Money is the mother’s milk of politics and State Senate candidate Dennis Bradley says he’s two-thirds of the way home to qualify for Connecticut’s Citizens Election Program of publicly funded races that would provide him about $100k to spend against incumbent Ed Gomes as they head to an August Democratic primary.
Bradley, chair of the Board of Education, will host a campaign kickoff tonight (Friday) 6:30 at the Move Yacht Club, 220 Waterview Avenue. One of the key questions with Bradley was his ability to raise money. Securing the public dough for State Senate is an arduous task requiring 300 small in-district donations of $15,000 for the larger pot. Raising the money quickly allows candidates to focus on campaigning.
In addition to raising money, Bradley is hunting for delegates. Monday night at Testo’s Restaurant Democratic delegates will endorse a candidate. The vote count looks close. Either way an August primary is on the horizon.
Bradley versus Gomes is study in contracts: Bradley the young polished lawyer, Gomes the 80-year retired steelworker who connects with working class voters.
Connecticut’s 23rd District covering two thirds of Bridgeport and a portion of western Stratford is loaded with working class.
Bradley says he has been working hard to meet with parents, faith leaders and community members across the district.
“Thanks to the overwhelming support in the community, our campaign is well on our way to ensuring that the people of Bridgeport and Stratford are no longer left behind,” said Bradley in a statement. “I am overjoyed with the reception we have received so far and am looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead for us in the coming months.”
And he makes a wonderful empty suit.
Dennis, let’s start with your role as Chair of the BOE. Please tell all of us what you have done to improve the Bridgeport School System since being picked by Mario to fill this position.
Then please tell us what you would have done in the past session for “ensuring that the people of Bridgeport and Stratford are no longer left behind.”
Please be very specific because this would require a strong understanding of what occurred and what votes Senator Gomes cast.
The only thing you can take credit for is making Bridgeport Democratic politics look worse then it did before you got involved, but that takes a lot of work.
He hasn’t done a single thing except look foolish. He has absolutely no clue what he is doing and has absolutely no interest in our children, parents and schools.
He was caught coming out of a meeting with Dr. Steve Perry and Kenneth Moales Jr. a few weeks ago at Capital Prep. Harbor Charter School.
As of our first meeting, the BOE has faced a $4.2 million dollar deficit for 2015/2016. We are now facing a $16 million dollar deficit for 2016/2017. He has yet to attend a single Finance Committee meeting.
Andre Baker is a member of the Finance Committee and arrived late for one meeting and has never attended another.
Had Fran Rabinowitz, Dave Hennessey, Joe Larcheveque, and Andre Baker not cut deals with Mayor Finch to allow in-kind services instead of demanding every dollar in cash as required by law, the city would be required to fund the BBOE by an additional $5.2 million for 2016/2017 and we would be facing a $10.8 million dollar deficit instead of $16 million.
All these individuals are in large part responsible for the deficits we are facing and now none of them will attend Finance Committee meetings.
Another ambitious, opportunist, impatient individual. Ed Gomes spent most of his life in public service, a labor negotiator and advocate for most of his life. Shame, shame the delegates should even think twice when casting their vote of support. But then we do have Mario Testa, along with the administration who would prefer a bucket-boy who will follow their orders, and let’s not forget the over-the-hill so-called black leaders in a certain area of the City who will trade their support for favors. The sky will fall again because nothing has changed, the same mindset with the same old, same old.
Ed Gomes is one of the best people I’ve met since moving to Bridgeport last year. He’s the kind of elected representative I want. He’s friendly, experienced, a Democrat to the core, a leader in one of America’s best industrial unions, and trustworthy. I like his values, his smile, and his devotion to Bridgeport. Let’s send Ed back to the Capitol with a big primary victory. Gomes for Senate!
Doug, I agree. Whenever I’m with a group of people with Ed I always tell them when I grow up I want to be just like Ed, I’ve been saying that for over 40 years and Ed would say, “son, you don’t want much in life.” Ed’s work with unions was unbelievable and he fought for his members to have a better way of life.
Nothing in Dennis Bradley’s performance on the Bridgeport Board of Education suggests a single reason for electing him to the state Senate.
*** Bradley is wasting his political time, he should try doing something on the BOE, no? ***
Is it time to suggest folks who run for the BOE stay with it to accomplish their announced goals before moving on to other work?
