Quote from Mayor Bill Finch regarding state takeover of schools:
“I just do want to remind you that … many of my parents who either because of them not being citizens or having done things in their previous life cannot participate in the Democratic process. Democracy doesn’t work. It doesn’t work in all cases.”
Response from parent:
“It’s very difficult when the mayor goes to state Board of Education and tells them that the majority of parents in Bridgeport can’t vote because they have criminal records.”
Clarification on state law regarding lawbreakers’ privilege to vote: felony offenders can vote in Connecticut provided they’re not incarcerated at the time of voting and have satisfied all court imposed fines, etc. This law was signed in 1998 by Governor John Rowland. The latest from the Connecticut Post on the state control of schools. www.ctpost.com/news/article/City-will-argue-injunction-preventing-school-1527459.php.
I have not heard one word from any black elected official on the state level, city level or even the town committee or from the NAACP, not one word. Are they fearful of Mayor Finch or Mario Testa to speak out against the mayor disrespecting the entire black community? Are they scared those two will find someone to primary them or do they agree with Mayor Finch’s comments? Mayor Finch has once again shown us all what he thinks about the black community.
Mayor Finch’s comments also include the Purteo Rican community, and I have heard nothing from any Latino elected official at any level. What seems to be the problem?
Ron–drop the yoke of slavery–color shouldn’t mean shit. I honestly don’t give a shit about your color nor should you care about my color. Division is a tactic used by all of the politicians–Suppressing knowledge is key to creating slave labor for the suburbs–Please leave the ghetto mentality at the door, there are much bigger issues to deal with here.
Ronin, it’s obvious you are not black but you are going to tell a black man what he should feel and think. Ronin, those days are long gone, you have the wrong BLACK MAN here.
I am not black, Latino or Chinese for that matter. I think you drop the race issue far too many times for far too little effect.
Ron Mackey–you will remain oppressed as long as you feel the need to be oppressed–I have more black friends than you do–The only hope we have is a color-blind world. Maybe you are right about having the wrong BLACK MAN here–I thought you had some intellect but I misjudged you–you are ghetto. Follow your masters–me and my friends will rise above your very own stupidity–Stay chained.
Joe Ganim is a convicted felon, no? And he will be able to run for mayor if he so desires? Bill Finch’s argument doesn’t hold water–but then do I expect anything less from Finch?
Joe Ganim’s voting rights were restored upon completion of his sentence and fines.
Ron, I think Finch may like the black and Hispanic community more than you think. The Dumbed Down CMT creates Animosity and Hatred, and all this talk of the gap between white and black in Education as well. You need to tell Hartford to keep pushing forward with the Common Core State Standards so every kid, black, brown and white, can have a equal chance.
John
BRIDGEPORT — In his first radio ad debuting Friday mayoral candidate John M. Gomes tells voters he is the only candidate that can bring reform to the city.
The ad begins with a sound of shovels hitting dirt, which Gomes said is the sound of “the hole the political machine is digging, killing Bridgeport’s future.”
Gomes promises, if elected, to break the machine by bringing reform to the city by ending “no-show political jobs,” creating performance reviews for all city departments, requiring that department heads live in the city, improving the city’s school system and bringing new jobs into the city.
“This is our first ad, but the fight is just beginning,” said Gomes campaign manager Lachlan McIntosh. “This is a fight to take the power from the ruling few who have failed the city and return it to the people. People in Bridgeport are tired of watching a small group prosper while everyone else suffers. The Gomes campaign is about bringing a new day to this city and that’s what this radio ad is about.”
Keila Torres Ocasio
This action is very troublesome. It is unfortunate the board granted this request as they did not follow the procedure required by the statute. The statute clearly states prior to taking the action the existing board members must have been required to undergo training to improve their effectiveness as leaders under the district plan and increase their operational efficiency. There seems to be several violations of free speech in trying to silence and punishment of the minority board members and the Working Family’s Party on the Bridgeport Board of Education. There is also a possible violation of the CT Constitution article 10 Home Rule.
I believe the constitutional issues that potentially arise over this action are:
1) This smells like this action is in part a retaliatory action against the 3-member minority on the Board of education for exercising their first amendment right of free speech.
2) The majority of the testimony provided focused on the School Board being dysfunctional, nerve wracking, nasty, oppositional, and causing delays as well as not passing a budget; otherwise known as the legislative process. The statute clearly states the purpose of this act was to remedy schools that are failing the No Child Left Behind standards, not because of dysfunction and failure to pass a budget.
