From CT Post scribe Brian Lockhart:
At the height of a political campaign, the blur of promises, charges and countercharges can turn into so much background or white noise for voters.
And white noise is all that is being offered in the Sept. 16 Democratic primary for mayor. Three Caucasians–Mayor Bill Finch, businesswoman Mary-Jane Foster and former Mayor Joseph P. Ganim–are competing to run a city where, as of the 2010 census, roughly two thirds of the population identifies as black or Hispanic.
Full story here.
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What’s the matter with the Bridgeport Post? Trying to stir up racial unrest? Lockhart, you are a real scumbag. There were people of color interested in running and they did not get the required signatures to be in the September primary, they will be in the November election.
Let’s look at our state delegation: We have five blacks, two Hispanics and two whites in our State delegation. On the council we have seven blacks, six whites, one Cuban and six Hispanics. Totaling this up we have 12 blacks, eight whites, eight Hispanics and one Cuban holding office in Bridgeport and this does not include the BOE or the town committee. So Mr. Lockhart, take your attempt at race baiting and stick it where the sun don’t shine, asshole.
Race baiting? You’re on drugs. Bridgeport is a racially and ethnically diverse city. Bill Finch represents an white old guard desperate to remain in power. His administration’s antipathy toward the black community can and ought to be seen for what it is, a passive-aggressive effort to drive them out.
A new high school built on land that has been contaminated with toxic chemicals and solvents. The majority of the students at that new school will be African American. When will our “green” mayor address the health hazards associated with industrial pollution, when the students and their future children begin suffering from cancer and birth defects?
Cubans and Portuguese are Hispanic. It should read 12 blacks, eight whites, nine Hispanics. Possibly even more Hispanics if you mistakenly counted a Portuguese person as white.
In Black Rock we have 37 dwarves, two wizards, 217 Sindar elves, an uncounted number of hobbits and a dragon named Smaug.
AND ONE IDIOT.
I thought you lived on the North Side, Andy.
No, upper East Side, and I am the resident idiot up here.
Who would have thought?
This election is not exciting at all. I didn’t think it would be exciting. There is only one clear choice. Bridgeport is on the move and it is feeling good.
There is plenty of talent out there. I think every community has an opportunity to put forth a candidate they feel is worthy. I do think it is necessary to pick an individual based on ethnicity. It is however, an issue each community is responsible for. Look at the leadership of the Democratic Town Committee. It is a nice diverse group. They are responsible and Mario Testa doesn’t encourage it. Duh!
There is certainly lack of color in this mayoral election just like there has been in every election with the exception of Charles Tisdale whom the Democratic party turned their backs on.
Having said that, there will never be a mayor of color until the blacks and Puerto Ricans of Bridgeport can put their differences side, whether real or imagined. I’m still trying to understand why over 72% of the Bridgeport electorate feel the need to be governed by a white person or feel said white person would have their best interest at heart more so than someone who looks like them.
Mayor Finch has showed this by his policies of exclusion for city jobs at the expense of blacks and women. When will blacks and Puerto Ricans take the initiative for self-determination? Time will tell.
Right on, Donald Day. The Finch administration is not as aggressive as white Southern elected officials in the practice of racial discrimination. He and his cronies are more passively aggressive, which is all the more offensive. (At least Finch doesn’t have to contend with a statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest in a city park.) The Finch administration would like us to believe all lives matter and he and his cronies represent all the people of the city of Bridgeport. Nothing could be further from the truth. The only lives that matter are the middle-class voters who have been lulled into thinking he is a good mayor. Several Finch supporters have become disenchanted with him but also despair of a Ganim mayoralty. Neither of them has the best interests of the city at heart.
At least one person on this blog has reacted angrily to my commentaries regarding the issue of racism in Bridgeport politics. His angry reaction, “Get off your racist crap already, you ignorant drunk!” is a fairly clear acknowledgement he is aware of the problem and doesn’t want to know. So in that great Yankee tradition, he would like to ignore it. (I am hardly ignorant, sir. Tomorrow I will not be ignorant and you will still be an asshole.)
But it cannot be ignored. Knowing a problem exists and acting as if there is nothing wrong is an act of stupidity.
