The last time a City Council president was knocked off in a primary? You gotta dig deep for that one, if it’s ever happened. Aidee Nieves, engaged in a full-throttle battle to maintain her East Side council seat and potentially two more years as head of the city’s legislative body, is in this position because City Clerk Lydia Martinez declares unabashedly Nieves refuses to kiss the ring of the queen of absentee ballots.
So it goes in city politics so often more engaged in personalities than job performance. Issues in this case become a manufactured sidebar for the larger cause.
Lydia’s putting everything on the line to teach Aidee “a lesson” for not genuflecting to her district royalty, recruiting two candidates against Aidee and incumbent partner Maria Valle.
Good grief, says Aidee, I’m council president, how much must I bow down?
It’s really not about anything else.
Lydia relies on serial absentee ballot voters she’s worked for decades.
Aidee’s mission is to stay close as possible in that area and produce a strong margin with the walk-in vote.
What’s the over/under on this one?
Republican citywide primaries
Democratic district primaries for City Council
131
132
133
135
136
137
138
139
My vote and support is for Shavonne Davis and Tyler Mack in the 131th district for the City Council..
District 139 — Make the switch.
Vote *** Simmons – Majewski *** on September 14
At first I put my odds of winning the Republican primary for Board of Ed at 1:10. Then came the incredibly fiscally irresponsible move (6 to 1 vote) to raise the Supt salary 12% from $245,000 to $275,000 a year. (Not a critique of the Supt, but of the board)
If there is any Republican value even Democrats can embrace its fiscal responsibility.
Personally, I believe the money could’ve been better spent buying 300 Chromebooks per year.
How am I now supposed to advocate for more $$$ for the district when we bestow such largess on one man? (Again not judging the man). How is the board to negotiate contracts with our awesome underpaid professional staff that are worth far more than we the taxpayer can afford to pay them? Every bargaining unit worth their salt will be coming after that same 12% raise.
That being said I put my odds now at 50:50 of capturing one of the three spots for the general election.
Vote Row B and only Row B everywhere you can see.
The bigger issue is to put pressure on Mayor Ganim to increase the funding for public schools, that’s a Democrat and Republican issue.
Absolutely agree. We also have millions of Covid dollars to be utilized and I fear that the board currently is not taking enough of a hands on approach in regards to the budget and every time I try to get the board to become more proactive they are discouraged to do so by John Weldon.
My biggest fear is not losing the election, but having John Weldon remain with 4 freshman board members who may not realize the power and responsibility they have. This allow Weldon to further marginalize the board as has been the goal of all the bylaw changes and hands off the budget rhetoric that has become a new stance by the board under the current superintendent.
To that which Joseph Sokolovic so eloquently stated, the Bridgeport Fire Department hasn’t had a raise in almost two (2) years and it’s last raise in January 2019 was for 2.5% and not the 12% given to BBOE Superintendent and he has never run into a burning building! He never continued to serve the residents of Bridgeport like firefighters while jeopardizing their lives during this Covid-19 pandemic.
Let’s not forget the life long injuries from running into poisonous gas and fire carrying 75 pounds of equipment.
For Lydia,this is personal. She is going to go to extraordinary lengths to make sure she has enough AB’s to defeat Aidee,which IMO wouldn’t be a bad thing, Aidee’s time is done..
Already old and dependable “rumor” is leaking out about past AB action where the voter expected a ballot and a tip on whom to vote for. Folks knocking on doors in many districts. And tvs tuned to shows reporting on voter suppression and gerrymandering in multiple states.
What a powerful position for AB collectors, those who are rewarded, as many voters stay away from the polls with a token of appreciation?
With voter suppression on the minds of many, will people go out for the primary action in the Districts who might not have in past years? What message may energize them? Exercising your vote, as often as possible, is your way of keeping democracy breathing locally. Now if you stop to “listen to the political message” of a City Clerk, perhaps you will need a hearing aid for assistance, not an absentee ballot. What does the City Clerk have to offer as a reward that has real world value?
What messages will win the primary, and who will be standing in the General Election with a compelling messages? Time will tell.
Lydia has played this game for a long time much longer then Aidee.
I don’t know why this rift is between the two of them but it’s gotten political AND personal. A dangerous combination.