3) Democracy isn’t always pretty, you can’t take away an elected official’s first amendment right to free speech simply because it aggravates you or causes distress. This country was founded on a system of checks and balances to protect the minority viewpoint from becoming obscured and meaningless.
4) There is also a 14th amendment issue regarding due process. You can’t deprive some of their constitutional property right in holding elected office without due process. State action which denies individuals the freedom to form groups for the advancement of political ideas, as well as the freedom to campaign and vote for the candidates chosen by those groups, is unconstitutional, absent a strong subordinating interest.
As a member of the minority party on my town council, I would be furious if the town used the state to remove me from office because I question too much, or make amendments and disagree with the majority. I feel very deeply about using a statute for a purpose that was not intended, being used to abrogate my rights as a citizen and my property right to retain my elected position until the end of my term. I strongly applaud those opposing this action, and Mary-Jane Foster for making this stand. Everyone knows I support Mary-Jane, however it took a lot of courage to stand up to her convictions and to fight for our rights as granted to us by law and the Constitution. I have the utmost respect for politicians who do things because they are the right thing to do rather than the politically expedient thing or something that is done in furtherance of one’s own political power.
The above comments were my personal opinion, and not a legal opinion.
wordy.
brief.
Boxers.
Commando.
Thong.
Is The Mayor A Benevolent Dictator?
No! He’s more like a Dick-Tater!!! A Political Potato Puff!!!
Grin Ripper–Finch is a malevolent Dicktaker.
The mayor and his appointed staff are nasty bullies who like to push city employees around. They threaten their jobs and their livelihood.
Now he is attacking the people of Bridgeport talking about illegals and about people who have served their time for the things they did.
Hey mayor, did you forget your last arrest? While not a felony it was still an arrest.
We the people of Bridgeport will not forget what you did and what you said.
Is the Mayor a Benevolent Dictator?
No. He’s just a simple-minded shithead put into office by Mario Testa and Paul Timpanelli because they knew he wouldn’t even think about going against their wishes. That’s assuming Finch has the capacity to think which has not yet been demonstrated.
Inserting Finch into office may have backfired on you, you diminutive cheap-shoe whore. State buon’, paisan.
yahooy–a 10+.
yahooy, don’t hold back. Tell us what you really think!
Condescending.
The court case is continued until August 15th. Did the attorney seeking the injunction do anything about the upcoming elections? It doesn’t appear so. So does the SOTS decide whether or not names appear on the ballot for the BOE seats? If the court issues an injunction and there is no election, then what?
The above comments were not a legal opinion, just the opinion of some madman.
Grin–also a 10+.
Reaper–ha ha.
yahooy and Ronin, I am in agreement with what MCAT and town committee have posted but I have taken what they said a step further. The Bridgeport school system student population is made up of over 80% black and Latino children, 80%, and I demand those black and Latino elected officials step up to the plate and challenge the comments by Mayor Finch. I would demand the same if the student population is made up of over 80% white students, I would demand white elected officials speak out.
Ron,
I was not going to get involved in this debate, but now I feel I must. Why the hell do you feel it’s required to bring racial statistics into your arguments? We have a 67% dropout rate, every parent, and taxpayer should be bringing tar & feathers to BOE meetings. Parents and teachers need to hold our children accountable. We have become our very own worst enemies.
Antitesto, this is what my comments are about, the words of Mayor Finch, “It’s very difficult when the mayor goes to the state Board of Education and tells them the majority of parents in Bridgeport can’t vote because they have criminal records.”
It took a pair of balls to say what he said in these candy-assed politically correct times. The reason nobody is speaking out is what they want to say will get them branded as being Uncle Toms.
A 67% dropout rate, that’s worse than Hartford’s 58%
What a gross injustice.
John
JMart, so you agree with Mayor Finch’s statement?
Ron, has anyone from a leadership position told him to take back his words?
John
JMart, great question, I would think someone would have told the mayor he should walk his remarks back, I am telling you those remarks are not sitting well in the black church.
Ron, when I read Finch’s statement I got the feeling he was trying to help two segments of society that don’t have a voice. The immigrant and the people who were incarcerated, both of whom have children in school. Ron I’m a outsider looking in but why would you get upset over this?
