UPDATE: Bob from BePo has posted the layoff list of city employees the city released today. See his post below. Thanks Bob. (You’re right. It sucks to lose your job.) I’m off to Captain’s Cove. Join us.
So, John “I’m for regulation when it’s convenient” McCain wants to suspend the campaign in the interest of the free world from a financial crisis he wants to grab by the neck and choke until it falls limp in his hands.
Here’s an idea: do a Noah’s Ark. Suspend your campaign for 40 more days and take your 9 houses, 13 cars and disingenuous crap with you. Take the Snow Queen with you too. Well, maybe leave the houses and cars for us. And the $15K each month campaign manager Rick Davis was pocketing from Freddie Mac. (And they put me in the joint for 10 months!)
Yes, in a matter of 10 days McCain went from “the fundamentals of the economy are strong” to “get me out of here.” Yes, the storm clouds are ready to drench McCain’s campaign. And the only reason we haven’t heard more about all the stupid stuff Joe Biden’s spewing on the stump is because of McCain’s gaffes. Will someone please stick a rag in Biden’s mouth! Maybe my girl Sarah won’t do so bad against Jammin’ Joe in the debate after all.
Biden: “It was huge for us when we purchased that land from the Russian Empire and made it a state in 1941.”
Sarah: “Joe, Alaska became a state in 1959.”
Biden: “How do you know. You were only five.”
Sarah: “I wasn’t born yet, Joe.”
Speaking of debates, I’m waiting for an update from the campaigns of Christopher Shays and opponent Jim Himes about their first battle royal. Also waiting for something on the State Senate race between Republican Rob Russo and Democrat Anthony Musto in what has emerged as the battle of doctors’ sons. Instead of getting the candidates together maybe we can get Doc Russo and Doc Musto together for a debate on the health care crisis.
Hope to see you all tonight at the OIB party, 5:30 at Captain’s Cove. Most of the Dems will be at Don Mario’s Democratic Town Committee picnic on the East Side. That’s okay, more for us. Make sure all of your back taxes are paid up. Wouldn’t want your car to get booted at the Cove by that new Nazi police VioAlert.
News release from Shays
In Case You Missed It:
Shays Praised for Bipartisan Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac Oversight Effort
Washington , D.C. – Congressman Christopher Shays, (CT-4), a senior member of the Financial Services Committee, was credited in 2002 for his bipartisan work with Congressman Ed Markey (MA-7) calling for oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Shays and Markey introduced H.R. 4071, the Uniformed Securities Disclosure Act, in the 107th Congress. The bill, which would have brought Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s registration and reporting requirements in line with all other publicly-traded companies, was praised in 2002 press reports. It would have increased transparency of the companies, thereby reducing systemic risk and enhancing investor protection — without compromising the housing mission of these two GSEs.
“Christopher Shays (R., Conn.) and Ed Markey (D., Mass.), for example, have introduced a bill to make Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac securities subject to SEC registration and disclosure. And at a recent House hearing, SEC Chairman Harvey Pitt argued that Fan and Fred ought to be subject to the same disclosure rules as other publicly traded companies. No doubt these folks will join us in monitoring what exactly Fannie does disclose down the road before we all jump for joy.” (Wall Street Journal, 4/2/2002)
The wheels are really coming off the “Not So Straight Talking Express” now.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Barack Obama has a two-point advantage over John McCain in the traditionally Republican state of North Carolina.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the Tar Heel State shows Obama attracting 49% of the vote while McCain earns 47%. A week ago, McCain held a three-point edge.
…and this just in!!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Thursday shows Barack Obama attracting 49% of the vote while John McCain earns 46%. Other than the bounces related to his convention and speech in Berlin, this is the first time Obama has had 49% support on back-to-back days since early July. It’s also McCain’s lowest level of support in nearly three weeks.
Instead of suspending his campaign perhaps he should just end it.
Lennie–Sounds like you’re spinning like the hack in the old days a bit…
According to today’s Wall St. Journal, Treasury Secretary Paulson asked that McCain come in and try to get Republicans behind the bailout bill.