Aidee has allowed the fact that 20 of her colleagues have voted her president to be greater than it actually is. She hasn’t even accomplished anything. She set up a couple of committees but those committees have accomplish much.
I believe it is time to teach Aidee a lesson in respect and Lydia is just the political professor to do it.
Lydia Martinez is the REAL queen of the City Council. We served many years together when I was CP and no other council member worked harder than Lydia for their districts. If Lydia has a problem with the status queue, you can be sure it’s legit. It was a pleasure serving with her.
Lisa,
Good to hear from you again, but I have forgotten that you believe in fairy tales and royalty. When you served weren’t you a Democrat, serving in a democratic legislative body?? Did you serve, or attempt to, all of the people and not merely a precious few? Did you really understand what you were doing and share that publicly? Your Queen has been a silent elected City employee. And maintained a City employee in her office for years who supported Council activities, but that was not a royal relationship. Time will tell.
Perhaps she understands better than many what the ABS mess has created as a City identity? And follows King Joseph whose communications are not about City priorities, matters that are under investigation or in the judicial system, or much else substantively other than Coronavirus?
There are only a handful of CC members that have the motivation and competence to be there. Aidee isn’t one of them. She has no apparent leadership or management skills and appears to lack a real agenda and motivation for CC work, otherwise… Lydia will have fun dispatching her on the 14th.
Truly, the CC needs a massive transfusion of new, motivated blood to give Bridgeport even a few drops of municipal credibility — to begin filling the present, huge vacuum, in that regard…
Jeff, with this one I’m in agreement with you.
Jeff I agree also,but the problem is,new blood who are motivated and try to change the way things are done in Bpt,are met with anger and disdain from the “machines” hand picked rubber stampers.It is Joe’s & Mario’s way,or you are an outcast,taken off committees as “punishment”,effectively put out on an Island,unable to change a thing..It has happened time and time again..Maria,Rick Torres,etc,etc,etc.
Harvey, you lost me with your last comment, Maria is her own worst enemy, she does one thing good and then she takes two steps back, she can’t get people to follow her and Rick Torres hero in life was Rush Limbaugh and Donald Trump.
But they weren’t slaves to the machine and what happened?,Maria got all her committee assignments taken away,and Rick was basically on an Island for his term…
My comments regarding Lydia Martinez speak to her public service when we served together for over two decades. Most of you weren’t even involved in local politics when we toiled for the residents of our City. My comments stop there and are very accurate. Stay on topic John! You couldn’t imagine the constituient service she
performed, and they were not only exclusive to her didtrict.
*** TRUE THAT LISA, SHE WAS THEN & APPARENTLY NOW, AFTER A FEW YEARS OF BEING COMPLETELY OUT OF POLITICS FOR A SHORT WHILE. LYDIA MAY NOT BE THE SHARPEST PENCIL IN THE BOX BUT SHE KNOWS HOW TO USE THAT ERASER WHEN IT COMES TO TRYING TO PUSH PEOPLE OUT FROM HER DISTRICT. IT’S ONE OF THE BIGGER PROBLEMS THAT SEEMS TO PLAGUE MANY OF THE HEAVY POPULATED LATINO DISTRICTS WITH STAYING BEHIND A GOOD CANDIDATE & SUPPORTING THEM IF THEIR DOING A GOOD JOB. IT’S ALWAYS SOMETHING PERSONAL OR THERE’S ALWAYS THOSE THAT GET CARRIED AWAY WITH THINKING THEY HAVE SOME TYPE OF INVISIBLE JUICE CARD OF POWER & END UP BEING NOTHING MORE THAN AN EMBARRASSMENT TO THEMSELVES & THE CITY! CITY COUNCIL IS A CITIZEN POSITION WHERE SOMETIMES, YOUR DAMMED IF YOU DO & DAMMED IF YOU DON’T, BECAUSE YOU CAN’T PLEASE EVERYBODY EVERY TIME ON ISSUES THAT MAYBE OF IMPORTANT TO SOME PEOPLE! AND IF YOU THINK THE CITY COUNCIL CAN GET PETTY & NASTY @ TIMES, YOU SHOULD FOLLOW THE BPT. B.O.E SOMETIME AND SEE THAT CIRCUS SHOW IN ACTION! TALK ABOUT A “THANKLESS” CITIZEN’S CITY POSITION! ***