The education issue is not going away. When the state’s largest city proclaims we’re not competent to educate our kids–let the state do it–such a declaration will not fade. Several education advocates including retired Superior Court Judge Carmen Lopez and dethroned member of the Board of Education Maria Pereira are fanning the flames of folks upset the state blowtorched local education control at the request of city leaders.
Tuesday at 6 p.m. on the steps of City Hall a coalition of education advocates will decry state rule. When Lopez and Pereira latch on to an issue it’s like prying a piranha off your butt. While forces rally in support of local control of schools, Mayor Bill Finch will receive the endorsement from the Democratic Town Committee at Testo’s Restaurant for another four-year term.
What Finch forces thought would be a walk in the park to a primary win now requires their full attention to receive four more years of job security. Finch is still the odds-on favorite to win the primary given his spending advantage and party support, but Democratic voters are restless seven weeks before the primary. Wednesday morning primary opponents will begin the process to secure more than 2,000 certified signatures to win September ballot approval from local election officials.
Meanwhile, Democratic mayoral candidate Mary-Jane Foster shared her education platform in a speech Monday night (tonight) at Gallery 305 on Knowlton Street on the East Side. Foster has called for Superintendent of Schools John Ramos to resign considering he threw in the towel. She announced her own proposal for the future of education in Bridgeport.
“The current mayor and superintendent have given up on fixing education in Bridgeport,” says Foster. “I have the vision and commitment needed to turn around our school system. If elected mayor you can hold me accountable for the education of our children.”
Democratic mayoral candidate John Gomes released his first radio ad last week he says outlines the central message of his campaign “which includes reforming City Hall and breaking the political machine that has blocked progress in Bridgeport for many years.”
“This is our first ad, but the fight is just beginning. This is a fight to take the power from the ruling few who have failed the city and return it to the people,” said Gomes campaign manager Lachlan McIntosh. “People in Bridgeport are tired of watching a small group prosper while everyone else suffers. The Gomes campaign is about bringing a new day to this city and that’s what this radio ad is about.”
The Gomes campaign says the fight is just beginning. Except Gomes has been a candidate for more than a year. It suggests he hasn’t been fighting until now. Where has he been?
The problem with Gomes’ radio spot (listen to it at johnmgomes.com/WP/) is it doesn’t introduce him to the electorate. He’s still largely unknown, and that’s because he’s money challenged. His campaign kicked out this spot claiming he’s the true reformer for the city. Well, what had voters previously heard from the campaign that would lead them to believe he’s a reformer? Based on what? Did the campaign air a prior radio spot that highlighted his credentials as head of the government-efficiency CitiStat program? Nope. Not a peep. All voters are hearing is he’s the one. This kind of message doesn’t work without a previous foundation.
In addition, the initial radio buy on WICC and WEBE 108 is too weak to make an impact. He’ll need a lot more thunder behind the media buy to make it stick.
I may not agree with the position being taken by Carmen Lopez and Maria Pereira but they are entitled. I may attend the rally to hear what they have to say. Remember the words of Martin Luther King’s last speech:
“If I lived in China or even Russia, or any totalitarian country, maybe I could understand some of these illegal injunctions. Maybe I could understand the denial of certain basic First Amendment privileges, because they hadn’t committed themselves to that over there. But somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of the freedom of press. Somewhere I read that the greatness of America is the right to protest for rights …”
LMFAO, you just couldn’t be nice to Gomes just this once LG? He was on your poll pod and did advertise on here until it became all MJ all the time. Your agenda is spotable from a mile away through the smoke and mirrors.
Here is another great quote ~ MLK
“Remember, everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was legal.”
Not too many unions in Nazi Germany.
yahooy,
They fought the Soviet Union. Ergo, all Nazi’s are anti-union. Do you still have your armband? See you at the rally. SIEG HEIL!
Another amazing analogy.
yahooy,
I was afraid it would go over your head, knowledge is power.
The Foster camp.
www .youtube.com/watch?v=bs5bnVoZK4Q
The Foster Camp loves the Downtown Cabaret. Willkommen!