Stennie Hoyer was just on WOR this a.m. saying how they need to get republicans on board or this bill is going nowhere. Kind of backs up the WSJ reporting.
As to McCain campaign manager and $15K a month from Freddie Mac, reading the whole Washington Post story suggests otherwise. “Mr. Davis has received no salary or compensation … no profit or partner distributions … neither has Mr. Davis received any equity in the firm based on profits derived since his financial separation” from the firm in 2006, the campaign said in a statement posted on its Web site.”
In that statement, the McCain campaign mischaracterized the Times report, alleging that its story said Davis was paid by Freddie Mac. In fact, the newspaper said Freddie Mac paid Davis’ firm.
Lennie your liberal bias is showing. John from Black Rock you’re all giddy over a few percentage point change in the polls. Don’t get too excited; when the debates are over people will realize what a one-trick pony Obama is. BTW are you going to be happy paying all the new taxes proposed by Obama?
O’Malley is correct. Freddie/Fannie paid Davis’ firm.
I haven’t heard about the taxes Obama is proposing. Perhaps he will be the first president to impose higher taxes on the rich. Seems like a good idea. After all, it was the tribe of greedy suits that fouled the economy to the point where Uncle Sam has to step in and save the day, like Mighty Mouse. Maybe Obama will decree that all of the professional thieves working in the financial industries will have to fork over 95% of their “Performance” bonuses.
Oh really O’Malley,
Let’s see if I’ve got this right; Secretary Paulson wants McGain down in DC to shepherd through Paulson’s bailout bill that will give Paulson unbridled power to buy any junk paper at any price from any of the junk-dealers formerly known as investment bankers thus bailing out his friends and himself from the mess on Wall Street. And the great reformer says “don’t worry Henry, I’ll be right down.” The old boys’ network thrives.
This just in:
Following is the complete list of city workers to be laid off:
Andrew S. Abate, WPCA project manager, $109,846
Adam Radzimirski, deputy police chief, $97,258
James J. Honis, deputy police chief, $97,258
Roger S. Palmer, deputy tax assessor, $89,097
Joseph Minopoli, housing code enforcement officer, $86,221
William L. Chapman, police captain, $84,572
Robert R. Craw Jr., police captain, $84,572
Paul R. Simeone, technology project specialist manager, $83,533
Armando J. Perez, police lieutenant, $73,539
Michael J. Beitman, technology project specialist, $67,105
Donna L. Reisinger, civil service personal assistant II, $64,913
Joseph D. Sherbo, police sergeant, $63,948
Carl J. Leonzi, police sergeant, $63,948
Donald P. Jacques, police sergeant, $63,948
James C. Pianello, police sergeant, $63,948
Raymond J. Masek, police sergeant, $63,948
Joseph Wincze Jr., fair housing director, $63,620
Gregory Osipow, construction management accountant, $60,750
Anthony DePrimo, recycling foreman, $58,303
Not named, construction management administrative assistant, $47,545
Michael Bouchard, park police officer, $41,927
Jay J. Silva, park police officer, $41,927
Alan J. Stach, park police officer, $41,927
Mark E. Simonetti, park police officer, $41,927
Robert P. duPont, park police officer, $41,927
Frances Wilson, city clerk office mini computer operator, $39,058
Jose D. Morales III, voting machine mechanic, $36,400
Ralph E. Bowen, voting machine mechanic, $36,400
Not named, town clerk’s office typist II, $35,959
Jennifer Gondola, technology administrative planner, $34,385
Emily Zahorsky, print shop clerical assistant, $14,560
Tough times, but you hate to hear of people losing their livelihoods.
This is a live post from Captain’s Cove: The crowd gets bigger by the moment, the beer gets better by the minute. If you were here, you’d understand.
oh, Lennie…jay and I…I mean, er…RAY and I are having *such* a lovely time here at the cove — blackmail photos to follow. 🙂
Chris “Mad Dog” Russo posting from the OIB party at Captain’s Cove. Having a great time with friends, opponents, and others talking about Bridgeport and the issues. Hope to see many of you here later tonight.
