“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.
You thought the above referenced the United States Postal Service. No; it’s Democratic Town Committee primary season. You campaign in the winter. Either you deliver or you don’t.
This cycle is more about quality over quantity: two significant district battles will take place March 1 for political control.
Town committee members endorse candidates for public office, appoint party officials and put in the campaign grunt work to churn out a vote on behalf of candidates. Bridgeport’s DTC has 90 members covering 10 districts.
It’s not full slate takes all. The top nine vote producers among, for instance, 18 candidates, win. So districts could end up with a hybrid from both slates. Some diabolical vote-splitters do this intentionally with the express intent to marry enemy forces. Makes for more fun.
In 1988 the district primary battle between Mario Testa and Michael Rizzitelli placed them together. They had a fistfight at the mayoral endorsement session in 1989.
Okay, now for the real news.
In the 131st District–South End, Downtown, West End–a slate comprised of former City Councilwoman Mary Bruce, Gemeem Davis, a leader of the community action group Bridgeport Generation Now and Kate Rivera, former member of the Board of Education, is challenged by a slate fielding ex City Councilwoman Denese Taylor-Moye, Mark Bush and Twana Johnson.
On the East Side 137th District epicenter of Hispanic politics, City Council President Aidee Nieves and City Clerk Lydia Martinez are going at it again for district control.
The last battle was won convincingly last September when Nieves and district partner Maria Valle dispatched Martinez’s hand-picked council opponents Elsie Mercado and Rosa Franco.
Now for machinations: underwhelmed by Lydia’s past support, Mercado and Franco have bolted from her to join the slate led by Nieves and Valle.
There’s nothing like the soap opera of Bridgeport politics.
Town committee stuff also features intrigue behind the scenes. Establishment critic retired Superior Court Judge Carmen Lopez has joined the town committee in the Black Rock 130th district led by long-time leader and mayoral-appointee Danny Roach. No primary in that district.
Lopez, prior to her time on the state bench, was active on the town committee as a young lawyer. Roach, a savvy politician respectful of her brain power, knows the risks of his entreaty to Lopez who travels to the toot of her own trumpet. She cannot be controlled politically but her advice can lance a thorny issue before it gets out of hand. Nothing like picking up the phone, what do you think?
Why did she join?
Change in politics and government starts at the local town committee level.
Let’s examine a few things. In recent years Lopez shamed municipal government to reverse course on: intrusive, high-priced parking meter camera system, police department abusive residential ticketing, insane liens on poor property owners late on paying water bills.
And the other day free legal advice to the City Council beseeching its legal authority to form a Charter Revision Commission without sanctioning from the executive branch.
Even though you may not always agree, keep lines of communication open. Potentially it can save a lot of money, time and headaches.
Our host, Lenny Grimaldi, references the soap opera of Bridgeport politics as if a daily dose of OIB references to actual “adult performances” for public pay were a slapstick comedy or absurd but entertaining diversion from the real lives each of us lives. Perhaps he is right? If he still lives in the wooded burbs where those who serve and protect may often wear State as well as local uniforms and day in and day out, normal or average seems to be the rule, rather than absurd or unique as fits Bridgeport news too often.
The real news, in my opinion, this past week up to the impending snow storm that has Channel 12 salivating has been the leaking of more facts relative to the TWO deaths on December 12, 2021. Each Bridgeport woman of color had an evening encounter with a male, police were called to the scene in each case, but in the second case, the body after police notice and minimal review ended up as Jane Doe at the State morgue where some tests were performed. Males in each case are known to the Police Department and presumably as last parties to see each woman alive are people of some interest but their identities have been better protected than the feelings of friends and families of the decedents to whom respect, protection and sensitive service is owed.
And there was a high speed chase that resulted in the deaths of two Bridgeport youths. in the past 36 hours…..but were’nt such chases banned from Police process? What’s the story? Well whom do you call? Acting Chief Garcia if she has returned from a departure on Thursday afternoon, announced at the 4:00 formation that day or Asst Chief Baraja to whom she handled responsibility for leadership in her absence?
Is such divergence from professional process and accountability the new norm of the Ganim administration? Is anyone amused? Does any of this behavior in plain sight encourage a career among public safety employee force in this City? Dear Ed Adams, as an FBI retiree, and current placeholder with a title that includes ACCOUNTABILITY and INTEGRITY, can you enlighten us and share where the soap opera parts of the week are dominant? Time will tell.
JML, Are you saying there is another case with similar circumstances of a woman of color’s untimely death in the Port? I have heard of Lauren’s case, Who is the other?
Yeah,(Google) Wow! I can only assume Brenda’s male companion who was the last one to be with her and fonder her is not white. There are no media, be it news, social calls for answers, or justice, very little interest in what happened to Brenda or how the police handle it.
