Lifelong Republican and recent OIB commenter Joseph Sokolovic is baffled by the Republican participation in the BOE boycott, and suspects a nefarious (or just business as usual in Bridgeport) plot.
Strange Bedfellows, indeed.
They say politics make strange bedfellows. Never has this been more true than when it comes to the recent events at the Bridgeport Board of Education. As a lifelong Republican, all I can say is I am truly baffled.How is it three so-called Republicans have joined forces with the Democratic Machine’s poster child, Dennis Bradley, in calling for MORE governmental oversight of education? My Republican Party has always been for smaller, less-intrusive government. My Republican Party would not do the Democratic mayor’s bidding by accepting a board appointment and promptly join a boycott led by a Democrat. Something stinks.
Dennis Bradley was unable to win a “fixed” primary in the recent Democratic race. Now he has three Republicans joining him in an extortion plot threatening the educational well-being of our children! These so-called “Republicans” are supporting circumventing the electoral process.
They cannot possibly think their boycott is benefiting our children. They must be after something else. I get the feeling we will find in the event of a state takeover this quartet will find themselves or loved ones in cushy government positions.
It’s time for these Republicans to buy back their souls and return to work, or to resign if the job is too difficult emotionally for them to do.
Joseph Sokolovic
Joe, thank you for caring! This was a gift-like opportunity for the Republican party to stand up as you are doing, voice their disappointment with the three Republican board members, and remind them they are now being used as “bucket boys” for the heartless Mario Testa. I understand the dynamics that occur between two opposing parties, even if it’s just philosophical but to ignore the faith placed in them by their fellow party members and the voters in general goes beyond anything we’ve seen–ever. The irony of their betrayal is usually when individuals “cross the line” it’s for a selfish, self-serving reason, these three sold out a City of students just to be acknowledged by the corrupt portion of the Democratic party. I have received calls from friends who are affiliated with the Republican party; they’re appalled and embarrassed. I truly hoped the RTC would have issued a statement that this is the actions of a few, and does not reflect the intention of the Republican party. Again silence. Our most precious assets, our future, are not only being ignored, but are being used as pawns by the Superintendent of Schools and four BOE members. They’re so mired in stupidity they wouldn’t know how to graciously end this travesty if they wanted to. They’d better pray for brains because the parents and aware voters are not going to stand for this much longer. Appreciation goes to the four remaining members who have continued to attend regular and committee meeting despite the absence of a quorum. They have received no support from the Mayor, the City Council, who by the way wasted time in a fruitless march over the weekend, and the mentally impaired DTC. P.S. this has become the MO of the sitting Mayor, lock the door, and I don’t mean the SUV, ignore the hard stuff, and like Fran Rabinowitz, get a weekly paycheck just for holding an empty title. Well Joe, old Franny will be retiring soon with nothing to worry about but how she’ll spend our money, what goes you???
Ditto!
Thank you.
Joe, while I appreciate your stance on righteousness, it would mean so much more had this come the local or the State Republican party. Where are they on this travesty of justice?
No clue. Not really into politics. The politics being interjected into education makes me want to vomit.
Joe,
Good sense in what you say. If you are elected to pursue representation and a course of action that can be fashioned into the best educational opportunities with the dollars and other resources available at a given moment, there must be a way four, regardless of party, could come to a practical solution focused on “the business at hand.” If necessary could the majority limit the amount of time any single person can speak on one or more topics of an evening? Forcing economy of comment to public BOE speakers at two minutes and at the City Council to five minutes and no more than six might be a step towards focus on all agenda issues without meetings that exhaust all people and leave issues undealt with? Would such be worth trying as a method of removing some emotion from the sessions that has folks feeling battered, abused or ignored? Time will tell.
Excellent idea on the timer but one must be careful not to stymie debate. Perhaps a timer can be triggered by a 1/3 vote or some such. Either way I think this change would require a change in the bylaws and a tweaking to Robert’s Rules of Order. Not sure on the last point as I’ve only read 25% the way through and can’t comment intelligently.