Live from the love cove I’m here with the OIB crew.
I noticed that the folks here are first taking a look at the titanic hanging from the ceiling and then they look at me. I get it! They are thinking that come November I will be sinking like the titanic. To name a few of the OIB crew with us here we have the Troll (Bob Walsh), Mojo, Silvester Salcedo, Milton Johnson, Mark Delmonico and my favorite Local Eyes keeping an eye on our drinks. There is a rumor that the bartender is yahooy but he denies that.
I am going to limit my drinks to two as the last time I was here I decided to switch parties after 3 drinks. I can’t see myself as an independent.
Well, come this election Nov.4th ’08 (Independant-Bipartisan) is what I’ll be running as. But I’m still a registered Dem. on paper regardless of my differences with the present local party! After being a Dem. for so long its hard to register as something other than Dem. however, its not the party per se, it’s those presently in charge @ the local level that are messing things up! So it’s important to look @ the individual running, not the party they belong to. Now on a larger scale in politics, McCain is not on any of the committees that oversee the “$” bailout that’s being worked on, so he’s really not needed in D/C ’til the Senate has to vote. Why suspend the debate on Friday? Also, some type of restraints must be included in the bailout language to keep these dip-shits from doing the same old shit again with more to follow later! No need for a rush job cause the only ones really sweating are your big money investors. The average joe with $100,000. in the bank or less has the goverments insurance (FICA) covering their money; $200,000. if you’re married insured in regular joe’s banks. Goverment dropped the ball on this mess big-time & Bush has not even hinted such! Again I say, McCain/Palin who just a few months ago claimed the american economy was sound, is about the same good-ole-boy mentality as Bush. How can people not vote for some type of change?
Where are the anti-DePrimo OIB posters? I was under the impression that I would come here and find some comments on Bill Finch’s decisive move on DePrimo in particular. Bill kept his word when he said, “I’ll fire him down the road.” Regardless of whether or not DePrimo has bumping rights, Finch followed through and I’m guessing that the DePrimo issue will again be a hot topic here at OIB. My wife found some relief in not seeing my name on the list. I guess the folks at that B.P.D. like my toilet-cleaning skills.
My daughter just spilled her cup of Hawain Punch. A thought came to mind when I was cleaning it up, “Blood will spill.” I have been thinking about doing my part as far as the City’s deficit is concerned. I am willing to give a weeks pay but I don’t want to see only the City employees doing their part. The City’s Administration is responsible and accountable for 53% of our budget and the balance falls on the Board of Education. The City has about 2000 employees while the B.O.E. has about 2700 and I’m wondering (not wondering the OIB poster) how much the B.O.E. employees will contribute. I understand that about 73% percent of teachers don’t live in Bridgeport. Therefore, they don’t pay taxes in Bridgeport whether they rent or own their home. If I give up a week’s pay, only 53% will benefit the City if the B.O.E. employees don’t contribute. Am I incorrect in my calculation? Should I disregard the advice of my union leadership and risk being considered a scab? Heck, I’m wondering if this is the right place to seek such advice.
I’m writing to ‘Dear Abby’.
My Deepest condolences to the Larracuente Family. Raymond Larracuente’s brother past away and I attended the wake after the OIB party at the Cove.
Andres Ayala and Bill Finch showed up to pay their respects. I took advantage of the opportunity to talk to Ayala and Finch regarding, “A whole Bunch of Money.”
They agreed to look into it tommorrow, I’ll keep you posted and provide y’all with more detail when the time is right. Gotta go to bed, I got some toilets to clean in the morning.
There were people on the layoff list who volunteered to take furloughs and they were still laid off.
Unionless,
Of course. You really did not think taking a furlough would prevent it, did you? I did not notice, or did I miss it – layoffs from the mayor’s staff? How about the several take-home vehicles?