From Brian Lockhart, CT Post:
Two weeks before crucial school board and City Council elections, the Secretary of the State is urging Bridgeport’s embattled Democratic Registrar of Voters to think about quitting.
Registrar Santa Ayala and her daughter, freshman state Rep. Christina Ayala, face a possible criminal investigation for alleged elections violations.
“Ms. Ayala may want to consider whether continuing to serve as registrar while this matter has been referred to the state’s attorneys … is in the best interest of the voters of Bridgeport, especially now as we head into an important municipal election,” said Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, also a Democrat.
Full story here.
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Denise was paying fully mum on the Foster ballot issue and she Merilly went along with the Santa clause.
As I recall, Chris Caruso made a big issue of the Registrar’s Office when he lost a mayoral election. I don’t recall the specific details but we should not forget this situation has pre-existed those episodes cited in recent articles.
Finch’s role is fishy, going way back.
GO.
The Ayala family has milked the system and it’s time to pay the piper.
*** Well by the look of things those in the Dem. Party who have supported the Dem. Voters Registrar in past debacles appear to be ready to throw Sandi under the bus, allegations or not! And the usual excuse as if they really cared is to “protect the interest of the Bpt voters,” especially as we get closer to elections in general, present and future. Like Sandi or not regardless of her mistakes or bad choices during her time in office, she has always been a past and present Democratic Admin. team player right or wrong. Seems now that in doing her duties as Dem. Registrar and as a mother trying to help a daughter get in politics, the two combined may be her undoing. As this debacle continues to unfold, it sort of makes me sad for Sandi who always in my attempts to run for any local political seat was very helpful and professional in doing her job! *** HOPE FOR THE BEST OUTCOME FOR ALL ***
This is a City, not the Ayala family soap opera. They want to do right by each other, fine. If doing right by each other means doing wrong by the City you were elected to serve, and are now paid to serve, all bets are off.
No sympathy, they need to go. The City that elected them deserves better. Bridgeport deserves PUBLIC servants, not Ayala family servants.
Next, please …
Enough with the nepotism.
Looks as if the MACHINE is finally on the way outta here!
It’s time for her to resign or step aside pending the results of this serious investigation.
With yesterday being the final day to register to vote before the municipal elections, it really got me thinking. OF COURSE Registrar Santa Ayala has to go. Of course State Rep Christina “Tita” Ayala has to go. There needs to be housecleaning from stem to stern. I ran for State Rep last year, and I qualified for the CEP Grant. PUBLIC MONEY, FOLKS. YOUR MONEY. When I agreed to accept the conditions under which that money is awarded to candidates willing to do the work, I knew anything I signed needed to be 100% on the up and up. I also had a Treasurer and a Campaign Committee. My point is Christina is not alone. Her fraudulent behavior was aided by and made possible by other individuals. Our elected officials in Bridgeport (as we know) have a network of enablers and they too are responsible for the SAD state of affairs in our city. Then we have folks who may not be criminally liable, but are just blatantly incompetent and unable to serve. We are heading toward an election where we may replace a handful of incumbents. Good start, but we need to vet every community board, every elected office, every appointed office. In my end of town we have have created a Frankenstein allowing Reverend Carl McCluster to grow the position of Chair of the South End NRZ into a position of power … power for only himself. And as he continues to turn this committee into his own soapbox, he consistently dismisses the wishes of the real South End community (where his is NOT a resident). The Reverend offers NRZ support to projects in direct opposition to the wishes of the committees members (ie. the BHA Marina Village relocation project). We all have to take responsibility for the folks like Carl, Santa, Tita and their ilk. But just as important as removing them, we need to find decent thoughtful people to replace them. This is not as easy as it sounds. It takes a tremendous level of commitment to fill a vacancy on an NRZ, run for a Council seat, attend meetings etc. These positions do not pay, they require a ton of one’s free time, and unless you are a Carl McCluster type, there will be little to personally gain from your service.
So we basically need folks who really truly care about our different unique and challenged neighborhoods in Bridgeport.
Do we have any real candidates? I hope so.