Former Police Chief AJ Perez and ex Personnel Director David Dunn are expected to enter guilty pleas Monday morning in federal court to rigging the 2018 exam that aided Perez’s top-cop selection.
The government’s 25-page criminal complaint is a damning declaration of Perez’s insecurity to achieve test worthiness on his own including two police subordinates who aided him in the insider help. One of them recorded conversations with Perez that fit nicely into the government’s account of a panicky Perez seeking assistance after he had a heads-up on the test questions unavailable to any other chief candidate.
Lawyers for the two defendants made an assessment of the government’s case. You’ll spend a lot of time, money, effort to lose. Plead out.
What now? Both Perez and Dunn want to avoid jail time. It will be much harder for Perez to achieve that based on the government’s case thus far. He’s at the top of the food chain. Who would be higher? Ta-da! Mayor Joe Ganim.
Dunn had plenty to offer the government on Perez, but nothing to offer about Ganim. He says he had no contact with Ganim during the process about any funny business going on nor was he ordered to scheme with Perez to rig the test.
Ganim says he had no idea that Dunn and Perez had conspired to rig the test, asserting he did not insert himself into the process other than to select Perez from three finalists presented to him.
Dunn is 73 years old with 30 years experience in municipal service covering four different mayors. If he has something extra to offer the government, his lawyer Fred Paoletti will want him to cooperate to lessen his prison exposure. If he has nothing extra to add this process will be fairly straightforward. Dunn will enter a plea in federal court, a probation officer will craft a report that covers his responsibility in the scheme as well as his personal and professional history presented to a judge in the meting out of a sentence. The government and Paoletti will also file court briefs in the cause of their respective cases.
Dunn will submit letters from friends to the court to provide the judge a positive portal into his life. Paoletti will likely argue Dunn’s role in this was aberrant behavior, not the norm of his life and urge no prison time. Covid rampaging through prison facilities could aide Dunn’s cause given his age. Dunn will likely be sentenced in early 2021.
If Dunn’s sentencing is delayed for a period of time that could signal he has something else to offer the government which will file motions with the court.
The above also applies to Perez except as chief and a career law enforcement official it will be more difficult to wrangle a low prison sentence. He’s also about 10 years younger than Dunn. If he has something else to offer the government federal agents and prosecutors will be suspicious given one of his charges was providing false statements. (Dunn as well.) They will want to make sure what he has is solid.
If this starts and ends with Perez he will then throw himself at the mercy of the court backed by an avalanche of community letters attesting to his better side. He, too, then would likely be sentenced in early 2021.
It’s a lonely time for the genial Perez, once arguably the second most powerful official in Bridgeport. Fly high one day, crash mightily the next.
Lennie, I basically agree with you but I still don’t see why Dunn decided to help Perez, are we to believe that main the decision on his own to have Randi Frank to violate the City Charter by changing the standards for taking the exam and also providing answers from the exam, really, no one gave Dunn a heads up to clear the path for Perez to become chief.
Lennie, no one is talking about the damage that David Dunn has done to the entire Bridgeport Civil Service system of testing and hiring. Dunn made it look easy to get around the standards of civil service to the point that Dunn was able to get a testing company to change the professional standards in giving an exam. Lennie, not one city official has come out and said that they have any concern about civil service and how it’s manage.
I have only heard from State Senator Moore. When will any of the Democrat state reps, state senator, US rep or US senators give their views on the endless parade of dysfunction, delusion, desperation or danger in Bridgeport?
Peter, if any of the Democrats, who plan to run for office again, comes out and says the wrong thing, Mario won’t endorse them next cycle…So don’t expect a word.
*** I would have to agree with Ron on the fact that even though it has nothing directly, to do with this case. Who knows how many times Mr. Dunn has over-stepped the the Bpt. Civil Service System of testing & hiring in general? ***
Ron
Speculation has it that there was a go between with the Mayor and Dunn. Someone who could talk to Dunn and yet the Mayor would have deniability and say he never said anything to Dunn.
Ya think?
*** I would think that just maybe, Sen. Moore sometimes must think to herself, “I’am really lucky I did not win the Mayor’s race with all the maddness that happens in the city of Bpt. & its government”! ***
Mojo, I think Moore realized that right before the primary..
I was thinking the same thing today. Between the mess the BPD is in, the Keystone Social Club or whatever the name is, COVID-19 and not to mention the budget, it’s not a good time to be mayor.
Unless you have the I-don’t-give-a-shit attitude that Joe does.
The Firebird Society an organization of Black and Latino firefighters are planning on sending a letter to the court outlining their concerns with respect to Dunn and the possible manipulating of promotional and hiring exams.
Lennie, do you know the Federal Judge that is presiding over this case?
Just saw on the CT Post website the Marilyn Moore has asked the Chief State Attorney to take over the investigation of the Keystone.
I guess one politician isn’t afraid to ask the state to help.
Joe will probably do the same in a week or two. Once the state begins.
It would seem that in the next few days we will see a sweep of Bridgeport officials in arrests by the FBI in response to confirming information regarding the several (related) issues that have been part of the several-year FBI investigation of all aspects of Bridgeport government.
