The Bridgeport education budget is a mess. Dunbar School in the East End is slated for closure, Superintendent of Schools John Ramos is looking at more than 400 layoffs operating with yet another flatline budget that begins July 1. What to cut? What stays? Who goes? Bridgeport parents have filed a complaint with the state and federal departments of education against shuttering Dunbar.
Two key Board of Education meetings will take place Wednesday (today) and Thursday night at the Aquaculture School to sort out finances and how to move forward with priority spending, but that depends on the meaning of “priority,” no? Wednesday night the Parental Participation Committee meets at 6 followed by a Finance Committee meeting at 7. Thursday night at 6 the Finance Committee will meet again.
It’s no fun to be a school super or a BOE member these days. Hide the whiskey bottles.
67% dropout rate? Dump Ramos and get someone qualified at half his rate.
If there is a need to find ways to save money in the BOE, it should start with either reducing the size of the management or forcing them to take pay cuts for the poor performance of the students. Cuts shouldn’t be made to the workers who try to deal with everyday life in the classrooms and keeping the buildings fit for use. Cutting fat shouldn’t mean cutting the lower end employees at the bone.
State mandates that require special ed for those with special needs and transportation to schools not in the neighborhood are causes for high costs. The BOE needs to deal with those concerns and the performance level of teachers and students. Get back to basics!
If Ramos had any balls he should hang himself. This mutt is making this massive salary. Services are going to be cut on the low end, that is wrong. This is the most top-heavy group this side of the Pentagon. Major cuts need to be made in the upper echelon of this administration. The base cannot afford to be trimmed any further. This is just another prime example of a bloated administration that thinks they have a license to kill. We cannot afford these cuts in service. Our children are barely being educated now. Ramos, show some commitment and start firing some people making over $75,000 a year. Do the math, you would save two jobs we need.
“Brother, Can You Spare a Dime,” lyrics by Yip Harburg, music by Jay Gorney (1931)
They used to tell me I was building a dream, and so I followed the mob,
When there was earth to plow, or guns to bear, I was always there right on the job.
They used to tell me I was building a dream, with peace and glory ahead,
Why should I be standing in line, just waiting for bread?
Once I built a railroad, I made it run, made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad; now it’s done. Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once I built a tower, up to the sun, brick, and rivet, and lime;
Once I built a tower, now it’s done. Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell,
Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum,
Half a million boots went slogging through Hell,
And I was the kid with the drum!
Say, don’t you remember, they called me Al; it was Al all the time.
Why don’t you remember, I’m your pal? Buddy, can you spare a dime?
Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell,
Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum,
Half a million boots went slogging through Hell,
And I was the kid with the drum!
Say, don’t you remember, they called me Al; it was Al all the time.
Say, don’t you remember, I’m your pal? Buddy, can you spare a dime?
“Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries,” lyrics by Lew Brown, music by Ray Henderson (1931)
People are queer, they’re always crowing, scrambling and rushing about;
Why don’t they stop someday, address themselves this way?
Why are we here? Where are we going? It’s time that we found out.
We’re not here to stay; we’re on a short holiday.
Life is just a bowl of cherries.
Don’t take it serious; it’s too mysterious.
You work, you save, you worry so,
But you can’t take your dough when you go, go, go.
So keep repeating it’s the berries,
The strongest oak must fall,
The sweet things in life, to you were just loaned
So how can you lose what you’ve never owned?
Life is just a bowl of cherries,
So live and laugh at it all.
Life is just a bowl of cherries.
Don’t take it serious; it’s too mysterious.
At eight each morning I have got a date,
To take my plunge ’round the Empire State.
You’ll admit it’s not the berries,
In a building that’s so tall;
There’s a guy in the show, the girls love to kiss;
Get thousands a week just for crooning like this:
Life is just a bowl of … aw, nuts!
So live and laugh at it all!