George Bellingham and Carl Horton both didn’t get enough signatures to run in the Democratic primary. The fact there are so few people of color in his administration has been bought to his attention for the past seven years, plus the decline of blacks, Hispanics and women being hired as firefighters and Police officers has also been bought to Mayor Finch’s attention, and he has done nothing.
Ron, it was George Bellinger. He didn’t get enough signatures because his campaign was scuttled by a mole for the opposition who purposely corrupted signature sheets, which were then rejected by the registrar, denying him a place on the ballot. George was an intelligent, honest man who would have made an excellent mayor.
Ron, the problem is in the council there are 14 minorities elected to the council, seven blacks, six Hispanics and one Cuban. They could run the city if they had any intelligence, but they don’t. You have people with city jobs, people who want city jobs and people who are there to be there.
There will be a change on the City Council this time around, there are some council members who have refused to run on Mayor Finch’s line. Most council members are scared of being challenged in a primary so they do whatever the mayor wants, plus some council members’ family members and friends have been given jobs, promotions and appointments, so they owe Finch.
The real power is in the commissions and dept. heads and that is where the biggest lack of minorities is. This administration would rather keep a commission seat empty than reach into the community. They would also rather do a nationwide search than hire a “local” minority dept. head.
David Dunn is in a tested position the City in the past has done a national search to get the best person to give all of the testing for hiring and promotions and the City has not done that search plus Dunn is NOT qualified to hold that position, he has never taken the test for that position, this is one of the most important positions in the City.
Placing David Dunn in the Civil Service commission was done so the mayor’s office could control the flow of jobs, thus assuring everyone must go through his office for a job. What better way to insure how a person votes than to make them beholden to you for their job. What better way get votes when people know the Civil Service process is in the hands of the mayor’s office by virtue of having his hand-picked flunky running the civil service?
HOLD ON! Brian Lockhart, did you forget about Rick Torres? Rick received 41% of the vote in 2003 against the raging, nasty, AB stealing, thug machine and 31% the following election. HE IS HISPANIC, speaks fluent Spanish and is completely colorblind when it comes to politics and humankind. Although I know Brian was writing about the Democratic primary, the headline said otherwise. He is the best candidate by far, who truly lives and breathes Bridgeport in thought and deed every day. He is not part of any established machine, is beholden to no one and does not have an enormous ego to feed. I could go on and on but I hope you all get my drift.
You don’t understand. All Hispanics are Democrats. Cubans are Republicans. Therefore Cubans are not Hispanics.
Brian Lockhart, like most of us in Bridgeport, are trying to forget about Ricky.
This is why I love DD and Ron. They do not see color. Only black and white.
I have to question the validity of that statement, Donald. Rick Torres is more reformist and progressive than anyone else running for mayor. He may hold the Republican endorsement but Mr. Torres is quite liberal on the social issues plaguing Bridgeport. He is conservative on economics, lower taxes, eliminate government waste (like the bloated municipal payroll), make City Hall more transparent and responsive to the needs of the people it represents, repair the broken school system.
Rick Torres hasn’t been heard from yet. After the primary the election season will become a choice of substance over style. We haven’t heard from David Daniels, Tony Barr or Charlie Coviello (or Finch or Ganim or Foster) on any substantive issues as of yet.
The general election isn’t for three months. Wait to see how this plays out.
Laugh Out Loud, Donald Day.
Oh, kind sir, what did my guy Rick do to you?
Rick Torres is the only mayoral candidate not seeking office for personal gain.
The election is over on September 16.
Dream On!
There are eight names on the general ballot, enough to make a sure win by the Democratic nominee an impossibility. There’s going to be some political deal-making before the November election, alliances and coalitions formed.
Given that interest in this mayoral race is much greater than it has been in past cycles, it is safe to say all bets are off.
Bill Finch is touting a slew of downtown development projects, more than a few of which predate his first term.
The two DTC candidates are just that, DTC candidates. One is a crook and the other is a liar. Both represent the status quo, the “old boys” club that meets for cocktails and scungilli at Testo’s on a regular basis. Of the remaining candidates, two are accurately described as reformist and progressive, the other four with undefined agendas.
This isn’t a game of pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, although at least one of the front runners is a jackass.