From Brian Lockhart, CT Post:
Having had the Christopher Columbus statue taken down in Seaside Park, Mayor Joe Ganim indicated this week he wants no role in its future.
Friday marked the end of the 45-day window the Parks Commission gave Ganim to restore the likeness of the Italian explorer to its pedestal. But in a statement Wednesday to The Connecticut Post, the mayor claimed it was not his problem.
“It appears at this point that the statue is in the exclusive jurisdiction of the Parks Commission,” Ganim said. “I need to take no further action on this. It is up to the commission as to what to do, and how to do it.”
Full story here.
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Mayor Joe Ganim is a joke, he has no core conviction except what’s best for Joe, he takes the voters who put him back in office as a joke. He created a mess with the statue but Chris Caruso outsmarted Joe.
“I need to take no further action on this. It is up to the commission as to what to do, and how to do it”, Ganim said.
Legislators legislate.
Executives execute.
When the Parks Commission gives their orders, he will “make it so”, right?
In a related story, private citizen Caruso started this.
The host of Machiavelli gives Ganim an “A” while Caruso gets a bowl of pasta.
Ghost
You make no sense.
The Parks Commission, part of the Executive Branch, acted. They ordered another part of the Executive Branch to return the statue.
The Legislative Branch has not done anything in the equation.
Paul, where in the world 🌎 is it 5:00 o’clock?
Bob Walsh,
You act as if you know more about politics in Bridgeport than I do.
I hope some decision comes quick,the CC is going to become “outraged” soon. hahaha
The Fig Newtons (CC) will go along with Ganim on this one, how many Italians are on the CC ?
The Common Council has plenty of things to become OUTRAGED about with this mayor in charge.
But as soon as he becomes OUTRAGED about the CC’s outrage, well I think it will all go away.
Someone had better test Joe for COVID 19.
I think I read somewhere recently that loss of political senses could be a symptom.
Just look at Trump. He’s lost all political sense about COVID 19.
Mayor Ganim, you’re a joke. As the Chief Executive Officer of the City of Bridgeport it is your job to make the tough decisions and what do you do, you take the road least traveled and leave it to the Park Commission to do what you’re supposed to do. Mayor Ganim you should be ashamed of yourself, but ashamed ain’t in you.
And he hasn’t identified what funds to use.
So he tells the Park Commission it’s up to them but don’t come to me expecting me to fund it. But where did the funds come from when it came to taking it down?
Well we will see how outraged the council is. Will they funded and but Columbus back or will they not find the funds and leave Columbus where he is wherever that may be?
CC, it’s your time to act.
LOL
The Fig Newtons never know how to act!
Don, we have to remember that Mayor Joe Ganim has a lot more serious problems to worry about like the FBI and all of those investigations.
You depend on the mayor. His robo-signature keeps your connection with The City of Bridgeport intact.
I have a Bridgeport-themed slideshow complete with surf music soundtrack that I share with the world.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaCrQahEgqQ / total time 1:25
All you have is a recipe for firehouse chili that you shared with your crew.
This entire “controversy is a joke. You can even say Port politics as well, at times. Who knows? I seen an Islamic Iman, Catholic Chirs with a self-proclaimed atheist, Maria, among others united against Joe’s decisions.
Here’s a Joke. What do you get when you put a Jew, Christian, and Iman together.? 🙂 Jerusalem JS people
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ4H_ad-F5E&feature=emb_logo
It’s no joke.
Lifestyle businesses could help Bridgeport. The only purpose of a lifestyle business is to produce the income needed to sustain the owner’s lifestyle. Sounds good, right? These are all non-employee companies and would increase economic velocity which has stopped since covid19.
https://www.google.com/search?q=lifestyle+business&oq=&aqs=chrome.7.69i59l8.46213940j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF
Numerous help channels already exist. All this idea needs is a proponent on the CC.
So whatever happened to renaming Columbus School???
Has the Board of Ed decided not to do this or are they waiting to come up with a new name?
Time for action one way or another, don’t you think?
How about the Maria Pereira School of Hard Knocks? The John “Napoleon” Weldon School of Self-Esteem?
Comrade, Day, I believe that statement by Joe was before the park’s commission decided to have the statue returned. Since then, the park commissions decision for its return, Joe’s administration claims it has the authority to remove it due to safety concerns. Joe had decided to disregard the city council and the park’s commission decision to return the statue.
If I am correct in my assessment your comment, and this controversy are somewhat of a joke, but that’s Port politics. That being said, I am happy to see it’s not being characterized as “White Supremacy” anymore.