JML, I respectfully disagree with you. There should be limits placed on the amount of speakers and a timeframe to ensure order and the opportunity of those desiring to speak. But to do what you suggest would first be a panacea, and second would be tinkering around with the First Amendment. If an appointed or elected body finds it difficult to sit and listen, then they missed the point of being there. I attended a BOE meeting, witnessed the public speakers, I further witnessed the method used to ensure time allotted, and it worked out just fine. In addition, for 10 years I was assigned the responsibility of presiding over the public speaking forum before Council meetings. There was the occasional abuser, but nothing we couldn’t handle. So, again respectfully–NO! One more thing, you never know when that long-winded, seemingly boring speaker may have something to offer.
Lisa,
I think we were seated together for much of that BOE meeting you reference above. I am not suggesting the public’s time be limited in any way at this moment. Two minutes, open to everyone who shows up is reasonable although I remember a couple meetings within the past two years where public speaking including student members took almost two hours away from important matters of conducting school business.
In contrast, the City Council allows five minutes but speakers must sign up in person or fax a completed request sheet to the City Clerk’s office, and no more than six speakers are permitted at any session. Thus 30 minutes is the extent of Freedom of Speech rights as far as the Council is concerned. But you knew that already as former Council President.
What I reference is an awareness on the part of each Board member to have in mind a practical self-limit to conversation of some length at each meeting with a cap. Why? If one or two members choose the Board meetings to carry war to each other, the work of the school system is crippled. Less speaking, perhaps, and more listening with a variety of speakers advancing the Agenda items might just work better. Maybe we could come to a stage where rules like this would not be needed. Time will tell.
I get it John, and you make good observations. I have to remember I only attended one BOE meeting while you took the time to be present at just about all of them. I’m off the grid on that. As to elected officials committing overkill when speaking, that’s just human nature. Usually when one goes on to excess it’s probably because they feel the more they say the better they’ll be understood. I’ve always held to the belief the less said the better, listeners hear and remember what’s been said. There’s probably no right or wrong way so as long as we show respect for our positions and each other, no harm, no foul.
Lisa, JML has NOT in any way attended “just about all” of the BOE meetings. He has attended a couple of Finance Committee meetings and a couple of Regular BOE meetings since December.
Now you see what happens. Maria is patrolling all comments. I for one have not claimed to attend many BOE meetings. I do however attend almost all of the semi-monthly City Council meetings and stay beyond the public speaking when there is something of interest and some public debate may happen. I also as Maria says below only sample BOE meetings, though I may have been at three of their Finance meetings rather than two as she reports. During the past month I have been at a Pension A board meeting that Ken Flatto has changed to a quarterly from a monthly schedule. In August I attended a Port Authority meeting. I try to attend and hopefully participate with the City Council Budget and Appropriations Committee and even participated in a 138th Council District meeting, as the only Bow-Tied Bozo. Be careful of what you claim is the behavior of others, because some people are “fact checkers” of significance. (Lisa, I also attend rehearsals of a choir weekly, and of other groups monthly or more frequently. Lots of juggling but if I ever need to know which BOE meetings I have attended, guess who I am likely to call?) Time will tell.
It only takes ONE of the boycotting members to break the deadlock. If any ONE of the boycotting members comes back to work, the BOE will have a quorum and can again hold regular meetings. So they individually cannot hide behind each other, they EACH are SOLELY responsible for this travesty.
Agreed! Let’s remember that come next election. These people don’t deserve to be elected to dog catcher after this.
All three are controlled by the Republican Party Chairman. Not one of them will muster the courage to show up at BOE meetings. All three are only allowed to watch The Phantom of the Opera until further notice from Mike Garrett.
LOL!
Not just playing the devil’s advocate but don’t the missing board members have a right to boycott?
Freedom of speech or no speech as the case may be.
If the voters don’t agree then it is their duty not to reelect them.
The longer this lasts the longer the voters have the opportunity to let the bored members know.
Bob, all BOE members took an oath. There are specific requirements of local school board members required by state statute. We are already in violation of one state statute.
Bubba, they may have a right according to our freedoms, but they don’t have a moral right to accept responsibility through our free system of democracy then abdicate it, especially when the most vulnerable and innocent are involved.
Incorrect. When one enters into a contract one agrees to abide by the rules of that contract. The same holds true for an oath. Freedom of speech is limited. You cannot without consequence shout fire in a crowded theater, cannot threaten to kill, cannot disclose confidential information, and cannot violate contractual obligations. And a boycott is not speech or lack thereof. A boycott is a serious action taken against businesses or govt, not by government. For example, the people could boycott a lawyer but a lawyer cannot boycott his clients. Hey, boycotting a lawyer. Now that’s an idea.