And, when we see, associated in print, “FBI” and “Bridgeport,” it is likely that the names of several individuals will come to mind — among these, retired FBI agent/GII employee, Ed Adams. How does Ed Adams fit into this picture? He was hired to make sure that City Hall circumstances didn’t stray into the present description in Bridgeport. Did his efforts fall short, or was he possibly enlisted, by the FBI, from the “beginning,” to help position a “net” over Bridgeport City Hall? One has to wonder…
Jeff remember when Joe gave Ed Adams the job of managing the new parking meters in a ploy to justify the $96,000 salary?.. Mr Adams totally screwed it all up, it was like he couldn’t be bothered with that job.. hmm
Ed Adams was originally hired to be the “ethics”guy for Ganins first campaign, or whatever his title was. Then he was given a paid position in the government administration. To me that means that he was just bought and paid for. Then he went to the parking meters! Give us all a break!!!
Adams has really distinguished himself as Ethics Czar…
PT Barnum must have set-up the destiny of Bridgeport before he died in order to ensure his entertainment in the beyond — as well as for the entertainment of “Circus” fans all over the world, for generations to come… It seems that there has hardly been a Bridgeport mayor since PT that hasn’t been intent on “walking a (legal) tight-rope”, for multiple years — and without a “net”… (Or trying to go the “Pequonnock” without a paddle…)
(Or trying to go UP the “Pequonnock” without a paddle…) 🙂
Follow the money, there’s no money in following Ed Adams, feds aren’t in Bridgeport looking for ethic violations.
Agreed. But where is any money?
Did AJ pay Dunn to get it done?
Where is there any money from Joe?
If Joe paid AJ what did Joe do wrong? That would be a whole new investigation.
Plus it be as simple as Joe wanted to make Mario happy and not get Tiago under an investigatory eye? Lots of guest ions with no answers ….. yet.
Lots of money in the Keystone (for “Keystone” cops, et al….). And there are many “Keystones” throughout the city, selling all manner of “recreation” and “recreational” materials… Neighbors notice and complain about these “Keystones,” but BPD and City Hall don’t seem to be able to find the addresses or follow the noise — until somebody at HQ happens to notice shot-spotter alerts for the area. (And even then, there seems to be a hard time finding the address, even after days/weeks/months/years…)
Maybe, follow that $…. As well as the price of iron, cooper, brass, garbage, etc…
Bob Walsh, I said follow the money and you asked, “where is any money?” Good question, let me start with the unanswered question that could give us the answer. Why did former mayor Bill Finch and current mayor, Joe Ganim keep David Dunn as the “Acting” City Personnel Director in that position from August 2009 until he was arrested two weeks ago? The City Charter calls for a nationwide search just like for the police and fire chief but neither mayor called for that exam, the Personnel Director gives all of testing for hiring and for promotion for the City of Bridgeport and Dunn did not meet the requirement but Dunn was allowed to stay in that position. Bob, do you think that this was the first time that Dunn helped someone to circumvent the hiring process of the Civil Service system, did those who Dunn helped to get a City job how much did they donate to Mario Testa and the DTC which in turn helps Joe Ganim for all those years that David Dunn was the “Acting” Personnel Director, why else would Dunn be allowed to remain in a tested position?
Let me say this much, I believe Dunn did more to try to dismantle civil service than to cheat and help others get by testing requirements.
If there was no civil service then you wouldn’t have to worry about getting by test to test. There would be no test and therefore no need to cheat.
Right on, Ron. Where did Dunn get the notion that he could bypass timelines or rules set in charter or elsewhere that governed the City system, namely take an exam himself? Of course if he could not see straight with regards to his own testing, he would have even lesser clarity with the rules and regulations for others.
And right on about money, also. Follow it for understanding, and continue to follow it when things change. Lighthouse program for City youth. Why does the program not report the $100,000s of fees that do not show as revenues in their budget? Or revenues in the Print Shop? Or other smaller budgets where there are cash or checks paid to the City? Where does Finance and Treasury book these funds and label them? Does the audit cover those hidden amounts year in and year out while CFO reports 0?
I have heard that some members of the CC have asked for a comprehensive list of all City owned land and buildings with various details including costs, values, plans for, supervision or including expenses, and certainly net revenues? Has Finance had enough time to finish such a report ( and share with the public, the taxpayers)?
Change is alive in the world and one way of keeping up with change is to use the most efficient and effective Information Technology. How does a City stay up to speed in this area?Have a plan, perhaps? Have a budget, too. Have a City wide team to monitor activity and adjust speedily when necessary? Eliminate expense from current budgets for software and h/w that no longer applies well to major needs? Where are we in this? Who addresses such a subject aside from recording equipment or shotspotting equipment by Police Department?
The fiscal City auditors now have the FY 2020 records in hand, but they admit that they do not look at every item purchased, or every cumulative line, or even department each year in detail. Their professional approved workaround is to use sampling techniques. Perhaps they could use some help in having curious, secret or confused areas pointed out to them for a second glance, or even a serious stare? Time will tell.
The bigger problem then becomes how do the citizens of the city of Bridgeport get the city to adhere to the charter and the ordinances?