Donna,
That is more appropriate for Finch’s camp. They slowly strip away your rights and impose their own agenda on the people. The Patriot Act & now the right to cast a democratically elected body out of office, by law. Was that Mario at the ending?
You insulting bastard showing a video with a nazi youth member singing a nazi song. Do you know how many Americans died fighting the nazis? You are a bona fide piece of shit.
To the people saying I’m trying to drive a wedge, today’s MJ lovefest and the subtle trashing of Gomes is the wedge.
I think Chosen 1 has a wedgie problem.
*** Politics @ its best, no? Making the facts & opinions known is vital in getting voters’ attention! *** KEEP IT COMING. ***
OIB is Fox news.
MJ is a Republican, which she is, right, oh that’s hubby.
Gomes is a Dem.
No positive coverage for Gomes on Fox OIB.
You’re blaming me because Gomes’ campaign handlers failed to introduce his credentials to voters? OIB has given Gomes far more play than an other media outlet. On several occasions I have criticized Foster and her campaign team, but since she brought on Jason Bartlett as campaign manager the campaign has done a nice job of positioning the candidate to voters.
In Lennie’s defense he has given more than a little coverage to John Gomes, publishing his press releases, critiquing his positions, etc. If the Gomes campaign had more money, the message would be getting out. Mr. Gomes has many good and practical ideas. Unfortunately his campaign has been plagued by mismanagement and a lack of funds. He should’ve made some better decisions regarding HR choices.
There are some OIB bloggers who believe John Gomes has a better chance than Mary-Jane Foster. Having surveyed the polling data I’m not inclined to agree. Gomes is trailing Finch and Foster by double digits. If it weren’t for Charlie “Captain Gadfly” Coviello, Gomes would be in LAST PLACE. Seven weeks ’til the primary. It will be close but MJF could very well pull it out of the top hat.
I just returned from John Gomes’ meeting & I was very impressed. In attendance were members of his ticket. Everyone spoke, they all were intelligent and committed to change in BPT. The group was as diverse as our city. People who were infuriated by the betrayal of both the mayor and the governor regarding the BOE. Money or no money, this was a formidable gathering. Volunteers with devotion are more valuable than a paid political staff. Trust me, Gomes’ stock went up tonight.
As Lennie says Mary-Jane has MOM, Message, Operations, MONEY! And this is just a fact, people will line up behind the person they think has the best chance of winning. It is really already game-over for Gomes. Not because he is a bad guy but because he has been running for a year and hasn’t made 1/10th the progress MJ has in the past 3 months. Gomes is trying to fight on two fronts now. Join MJ’s forces and focus on the real target here. Mary-Jane is the mayoral candidate who has the full package. She is intelligent, qualified, speaks well, looks the part and while Finch may have physical height Mary-Jane stands taller than he ever could. His good-looking shell is crumbling under her presence.
There is no way MJF can beat John Gomes, he has the street vote, the Black vote, the Hispanic vote and the school moms just to name a few. MJF has the Fairfield vote and maybe, just maybe the Black Rock vote. MJF, you’re in trouble, and I think you already peaked!
Whoever can reach and motivate those voters who don’t usually vote will win. Unless Ms. Foster reaches those people, it doesn’t matter how much money she spends. Think Linda McMahon.
With all due respect to Corrupticut. People who usually don’t vote, don’t vote. The exception to this rule was President Obama who inspired a traditional non-voting block of voters. Money and Message drive campaigns. The Gomes campaign statement, “This is our first ad, but the fight is just beginning” coupled with a weak $1700 money message buy proves Gomes has neither message nor money. Trying to motivate a non-voter universe without the Dough-Re-Mi is flawed. Mr. Gomes is a good man but don’t try to blame Foster for his foibles. The train is going to leave the station and I hope Mr. Gomes will get on board.
Who tried to blame anyone for anything? I merely pointed out Ms. Foster’s supporters feel they cannot win without Gomes’ votes because Gomes and Foster are splitting the anti-Finch vote. Instead of trying to force Gomes out of the race in order to scoop up his share of the people who normally vote, why doesn’t she try to motivate people who don’t normally vote? And saying those who don’t normally vote won’t vote is like agreeing with Finch’s comments to the state board.
