Talk about a fire-breathing war of words, the host of the website Education Bridgeport charges former legislator turned blogger Jonathan Pelto is a cyber bully. Megan DeSombre, the 20-something writer publishing an “unvarnished look at what is happening in Bridgeport schools” seems to give as good as she gets. Pelto, an unrelenting critic of outgoing school chief Paul Vallas, is supportive of education interests that now control the school board. DeSombre and Pelto have been going at it pretty good in their respective education advocacy roles. Who’s behind Education Bridgeport other than DeSombre? She won’t say. Here’s her latest:
The once-was-kinda-relevant ex-politician Jon Pelto recently posted a 1,400-word disturbingly personal rant to my Facebook page. Pelto notes his own age (53) and then my own comparative youth: “Long before you were born, in 1979,” he writes.
He goes on to talk about my personal history (a semester I spent abroad), professional history (as an intern for a member of the British House of Commons) and the fact that I have been to a Renaissance Faire. He found it necessary to point out he knows the date of my college graduation.
Jonathan Pelto
He even suggested that, though we’ve never met in person, “perhaps we’ve walked by each other on multiple occasions” and that “I hope someday soon we’ll get a chance to meet.”
He then absurdly states that there’s “no lower form of bullying and abuse” than “the belief that an individual’s family and private life are fair game for political attacks.”
What, Jon, do you consider your post, if not a form of “bullying and abuse?” What, exactly, do you consider a 53-year-old scouring the internet to find information on a 20-something female and posting the information to her Facebook page?
With the deluge of online bullying, harassment and stalking being covered by the media nearly every single day, what was the point of this post if not to intimidate me, to silence me? How am I supposed to feel, as a young woman, when a man 30 years older than I am posts personal details of my life in such a public place?
I won’t be intimidated, Jon.
0
15 comments
Megan DeSombre won’t say who is behind Education Bridgeport? Why not? Who is she protecting? That leads me to believe she has something to hide. Another shill for the corporate-backed “education reform” movement.
Whether you like Pelto or not, you have to respect his commitment to the cause of calling these “reformers” out.
Or are we to believe she is just a bored 20-something with some time on her hands? Please … that’s insulting.
Paging Dr. Perry, paging Dr. Steve Perry.
These education reformers and Commissioner Stefan Pryor are going to be problematic for Malloy as he seeks reelection.
If anyone cares to read Pelto’s FB note to DeSombre, they’ll see it speaks for itself and shows DeSombre’s allegations are absurd and unfortunate.
Next to be filed under the heading “Who Cares?”, I chatted briefly with Ms. DeSombre at a candidates forum at the B’port Public Library last fall, hosted by Citizens Working for a Better Bridgeport. As DeSombre was seated near me, I politely introduced myself and asked her what her interest was in the event (she had a laptop and a video camera). She seemed pretty guarded. Oh well. It’s a free country. Good to see young people getting involved in public policy and democracy. Good luck to her, but she’ll need to rely on real evidence and fair-minded reasoning to make her voice matter. Or maybe not, if her job doesn’t entail that. If you believe H&R Block should be the model for public education, join that merry band!
Finally, if it weren’t for Jon Pelto at his blog “Wait, What?” and for the likes of Brian Lockhart and others at the CT Post, we’d be missing important public, well-researched checks on some seriously misguided actions by decision-makers in local and state government. I’m grateful for their work. It informs us all and brings to light questionable actions of elected officials who must be held accountable. How many times in the past year has an investigation and/or reasonable public outcry come about due to an article or post in the CT Post or on Pelto’s blog?
Bond Girl, here are a few names. Jonathan Pelto, Wendy Lecker, an attorney who often writes for the Stamford Advocate, Sarah Littman, she is a columnist for CT News Junkie, Hugh Bailey, CT Post columnist and Diane Ravitch, oh I forgot they are in the over-20-something group. I’m sorry, I must have missed where Megan DeSombre is from and if she has any involvement in the Bridgeport community.