And they would go broke attacking this case by case in court because the mayor views the city attorney as his personal attorney with no obligation to the city.
Sound familiar???
The Taxpayers shouldn’t underwrite this $600k (I’ll gotten gains scam ).
Let’s hope the Judge makes it part of the plea conditions!
Bob, you say, “Dunn did more to try to dismantle civil service than to cheat and help others get by testing requirements. My question is why aren’t/can’t this two things be mutually exclusive? Both mayor’s Finch and Ganim used Dunn in Civil Service to undermine Civil Serviceto be able to give political patronage jobs to their cronies without testing and Dunn using Civil Service to give answers to individuals that he liked or were his cronies and that he wanted to hire even though they weren’t the best candidates for the position!
Jim
I believe that the judge could make Perez and Dunn pay for legal representation and set a precedent for others but I don’t believe he could force Ganim and Shamas to do the same.
The question was asked, where did Dunn get the notion that he could bypass timelines or rules set in charter or elsewhere that governed the City system and why a nationwide exam was called for. The article below answers these two questions. David Dunn was working in the Labor Relation Office before being appointed the “Acting” Personnel Director and there was no way that Dunn would do a nationwide search for someone to take his job from him, plus he didn’t even have to take an exam.
https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Reason-for-Jacobs-firing-a-mystery-7119.php
“Reasons behind civil service director’s firing a mystery”
By Keila Torres, STAFF WRITER
Published 8:44 pm EDT, Monday, August 31, 2009
BRIDGEPORT — Weeks before Civil Service Director Ralph Jacobs was fired, city blogs buzzed with rumors that the personnel director would likely be canned for not playing nice with the Finch administration.
Mojo and Harvey, not before the primary but after it when Moore was told she wasn’t on the ballot. She had known winning the primary was going to be a challenge. She even thought about skipping it altogether. She was blindsided, well at least her supporters were. It’s hard to tell in Port politics.
Reading some of the comments on this shows how distance Port politics has become to the plight the Port faces and its residents. Steve, your words seem to ring hollow. Comrade Ron, your on-point Steve been silent on may issues, particularly about AJ’s soap opera, and Steve that presses conference that was overrun was to defund the police, I believe. Which is in the Democrat playbook, Notwithstanding the Port’s police budget is 50% more than the other cities in CT, but the council (believe)signs off on the city budget. Question the expenditures then, do you what you are elected to do. This conference just demonizes the police that conjures up resentment of them. In case you are not aware, a Port officer was shot at for no reason but just because of being an officer. With a mind set to shot at and kill cops, it nothing to shot and kill each other in the streets. JS
Queen Princess, the mother had a right to call out what happen to her son. In its context, I believe, she was charged up by how he was shoved out of the bar. Who knows if he would have made it if someone took him to Bridgeport Hospital a few minutes away. Martinez knew him. It seems her looking out for the bar, instead of her son, who she knew, well, is a sense of betrayal.
I don’t or really can’t speak on the nature of this. Every family has their issues most just stop talking to each other, occasional fight at a family gathering, some choice words, but this seems like a family feud that is entrenched with a code of the streets. Someone has to squash this beef. It’s just going to continue with more deaths and shooting. I wonder how gun-violence would be in the Port if this wasn’t taken place.
For those questioning Ernie and other council members in this, there was a time Ernie and others asking the Attorney offices and passing a resolution for Maria’s use of choice words. JS
P.S in the words of Coolio, “why are we so blind to see”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPO76Jlnz6c&feature=emb_logo
P.S. Maria, if you weren’t so petty at times, able to compromise and let things go, you would probably make a sold mayor. 🙂 Burn the tapes. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hROqyyATw0I&feature=emb_logo
Bob Walsh says:
October 4, 2020 at 11:28 am
“The bigger problem then becomes how do the citizens of the city of Bridgeport get the city to adhere to the charter and the ordinances?
“And they would go broke attacking this case by case in court because the mayor views the city attorney as his personal attorney with no obligation to the city….”
Bob: The City is too damaged to right itself. Bridgeport has been gravely weakened by 6 decades of abuse and neglect by the state and region and simply cannot muster the wherewithal from within to reverse its accelerating process of political/socioeconomic decay and implosion…
The State of Connecticut must step up, with $ and personnel, and assume control of the governance and administration of services of the City of Bridgeport in lieu of the examination and appropriate/indicated amendment of the City Charter and the supervised election of a new city government.
I reiterate (in light of yet another gang-related murder/shooting incident in the Hollow, yesterday:
THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL COUNCIL MUST RESIGN, AND THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT TAKE OVER THE CONTROL AND OPERATION OF BRIDGEPORT CITY GOVERNMENT FOR THE INDEFINITE FUTURE —
***
The questions concerning the death of Nyair Nixon, as well as the aftermath of his death, dramatically-depicted in the OIB video of 10/1/20 (at City Hall II/Morton Center), and the killing-site video of 10/2/20, the former presenting a detailed description of the familial microcosm of life in Bridgeport, CT, given by grieving-mother, Nicole Tate, the latter providing testimony of of official impropriety/criminal activity/corruption/ineptitude over time, y all levels of Bridgeport City officials, in regard to the open operation of dangerous centers of vice/risks to public-safety, and the present situation of callous indifference of government officials toward the family and friends of Nyair Nixon, the latter a victim of the effects of the prevalence of dangerous “speak easies” throughout our city, is extremely powerful testimony in support of the undeniable, powerful indications that Bridgeport is an essentially lawless place, in political/socioeconomic chaos, rudderless, leaderless, with all of its citizens at the mercy of the circumstances of time and space, with respect to exposure to the increasingly random violence in the midst of the COVID pandemic.