JMart, I understand what you are saying but let’s look at why he made that statement. How is Mayor Finch HELPING the immigrant and the people who were incarcerated, both of whom have children in school, with his comment? The mayor goes to the state Board of Education and tells them the majority of parents in Bridgeport can’t vote because they have criminal records. How does that help?
*** BEWARE OF SMILING FACES! ***
Will someone please tell me WHY Mayor Finch said, “It’s very difficult when the mayor goes to the state Board of Education and tells them the majority of parents in Bridgeport can’t vote because they have criminal records.”?
Ron, you will have to ask Finch if you want to know why.
John
No! But he would be a great President of the Dictator Benevolent Association.
JMart, I had hoped a supporter of the mayor would have cleared the mayor’s statement. JMart, if I run into the mayor I will ask him, I’ve never had a problem in asking this mayor or any other mayor a question.
Ron, I think Finch is trying to help everyone by getting State help. He can’t fix the Ed. situation. He also knows the BOE and Ramos can’t fix it either. Look, you guys are in dire straits with your education system. You need state help, possibly outside of state help. This is not an inside job, and you guys can’t admit to that.
John
I just finished a small article in my local newspaper that states a group of Bridgeport parents are fighting the state takeover of the Elected School Board. Why do Bridgeport parents feel the need to support an elected school board that has given them a 67% dropout rate and test scores indicating Bridgeport kids are 3 grades behind suburban kids? If this elected school board were in my town I would be fighting to put them in prison.
John
JMart, please read what MCAT // Jul 21, 2011 at 4:46 pm, said above and you should get a better look at the problem.
When a local government becomes so ineffective to a point of gross neglect or harm, an outside source has to step in and provide oversight. Ron, this is part of being a democracy as well. I know you guys want Finch and the Machine out and if I lived here I would want change too, but you let the Bridgeport School District deteriorate to a point where outside intervention is necessary.
JMart, there’s a thing called due process that was not done. I am posting a small part of the letter from Mary-Jane Foster on July 8, 2011 to Commissioner Coleman (the letter is on OIB):
Ron, did the State give a response back to MJF or to the Parents of Bridgeport yet?
If the system is working right the kids are supposed to be the ones who win not just in Bridgeport but in the whole state, and they have not been winning for a long time.
JMart, I am not aware of any reply back from the state. I am not involved with Ms. Foster’s election efforts but she has spoken out on this issue.
Ms. Foster has expressed my feelings on this with her news statement:
What was the percentage of voters who voted in the last Bridgeport election? I still say put the kids first, politics second; not the other way around. That’s why you’re in the mess you’re in.
JMart, this is from Michael J. Daly, “This is the city that Bill Finch inherited, a city that’s run by a relatively small group of people with an interest primarily in holding onto the power and jobs they have or control, even as certain things–the school system as a case in point–slip away.
“There’s no question Bridgeport deserves help from the state.
“But there are a lot more windows that need to be thrown open to dispel that lingering whiff of spoiled promise.”
Michael J. Daly is editor of the editorial page of the Connecticut Post
Ron,
67% dropout rate = 1/3 graduate. Is this part of the plan to minimize City expenditures? By permitting this horrific statistic are we being played by politicians? We would be spending 2/3 more if we had a zero% dropout rate in BPT. Be careful what you wish for. OIB.
Ron, the reason you didn’t get a Special Master like MJF wanted is because there isn’t one. We only have one and trust me, he isn’t special. Malloy and Coleman probably felt they didn’t have time to get you someone really special from out of state so they are giving you this five-member board. Take it, you have a 67% dropout rate, 14 schools that are failing, kids that are 3 grades behind the suburb kids. Let this five-member board do their work and support them so they leave quickly, and for Pete’s sake don’t let your school district deteriorate to this level again. I know you want Finch and the Machine out so you have to go out and knock on doors and sell people your candidate, and if your candidate wins and furthers the process of helping the kids so much the better.
John
Antitesto, I understand your point but can’t get anywhere until we deal with what Michael Daly said, “This is the city that Bill Finch inherited, a city that’s run by a relatively small group of people with an interest primarily in holding onto the power and jobs they have or control, even as certain things–the school system as a case in point–slip away.”
Ron,
I have early meeting tomorrow so I can’t continue this tonight. You need to realize this has been going on for 30 years. The people bring about change, not the politicians. If you get the same results, it’s because you voted the same assholes back in.
Antipasto, I agree with you and it’s longer than 30 years.
Ron,
I ordered the Antipasto.