One week left to primaries in six of ten Democratic Town Committee districts. The Upper East Side 138th District is loaded with passion as a slate tries to undo District Leader Maria Pereira, a leading lightning rod in city politics, whose slate won all nine seats two years ago. Some of those slate members are challenging Pereira this time around. Most of the thunder by the opposition slate is directed at Pereira, if not by name, on the District Watch 138th Facebook page.
Former State Rep. Edna Garcia, not a slate member, is among those supporting Row C who’ve adopted the moniker “clean” campaign slate.
I pray that voters in the 138th are informed as to who the 9 Town Committee candidates are for each team. Your opposition, unfortunately, is led by a woman who causes divisiveness everywhere she goes. She does not care about the community; her focus has always been herself. The way she operates is by spreading rumors, causing mayhem and create division, in order to attract the newspaper and TV, to get a minute of fame.
I trust that the 138th voters, will see through her hypocrisy and hatefulness, which is what she thrives on, and vote with the bottom line with your nine Town Committee candidate’s names on it. I have personally known many of you for a long time, and I know everyone in your team cares deeply for the 138th.
But just caring is not good enough. Your team is up against a vindictive, stop at nothing challenger that will do whatever it takes to win this primary. I advise all your nine Town candidates, that if you really want to win, you start calling on friends, family and ask them to help you get out the vote. Your team must work tirelessly until primary day.
Do not waste your time posting videos to tell everyone what the opposition is doing, is below your team’s professionalism. You should be knocking doors, and making telephone calls. Everyone already knows, who the opposition is and what her team represents. Complaining and engaging in shenanigans, does not win elections. Staying focus and working like hell does.
Pereira, for one, offers a rejoinder to the Line C for “clean” slate, calling it the “conflict and corruption” line.
District Democrats can vote for any nine of 18 candidates.
138th District, Upper East Side (no line A because no party endorsement)
Slate B: Jacqueline Abrams, Timothy L. Bassey, Daniel C. Faber, Charles E. Hare, Sarah Lewis (not this Sarah Lewis), Helen Olga Losak, Maria H. Pereira, Michele L. Small, Samia G. Suliman.
Slate C: Tony Barr, Tyreke Bird, Abraham Duque, Dolores Fonseca, Rafael Fonseca Jr., Kevin Monks, Anthony Robert Paoletto, Martha Santiago, Nessah Smith.
No joy in Mudville…
The only person I will be voting for is Kevin Monks The rest of this ticket are Ganim supporters. Nobody on Marias ticket knows this neighborhood they are just listening to Marias BS
In the 138th District, Row C = Conflicts and Corruption
Kevin Monks is a City Employee
Anthony Paoletto is Ganim’s Treasurer and his father is employed by the city, again. His mother is employed by the BOE
Tony Barr served over a decade in prison for drug dealing
Tyreke Bird plead guilty to evading responsibility after running over two children riding their bikes in broad daylight and leaving the scene. He is currently serving an 18 month probation. However, he was arrested in November for driving a vehicle without a license and insurance and is dealing with those charges.
The entire slate will vote for Mario Testa for DTC Chair and vote for Ganim for Governor. We will not do either.
The 138th Line C stands for Conflicts of Interest and Corruption
The 138th Line B stands for Better Governance.
They are committed to the corrupt Democratic powers-that-be. We are pledging our commitment to the residents of the 138th and only the residents of the 138th. That’s the way it should be.
Now tell us your legal history you seem to be against 2nd chances. BTW Monks has been with the city for over 30 years
Keep up the good fight Maria!
Vote Row B it will set you free!
Tony Barr responds to Maria Pereira:
“Tony Barr doesn’t live in a glass house. I live by facts and made many mistakes in my life as a young black man. I am not going to play games with Maria. She’s on her way out on March 6th. She’s the only person in the world that’s done everything right? Maria gets her money from JUDA! The person that’s been stealing my peoples homes! Even came out to the W.P.C.A. meeting to show her support for JUDA. Maria is mentally sick and i have a video of her choking a child. I have to get permission from the family to release it. Maria has our kids walking to schools? She thinks it’s 1960? The real reason this is taking place is for dropouts so they can steal money! Maria is on the BOE? Winter time kids dropouts! She’s Mrs. Judas or Trump and Ganim is her friend. And she is his biggest supporter. After losing on March 6th we will also get Maria off the BOE. These are all facts! What has Tony Barr done in six years? Raise over seven hundred thousand dollars for our kids and families.!