The need for Bridgeport to be taken over by the state — politically subsumed, charter suspended, the Mayor’s authority officially abrogated, in lieu of resignation, with the City Council similarly decommissioned — is becoming a de facto mandate for Governor Lamont and the GA.
Bridgeport is not capable of governing itself and has obviously become the state’s wholesale Den of Iniquity and deadly violence.
This is a city full of drug-alcohol-prostitution, violence-prone “speak-easy” “Keystones,” policed by a department encumbered by too many “Keystone” cops. The fact that most neighborhoods in Bridgeport are hosts to one or more such speak-easies, with obvious, often “open” drug dealing, is strongly indicative of too many “Keystone” cops on the Bridgeport force that are too willing to drive past such locations wearing official-issue “blinders”…
The implications of the above situation is terrifying when pondered in terms of ordinary citizens trying to navigate life “normally,” in Bridgeport. Citizens in every neighborhood are exposed — in their neighborhoods — to shoot-outs or other deadly violence… It isn’t safe for out-of-towners to come here for even brief times, let alone for residents/citizens trying to live “normally” here, every day… And the chief danger for us isn’t COVID –it’s POVID (POVERTY, OPPRESSION, VIOLENCE, INDIGENCE, DESPAIR) on a background of political-economic exploitation…
BPD is rudderless from within and without… There is no functional, effective branch of government in Bridgeport, with the same being true for Bridgeport’s municipal departments/agencies charged with effecting the socioeconomic functionality of the City. It is only through the competence and diligence of a shrinking number of individuals charged with overseeing and executing political and practical municipal tasks that total municipal dysfunction hasn’t occurred. But we are swiftly headed in that direction… It’s melt-down time in Bridgeport!…
It is time for Mayor Ganim to resign, along with the entirety of the City Council, to clear the way for the State of Connecticut to politically subsume Bridgeport, as custodial-executor, and clean up the mess that has been condoned and facilitated by state government policy (official and unofficial), regarding Bridgeport, over a period of decades.
STEP UP, Governor Lamont and Connecticut GA! STEP DOWN, Mayor Ganim and City Council! Bridgeport’s survival, and the safety and well-being of its people are at stake!
Bob Walsh says:
October 4, 2020 at 11:28 am
“The bigger problem then becomes how do the citizens of the city of Bridgeport get the city to adhere to the charter and the ordinances?
“And they would go broke attacking this case by case in court because the mayor views the city attorney as his personal attorney with no obligation to the city….”
Bob: The City is too damaged to right itself. Bridgeport has been gravely weakened by 6 decades of abuse and neglect by the state and region and simply cannot muster the wherewithal from within to reverse its accelerating process of political/socioeconomic decay and implosion…
The State of Connecticut must step up, with $ and personnel, and assume control of the governance and administration of services of the City of Bridgeport in lieu of the examination and appropriate/indicated amendment of the City Charter and the supervised election of a new city government.
I reiterate (in light of yet another gang-related murder/shooting incident in the Hollow, yesterday:
THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL COUNCIL MUST RESIGN, AND THE STATE OF CONNECTICUT TAKE OVER THE CONTROL AND OPERATION OF BRIDGEPORT CITY GOVERNMENT FOR THE INDEFINITE FUTURE —
***
The questions concerning the death of Nyair Nixon, as well as the aftermath of his death, dramatically-depicted in the OIB video of 10/1/20 (at City Hall II/Morton Center), and the killing-site video of 10/2/20, the former presenting a detailed description of the familial microcosm of life in Bridgeport, CT, given by grieving-mother, Nicole Tate, the latter providing testimony of of official impropriety/criminal activity/corruption/ineptitude over time, y all levels of Bridgeport City officials, in regard to the open operation of dangerous centers of vice/risks to public-safety, and the present situation of callous indifference of government officials toward the family and friends of Nyair Nixon, the latter a victim of the effects of the prevalence of dangerous “speak easies” throughout our city, is extremely powerful testimony in support of the undeniable, powerful indications that Bridgeport is an essentially lawless place, in political/socioeconomic chaos, rudderless, leaderless, with all of its citizens at the mercy of the circumstances of time and space, with respect to exposure to the increasingly random violence in the midst of the COVID pandemic.
The need for Bridgeport to be taken over by the state — politically subsumed, charter suspended, the Mayor’s authority officially abrogated, in lieu of resignation, with the City Council similarly decommissioned — is becoming a de facto mandate for Governor Lamont and the GA.
Bridgeport is not capable of governing itself and has obviously become the state’s wholesale Den of Iniquity and deadly violence.