A few points to be made, Black lives seem to matter less in the media news or social and protests outcry for justice in America if it’s not at the hands of a white person or a white officer in this political racial identity politics. Is anyone going to say Brenda’s life doesn’t deserve answers and proper handling like Lauren’s?
Without the sensational “bias” driven media’s narrative call for justice in America, it is fair to say that black lives matter less in policies, treatment, handling, outrage, and coverage without the current “bias” news narrative. We have just witnessed it. ( well I am assuming that is the case if Brenda’ male companion is not white)
If black lives matter then all black lives should matter. Brenda’s life deserves the same call for answers and justice from our police department by the media and community as Lauren’s. JS
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/family-another-black-woman-found-dead-connecticut-questions-police-res-rcna13862
P.S that’s a fine line to walk, John with regards to persuits. If that is the criteria to get away from a criminal act, engage the police in a high speed persuit and you are home free because they are not allowed to try to apprehend you. You will have a free for all. Let me know when the purge starts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXMp9fBomJw&t=4s
As a resident in Seaside Village in the 131st District I will vote for one of my early mentor, former City Councilwoman Mary Bruce, and my good neighbor Kate Rivera, former member of the Board of Education, these are the only two candidates that I will vote for in this primary.
It’s not too often that Sun Tzu, the brilliant Chinese military strategist and Al Pacino of “The Godfather” give the same wise business advice: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. In other words, follow not only what your business partners are doing, but what your competitors are involved in as well.
If you want to be a good politician then, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”
The Godfather 2 “Keep Your Friends Close, But Your Enemies Closer”
https://youtu.be/DfHJDLoGInM
Town committee stuff also features intrigue behind the scenes. Establishment critic retired Superior Court Judge Carmen Lopez has joined the town committee in the Black Rock 130th district led by long-time leader and mayoral-appointee Danny Roach. No primary in that district.
Lopez, prior to her time on the state bench, was active on the town committee as a young lawyer. Roach, a savvy politician respectful of her brain power, knows the risks of his entreaty to Lopez who travels to the toot of her own trumpet. She cannot be controlled politically but her advice can lance a thorny issue before it gets out of hand. Nothing like picking up the phone, what do you think? As a former member of both the 131th District and 130th District (because of realigning voting district by a court) a found Danny willing to listen to issues that I saw. Now Judge Lopez is inside the tent.
Danny Roach (Black Rock’s mini Mario) folded like a cheap suit , ether he’s pissed off at Ganim or he knows Joe Ganim is not running for Mayor again, on the other hand Roach could be hedging his bets by supporting more than one possible result just encase Judge Lopaz jumps into the race for Mayor, hell be on both sides of the primary, and still hold his six figure job with the city. I’m sure he had a (shit hemorrhage) when Judge Lopaz a (political matriarch), told him to find an opening on the DTC.
After all (mini Mario) who’s been Hen Pecked all his life, most likely couldn’t get the works out of his mouth fast enough………”yessss mam”..
Sonny, meds please? Ganim is running for reelection. Judge Lopez is not running for mayor. Roach asked her to join DTC. She did not ask him.
Lennie, comrade Jim may or may not be off his meds but he made some intriguing assumptions.
To comrade Ron point about Sun Tzu, and Al Pacino. I always expressed to OIB posters not to bunch Mario and Joe together. I never felt he was in Joe’s corner from the beginning. I was at Joe’s second chance announcement run for mayor and more then half the people in that room were hedging thier bets with there finger cross, he loses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orbVxRCqpEI
To your point, Port politics is a rat nest of back stabbing, double dealing.
So why did Mine Mario, (Roach) ask Judge Lopez to join? It’s a valid assumption she might run against Joe, with a DTC seat to launch from. Of course if she did run and win, Mini Mario will still lost is job but big Mario wouldn’t give a shit, He just wants to best Joe, maybe.
But I deffinately know for a fact Mini Mario don’t care if Joe loses and out of a job.
P.S It’s more like a comedy show than a soap opera. Judge Lopez best wishes on your run. 🙂 Play nice, people. Peace I Am Out Of Here 🙂 JS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM2opro3o3g
Judge Lopaz is an Influential critic of this administration!
Danny Roach (mini Mario) was an is Joe Ganim’s Campaign Manager and he ask Judge Lopaz to join the DTC to help criticize Joe Ganim , his Boss?
Lennie I’m very happy I’m not taking your MEDS!!!
Sonny, you need meds for your Fox Trots. Please, I’m begging. So is Black Rock Harbor.
words
Joe has to run for reelection because he needs a job, the Biden administration is not going to find him a position. Lennie, you got that right, there’s no way in hell that Judge Lopez would ask Danny and Joe for anything.