A few weeks ago hundred thousand day care center! Maria said that i ran over a biker is a lie. Lenny you can check the records for facts! Then tell her to stop lying and get focused on her campaign? Tony Barr doesn’t bullshit and is a good sport. Maria is a dork and she eats with two forks. Love you Maria and good luck!”
LOL! ENOUGH SAID
As far as Edna Garcia, I don’t believe we have ever met. I look forward to meeting her soon.
Edna Garcia serve Bridgeport with grace and dignity as a city council member and as a state representative.
Maybe Roach can be Chairman of the DTC?…. nah!
I am on row B so I am slightly biased that we have the better line. I am dismayed by the lack of ethics (hard and soft) that run through Bridgeport like it was subject to Tammany Hall. No one on line B works for the city. Neither do any of our immediate family members. Since we do not received any financial gain from the city, we are clear to vote in the best interests of our district. Our line does not have a sitting CC member on it; which provides a conflict of interest as the DTC committees nominate people for their district on the CC. If we had a DTC without ethical conflicts, maybe we could get a City Council without ethical conflicts. Bridgeport city government working in the best interests of the city instead of individuals. That’s what I am working for!
Mr. Faber tell me what your town committee slate will do for the residents of the 138th? What has Maria and the city people now on the town committee done?
Do any of you understand what the town committee is supposed to do? Lets me tell you a little bit;
The town committee is supposed to do the following
1. Help residents get city jobs
2. Get residents on to boards and commissions. BTW do we have anybody on a board or commission.
You see the districts power is based on number of commissions spots they have and to a degree number of jobs. the rest is all bullshit, you can get rid of Testa and his replacement will do what Testa is doing. What has the town committee accomplished over the past few years.
Hi Andy, what the 138 has done in the past two years is have two Christmas Tree lightings, two Easter Egg hunts for the kids, and International Firefighter day at the JFK school and a direct meeting at the German club with Ed Gomes and members of the local Police percent. We also worked with the community to stop a development at the corner of Evers which would have been bad for the neighborhood.
Over the next two years we would like to continue what we have done and expand to more community focused things like forums and advocacy. When I lived in the 134 I saw nothing being done. I have lived in the 138 for 4 years and its the first time I saw the DTC active.
I agree, those are big issues and are the main purview of our two city council members. The DTC does not have legislative power, we cannot direct city funds or the police. What we can do is find ways to be better listeners and take what we learn and forward to the city or the state as we have done for a local residence.
I would not want to ban you, I would want to listen and find out what can be done.
DC your answer is pie in the sky you said the following” What we can do is find ways to be better listeners and take what we learn and forward to the city” If you have no contacts other than the other TC members for your district you will get nothing done.
You have more power than you think power in the TC is displayed by number of commissioners from your district . You have none and will have none as long as you people live in fantasy land. Here is another thing call for a city service (other than police & Fire ) and see what you get,DC you can do a lot more than you think you can without the CC members. All the things you listed as having accomplished have been done before
Dan,
Public service is what you are doing and some have a different view of Town Committee duties than others. Not a difficult thing to understand when the City CTC allegedly has not been able to distribute copies of its own rules for years now.
Essentially Town Committees are forms of political action groups specific to a party. Primarily they are there to know the people of the district, locate prospects to run for nomination to an office (endorsement), they also may work for the slate, and raise funds for the nominees. Some long term committees have become so connected they act like an employment agency because folks are favorable to those who are loyal to them.
The so-called fluff of many town committees is what is remembered by voters at election time often. Another view of that same fluff is corruption that is seen by others. Why did they vote that way? Were they bought by a slice of pizza? Or did they get $20? What is real in your district at Town Committee election time this year? Ever see anything like it? Time will tell.
JML, congratulations, you have finally gotten it right about the DTC, they don’t make policy.
Thank you, Professor Mackey. Do you have that quote ready at hand where I declared that the major role of a Town Committee was making policy? Hope you can find such so that if we publish our writings at some point, your editing can be acknowledged appropriately!! In the meantime, how is your book coming? Time will tell.
JML, C’mon Man, just look at some of your past questions about the DTC. Your were asking questions like you thought that the DTC was involved in lot of decision in the running and the policy decision.
Au contraire, Ron. Mario testa has been making policy as long as he has been chairman.
That many candidates on both rows do not want Maria Pereira on the DTC is a clear indication Ms. Pereira is not as popular as she herself believes.
Derek, how dare you say that about Maria.