This is a city full of drug-alcohol-prostitution, violence-prone “speak-easy” “Keystones,” policed by a department encumbered by too many “Keystone” cops. The fact that most neighborhoods in Bridgeport are hosts to one or more such speak-easies, with obvious, often “open” drug dealing, is strongly indicative of too many “Keystone” cops on the Bridgeport force that are too willing to drive past such locations wearing official-issue “blinders”…
The implications of the above situation is terrifying when pondered in terms of ordinary citizens trying to navigate life “normally,” in Bridgeport. Citizens in every neighborhood are exposed — in their neighborhoods — to shoot-outs or other deadly violence… It isn’t safe for out-of-towners to come here for even brief times, let alone for residents/citizens trying to live “normally” here, every day… And the chief danger for us isn’t COVID –it’s POVID (POVERTY, OPPRESSION, VIOLENCE, INDIGENCE, DESPAIR) on a background of political-economic exploitation…
BPD is rudderless from within and without… There is no functional, effective branch of government in Bridgeport, with the same being true for Bridgeport’s municipal departments/agencies charged with effecting the socioeconomic functionality of the City. It is only through the competence and diligence of a shrinking number of individuals charged with overseeing and executing political and practical municipal tasks that total municipal dysfunction hasn’t occurred. But we are swiftly headed in that direction… It’s melt-down time in Bridgeport!…
It is time for Mayor Ganim to resign, along with the entirety of the City Council, to clear the way for the State of Connecticut to politically subsume Bridgeport, as custodial-executor, and clean up the mess that has been condoned and facilitated by state government policy (official and unofficial), regarding Bridgeport, over a period of decades.
STEP UP, Governor Lamont and Connecticut GA! STEP DOWN, Mayor Ganim and City Council! Bridgeport’s survival, and the safety and well-being of its people are at stake!
Jeff
You are in LaLa Land that’s for sure.
The last time far more people were involved in the corruption. Far more dollars were lost.
Far more criminal sentences were handed out. And as far as we have learned so far there are no repeat offenders. And the city through the mayor nor the City Council have asked the state to step in.
So tell us what is so horrific this time around that all of a sudden the state will swoop in and take over???
Let’s face it,the State is a mess also,they aren’t going to get involved with Bpt.We have to wait till Joe gets indicted,then hopefully we can step up and elect someone with no ties to the machine,and at the same time voting out all the remnants of the machine on the council…It will all start with Joe’s indictment…
Harvey, C’ MON MAN, “We have to wait till Joe gets indicted,then hopefully we can step up and elect someone with no ties to the machine,and at the same time voting out all the remnants of the machine on the council…It will all start with Joe’s indictment,” you have to be joking, are you in LaLa Land?
Harvey you say, “hopefully we can step up and elect someone with no ties to the machine.” LMAO 😂😂 Remember the last mayoral election, you chose not to vote for that person! REMEMBER? You’re a smart man, you understood that voting for anyone other than Senator Moore was a vote for the status quo. You now sound like those fools that don’t vote complaining about the actions of elected officials. 😂😂 REMEMBER?
What they want is someone just like Joe but is squeaky clean. Like Finch? No like Joe but is squeaky clean, but not capable, good management skills, won’t take orders from Mario AND white please.
Bob: It’s hard to see what’s happening in Bridgeport all the way from Branford, especially when you’re just waking up from a nap…
You say:
“Jeff: You are in LaLa Land that’s for sure.
“The last time far more people were involved in the corruption. Far more dollars were lost.
Far more criminal sentences were handed out. And as far as we have learned so far there are no repeat offenders. And the city through the mayor nor the City Council have asked the state to step in.
So tell us what is so horrific this time around that all of a sudden the state will swoop in and take over???”
We’ll, Bob: How would you have any idea how to compare this FBI go-round with the last at this stage of the game?! Were two top city employees arrested as prelude to the last go-round?! Was there a “Scrap-metal Gate” in the mix? WAS THERE A COVID PANDEMIC OPERATING IN THE BACKGROUND, WITH A DEMENTED, DYSFUNCTIONAL, NAZI OLIGARCH SERVING AS A SUBVERSIVE, OTHERWISE, NON-FUNCTIONAL POTUS?!
And look at the general condition of the City! The biggest employer is the gang-dominated, illegal-drug trade, with the largest number of functional businesses being definable as illegal, violence-prone speak-easies, such as the Keystone, albeit most are operating out of gang-owned/gang-controlled “residential” venues in our neighborhoods… But you wouldn’t know that unless you lived here and traveled the streets in all parts of the city during night-time hours — when you’re sound asleep, in Branford…
Our next Mayor should come from among us. There are many qualified minorities, as well as non-minorities, that would make great mayors in a state-stabilized Bridgeport. I think that if a truly capable minority person — with real “fire” in their Bridgeport-centric message (+ vision/plan/strategy) for a Bridgeport resurgence/renaissance — presented themselves for election as mayor, they would easily defeat a non-minority candidate… I also believe that the (collective) people of Bridgeport are not as concerned with the skin color of our mayoral candidates as they are with the general ability and fitness of the person for the job.
