On Sunday, elected officials for City Council, Board of Education and sheriff positions received the oath of office. State Senator Marilyn Moore has a challenge for the incoming class of council members: “walk a path that lifts the entire city up and that they make informed decisions and not just political ones.” Moore is being urged by a number of city activists to run for mayor in 2019.
Moore commentary:
Tonight, December 3, newly elected council persons were sworn in to serve their respective districts in Bridgeport. Congratulations to all who step up to serve our city and not themselves. Nearly half are neophytes to the world of politics and bring energy, hope, diversity and new ideas to a council that has often been called a rubber stamp of the administration and not of the people whom they serve. This mix of old and new have an opportunity to rise above the negativity of Bridgeport politics and serve the bidding of the people whom they represent. I challenge them to walk a path that lifts the entire city up and that they make informed decisions and not just political ones.
There is a cloud that lingers over our city and it’s created and sustained by the politicians and businesses who come to the city to take and do not give back. Many believe it can’t change, but it can. I believe we can change for the better despite the black eye we wear for the unscrupulous politics that many consider as business as usual for our city. This past week, Judge Barbara Bellis ruled for the second time that there would be another election for the North End of Bridgeport’s city council seats. The first recount was caused by one absentee ballot that appeared from nowhere, which is reminiscent of the Tisdale for Mayor campaign when a bag of ballots mysteriously appeared from nowhere after the polls had closed. Add to these incidents, the Chairman giving marching orders to the police chief, and then the brazen rebuff of a Judge’s request to appear in court regarding his involvement with absentee ballots for the re-election. It’s no wonder why our residents question who are the laws for? Bridgeport’s perceived dysfunctions are further fed by the appearance of our top elected official traveling around Connecticut campaigning with personnel and resources paid for by taxpayers’ dollars. Let’s do better when we elect people to represent us. And let’s challenge this group of Council members to represent and answer to the people who elected them.
I strongly believe we are on the road to building a better Bridgeport and this new group of council members can lead us. I challenge our residents to monitor the process, attend council meetings, and evaluate their performance; if they don’t represent you with the honesty, transparency, and the respect you deserve don’t re-elect them.
Why doesn’t this city broadcast the public portion of city meetings on open access TV or even Facebook live? There could be more civic involvement if the city embraced the technology to open the doors to all.
DC Faber, here in Bridgeport back in the early 1980’s a black businessman from Westchester, NY Harry Lawson, purchase the old WNAB radio station and he broadcast live the common council meetings.
The City Council will never allow it, DC. Everyone would know what a hose job we’ve been getting.
RED ALERT:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6T9w6htMEpY
State Senator Marilyn Moore that was excellent and it gives a great vision in which the Bridgeport City Council need to follow.
I disapproved of her decisions in Hartford, so I consider Senator Moore unqualified to issue challenges in Bridgeport.
Must be a slow day in Trumbull. We all know it is a thriving metropolis…
This blog needs a Productivity Index.
Do you have any time for reading, some fiction and some non-fiction? I do and find it meaningful. A recent book, Origins, by Dan Brown offered a phrase on page 442 that grabbed me.”Dialogue is always more important than consensus.” Think about good and honest dialogue in books, dramas, movies and public square comments for a moment. Isn’t transparency of public dialogue, actual discussion around and between elected officials, even more important to our trust in current governance? Time will tell.
I have developed the kind of transparency that has earned me the nick name, Saran.
http://www.educationviews.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Saran-Wrap-Photo-Saved-Thursday-4-13-2017.jpg
Words from a very successful Indiana Governor-
“Most fundamentally, government is a monopoly, the ultimate monopoly, and monopolies by their nature overcharge and underserve their customers. They can’t go out of business no matter how badly they perform, and without competition or the profit motive to spur quality service, they almost never deliver it. I’ve known many elected officials who, if they thought about it at all, took the defeatist attitude that nothing much can be done and that lousy service is the best one can expect.
But that’s unacceptable. Taxpayers deserve not just decent performance from their hired hands in government, they deserve excellence. And with the right approaches, they can have it.”