Isn’t that what I’ve been saying? I guess my communication skills are failing me. Sorry!
The only time issues have ever been left “undealt with” is when Bradley, Larcheveque, McSpirit and Rabinowitz have walked out of meetings or adjourned a meeting improperly.
I will not support any limitations on public speaking or debate. The public has a right to be heard as does each BoE member.
Mike Garett, Chairman, Bridgeport Republican Town Committee.
chairman@bridgeportgop.com
Isn’t this exactly what the Republican Party has become known for? Obstruction at any cost if we do not get what we want. They shut down the U.S. Government, constantly attach amendments and bills to shut down Planned Parenthood, the passage of pipelines, the repeal of Obamacare, etc., to major pieces of legislation their bills/amendments have absolutely nothing to do with.
This is why the Republican Party is basically non-existent or respected in Bridgeport. They are not an opposition party in any way. In fact, they are beholden and subservient to the Democratic Party and are happy with the crumbs doled out by the Democratic powers that be. A Republican Registrar, a few seats on boards and commissions; you say great!
The three Republicans are standing with the only Democratic BBOE member, Dennis Bradley, who is 100% in lockstep with Mario Testa, Mayor Ganim, Ralph Ford, etc. Clearly, Howard Gardner, Ben Walker nor myself are beholden to the Democratic powers that be.
Innocent children should never pay the price for disagreements between adults, as Howard Gardner stated clearly in his Op-Ed in Friday’s paper entitled “21,000 BPS students held hostage” and “Let them go!”
I made no secret of my displeasure with the four Board members who are refusing to meet. However, Maria Pereira, the master obstructionist, criticizing anyone for obstructing the Board of Education’s work is about as hypocritical as it gets. Aren’t there any adults in the room?
Phil Smith, since you have not attended one BOE meeting since December, please do tell us all the business I have obstructed. In fact, give us all just one example.
Please do share how one BOE member can “obstruct” the will of a nine-, eight-, or even a seven-member board.
Phil Smith,
We are still waiting for one specific example regarding my “obstruction.”
And while Maria Pereira has already stated her opposition to any practical limitation on time that a member gets to speak at a Board meeting, what about the other members who may read the suggestion? Rules, laws, and processes are developed in all times and places to help us survive and reach important community goals. If four or five (or will such suggestion take six votes) were to agree on a pragmatic way to proceed, can we move forward, respectfully? A small book with some great questions for our time became available in 2015. TRIBE by Sebastian Junger who also wrote WAR and THE PERFECT STORM looks provocatively at the way in which our emphasis on individual rights and pursuit of them may be in opposition to the ways we have evolved as biological beings. Perhaps the conflict and challenges facing us are a good thing. Perhaps they get us to ask important questions and find out our common goals. How are we connected to each other around the goals of and resources spent by our public schools? What would happen if all the stakeholders began to listen, reflect, ask questions and prepare themselves to vote? Would that be a more open, accountable, transparent and honest process than we have today? Hey Bubba, aren’t those the values Joe Ganim campaigned on? Time will tell.
JML, you are the last person on OIB to write about “What I reference is an awareness on the part of each Board member to have in mind a practical self-limit to conversation of some length at each meeting with a cap. Why? If one or two members choose the Board meetings to carry war to each other, the work of the school system is crippled. Less speaking, perhaps, and more listening with a variety of speakers advancing the Agenda items might just work better.”
Your posts are incredibly lengthy and can often be described as “excessively lengthy.” Where is your “self-limit” on your posts?
Maria,
If Lennie were to put up one of his polls today, and folks were to contemplate your multiple postings in total and contrast them with mine, what do you think the result might be? Of course, the length of my essays, the tone of them and the way I address other writers differs in some ways from your pieces. Each of us have readers, but when it comes to a PUBLIC meeting with important business to conduct, the time absorbed by one team member can be at the expense of other members and/or the order of business. You are a strong researcher and may be among the best-informed members of the BOE in recent years on any number of education related topics. But you are only one, also, and at the same time.
When evening meetings of the Board wander into four or more hours, is anybody on top of their game? Can parents of young children invest in such meetings and stay out while care of those same kids is important?
By the way, when either of us stop and push the SUBMIT button, that is a self-limit, whether you think of it that way or not. Would you not trade some practical limit on the total time you ask to be respectfully heard at the BOE meetings in order to get onto all the critical agenda items? Perhaps there are other members who can be message bearers on the same subjects. Time will tell.