So, Bob: Heat up your Ovaltine, have a few sips, and get back to your nap — in BRANFORD…
Jeff
I had several sit downs with the FBI tha last time around.
Just how many did you have, either time, to qualify you as an expert?
I remember during the nonsense with the police department, it was ERNIE NEWTON that said “don’t worry we will remember this in contract negotiations”.
Well the tables have turned Ernie, to be fair I’m convinced YOU ALL knew about Dunn and AJs scheme with Ganim! You stood quiet and that makes you complacent. Maybe it was to get that sidewalk fee removed you never paid
Your running mate Eneida was responsible for death of another young child in the city and you’re still QUIET!!!! Thus, making you complacent again! Something isn’t right. So remember how you threatened your cops with that contract talk well a lot of them have friends in the FBI as they work hand in hand. It’d be shame if someone gave a tip to look into the corruption of you and your peers as you’re involved!
Moral of the story, maybe you shouldn’t shit where you eat, and do your job as an elected official. 🤷🏼♂️ You’re just a responsible for being complacent.
And as much as I dislike Maria Pereira, I must say I give her so much credit for her integrity to call out bs when she sees it. I’m a trump supporter so she might never like me, but I must say all that aside she is the type of elected who has the grit and tenacity to be transparent, you should take notes.
Jo Salling, so tell me how do you feel about the President catching COVOD-19 and being a spreader? He said yesterday that he now understands COVID-19 and that he got a real education by being in the hospital for two days. It took over 200,000 dead Americans before he understood COVID-19.
I have my own beliefs that it was mishandled by both parties when coming to a plan. However, those comments on that topic hold zero value for this specific forum we are speaking on. There will be a time and place to discuss that further
Jo, you bought up the President but now you want to run away y him.
Jo Salling
Let me start by saying this, The City Council has never played any role in labor relation or personal issues in our city. All contacts negotiation are handled by our labor relations department. It wasn’t until i put a change in our council rules to allow the Contracts committee Chairs to be apart of the negotiations with our Labor Relation Department so we could share our thoughts on Police and Fire contracts. Up until that point the city council could only Vote yes or No on city contracts, we had no input at all. We have a resolution going in to night presented by council woman Herron and others. Its regarding a police chief search committee Transparency Bill its being referred to public safety and transportation committee. Jo we had no clue on what the chief of police, or Dunn, or the company that put the requirements for the chief of police job description.
Ernie,
Forgive me if you think I’m specifically targeting you and forgive me for my choice of words. Ultimately I am Bridgeport and I want the best for Bridgeport. Thus, I not only want you to succeed in your elected role, I need you to succeed as well as your colleagues.
My concern is that we have a hard time attracting the best candidates for the city rather than the closest living ones. And I believe that Bridgeport has a plenty of worthy candidates, I do. But we have to find ways to attract them to work for the city they’re from rather than drive twenty minutes to Westport and sell their city grown talent to them.
Do you get what I mean? In a sense, we have people raised here that are qualified, but they’re not stupid. They know how expensive Connecticut is and they want the best for their family. So before we go on a vengeance against police officers because the majority do a fantastic job here, we just remember that the fire dept prospects are watching, the city labor prospective workers are watching, and if we treat one entity like garbage it will send a message to all of them just how expandable we think of them. We need to be competitive and invest in new reforms and trainings. Not cripple their abilities. Portland and Minneapolis are already regretting that behavior as is NYC.
I just ask you, consider that Bridgeport is a tough place to work for Fire and Police, they need your support now more than ever. Not hand outs that’s not what I’m saying, it would go a long way to ensure that those men and women who risk it all in the faces of fires, shootings, COVID, diseases, violence that they are properly taken care of. If you have it in your heart to consider that, then you are more than warranted to have a valid input on contractual beings in the city. God bless Ernie I pray for you and a greater Bridgeport. I’m not here to troll, I’m here to better myself and other if I can help it
You are right Ernie, Labor relations is in charge of negotiating contracts. I wonder if janene harkins was in in the fix. Only time will tell? And how does the civil service President Gaston who don’t even know how to run a meeting (Roberts rules) become deputy dog CAo and make $135k a year? City Government is corrupt and I can’t wait to see who is next in cuffs….
the city council has like 3 or 4 people on it that are there for the people. The others are Ganim’s rubber stamps!!!!! Who’s ass y’all gonna kiss when he goes back to the pokey? Time will tell….
Jo, whether you meant to indicate that Ernie was complicit or is basically complacent, the amount of oversight that turns up Charter violations or weak or contract City administration in the face of challenges is not present in the City.
When the CT Post indicates in this Monday paper that the Police Department has reorganzied in the recent past, eliminating Youth Services and letting up on investigations of sexual crime, such that some cases have now been assigned CT State Attorney personnel to limit cases lost due to statutory time limits.
Pray tell when has our municipal team of board members and commissioners ALL OF THEM DERIVING POWER FROM A MAYORAL APPOINTMENT, with no further training, review or alternative appointment by a Mayor’s office on record, shared their knowledge with the Mayor, and also with the public, in print?
