It’s all peace, love and diplomacy for the battle in Black Rock. Democratic City Council incumbents Sue Brannelly and Steve Stafstrom and their Republican opponents Rick Torres and Phil Blagys are ruining Bridgeport’s bad-boy reputation for mud slinging. Tuesday morning Stafstrom and Blagys were making nice-nice campaigning in front of Black Rock School, even posing for a picture for OIB. Now this, Rick Torres and Brannelly ride on Rick’s campaign bike. Hmmm, was Rick thinking about dumping Sue in Ash Creek, or maybe the other way around?
Such civility. Please, will someone start a fight! This kissy-face stuff is giving Bridgeport a good name. But maybe this is smart campaign strategy for the Democrats in light of the voter hostility following Tuesday’s drubbing of Democratic Town Committee endorsed candidates for school board and City Council. Let’s be sweet and tender to our opponents, kill them with kindness so they won’t work as hard.
What’s next, a bicycle built for four?
Food Fight at Harborview Market! Thrilla in Vanilla Ice Cream at Timothy’s!
Black Rock has a different political tradition from other Bridgeport neighborhoods. The brawling tradition–and whatever blue collar romanticism you want to attach to it–seems to trace back to the East Side.
Someone may want to go diving at the Aquaculture School in Black Rock to see where all the ABs came from in the Democratic primary. That’s a different tradition.
Whew–for a moment I was afraid it might be another bike theft attempt!
Come to think of it … did anybody ask Torres where he got the bike?
Remember Lennie, revenge is best served cold and I must say I have never had a better appetizer from a Tomato Gazpacho to a Vichyssoise than the results in the 132nd City Council election to whet my appetite for two years from now.
I wasn’t present to see this “Kodak moment” and a still photo cannot tell me. Who is pedaling this vehicle? You may not realize what an important question this is in terms of District representation. I became aware many Council persons think of themselves as part of a dual representation team. Isn’t it interesting the City Charter nowhere suggests such a concept. What it leads to is added followership mentality to that endemic with the Mayor presiding over meetings and sending signals through President McCarthy and “caucus meetings” on how to vote.
What the citizens require is a Council person who can honestly attest:
– to no appearance nor actual conflict of interest;
– to attendance at all City Council meetings as well as committee meetings assigned;
– to reading the CAFR each year and an open, public hearing AND speaking session where ignorance can be dispelled for the benefit of all;
– to open up opportunities for the public to speak and expect to be heard and responded to, with advance info provided by the City on topics being heard;
– etc., etc.
Now is the time for candidates to hear from you as to what you expect other than increasing improving results from the schools in terms of data on youth, a safer City from wanton violence, and increasing truthful reports on City employee efficiency and effectiveness in their departmental responsibilities along with a property tax cap. Nothing else will keep Mayor Finch and crew from failing in open, accountable and transparent process as they have during his term of office. Oh, almost forgot, about stipends: How do you meet the terms of the City ordinance regarding stipends as reimbursement by providing a debit card which is pre-loaded? Time will tell.
No helmets! No bike lane! But they want our vote? You can’t make this stuff up!
www .youtube.com/watch?v=bzE-IMaegzQ
JML, they are both peddling. They are showing Democrats and Republicans working together. It is possible they just might have to in Black Rock. This could be a very exciting election. Mayor Finch’s days of total control of a mindless thoughtless council that disregarded their constituents are over. Not all members to be clear. No checks and balances, not a good thing. Some of the members have become real cartoon characters, a joke. November should be exciting.
*** Being nice is good for the GOP, however just pushing the negative political facts about their opponents is better, no? ***
Good luck pedaling any streets in “the Cleanest Greenest City in the USA!” I have never seen a rider on that bike lane between Black Rock and Seaside Park, so poorly laid out. Rick, you’d better start an open account at Spoke and Wheel ’cause you are going to have a lot of bent rims and broken spokes in this city from all the potholes and unfriendly auto traffic.
Does John Marshall Lee ever loosen up? Is that bow tie so tight it restricts blood flow to the brain? It’s just a fun picture!
So true, Ever!
Denis OMalley,
When I wrote that yesterday I was wearing a polo shirt and had sandals on my feet. No blood restriction issues, but thank you for caring.
Perhaps your real question is: Why does JML keep connecting what seem to be disparate issues to so many and hammering away at our weak financial standing as a City and the governance structure, administration violations, and legislative attitude that helped deliver us here? We met each other and listened to each other and thought why don’t we collaborate? Budget Oversight Bridgeport (BOB) was born, and a few other taxpayers have sat through our City budget process during the past three years to see and hear the level of representation we get. We also looked at the Charter during 2012 and reviewed Ordinances, some of which have been ignored by the CC. Brought us to the Public School system whose results no one was happy with. Looked at what was being offered as a reform plan and supporting data … and so on … and so on … including Pension Plans, WPCA, Capital projects, land use planning, Council stipends, and so many other subjects.
If we are to ever have hope we need to study our structures as well as the people occupying them. Are they performing as prescribed or expected? After all, exercising one’s vote is an evaluation, isn’t it? And if those in government service refuse to be self-aware or self-critical, then the voter is called to action.
I am ‘ever hopeful’ our perseverance in the face of opposition by those in power, in their failure to present OPEN, ACCOUNTABLE and TRANSPARENT governance, is helpful to registered voters. A commitment to learning what we don’t know is critical to keep changes flowing in the City. Time will tell.
And the answer is: Four to five years ago I was a contributor to OIB and presented as ‘BEACON2.’ Happened to meet Andy Fardy who wrote under ‘town committee,’ if memory serves me.