Maria my friend, and I’m proud to say that, it’s my feeling JML or any other blogger may take as much writing space as they choose. I was referencing another situation, one where structure is necessary. If someone has no interest in what one blogs, just scroll over, easy breezy.
Lisa, that is exactly what I do.
If I am the Board member who has conducted extensive research, prepared questions and notes, and drafted some proposed recommendations while Dennis Bradley, Joe Larcheveque and Kevin McSpirit have done absolutely nothing, which by the way is usually the case, then what is the issue with my speaking more than those who don’t even come to meetings with a copy of the agenda in hand?
I even take on the time and expense of photocopying articles, studies, etc. at my own expense and distributing them to my colleagues.
If a BOE member is completely unprepared to discuss agenda items they received advance notice of, then that is their issue not mine or any other member’s issue.
That you do, nobody could criticize the amount of preparation you put into everything you do. The time you put into research provides information most would never be aware of. I have no problem with you because I know you’re well-intentioned, honest, sometimes a bit outspoken, but I’ll take the good. There are some who have no good to offer anyone. For the more sensitive, scroll over!
Don’t even know where to begin with dysfunctionality.
Maria. Foremost you’ve always been a vanguard for the children of the “public” school system. However, when your effectiveness along with other sitting board members undermines the immediate needs, concerns and positive progressions, it’s time to take your head out of your ‘own’ ass and do the right thing for positive effectiveness of the children, not to “continually” boast about your past accolades. Those efforts are done, in the past and are only your premise to hijack the children’s needs. It’s not your intent, but your message has all too often been muddled by the BS politics at the expense of the innocent kids who need direction to resolve the issues, not make them greater. You and Dennis have now created a statewide Mushfest at the expense of the children. It is time for both of you to resign and have the state take over since the Hartford fight you prevailed in has now crushed any process for positive movement again for the kids whom you’ve seemingly abandoned with these personal riffs. The definition of professionals are to rise above the BS and get things done. Wonderful intent again, Maria. But your current results are horrendous! And most of the region and state knows it for a fact. Have some bloody integrity and resign along with Dennis and I’m sure movement in a positive direction will again commence. Stay firm and the children will suffer.
I’m waiting for someone to file the appropriate papers in Hartford to have all of you removed for violating the oaths you all have sworn. Due to the dissent, only the children suffer without a quorum. Do The Right Thing by the kids and resign, step aside and allow new blood to pursue the children’s inherent rights. To have responsible adults shepherding their needs. Take your heads out of your asses, step aside. Your dysfunctionality is now becoming a national dilemma. I’m certain this was not your original intent, but nevertheless this IS WHERE YOU ARE! Own That Dysfunctional One!
Hmmm. “Public” in quotation marks. Begging for a state takeover. Using a handle rather than a real name to own your comment. I smell a charter school profiteer. Which charter school organization do you work for?
Exactly, Joe.
And what do we call bloggers who like to attack while hiding behind a handle? Let’s say it together, COWARD!
So the majority of bloggers agree missing meetings should be grounds for removing an elected official from office. Is that what you are suggesting?
Not a coward, Maria, just sick of all your ineffectiveness. Granted again, your intent is never questioned. But as always, your message gets muddled in the process. The only real issue you advocate is predominantly your ‘ego’ while the real issues get stuck in the mud with your ineffectiveness. Food for Thought: when the message gets lost and all forgotten, it’s time to look yourself in the mirror. Step aside and allow someone whoss head isn’t buried so deep they forget the “true” purpose of the job intended. It’s all about you Maria, and screw the kids! Case in point: effective business going on now for obvious prevailing issues? I think this is round 12 in a 15 rounder. Meanwhile, the kids are saying WTF? Real effective Maria! Intent is beyond any question for you. Results, destruction and undermining of purpose. Well, let’s take a vote on that, Lennie! And let’s see where the chips fall Maria. What do you say? Up to be evaluated on your “effectiveness” as a representative of the children of Bpt? The end results does not always justify the means that one is effective. Food for Thought! And being that there are no immediate current results due to your ballooned ego (again, actually as always) the kids get squat! As in NOW.
Pardon me sir/ma’am? Mr. or Ms. Young? I asked a question. Can you kindly answer?