Special session for the state legislature today. What’s so special about it? The electorate has a lot of gas in all the wrong places. On the heels of Connecticut’s heralded position as number one in the country per gallon of gasoline, lawmakers will vote on delaying an increase of Connecticut’s gross receipts tax, expected to save consumers a few pennies per gallon of gasoline. Also on the agenda is allowing gas stations the option to offer moolah discounts that could save roughly 10 cents per gallon. Put down the plastic!
Gasoline prices are front and center, and incumbents are trying to mitigate damages heading into the election cycle. As of 10:30 p.m., however, no action was taken. It’s going from a long night into a longer morning. If you want to see your legislative sloths in action check out www.ctn.state.ct.us.
Follow-up to Tuesday’s post about the deadline for petitioning candidates to secure validated signatures to qualify for Aug 12 primary: Lee Whitnum, a substitute teacher in Stamford and author of the novel Hedge Fund Mistress (anyone read it?) needs roughly 2,500 signatures to challenge Jim Himes as the Democratic standard bearer to face Republican Congressman Chris Shays. I don’t know much about her, but what I’ve read appears to frame her as a quirky personality. Maybe OIB friend Jonathan Kantrowitz, a Himes supporter, can share some skinny. Election officials are reviewing her signatures.
Marilyn Moore, needing about 1,500 or so signatures to challenge Trumbull Town Treasurer Anthony Musto, submitted her petition sheets to election officials on Tuesday. It will probably take election officials a few days to sort through her list, as well. Musto is the endorsed Dem challenging Republican State Sen. Rob Russo. Moore served as legislative assistant to State Sen. Ed Gomes.
City Hall News:
Alternate side of the street parking will take effect in the blue section of the City (today). The blue section includes the West End, the South Side and Black Rock and is swept from the 11th to the 20th day of each month.
Parking in principal thoroughfares will be restricted from midnight to 7 a.m. Parking on residential streets will be restricted from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Parking or standing will be allowed on the even–numbered side of the streets on even–numbered days during street sweeping in this area, and parking or standing will be permitted on the odd–numbered side of such streets on odd–numbered days during street sweeping in this area as indicated on the posted sign. In other words, if it’s an odd-numbered day of the month, residents should park on the side of the street that has odd-numbered addresses, and vice versa.
Cars parked in violation of the posted signs will be ticketed and/or towed.
“In order for our streets to be clean, our Public Facilities vehicles need access to the streets to sweep them,” said Mayor Finch. “They cannot do their job if cars are in the way. We are asking for the public’s cooperation in making this possible so that we can all enjoy a greener, cleaner Bridgeport.”
Burlesque In Bridgeport,
A Release From Two Boots
Filthy Gorgeous Burlesque features the best in Burlesque from New York and around the globe! Hosted by Miss Astrid, “the true Weimar fraulein,” Filthy Gorgeous is the touring show where burlesque, circus, and vaudeville meet. Filthy Gorgeous Burlesque is making its debut in Bridgeport, Connecticut at the new performance space at Two Boots Restaurant and Lounge this Saturday, June 14, 2008. Doors open at 9:00 P.M., the show begins at 9:30 P.M. Cover: $10. For tickets and information, call (203) 331-1377.
Filthy Gorgeous is the creation of Jen Gapay, producer of The New York Burlesque Festival, now in its sixth year. According to Gapay, “New York neo-burlesque was born of the mid-1990s, out of a hunger for good, dirty fun that high-minded reform only whets.” (Source: The New York Times, May 18, 2008: www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/nyregion/thecity/18burl.html?scp=2&sq=burlesque&st=nyt )
Filthy Gorgeous stars: Miss Astrid (NYC), Jo Boobs (NYC), Little Brooklyn (NYC), Gal Friday (NYC), Lukki (NYC), Ekaterina (Russia & NYC), and Draggin’ Kitten (of the Connectikittens), as our Stage Kitten. Plus DJ Momotaro (NYC). Bios of each outrageous performer follow:
As a Red Zone resident I dutifully moved my vehicles days 1-10 to comply with the alternate side of the street directive. When no sweeping had occurred by the 9th I called the city yard and asked if they were going to be sweeping my street and side street I was told they would not be getting to them this month. Ain’t that a bitch.
Reposted from yesterday’s posting:
Sylvester – Congratulations on qualifying. I think your analysis is exactly right – Finch is your real opponent. If elected Santiago will be Finch’s voice in Hartford. He owes his job and continued employment to Finch so he will have no real independent voice as a legislator. Add to that the Robles and Americo connection and it becomes clear he will never be his own man. A vote for Santiago is a vote for Finch and the status quo. It is also a vote for thirty years of failed leadership in the 130th.