And along with that is it fair to ask them to devote ALL their political representation time to one job or another?
At the moment, my friend Andre Baker is juggling State Rep and BOE, and now two more BOE members are vying for State office. I already know it is possible to hold two offices at one time, as it is happening today. I also understand it must be legal, or it would not likely be happening at this elective level.
The question I am asking has to do with the 22,000 children who are in our schools. At this moment both the local City Council as well as the State legislature are removing funds or refusing to increase funds necessary to meet contractual requirements. To whom do parents turn when BOE members have other focus? Time will tell.
Who loves ya, Dennis? Answer: Dennis.
Lousy lawyer, lousy staffer for Himes, lousy BOE member, just plain lousy.
Beat it, Shyster.
It appears as if the only prerequisite for the DTC endorsement is the ability to kiss Mario’s ass and pretend you enjoy it. Great job, Dennis.
Ed is smart and tough and knows how to get the job done. And he’s a warrior, he’s not afraid of a fight or to stick his neck out for what he believes in. Despite serious health concerns, he went back into the political arena and fought hard and successfully, without any recurrence of health issues, which had been a concern to some supporters (and, I’m sure, to Ed). His fight for a political comeback and his just-completed successful term during a very tough legislative session should be proof to all of us the old warrior has a lot of fight–and wins–left in him.
He doesn’t represent my district, but he represents my Bridgeport interests in Hartford. Bridgeport needs to keep Ed in Hartford for as long as possible. We don’t need to replace a viable, proven Bridgeport warrior with sartorial/tonsorial illusion.
And let’s not forget Ed came through big time up in hartford with the pension deferral and saved the BRIDGEPORT taxpayers millions over the next two years to allow Ganim time to get the finances in order.
Dennis, are you opposed to that???
Ed came through big-time up in Hartford with the pension deferral that saves the Bridgeport taxpayers millions over the next two years.
The shorter version would be:
Vote for Ed. Bradley is a loser.
Forget assumptions and understandings for a moment and focus on the entire Act that was passed in the State legislature:
For the FYs 2017 until 2043 the City “Current Annual Payment” contributions were to total $200,070,000. Instead SB42 was passed with an amendment specific to the City of Bridgeport (and its taxpayers) whereby the total payments will become $257,127,000 during that same 27-year period.
The difference allowing an average of $4 Million less during the first six years kicks the can down the road and costs City taxpayers $57,057,000 more in payments to the State. The “impact of the amended payment schedule is anticipated to be actuarially isolated to the city of Bridgeport in accordance with current practice.”
Leave it to the State Office of Fiscal Analysis to provide the facts that we have never seen from our own Mayor’s office for at least a decade.
Looking down the road, from the eighth year to the 27th we will average and ADDITIONAL $2.5 Million COMMITMENT to the plan to make up for FY 2017, 18, 19, 20, 21, and 2022 lesser payments. And the City Council did not get a vote on it. And the taxpayer must just take it without the Mayor pointing out the wisdom of the move, and there may be some. However, if the Finch administration left so many things hanging, out of order with City process, Ordinance, Charter etc., where are the forensic results? Where are the reports at this time? Where is OPEN, ACCOUNTABLE, TRANSPARENT and HONEST? Time will tell.
Yes, JML. It is time to stop rewarding politicians for mere ambition. When newly elected politicians don’t even stay in a given elected position long enough to warm the seat before trying to leapfrog to the next position (or several rungs up the ladder in one leap, as it were), it is the duty of the electors to give them a time-out. Politicians who fail to make their mark in one elected office should never be elected to higher elected office. It makes no sense to reward ambition that hasn’t been justified by performance. This is especially true where the politician has displayed an arrogance toward an elective office to the extent they haven’t even made a pretense to taking the duties of the office seriously, and then have the temerity to seek a higher, more responsible office. This latter situation really defines stupidity on the part of the elected official and demands they be denied any political future until such time as it can be determined they have learned their lesson and paid their dues.
It would appear we have such elected officials in Bridgeport seeking higher office during this election cycle. Of course, they should be escorted to the political exit before the general election in November.
I think the theme for Bradley’s campaign is going to be:
I pretty. Vote for me.