**Can we take a look at the City site today, October 5, 2020 at 10:25 AM for Police Commission?
-Seven members in total, Yes
-Four members appointed in December of each even year. NO
-Three members appointed in December of each odd year. NO
-Two year term – OK as long as failure to appoint does not automatically extend!!!
-City Council can remove with 2/3 vote.
-Members serve until successor is appointed and has qualified. Yes- that is happening
-Regular meetings 3rd Tuesday of Month Yes
So Mayor Ganim has been too busy to appoint or reappoint members in each of past two years?? And the Department has reorganized, to accomplish what? And what has ignored as taxpayers face a $102 Million Police Budget? And what Police activity or individual behavior happens when there is no clarity or standards coming from any City office? And how many suits are being defended by the City for a variety of Police behavior? Or have been settled by City Attorney in past 5 years?
Anna Cruz, Matthew Cuminotto, Jr., Hector Diaz, Edwin Ferrow, Thomas Lyons, Valerie Quarles, and Daniel Roach, can you and will you answer each of these questions, if you know the answers? If you have left the Commission though your name remains, let us know. If you can answer one or more of the questions, great, because readers want to know. If you cannot respond because you are too engaged in settling the 2017 actions for the several dozen officers who took part, perhaps you need help? Can you ask for assistance, or just get out of the way? Ineffective? Do you care?
Obviously the City handling of Board and Commission appointments has something to do with prestige but little to do with effective, equal, and fair administration for the entire public. Time will tell.
Jo, while Maria might never like you, and you don’t like her, yet you are giving her credit for her integrity to call out SB when she sees it. I will not speak about Maria’s integrity. But, I will say this Maria is consistent. 🙂
So my question is, why do you dislike Maria so much? I guess the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Jo, you like to speak on police issues, although silent on the AJ’s roll in showing cops are corrupt too. Please tell (consult) OIB how the Port’s police budget is 50% more with 40 fewer officers that other CT cities’ PD, yet understaffing and actions like this are taking place. There’s never any photo videos to expose shit like this. We just have to wait for the shit to hit the fan.
https://www.ctinsider.com/local/ctpost/article/Backlog-in-Bridgeport-sexual-assault-15620293.php?src=ctphpcp&_ga=2.92552478.2013850499.1597121890-1281860946.1551476011
P.S Jo, your statement about Ernie and his duty on the contract comments show cops is much like a gang itself, criminals in uniforms. As for your comments, I have no doubt Ernie made out, but are you going to address why the Port’s police budget is 50 million, doubled, with fewer officers than other CT cities? It seems like there’s a lot of shit going around. Some time I wound way God even bothers with this whole existence?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HIXxgyjCt0&feature=emb_logo
Probably, because of the kids.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWo3ICyJSso&feature=emb_logo
Well considering I worked in city hall with labor relations, I can affirm the reason our budget “appears” higher than other cities or towns is because we include all expenses including payouts to retirements and pensions. You have to realize the city made a very bad mistake about 30 years ago. They hired about 4 classes of 30+ people at one time and are all eligible to retire at the same time.
No other city does this. So while we just payout pensions and payouts for unused time off, we invested about $125k per new recruit to replace them. We replaced over 100 officers at the cost of $125k for one year of salary and training and then that doesn’t include their overtime.
Other municipalities do not include that. This issue will happen again in 25 years because the city hired 4-5 new classes in less than 4 years time who will all again be eligible for retirements and selling their unused time.
Also, it’s difficult to retain cops in Bridgeport. AJ ruined that department, Bridgeport has no benefit of being a cop there when you can get certified and drive twenty minutes to make three times your salary. Work overtime to make six figures and never see your family, or make six figure salary twenty minutes away with no overtime needed. Better pay, better insurance, and less of the political corruption garbage. Face it the only cops Bridgeport attracts today are those that couldn’t make it elsewhere because their standards are lowered .
Truth hurts
That’s a lie. The truth doesn’t hurt, well, only if it to expose someone’s lies. Even then, it’s more of a sting to one’s ego. However, I don’t expect you to be honest though.
Besides the placement of expenditures in city budgets that could account for such a large disparity, it seems the city made a bad mistake about 30 years ago and continues to make bad mistakes in the management and contracts for the police department, including generous contract pension payout, that I have read on OIB. (Depending which way you want to look at it)
Was that the reason you made that seemingly treat to Ernie about his sidewalk deal, and the cops having friends with the Fed, who will remember it in the next police contract negotiations?
It seems gangster mentality spreads its wings far beyond the streets, police, to lawyers playing labor relations, in the Port.
Not being a Maria to research your truth you graciously and generously enlighten OIB with. Which is why you probably dislike her and lays down some of her searchable truth your way. Like I said, she consistents. 🙂 But I’ll try my best. So I do have a few questions.
1, How did AJ ruin the police department, please elaborate, do you think the department he headed (detective, I believe) was in ruin during the time he was there?
2. I am somewhat confused. Which is it, only cops the Port can attract today are those that couldn’t make it elsewhere because their standards are lowered, or after the Port spends 120k on their certification that they leave the Port for:
“when you can get certified and drive twenty minutes to make three times your salary. Work overtime to make six figures and never see your family, or make a six-figure salary twenty minutes away with no overtime needed. Better pay, better insurance, and less of the political corruption garbage.”