Historically turning out non-traditional voters is extremely difficult, expensive and usually doesn’t work unless your last name is Obama. Every year the Democratic party spends tons of money on canvasses in urban areas for what, maybe a 2 to 3 percentage increase in turnout. So yes John appeals to this but unless he has a money tree in the back of the rooster they will sit at home like they do in every local race. I wish John the best of luck but the hurdles he has to overcome are too great for a low budget, grassroots campaign. John and Mary-Jane will split the anti-Finch vote and prime Dems will vote in sufficient numbers that Bill wins. This is reality.
cupcake, you really of full of it and post stuff that has no basis in fact. What is the street vote? Where are you getting this information? I think you are like Chosen 1 and make this shit up. Is it possible you are Mrs. Chosen 1 as you sit side by side and blog this bullshit?
Dear My Little Peaked Cupcake,
Here’s an avenue for you to take. Go Jump In A Lake! Hope to see you soon in the frozen-foods section.
Or the day-old rack at Stop & Shop.
cupcakehore69 … what are you smoking? MJF is going to win … Finch is in trouble. John Gomes is a good person but he is not gaining any traction. Don’t assume what the street vote is doing … John should get on board with MJ and help make a win vs. losing big election night and being the reason Finch wins.
I find very interesting the banter here regarding Ms. Foster and Mr. Gomes. I think both are viable candidates. I’ve met Mr. Gomes once or twice at BOE meetings. He has been a fixture there over the last couple of years and despite a recent comment here, he was not there warming his seat. Perhaps that is where his focus has been?
Because Ms. Foster has more money, it is easier for her to get out her message. But who is listening? It is very clear from the comments here that even her staunchest supporters fear she hasn’t a chance without Gomes’ votes no matter how much money she spends. There is a lot of talk about splitting the anti-Finch vote, but what about the thousands of registered voters who don’t usually vote? How about motivating those people to take to the polls to defeat the machine? Finch may well have done that himself with this Board of Ed debacle.
Which brings me to this. There was nary a peep here while Ramos and the Gang of 6 ran the BOE into the ground. Any comments about anything going on there never generated much interest. Now all of a sudden everyone is on the BOE bandwagon. Where has everyone been while this was happening?
Corrupticut–What Bill Finch said and what I said are two different issues. Finch has tried to disenfranchise the voters of Bridgeport. What I said was without money to get out your message it is very difficult to motivate a non-voting block of voters. We have over 42k certified Democratic voters in Bridgeport. The recent history of primaries proves turnout is usually dismal and the citywide turnout is about 23%. I hope Finch’s comments will wake up the Sleeping Giant of voters in Bridgeport. Actually, the tide is rising for Foster because of Finch. Gomes can Hang Ten with Foster or Wipe-Out as far as I’m concerned. Surf’s Up!!!
Bridgeoport Now TV guest schedule appearances:
August 2: Mary-Jane Foster
August 9: Jeff Kohut
Providing outreach to the public on Channel 88 and streaming on Soundviewtv.org
Mary-Jane’s showing is all that … show. When it comes down to the primary, people will see her polls were all inflated with money. It was all a good show. Her real voter backing is not as strong as it’s made out to be. I believe Gomes will give her a real run for her money.
However, that doesn’t change the fact MJ and Gomes ARE splitting the Anti-Finch vote … And I believe it’s inevitable Finch will win the primary.
So when the dust settles and it’s General Election time, it’s going to be Finch, Torres (a joke), and the Independent, Jeff Kohut. I think when the time comes, people are going to be flocking to Jeff because he’s the REAL alternative in a sea of phonies.
I think Mr. Kohut is a brilliant man. However, why is he even part of the discussion during a hotly contested Democratic primary? The candidate dialogue right now should be focused only on those who are vying for the Democratic nomination. Any debates after the party endorsement, or those who have qualified should be limited to those candidates for the Democratic primary. By including Mr. Kohut in this mix adds to more voter confusion about the process.
Because this is a free country and it is his right. You cannot silence people because they might interfere with your message or because they don’t have as much money as you and are taking your votes. Some of the comments here about challengers to Finch other than MJF make me like Finch better than her! If these are the people she will surround herself with, it’s like six of one, half-dozen of another.