In my personal opinion, this controversy is not, or at least should not be a big deal in the minds of the Port’s residents, for it is irrelevant to real issues the Port faces, like gun-violence, economic development, or the educational gap students face, corruption, mismanagement to name a few.
Once you factored out race and you come to a rational, factual conclusion, notwithstanding Columbus’s voyage had nothing to do with America or its history, and the history and plight of the indigenous people at the hands of his voyage were the acts of Latino’s ancestors. And because race, “white supremacy” sells better in American, you too should view this issue as what it really is, racism. That’s how the race game is used and played in America, for better or worse.
Case in point, Breonna Taylor, cops are ordered to sever an arrest warrant on a known drug dealer and ended up being shot at as the broke down the door, who returned fire. Yet the media portrays it as cops going out killing black people. Something is wrong with that rational thought. Just like it would be wrong to charge the person who shoots at a cop for breaking down their door thinking someone was breaking into there home.
There is a Hell of a difference between a cop kneeling on someone’s neck, who is in handcuffs, for 9 minutes while he calls out for help because he can’t breathe, and cops serving a warrant where they were fired upon, hit, and returned fire. If people don’t see that, then it is more than color at play.
I watched news outlets demonized the cops over this incidence. This type of news coverage deepens the divides and weakens this country as a whole. Which for some mindset is the goal? But that’s the game, the game is to conjure up emotions, however, justice is not being served or even sought in some cases.
Two officers were shot in what the media news outlets called “Peaceful Protest” for justice, after no charges of murder were brought on these officers. Luckily they were not killed, and a black man was charged for the shooting. Does his black life matter in the game of disinformation that conjures up such emotion that led him to shoot two an officer? Luckily for him, none of them were killed because he would be spending the rest of his MATTER life in a cell from disinformation and a media-driven hatred for police.
Another two officers were shot while sitting in their car. Do their lives matter when law enforcement is not holding their officials accountable for their actions that allow such hatred to foster that’s exploited to such extremes? And that’s just what they tell us.
Any rationally minded person should conclude events like these shouldn’t be taking place. Yet the driving force behind such acts and emotions are fostered by bias media-driven news outlets, paid by outside political stance. Breanna Taylor’s death was a tragic accident where an innocent person was killed, do to the actions of the police, however, protest that turns into riots while the media aids in demonizing the police as cops breaking in someone home to kill them and how these murderers weren’t brought up on charges of murder in neither justice by any means nor is it seeking justice or accountability.
A lot can be said about policies, procedures, and training in performing such acts. However, in my opinion, justice was served for their, law enforcement’s involvement in the death of Breanna, not only by a large settlement but structural procedures, policies, and training was implemented as part of the settle settlement (I believe) to address the negligence of law enforcement policies, procedures, and training when performing their duties. So incidents like these will not be repeated.
The same can be said of that rookie cop who shot two teens and killed one in the Port. He should’ve been let go for his reckless actions, negligence, training, and lack of following procedures that led to the death of a kid. But no, instead, they keep him, an act that fosters such hate and contempt of law enforcement. That’s on them. An independent investigation seeking his dismissal should be part of the lawsuit and settlement
As I stated, any lawsuit the city loses or settles because of cops’ actions should be accompanied by a disciplinary action against the officers involved that is in agreement with the plaintiff. The city is not paying these suits because they feel, cops didn’t fuck up somehow: (footnote: I heard the other side say its cheaper settle then take it to court, maybe, not if you win, because lawyers don’t like taking a case to court unless they fell they have a one so a lot of laws are paid out that might have little or no chance of winning, either way, some disciplinary action should be against the officer involved in the suit. ) JS
Back to this controversial joke, the Columbus statue, and his history. Once you take race, “White Supremacy” out the equation, it loses some of its luster and emotion, doesn’t it people?
Even though Columbus represents Latino Supremacy, you know that Iman, who put Columbus’s history on blast, yet stood by Chris, who was an extension of that blast for his call to return it, at that news press conference in front of the police station condemning Joe’s pick for Chief is not going to delve too deep into Islamic history on African slavery, and the treatment of African blacks slavers. So in reality, is it really about human history, race, or religion? Maybe both? But maybe mostly hooray for our side, when your enemy of your enemy is your friend?
I see Waterbury is having a referendum in November on the fate for their Columbus statue. The Port should do the same. But be careful with the false pretense of Democracy people when seeking equality for everyone. The majority rules and the minority are without rights or say who is subject to the will of the majority.
Don’t by that, why was/is Colubum’s voyage and history being framed as White Supremacy, to conjure up emotions of the majority non-white residents in the Port. The truth was never expressed about Columbus or human history, and the minority “Italians (“white”) have no say over the matter on this issue in the Port.” Said a sitting BBOE member.