Considering the Port’s don’t hire many Port residents, those recruits shouldn’t have to drive anywhere, and I highly doubt towns and city 20-minutes away are hiring Port residents.
Here’s my perceived truth. It’s not about AJ running the department, or today recruits having a lower standard. It’s just not your brand of coffee they are serving in the cafeteria.
P.S. that was seemingly a threat to Ernie, That was your gangster paradise expressing itself. That being said, I am sure contracts are a big part of one’s budget no matter where its place in the budget. JS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPO76Jlnz6c&feature=emb_logo
So let me be clear I have zero issue with Maria or her tactics. I believe she is a well educated woman who means well. Just because i support Trump doesn’t mean I can’t agree with certain democrats. Maria believes in Bernie which I dont. She’s a bit too opinionated for my liking but that’s just me. By no means does that mean that Maria and I cannot co exist with different opinions. I’m not a republican I’m an independent. As a former democrat, that party has not done much for me or my kind of people since I’ve been alive, Atleast in Bridgeport. Again I have a great respect for Maria she’s honest and what you see is what you get hence why I can see she’s legitimately concerned. Wish more council members had that same level of concern, it might restore hope for me in the Democratic Party in Bridgeport.
Please don’t forget I’m from here, still live here, and pay taxes here. I want to see the city strive and do well. I want more business here, I want our public safety to work well and do it’s job, and I want the people that work for the city to be taken care of as they should to make this a place worthy of working and living. We need to sustain our own.
At least you didn’t deny your inner gangster didn’t show its face and threaten Ernie. 🙂
I watched Maria in action. She’s smart, works hard, but if you think her integrity is beyond reproach, well, she would’ve never stepped foot in Joe’s campaign headquarters and supported Joe in his comeback.
She may have her convictions in socialism. It’s needed. It’s the check to capitalism, which is ultimately oligarchies. But alone, it’s a failed system. She fails to see people have more self-interest then she understands. That goes beyond Joe’s campaign headquarters, and socialism is ultimately a dictatory system. She should have an understanding, both are a form of control because is her way or the highway.
What you have failed to see, you are Socialism, everything you negotiate on the cities behave is based on Socialism, taxpayers’ money. But like the so-called elite, in capitalism, it only benefits a small group, a city employee. With all those things you aforementioned about why cops would drive 20-miles.
Somehow socialist’s PR has convinced people that there is/would be no economic-social class if there were no rich people, yet someone is always on top. You will still have the principal of a school and teachers, as well as, the lunch lady.
Like I said, just a better publicist. JS
P.S Maria, burn the tapes. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVzgXYGjJYs&feature=emb_logo
Jo Salling, why is it that you and others on this forum feel a need to excoriate Ernie as if he’s the only member of the City Council or the only member of the City Council that tows the party line. I can safely assume that you don’t live in the 139th, so what the hell are your CC members doing to make the City a better place to work, to live and to raise a family! I’m going to include a list of the other CC members because Ernie Newton isn’t the spokesperson for the City Council members that aren’t doing shit, the other 19 can speak for themselves. Any Questions?
Matthew McCarthy
Scott Burns
Denese Taylor-Moye
Jorge Cruz, Sr.
Marcus Brown
M. Evette Brantley
Jeanette Herron
Michael A. DeFilippo
Michelle A. Lyons
Amy Marie Vizzo-Paniccia
Mary A. McBride-Lee
Rosalina Roman-Christy
Avelino D. Silva
Alfredo Castillo
Maria I. Valle
Aidee Nieves
Maria H. Pereira
Samia Suliman
Again, Any Questions?
But none of them were running mates with Eneida … that’s my point. That all are responsible, but him slightly more so
Jo, I know the answer to this but I’ll ask anyway. You fully understand where these two characters are coming from, correct?!! Next thing you know you’ll be called a racist, fool and whatever their word of the day is. They pull something completely different out of their hats to change the topic. But you know that. Cheers !!!!!
Rich, Jo is a Trump supporter. So, if Jo is white, Jo is inherently a racist. If Jo is Black, Jo is a coon. Which is the choice word,I been hearing for other blacks, about blacks who opionion differ from the Democrat party and support Trump. Which is racist it itself. JS
Jo Salling
First of all Councilwoman Martinez has not been charged with anything and secondly she’s not being accused of Killing anyone. The voters of the 139th District elected her. We are elected every 2 years. Our voters will make the decision on who represents them NOT YOU!
PS since you are so worried about my sidewalk bill, i’m taking donations lol
Then I suppose in this case you get what you pay for … oh well, no wonder Bridgeport is a mockery of the state
WOW…PLEADS GUILTY POSSIBLE 24 MONTHS IN JAIL…….THAT’S IT?????
*** Boy the Bpt. P/D has all types of problems going on in general.***
Jo Salling, what does the actions of Enida Martinez have to do with Ernie and should he be more Outraged and Appalled than the other 18 members of the CC? Shouldn’t everyone be outraged and appalled by the actions of Enida Martinez if the charges prove to to true, equally, irrespective of the district they serve or the neighborhood in which they live? I’m asking just this for a Friend.