In my opinion it is not the size of the dogs that matters as much as what their task, training and purpose is. I am guessing this City has BIG DOGS but who they are and what they do for the rest of the public is a reasonable question. And who is feeding them is always of interest, also.
But the dogs that interest me most are WATCHDOGS and as Budget Oversight Bridgeport has maintained for three years running, they must all be blind, deaf and retired on some porch, because:
*** City positions that would support a semblance of oversight and checks and balance have been eliminated (think Internal Auditor)
*** Financial reports that might instruct and inform elected leadership are historically late, inaccurate, suffer format defects or changes that make them confusing, and fail to deliver a FINAL audited result–not in 20 years!
*** Capital budget public hearing per Charter is not held.
*** School Building Committee that reviews new and renewal projects involving hundreds of millions of State and Local money meetings are not publicly posted and minutes are not available routinely in City Clerk or Public School offices. Robert’s Rules of Order are the order of the day per SBC bylaws but SBC Chair arbitrarily imposes his own rules disallowing one member of the public from speaking but allowing another non-committee member to speak.
*** Full, current Board or Commission staffing of Housing Authority, of WPCA, etc. and training and evaluation mechanisms for same receive little or no attention from Mayor’s office. Experienced Bridgeport unconflicted volunteers with new training can serve as WATCHDOGS in many places. Why aren’t we preparing them for these duties?
Perhaps Pete Spain will add to his list some of his neighbors in the 130th District who saw the “massage parlors” and “adult businesses” as detrimental to long-term economic development and quality of life for most citizens. They studied the possible remedies (complained about for 20 years) saw what was required locally and in the State legislature and went about their work. Effective and efficient. So citizen action, not just out-of-town bloggers and overtasked reporters, are part of the solution.
Pick out a Board or Commission (more than 20 of them) of interest to you. Find out when and where they meet. Put the sessions on your schedule for a few months. Look up their minutes and do some background check for added info on the Internet. Observe. Question. Introduce yourself. Does the group get good info, ask good questions, and deal with real-world issues? If not, what is going on? Become an OIB reporter. Time will tell.
John Marshall Lee,
Thank you for your work with others, including Rep Grogins, and many others whose names you are free to post (I am not intentionally omitting anyone who contributed, I just don’t know all of them) on shutting the massage parlors throughout B’port through constructive coordinated community action.
To state the obvious: My earlier comment pertained to Mr. Grimaldi’s post re DeSombre’s absurd claims regarding Pelto, not to the universe of potential contributors to human progress. Good grief!
Megan DeSombre won’t say who is behind Education Bridgeport? Why not? Who is she protecting? That leads me to believe she has something to hide. Another shill for the corporate-backed “education reform” movement.
Whether you like Pelto or not, you have to respect his commitment to the cause of calling these “reformers” out.
Who’s financing Pelto?
Or are we to believe she is just a bored 20-something with some time on her hands? Please … that’s insulting.
Paging Dr. Perry, paging Dr. Steve Perry.
These education reformers and Commissioner Stefan Pryor are going to be problematic for Malloy as he seeks reelection.
Megan DeSombre, “If You Can’t Run With The Big Dogs Stay On The Porch.”
That dog just pooped on Pelto.
Hardly. This poor young lady is being used. Hopefully she’s well compensated for selling her soul.
If anyone cares to read Pelto’s FB note to DeSombre, they’ll see it speaks for itself and shows DeSombre’s allegations are absurd and unfortunate.
Next to be filed under the heading “Who Cares?”, I chatted briefly with Ms. DeSombre at a candidates forum at the B’port Public Library last fall, hosted by Citizens Working for a Better Bridgeport. As DeSombre was seated near me, I politely introduced myself and asked her what her interest was in the event (she had a laptop and a video camera). She seemed pretty guarded. Oh well. It’s a free country. Good to see young people getting involved in public policy and democracy. Good luck to her, but she’ll need to rely on real evidence and fair-minded reasoning to make her voice matter. Or maybe not, if her job doesn’t entail that. If you believe H&R Block should be the model for public education, join that merry band!