There absolutely is a way a formula to make government work – it’s finding the candidate with the vision, desire and need – Bridgeport and CT has not felt that need based on who they have in the past elect. Here’s to hoping that has started to change.
Few examples, wait time at DMV in Indiana is 9 1/2 minutes – it used to be like CT, hours. That changed in less than one year. It’s not magic, it is data, clear and measurable goals and structural changes, with merit based pay for public employees. Yes, it’s that simple. But first, the citizens have to know there’s a better and successful way, by learning how it’s accomplished in other states government. Then demand the same of their elected officials. And listen to and elect candidates who understand and talk about specific solution driven methods.
Hi Jennifer..I am just curious.. Which Indiana Governor said those words that you quoted.
Mitch Daniels – here’s the Complete published letter to the newest IN Governor
https://www.indystar.com/story/opinion/2016/11/11/mitch-daniels-advice-new-governor/93592972/
One may disapprove of some votes in the State Legislature by State Senator Marilyn Moore but I find it hard to argue with Sen. Moore’s statements to the newly seated City council. If anything,her statements may be construed as being too “utopian” and high standards and ideals are no longer possible in Bridgeport. I still believe that we can return to honesty in leadership in Bridgeport. Perhaps,I am also guilty of high standards.
No, you’re not. High standards are possible. The air needs to be cleared of cynical resignation. Nine new faces on the City Council. No one will be happy to see any of them drawn to the dark side.
Mario Testa was acting as Michael DeFilippo’s campaign manager when he directed Officer Paul Nikola to collect absentee ballots, if Joel Gonzalez is to be believed. If that’s true Mr. Testa was violating state election law. Rules were not followed. Chances are about 110% it is true. Nikola is a dedicated law enforcement officer. He’s not going to risk his pension lying for a corrupt politician. Don Clemons’ invocation of the 5th Amendment is troubling, as are the 12 ABSs without postmarks and the refusal of Northridge residents to cast votes.
None of this is going to go away. Every time DeFilippo’s name is mentioned in a Hearst Media story Keeley’s lawsuit will be referenced. Every time Mario Testa’s name is mentioned the meeting in his kitchen with the drink slinger and the police officer and A.J. Perez will be referenced. Every holdover from the previous City Council will be given heightened scrutiny. The people in the district will want to know if he or she is still beholden to the pasta king of Madison Avenue.
It was only a matter of time before the AB fraud was exposed.
Excellent speech Mayor Moore, I mean Senator Moore. My hope is that these new city council people understand that doing what’s right is never easy and seldom popular and that true leaders are visionaries with a poor developed sense of fear and no concept of the odds against them. They make the impossible happen.
Christina would make an excellent CC president because she exemplifies those characteristics.
Hey Donald, could not have said it better. Especially Mayor Moore, has a very nice ring to it. Indiana will write a check in support once she declares.
Don, one thing we both know is that Mayor Joe Ganim and Mario Testa can not deal with strong black women like State Senator Moore and Christina Smith. Christina knows that as City Council President that she doesn’t have to kiss Ganim and Testa ass.
Ganim is like Frankenstein’s monster after escaping the laboratory. It’s only a matter of time before he is hounded by angry villagers bearing flaming torches.
Well said though maybe not direct enough.
Bridgeport will never realize its true potential until the governance is independent and the council learns that it represents the citizens of Bridgeport and not the mayor.
And the City Council President is elected from the ranks of their own and is not selected with the help of the mayor and town chair. We will wait and watch and see what takes place in the backrooms in City Hall. It may happen tonight or it may have already happened last night.
I’m cynical by nature. Nothing about Bridgeport politics has caused optimism.
I spoke with Senator Moore this evening at the Trumbull elected officials’ swearing in ceremony (Unlike Bridgeport, she represents our entire municipality). I mentioned the comments about running for Mayor on OIB and she replied that she had had some calls, now she knows where it’s coming from and will read this posting later this evening.
Although I opposed her in the primary election three years ago, I have supported her since she won the nomination and for reelection. She has looked out for her constituents in Bridgeport, Trumbull and Monroe. That is her charge, she is not elected to solely represent Bridgeport at the expense of the other two towns in the district.