Lee is indeed a “quirky” personality. She has assumed multiple personalities in attempts to promote her books and intimidate critics. No one can understand why she is engaging in this quixotic pursuit, and we are all amazed that she has carried it this far. She claims she has enough signatures to qualify.
Conspiracy theorists think that Republicans may be backing her in an attempt to slow Jim Himes down. She has said nothing but nice things about Chris Shays while spewing venom against Jim Himes and his supporters.
Gossip Of The Rialto!
Multiple Personalities Could Divide Democrats!
OIB poster today claimed that protential Democratic primary candidate Lee Whitnum “has assumed multiple personalities”.
Looks like Lee’s personalities include: Dim, Nit, and Half
Whit-num.
Is she a Whit-Numb-Nut.
Did anyone see that picture of our peerless leader Mayor Finch in yesterday’s CT Post leading the protesters against the BOE budget cuts? What a gutless wonder!
When it came to his budget he had no problem cutting 16 schools nurses another 20 nurse practitioners and social workers from School Based Health Clinics; all members of 1199, New England Health Care Workers. And you could count on one hand the members of AFSCME workers who felt the ax on the city side of the budget.
All of this while adding $550K in high paying civilian jobs in the Emergency Call Center and another $350K in Economic Development just to name two departments. Plus he kept in place all of the big raises given out to Fabrizi during his last days of Pompeii.
And his response was something like “sometimes you have to pick from the low hanging fruit.”
Now that the BOE has done the exact same thing, except this time the cuts hit AFCSME members, a union that endorsed Finch, he is leading the protest against the Board of Ed.
Hey Larry Locke, I have the title for your next documentary, “The anatomically incorrect mayor,” since he is two faced, has no balls and is gutless and spineless.
He and his Budget Chairs took $1.4 million away from the schools and now can’t understand why there are cuts in the BOE.
Totally pathetic. It is your budget Bill Finch. Accept the blame and start facing reality or no one in Bridgeport will be able to afford 3 ½ more years of this nonsense.
Good one, Grin. I am passing wind in Moonbeam’s general direction.
Grin
Let it out. Don’t hold anything in.
this post have been very lame today. well there are many obama signs around black rock now. and a little insider…obama did beat clinton at black rock school but it was close the results were obama 384 and clinton 350…..and it should be a big win at black rock for obama im thinking he is going to beat MCcain there by about a thousand votes. And remember thats just black rock…..and i bet around the east end MCcain wont even get a 100 votes around there. So big win for Obama in bpt.and Himes will win here big to
donj
Slow day at the races today. Tomorrow we can all get back on track. Tongues were wagging tonight about the Democratic state senate candidate Tony Musto. Word around town is his nickname is Tony Moisto. Women think he is a real hunk. Russo is no Helen Girly Man Brown and doesn’t rob voters the wrong way.
Congratulations to Mary-Jane Foster and her Bridgeport Bluefish on being named “Business Of The Year”.
Thanks Honey for the tender vittles and I look forward to an instant replay with the not so slow mo.
The above-libeled multiple-personality-disordered Lee Whitnum has a website: http://leewhitnum2008.com/index.html
Apparently, Lee’s political persona took over nine months ago to announced her intention to run for Congress. On her website, she is not complimentary to Chris Shays, contrary to what the amazed Jon Kantrowitz states above.
Republican conspiracy??? Talk to me about “quirkiness,” Jon.
Shays is gonna kick Himes’ hiney. What’s a millionaire from Greenwich gonna do for Bridgeport? Tell Himes to count his Wonder Bread.
Tony Musto’s father is an eye doctor, and Tony is definitely eye candy! I think he stands a very good chance to beat Russo. donj – I think Obama will win Bridgeport.
Hey summer wind all I have to say is Shays been in for over 20 years and what the hell has he done for bpt — nothing. We want change.
donj,
What does Himes propose to do FOR Bridgeport. So far, his platform sounds like “I’m not Chris Shays”.
FCO, actually, “I’m not Chris Shays” is not a bad platform, given how wrong Shays is on the most important issues of the day. Sure, go ahead and raise gas taxes when gas is at an all-time high. Sure, stay in Iraq indefinitely while we struggle to rub two nickels together for basic needs in Bridgeport. Sure, give tax cuts to the richest. Give even bigger ones to the very richest!
Farrell ran a one-note anti-war campaign and got really close. Himes is pointing out all of the other ways IN ADDITION to the war that Shays is way off the mark, and it’s the economic issues that are where Himes is expanding beyond his anti-war base. Even Republicans who are real conservatives can get behind some fiscal responsibility, not more of McSame next year, as Shays wants.
Shays has been in office for 21 years. Shays has been to Iraq more than 21 times. And what has that gotten us in Bridgeport? LESS jobs, more traffic, more debt. Shays is a nice guy. But nice doesn’t cut it. We need someone who can get things done. Thanks to Chris for his 21 long years in office, but it’s time for Himes.