Finally, if it weren’t for Jon Pelto at his blog “Wait, What?” and for the likes of Brian Lockhart and others at the CT Post, we’d be missing important public, well-researched checks on some seriously misguided actions by decision-makers in local and state government. I’m grateful for their work. It informs us all and brings to light questionable actions of elected officials who must be held accountable. How many times in the past year has an investigation and/or reasonable public outcry come about due to an article or post in the CT Post or on Pelto’s blog?
Pete Spain, good point. Like I said, “If You Can’t Run With The Big Dogs Stay On The Porch.”
Who are the Big Dogs? Just wondering.
Bond Girl, here are a few names. Jonathan Pelto, Wendy Lecker, an attorney who often writes for the Stamford Advocate, Sarah Littman, she is a columnist for CT News Junkie, Hugh Bailey, CT Post columnist and Diane Ravitch, oh I forgot they are in the over-20-something group. I’m sorry, I must have missed where Megan DeSombre is from and if she has any involvement in the Bridgeport community.
I have no comment or opinion about anything but the Big Dogs. You answered my question, thank you.
In my opinion it is not the size of the dogs that matters as much as what their task, training and purpose is. I am guessing this City has BIG DOGS but who they are and what they do for the rest of the public is a reasonable question. And who is feeding them is always of interest, also.
But the dogs that interest me most are WATCHDOGS and as Budget Oversight Bridgeport has maintained for three years running, they must all be blind, deaf and retired on some porch, because:
*** City positions that would support a semblance of oversight and checks and balance have been eliminated (think Internal Auditor)
*** Financial reports that might instruct and inform elected leadership are historically late, inaccurate, suffer format defects or changes that make them confusing, and fail to deliver a FINAL audited result–not in 20 years!
*** Capital budget public hearing per Charter is not held.
*** School Building Committee that reviews new and renewal projects involving hundreds of millions of State and Local money meetings are not publicly posted and minutes are not available routinely in City Clerk or Public School offices. Robert’s Rules of Order are the order of the day per SBC bylaws but SBC Chair arbitrarily imposes his own rules disallowing one member of the public from speaking but allowing another non-committee member to speak.
*** Full, current Board or Commission staffing of Housing Authority, of WPCA, etc. and training and evaluation mechanisms for same receive little or no attention from Mayor’s office. Experienced Bridgeport unconflicted volunteers with new training can serve as WATCHDOGS in many places. Why aren’t we preparing them for these duties?
Perhaps Pete Spain will add to his list some of his neighbors in the 130th District who saw the “massage parlors” and “adult businesses” as detrimental to long-term economic development and quality of life for most citizens. They studied the possible remedies (complained about for 20 years) saw what was required locally and in the State legislature and went about their work. Effective and efficient. So citizen action, not just out-of-town bloggers and overtasked reporters, are part of the solution.
Pick out a Board or Commission (more than 20 of them) of interest to you. Find out when and where they meet. Put the sessions on your schedule for a few months. Look up their minutes and do some background check for added info on the Internet. Observe. Question. Introduce yourself. Does the group get good info, ask good questions, and deal with real-world issues? If not, what is going on? Become an OIB reporter. Time will tell.
John Marshall Lee,
Thank you for your work with others, including Rep Grogins, and many others whose names you are free to post (I am not intentionally omitting anyone who contributed, I just don’t know all of them) on shutting the massage parlors throughout B’port through constructive coordinated community action.
To state the obvious: My earlier comment pertained to Mr. Grimaldi’s post re DeSombre’s absurd claims regarding Pelto, not to the universe of potential contributors to human progress. Good grief!
*** MISERY TENDS TO ENJOY COMPANY, AND POLITICAL TIT FOR TAT IS BORING, NO? ***
*** BESIDES, YOU CAN ALWAYS RUN WITH THE CATS, NO? ***