REALLY???
Corrupticut–Once again you misinterpreted what I wrote. Mr. Kohut is a very smart man. This is not a free speech issue that I was writing about. Did you ever see Ralph Nader in a debate with Democrats during a Democratic primary? Mr. Kohut will have the opportunity to drill down on his many smart policy issues during the general election debate process. I prefer a Baker’s Dozen 🙂
I did not misinterpret anything. Pretty much everything you post here about some other candidate for mayor being where you think they should be to best suit your agenda. Apparently your agenda does not jibe with theirs.
My agenda and my suit are not hidden. That is why we call this a diablogue.
You’re partly right, FtM. What matters now is the outcome of the primary. However, when all is said and done, it will be Jeff Kohut vs The Democrat (probably Finch, in my opinion) vs Rick Torres. And it is important to the people of Bridgeport at least a little information be allowed to seep into the media about the only TRUE alternative to Finch.
LG,
Please don’t insult our intelligence.
Gomes pulled his ad because one out of four releases he sent got posted here, and you trash him on the ones you print. It’s okay you favor MJ, who you never have criticized once, but don’t hide it. Everyone says MJ needs Gomes and this outlet only sees negatives about him.
So you’re saying Gomes advertised solely for favorable editorial treatment? I cannot run my site that way and no candidate should advertise based on favorable free media treatment. Thousands of Democratic primary voters read OIB. You’re inflating my influence. Readers make up their own mind about candidate preferences. As for Gomes’ news releases, I ran nearly all of them and continue to do so.
Chosen, your posts here make you look like a moron at best.
You are doing your candidate more harm than good. If I were working on the Gomes campaign, you are the last person I’d pick to help me, with friends like you, who needs enemies? If you want to help your candidate, trashing the other candidates is the wrong approach, especially when what you say is demonstrably false. Just one example, did you miss it when Lennie criticized MJ’s campaign approach a while back?
Paging carolanne curry, maybe he’ll listen to you.
Booty // Jul 25, 2011 at 1:33 pm
To your posting
Booty,
I agree with you that John Gomes is being ill-served as a candidate by the outrageously inappropriate remarks by Chosen 1.
The postings of Chosen 1 make me very concerned that the script is coming from 999 Broad Street. How else can I account for the damage these postings are doing to John?
Chosen 1,
This isn’t professional “wrestling,” it’s politics. You’re seeing wolves in a bathtub stain. Get over it. Gomes’ campaign never got out of second gear. MJF has the money, the message and the endorsements to stop Bill Finch’s clock. Lennie has given Gomes plenty of space here, airing his messages and press releases. Your angry responses and attacks are the expressions of a man who doesn’t want to admit he’s WRONG.
I wonder what he chooses to see in his underwear stains.
Hey Chosen since no one has asked this question let me be the first. Would John Gomes be a candidate for mayor if Finch had not fired him from CitiStat?
tc–that was a rhetorical question.
But FtM/MJ,
Would you be in it if you hadn’t had a falling-out with Finch and Stafstrom? You were one of Finch’s biggest fundraisers.
On our next TV show Aug 2, MJF will be on for 40 minutes after 8pm.
Also in coming shows before the election primaries, we will examine in detail one of the city’s financial obligations, and in particular the following:
Bridgeport Pension Obligation Bond for $350 Million with a coupon rate of 7.4%. We are looking for people to assist with this endeavor to call in so we can adequately examine the bond and discuss implications. If you have some financial savvy or know someone who does, please contact us as soon as possible: info@bridgeportnow.net. There is much talk of unfunded entitlements, yet we have not seen anyone actually take a look at this bond and discuss what it means, in basic language. For example, what does the schedule of rising sinking fees mean?
Bridgeport Now,
The person who can cut to the chase on the Pension Obligation Bond (POB)is John Stafstrom. Look up POBs online and you will find him prominently connected. He was and is Bond Counsel to Bridgeport as well as whatever political office he wears.