“We’re in the Money,” lyrics by Al Dubin, music by Harry Warren (from the film Gold Diggers of 1933, 1933)
We’re in the money, we’re in the money;
We’ve got a lot of what it takes to get along!
We’re in the money, that sky is sunny,
Old Man Depression you are through, you done us wrong.
We never see a headline about breadlines today.
And when we see the landlord we can look that guy right in the eye
We’re in the money, come on, my honey,
Let’s lend it, spend it, send it rolling along!
Oh, yes we’re in the money, you bet we’re in the money,
We’ve got a lot of what it takes to get along!
Let’s go we’re in the money, Look up the skies are sunny,
Old Man Depression you are through, you done us wrong.
We never see a headline about breadlines today.
And when we see the landlord we can look that guy right in the eye
We’re in the money, come on, my honey,
Let’s lend it, spend it, send it rolling along!
Ferment, torment and lament are big in Bridgeport these days. Interesting that despite the numerous groups and committees in recent years organized to help the schools, it’s off to the State we go for ultimate redress when the local leadership can’t get it done for us? Dunbar School and its 300 students in play this year. Other issues causing angst as well including opaque view of finances for several years. No clean slate and common understanding as result of 5 year audit process … not yet complete. Wasted dollars?
And our Mayor also headed to Hartford to tell his tale of woe about finances in Bridgeport. He gets the ear of the Democratic Governor, Treasurer, Director of OPM and legislators (none of whom bothered to do some basic checking to see if Bridgeport’s affordability was greater than Feeney’s and Finch’s statement) and gets his official waiver card officially stamped to diminish the payments to the Pension A fund bringing a financial train wreck that much closer. And he gets to use the word actuarial, but that professional who has worked for Bridgeport for over 15 years is not saying there will be no train wreck by pursuing this new concept.
But at the same time with his proclaimed strapped budget and financial distress, ballfields get money that is likely bonded and must be legally repaid. What is the difference? A ballfield is a photo op today in a campaign year whose cost is spread over 30 years and they will never know who set it in motion.
A pension payment is a prudent and quiet use of tax dollars today to pay for past Mayoral largesse (obligations) to actual retirees today who do me no good. No photo op. No T-Shirt. No retiree appreciation (probably moved to the ‘burbs anyway or don’t vote.) Can’t raise taxes. Can’t raise taxes. Can’t raise taxes. (That’s my mantra and I am sticking to it like a braindead politician!) Where’s my next photo op? Smile!
Ramos needs a reality check and to take a 20% pay cut to start with. Unfortunately for Bridgeport on EVERY LEVEL, there is no accountability. And with that notion there never will be any.
Who would send their child to a Bridgeport public school is beyond me, everything in this city is a mess. It’s June, 3 months from election and donj is back been sleepy on this politics thing since January but I’m back in full mode. Bridgeport politicians do not give people a reason to vote. I will be looking into Mary-Jane now and I really wanna know does she have anything to do with the machine? I’m still a Ganim supporter for one main reason and that was her support for Finch over Caruso and why was this? All I know is if it is a match between Finch and MJ I’m voting for MJ. Hint of advise for MJ, you have to work hard at some precincts these include Marin, Longfellow, etc., those precincts went huge for Finch especially Marin. I’m still amazed at how Finch won Black Rock school out of the big turnout of 635 votes. Finch 318 and Caruso 317. Wonder if we will get a turnout in the 600 again at Black Rock.
Fighting over Foster’s leads to arrest? OIB rumor has it the fight was over a case of Foster’s beer.
www .ctpost.com/policereports/article/Milford-women-charged-after-fighting-over-case-of-1414988.php
*** More money for the BOE to mismanage by using the kids as the scapegoats, no? Start the layoffs @ the top & work your way down in the non-essential areas first. Sink or swim for Bpt, then just maybe the state will finally step in! *** SOS ***
And … why is this bozo getting paid double our overpaid, underachieving mayor? And why is the BOE a separate entity not under the control of the mayor’s inept offices?