It’s back to the drawing board for the redesigned Ethics Commission approved by voters last November.
Fourteen votes, two-thirds of the city’s legislative body, were required to approve three names for appointment.
The council members cited procedural issues, not qualifications, as the reasons to vote no, as seen in the video.
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Who controls the “drawing boards”?
** The Mayor who failed to acknowledge the success of the Charter Review Committee to complete its work in 2025 with many public hearings, but without a Mayor listening to citizens address issues at public speaking.
** A city official with a law degree, while actively participating as one of the Charter Review group, did not alert the committee to the special legal challenges facing Ethics Reform actions.
**Silent members of the City Council who never bothered to attend or speak on issues of importance to them and the folks in their Districts., including a not so silent member of the City Council who declared at the first hearing before much actual Review and no commitments of import that her vote would be negative already.
Ethics candidates-exceptional public service and experience for all three, but they are voted down? What do voters say about the series of failures that have faced the changed language of the Charter? Time to call a special group to deal with the specific blockage? And find a way to get the question before the voters, again? Time will tell.
City Council Comments – July 6, 2026
It is the first day following the 250th celebration of our Declaration of grievances as colonial citizens living under King George III. Are you familiar with them as reasons seeking independence? Today the official or personal gatherings enjoyed in 2026 perhaps with fireworks, reside in your memory. We are meeting tonight but are we in a basic way, practicing democracy? Are we meeting for issues of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” in an authentic manner? I believe that we are not. When the mayor, a man formerly challenged by a history of municipal corruption, and who has presided during one or more adjudications of Bridgeport officials since regaining office announces to a gathering that he:
• Prioritizes the decrease in municipal mil rate as historic at a time when fewer than 40% of citizens face municipal taxes other than for automobiles.
• Fails to include the review of Charter reform and acceptance by voters in his address, despite an attempt to separate the “politics” from the “governance” in the Charter or the fact that treatment of municipal Ethics was a primary focus of the Charter Review process. But the informed voter was not fooled last November.
• Knows that CIVICS, the study of citizen rights and responsibilities, is critically unavailable in the City from lack of support by official leadership, by the City Council as a body, though some Council persons are active and engaged daily,
• Understand that the increase of State and City funding of education does not contemplate the restoration of a CIVICS curriculum director presently.
How long can this city genuinely serve the people when election processes among other administrative features of governance leave the public with little or no trust or experience in governance, and therefore wish to stay away from “politics?” This is the status quo we must face today.
I have called you to lead the charge for a renewal of Civics education broadly in each Council District since October 2024. Yesterday we held a one-hour session of community engagement on a porch with five learning citizens present. I offer signs to promote your PORCH CONVERSATIONS in your District. Stop ignoring the power of conversation to increase the number of people voting for someone or something of value to them. Is it about personal “happiness”? Or the service of, by, and for human beings they see as neighbors and citizens in the community? Time will tell.
There you are, John. Worthy to offer, I guess. 🙂
IDK, John? Well, I do, I think. The game is the game. It’s all fun and games until it’s not, and contemplating sets in, or not.
I would say this offering of yours on the Ethic culture is a bit “disingenuous,” the game is the game, and your coded play perhaps Yaon a higher level being Yale educated, learnt man. 🙂
But it is rich to hear your words blaming the Mayor, CC members, and a city official with a law degree. To name a few. To answer your question.
Who controls the “drawing boards”? The entity that controlled the original boards and gave the CC charter that fourteen votes, two-thirds of the city’s legislative body, to approve three names for appointment. Democracy. You take issue with democracy? JS🤣
https://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/for-confidence-in-bridgeports-charter-revisions-look-to-history/
Mil-rate lower but assessments and actual taxes higher…. Less than 40% of taxpayers face municipal taxes other than car taxes?! You don’t count renter pass-throughs from landlords?! We’ve got a problem when the mayor and activists are misusing the same issue for propaganda purposes while citizens and businesses face increasing financial burdens in a dying city in an unaffordable state….
Point to be made regarding:
“Trying to take politics out of politics is trying to bend a spoon with your mind; it’s impossible. Nor can you take the game out of it. Politics is not something that is ever completed, accomplished.”
While politics is ever completed it doesn’t mean every new change/law or idea is going to be for the betterment of the people in that political democracy. Where the name of the game is to get the majority to believe in your “ideas regardless of the value in it, no JS.
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=485167427309015
In the end, the people are just consumers that it’s being sold to,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d_22U8OW2I
Take that disingenuous abomination, bus scheme, under the guise of protecting our “precious” cargo. #$250 a pop.
Is it a valid concept? No doubt. Was written up as a valid concept for the people. No. It was written up and conceived to take your money by induction of criminality.
Did I hear many opposition questions from those within the political game? No, not really, and if you did, it was just par for the political course/game. Do you know why? Because the inside game benefits. It is a private/public tax based on the moral high ground of criminality.
You don’t get a fine for passing a bus with its stop sign out. You are criminally intent when the bus slows down and starts to pull over with it lights flashing.
It takes two long bus lengths for a car to stop properly and safely, and the majority of people are coughing up 250 dollars in this disingenuous, abomination goverment/private scheme.
If our elecyrf reps really care for the Kids on the bus and the people in general. A fairer and more moral approach would have place into law.
A. bus stop signs would be mandatory on the back of the bus.
B. Those who are ticketed should be the drivers who pass the bus when the bus stop sign is completely extended and (in there view) The kids are let out when such actions are taken.
PS the bus company didn’t put those long yellow arms in the front of the bus for the kids. They did it more for themselves and the liability of their drivers who drive off with a kid in front of them that was hard for them to see. JS
Someone needs to clean the “precious” cargo abomination. Contemplate on it. JS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akrcYSLRluA
Click count,
Japanese, Nissan, Automaker.
Try to play nice, People
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZepWAE7WYAw
John, always a pleasure 🙂
The prophet. Live
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdssTIMXQ1Y