The latest material I have read is from Bill Finch to the State of CT in spring 2011 when he indicated a refunding of this series was not in the cards because the premium to be paid to holders would make it prohibitive. His letter repeated many of the things last year put forward by Feeney about what we could not do.
I have paraphrased the sense Finch offered. That info was not in the 2010 edition offered by the City.
Perhaps Dawn Norton, acting Finance Director might have a good explanation. But she might also not allow John Stafstrom to talk. You see, the City has a policy of not allowing “vendors” to talk about their work to people like you and me. Interesting isn’t it? I never thought of John as a “vendor” but that is how Ms. Norton characterizes him.
I would be interested in what caused the insertion of language in a Bond to make a re-finance at a future time expensive to the City and therefore not a current course of action in the face of very low financing rates. Was it the only way we could market the bond at the time?
I have also found it interesting to look at the minutes of the Pension Plan A meetings for the past two years and find that mention of POBs are not part of the discussion. The meetings are strictly for the purpose of investment overview and John Stafstrom or another Pullman Comley attorney is present to take minutes, for which the taxpayer bears the expense. Fun to pay and get no info that would allow a deeper understanding of what is involved, isn’t it? The Pension actuary is asked investment questions by the Budget and Appropriations members, and the Pension Investment advisers (Merrill) are asked about actuarial or structural issues by the Mayor. Talk about “depth of knowledge.” It is shameful and expensive. It is not valuable.
BEACON2 can best articulate this issue. However, I think our A- bond rating is not a plus for us to re-fi that 7.4% coupon.
No LG, I’m sure Gomes didn’t expect preferential treatment, you should call and ask him why he pulled his ad. Actually, I’m probably driving up your ratings by actually exposing the MJ pom-pom club. As for you tc, ask Gomes yourself would he have run. You kissed his ass enough when you saw him at the rooming house on State St meeting. I was two seats from you.
Chosen you are totally full of shit pure and simple I was never at a meeting at a rooming house on State St. You are a bonifide LIAR. I dont know why LG even lets you post this false bullshit. Anyone that knows me knows I kiss no ones ass. Get a clue you freaking moron.
Just so you know asshole the last time i was in a rooming house I was helping arrest an arsonist and that was 20 years ago
Chosen 1 // Jul 25, 2011 at 12:30 pm
To your posting
Chosen 1,
You are wrong. OIB doesn’t need you to drive up ratings. I worked since April of last year to give OIBers a positive picture of John and you’ve pretty much killed it in just a few of your glorious postings today.
FtM/MJ,
Talkin’ down to people on here is not good for your ratings.
Right. That is S&P rating, the A-. And the Moodys is A1 the bond shows. The rating you refer to is on this underlying bond, right? Since the S&P is the lower one, this is what is used for any financing, probably. And the A- is like 3 notches from junk (sub-investment grade) status. I wonder what is involved with getting this rating raised?
How about having some economic news to share?
Does anyone have a monthly financial report from the City after February 2011? I haven’t seen one. Have you? That report suggested the City was facing a $2,100,000 deficit+ at year-end June 2011. Another way of saying our expenses last year exceeded our City revenue.
Is that true or false?
Some folks say it may be bad news which is why the City is in violation of the Charter that says reports are due on the 4th Friday of the month following a closed month. But who cares about the details of the Charter? Bill can always get a legal opinion, sometime down the road, that exonerates our behavior it seems.
But another thought is Lord Sherwood has found yet another way to handle the books to show a modest gain for the past year and this will be shared with the public as we move closer to the primary.
Whatever comes out and whenever it comes out, we are not getting regular financial information. That fact alone should make taxpayers, potential investors in City property or new businesses as well as City employed nervous, for multiple reasons. But it is the way the City and the City Council is being run right now. Think things in Washington need a change? Just consider what is happening downtown locally!
cupcakehore69–great posting video, I haven’t seen that since I was a kid. These attacks are all wrong, I think the thoughts are confused by bigotry–The idea was stripping the rights gradually away from the People. Today I tell you how to think tomorrow I’ll tell you how to vote–In college my field was political science–that may have blurred my vision on this.
It sure did.
