Video Features City Financial Challenges

OK, HERE I AM. It’s been three days since this has been posted so it may be old news. I would like to thank CW4BB for posting this video. Unfortunately I could not attend. One critical perspective of this video that is lacking for me is what type of audience it was. First of all, I am NOT an integral member of CW4BB. I attended ONE meeting due to the gracious invitation from JML. As you all well know, JML does yeoman’s work as a Bridgeport Watchdog digging ever deeper into the financials but he is also a great person with a deep sense of humility, inclusivity and he is darn smart. JML and I bumped into each other and he invited me to an (organizational) meeting of CW4BB at Black Rock Library. Discussion and plans for this Burroughs meeting were held at this time. In a sense, it was really the first time CW4BB was attempting a citywide event. If I recall, invitations were sent out to as many community leaders/politicians as possible including the Mayor, all City Council Members, the members of the City’s GA delegation and, I also believe, members of both the Democratic and Republic Town Committees. Due to the fact many were involved in elections, one might have thought anyone seeking election would have gravitated towards any crowd of Bridgeport voters. At the same time, this event was NOT tailored to be soapboxes to all the various candidates. It was tailored for CW4BB to present information to the public and community leaders. A side issue of etiquette has come up and, respectfully to all those who weighed in on that issue, IMHO, too much was made of the etiquette issue and that can be adjusted/refined/improved for future meetings. Unfortunately, some of the comments went beyond the etiquette issue and questioned the validity of CW4BB going forward as a voice in determining the direction of the Bridgeport Community. For anyone who has been involved or planning to get involved in building any citywide coalition or even communication, it simply cannot be overestimated how difficult it is. Nevertheless, Bridgeport remains at financial/economic crossroads and anyone/everyone who has any concern about this community is being called up to the plate to get involved. With the release of the abysmal financial/fiscal information earlier this year (Billion drop in Grand List, continuing tight budget, the fatal increase in the mil rate), CW4BB already had some structure (websites, social media, informed citizens) that showed the POTENTIAL to take on the task of being an alternative voice to what was offered by the Ganim Administration. I would beg any reader here to still have patience, give advice and assist in any way possible and do not turn your back based on one event or the first few major months of the attempt to expand citywide in a much more active role. OKAY, ON TO THE VIDEO AND THE MEETING ITSELF. As I said before, I could not tell the nature of the audience. The presentation I saw on this video had a lot of information, maybe too much. I also get the sense the presentation was more appropriate for some who already have some basic knowledge of “finance talk.” It might have been more appropriate, for example, for members of the City Council (possibly some of them might have understood what was said), members of the City Administration, members of the local business community. I felt it got too “much in the weeds, “too complicated” for the average Bridgeport resident. FAR TOO MUCH went into purely financial info. If CW4BB wants to be successful, they will need to drill down their message and make it accessible and real to the everyday Bridgeporter. Questions such as, “Do You think Bridgeport is moving in the right or wrong direction?” Find out if you are talking to parents who send their children to Bridgeport schools and ask them if they are satisfied with the education their child is getting. Are Bridgeporters proud of Bridgeport, and if not, then why not? Ask people if they are confident they can find jobs in Bridgeport that would pay a livable wage. Is the Government of Bridgeport a “fair” government? Does Bridgeport meet your daily needs? I was very disappointed there was no mention of the state of our schools in the CW4BB meeting. As I write this posting, the Presidential (and some local) Election will be over in a little over 48 hours (THANK GOD!). Bridgeport community leaders must immediately pivot to the City Council Elections in 2017 and open up many avenues of dialog with Bridgeport residents and voters. CW4BB will need to up their game, and more importantly, decide what they really want to be and what are their goals in the next year. There really is not that much time left because decisions need to be made now. I have absolutely no idea if I will be active with CW4BB in any way. That is a mutual decision. But I hope others here give them a little more time and please do not walk away based on these initial forays into Bridgeport community involvement.