Not only is Columbus and its history being misrepresented, but it is also done so as to deprive a minority group. For better or worse, Columbus is a benefit to the city. The parade is celebrated in the city when Chris is not being a dick who moved it to Shelton, but Jay Pic holds an event at the of it for the kids, along many other events for the city. He also dresses up at Santa at Chrismas time for the kids of the Port. I know not everyone celebrates it, but that statute represents Christmas more than oppression.
Footnote: This just my opinion and ELS writing lesson more than anything.
Full disclosure: It was done with the aid of grammar writing software. Something the Port students have been deprived of for years. I have never heard those advocacy groups demanding the BBOE supply them to the students. A lot about funding, but never computers for the students Even in a pandemic where distance learning is a must the Port students are being short-changed, However, I truly believe if there were no pandemic, the Port students would still be without them, That says a lot about the advocacy groups and the BBOE However, a computer is only as helpful as its software, just like teachers. BTY, ESL OIB was the best writing class ever. 🙂 JS
P.S I still stand by replacing Columbus with Buddy Chris or the 13 Apostle Ruffus 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFV20UDqaNY
Robert, my hat is off to you ! You are right on target with most of your comments.
The issue at hand is really one of racial disrespect for an ethnic group that contributed so much to the City of Bridgeport in the late 1800’s and throughout WWI and WWII and yet were treated like dirt by the “indigenous peoples” of Bridgeport at that time. They were hated because they were Catholics and they were hated because they couldn’t speak English.
But instead of complaining, they learned English and they assimilated and worked hard at earning the respect of their neighbors. And once they had reached a level of some equality and respect in the City, and in other cities throughout Connecticut, Italian-Americans began erecting these statues to honor themselves and show that they too, were Americans and had a stake in this great nation.
I find it odd, that now, in 2020, that other minorities and ethnicities seem hell bent on defaming and destroying the few vestiges left of the Italian-American Community which had a large part in building the City of Bridgeport ! Apparently “diversity” and mutual respect applies only to current minorities and not to other races or ethnicities; even though the current “minorities” constitute almost 80% of the population of Bridgeport, so they are hardly minorities any longer !
Respect is a TWO-WAY-STREET !
PavlickInTheNorthend, Stop it, Stop it, Stop it! This discussion isn’t about the accomplishments of Italians in this America, nor should it be. It’s a about statue celebrating a man that sent 1500 Indeginous people to slavery to Europe and who raped Indeginous girls as young as 12 or 13. When this statue was put up, America didn’t know better and now that it does, it should does better.
I can’t believe your racism is so blatant that you can’t see the hypocrisy of having a statue up of this criminal to mankind. If they put up a statue to Minister Louis Farrakhan or AL Sharpton you white people would lose your damn minds and neither one of those Brothers ever raped little girls or sent people to slavery. PavlickInTheNorthend, crawl back into your racist hole and when you try to compare Italians Americans to that of Black American’s, remember that the Italians never had to work in fields for free for over 200 years nor was it against the law to educate Italians like it was for Black Americans.
PavlickInTheNorthend, don’t agree with me then add some bullshit like I am going to agree with your racism. In the land conquered by the Protestants, Catholics were viewed with contempt and. The KKK used to terrorize Catholics too, and let’s not forget, Irish Catholics were enslaved also. But to say the Italian Catholics’ plight was equal to the Black plight is wrong.
No race has endured injustice and equality who were marginalized in American than Blacks. However, while blacks, like Comrade Day and Ron, who add brown people to the list of people oppressed by “white supremacy” when speaking of black suffrage in American none of them are heading south of the border, crossing the Rio Grande in search of a better life and treatment by those other brown government.
Comrade Day, when you call out the history of Minister Louis Farrakhan, Islam, for their history on slavery that involved tens of millions of black slaves that spanned centuries, to Columbus’ that spanned 12 years, or for that matte,r Al Sharpton’s Protestant Christian fate for their involvement in slavery in America, then I will say you are making a fate point. but like always that’s your blind racis\m POV.
P.S Brown people, Latinos are the ones in the fields today and are the most impoverished race in America. Comrade, speaking of education, let’s not forget it was the R’s party who built those HBC and Trump who gave them long term funding. JS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMkz-Mrxs-c&feature=emb_logo
P.S Comrade, speaking of Al Sharpton, not sure it was white people who lost your damn minds when he was supposed to come to the Port for a march, but I believe some blacks and others didn’t want him to come. I will say the person who came in his place didn’t have some choice words and anti-American views that were expressed. JS people.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=OE4_FpZvGFA&feature=emb_logo