE controls this particular voting block. To assume there are “plantation owners” and, by metonymy, “slaves,” is an affront to the citizens of Bridgeport.

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      1. Lennie–I completely agree with the points you made in the article–sorry if I wasn’t clear about that. If they are willing to forward me their addresses, I’ll send them copies of Articles 13, 14 and 15 of the U.S. Constitution.

        What’s the over-under spread on percentage of those party apparatchiks who have ever even glanced at the Constitution?

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    1. “… The city’s African American voters have supported different endorsed and “insurgent” candidates throughout the years …”
      That’s horseshit. It’s not even true when applied to Hispanics. The only reason you are seeing this free-for-all in the 126th is because everyone in the Democratic Party wants to have some claim to power and control. The Bpt Democratic Party has no room to accommodate so many Chiefs and the few Indians left. Look, Mountaineer. The Reverend Stallworth’s coalition of black ministers pick the ones they are going to support and make sure their flocks don’t get to hear from other candidates–they don’t invite them to their church or mention them for example.

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  10. The idea that any white politician–let alone any black politician–can snap a finger and predict the black vote in town is absurd to the point of hilarious. It doesn’t happen.

    The idea that the “machine” can deliver that is nuts. Any white pol, or black pol, who makes that assertion is nuts. The pol who makes that assertion is a BS artist–and not a very good one.

    The upcoming primary in the 126th may be a lot of fun because the personalities in the district, and those outside the district. ALL voters–not just black, or white, or brown–are subject to wooing.

    The machine is at an automatic disadvantage going into this primary. The two leading elected officials in the district, former State Rep. Chris Caruso and incumbent State Sen. Ed Gomes, disagree with the choice of DTC Chairman Testa and Mayor Finch. Chris and Ed have considerable influence with voters. One guy is white and the other is black, in case anyone didn’t notice.

    Now the mayor has a payroll, and Mario has organizational talents. You have a bunch of other elected or former officials in the mix.

    It’s a mess, a wonderful joyous mess (for an observer). I’m guessing they are supposedly supporting the governor, they just don’t support each other.

    The guy who is having the most fun out of this so far is Ernie. He’s been winding up this board like a cuckoo clock. Ernie’s political base is in the East End. He’s letting some members of this board go bananas about a supposedly unified black vote that he’s somehow a part of.

    And having a good time doing so. Congrats, Ernie. You got some of these guys believing you can deliver Chopsey Hill Road. Did you ask anybody on Whiskey Hill for permission or is it presumed that you can just go freelancing and stir up the white folk?

    The “black” area of the district is the interest of Ed Gomes and his supporters. Now if anybody can break into that, I suppose we should say “God bless.”

    The black community votes in a bloc in general elections. They are mostly Democrats and vote that way. Inside the “family,” they fight like cats and dogs just like everyone else. If you don’t notice, you’re not watching and listening.

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  11. Since the inception of this benevolent blog, I have never seen so many racist remarks coming from such a wide spread of regular bloggers. Each of you should pause before articulating any comments which may pertain to race. We may still have a long way to go locally and nationally but thoughtless racist rhetoric will surely retard any hopes we may have for progress of any kind.

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  12. Ernie Newton epitomized all that was wrong with Bridgeport and politics. He should not be involved for quite some time with local elective politics. Even bantering about on this blog demeans elective politics and continues to paint Bridgeport in a shameful fashion … To be absolutely fair, these same points hold true with Joe Ganim except he has enough sense after being released, it seems, to get his life in order.

    Ernie gave up teaching to become an elective official, through personal weakness became a cocaine addict convulsing on the State House floor … That’s bad. Rehabilitated himself which is great and could be an inspiration to others … That’s good. But the saga continues.

    Afterward, rather than find a real job and provide for his family, he continued as a professional pol living off the state like some other recent Bridgeport reps.

    Then he became a crook and went to jail. Shame on him, shame on those who voted for him knowing all this (and they did), shame for district leadership, etc.

    Why even discuss the Bridgeport version of DC Marion Barry and public service?

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  13. FBD, thanks for your kind words but my haters are my motivaters. I’m just saying as I’ve always said, this is a free country I’ll say what I like and Jim as the former state senator that area was part of my district. Oh by the way I do have a job, and it’s not with the city like many of you do.

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  14. Let the profundity continue. This time, let’s get political and remember Bridgeport is part of a sovereign state called Connecticut.

    This is also a good time to hope Governor Malloy makes the right decisions because bankruptcy is not an option at present.

    Critics say states are already broke–the masquerade is wearing thin–so let’s fix ’em.

    Read the short story here:

    www .ritholtz.com/blog/2011/01/will-we-have-us-state-bankruptcies

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