Linda McMahon, Meg Whitman and Ned Lamont patron saints for underfunded campaigns. Except it wasn’t having money that caused them to lose, instead it was fundamental flaws in their campaigns or the candidates themselves. I respect the passion of the MJF and JG campaign supporters but this site is full of personal attacks, less-than-sound reasoning and blatant political hogwash. I think I’ll go back to being a lurker.
I agree. All this snipping and sniping. It’s about the economy, dummies. It’s about job creation, dummies. It’s about making city government work for the people of the city of Bridgeport, period.
Afraid of personal attacks–hence the ‘yellow.’
You are a funny little man, haha. Just looking for a little more maturity and thoughtfulness from the posters on a political blog; sorry, didn’t go to clown college like you. Our city is full of hardworking folks who are struggling to survive day to day and I am scared for the future. So sorry I feel personal attacks are counter-productive to effecting real change in Bridgeport. Have a good day, Joel.
“Linda McMahon, Meg Whitman and Ned Lamont patron saints for underfunded campaigns.”
???
Sounds like an Antitesto analogy.
You are correct. I should have said logical fallacy, the patron saint of underfunded campaigns, please refer to Linda McMahon, Meg Whitman, and Ned Lamont.
Logical fallacy: The assumption because we wish something to be true or false that it is actually true or false. This fallacy has the form “I wish P is true/false, therefore P is true/false.
Hey, I heard a crazy thing today, Bridgeport only funds 20% of its own money for education, the State gives 63% and the Feds. give 17%; is this true?
YES, Holy Shit, The whole City is a Welfare State.
Wow, I may have repeated this fact a few times, and I generally say the Bridgeport taxpayer puts up about 20% of the school operations funding while the State has the balance of 80%. Rough rule of thumb, though, with the Federal money to stimulate us for the past two years, the 5 changed. So what? Our Board, our Superintendent and his high-paid administrators were the ones who decided how and where to spend the funds that dictated our results. No one likes the overall results. No one wants to pay more taxes. Very few tell us about those schools where different results (with students the majority of whom speak a language other than English at home, or with special needs identified, etc.) are forthcoming because of teachers, specialists and parents organized in a different way getting different results.
That’s the story we should be more curious about. How did that happen? Same money as other schools? Similar student-body issues? Building and equipment status? Let’s repeat what is working and get everybody working! If you observe the school system you will see people who seem to care less about the educational mission than is called for.
Flew by Finch headquarters at about 3pm today. I guess I really wasn’t surprised to see BPT 1 parked there and Mayor Finch dialing for dollars on taxpayer time. It is bad enough he makes the taxpayers pay for his political cronies and spends millions on outside friends … oh I mean counsel, but now he sits on his rear making phone calls to fund his campaign while he should be at work. What a jerk.
Chosen 1, remember: the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Great!!! Now you’re paraphrasing a Muslim belief.
And … it’s a falsehood. The truth is the enemy of my enemy is nothing unless he’s my ally.
The Chosen 1 is really upset with LG. Why so angry?
Not angry, frustrated maybe. Kinda like bangin’ me head against the wall.
In the beginning I really thought Gomes was a candidate, but now he has just faded. Bridgeport needs new leadership I think we can all agree but I’m not sold on what we have before us. I hope someday a real leader surfaces and makes the hard decisions that will revive this once-great city. But for now I have to wait a little longer to understand their stances before D-day.
What grandstanding? MJF and all the rest of you pols better thank the Lord the state is willing to come down here.
Most of my posts are not put up, so why bother? Obviously if you don’t back MJ you are censored.
Chosen 1 // Jul 25, 2011 at 9:36 pm
Most of my posts are not put up, so why bother? Obviously if you don’t back MJ you are censored.
To your posting
Please give us some respite.
You are wrong …
Short one to C1. Word around here indicates you created more than 40 posting names for OIB and you and a friend may now be down to two? That you are on moderation, whatever that means? But in spite of it you are name calling and crying about this? If any of your posts are not presented, it may have more to do with message quality than a quantity issue. If most of your posts are not put up, then that may be a favor to a number of people who find you have little to contribute beyond personal attacks, that beget counterattacks, and then it’s a scrum.