U.S. Senator Chris Murphy was in Bridgeport on Friday, joining Mayor Joe Ganim to visit non-profits that benefited from American Rescue Plan funding.
Murphy posted on his X Page: “Stopped by Bridgeport this morning to support Mayor Ganim and see the projects he has supported with federal dollars. He’s been a important partner and I’m looking forward to continuing working with him.”
In the days leading up to the February 27 special general election, Ganim has received several other endorsements including Governor Ned Lamont, former mayoral foe Lamond Daniels and even the Republican candidate for mayor David Herz who announced Ganim is his preference over Independent Party candidate John Gomes.
Herz decided to keep his ballot line for Tuesday after Gomes announced he would run again in the general election redo ordered by the court.
Meanwhile Ganim is planning a rally Saturday morning at campaign headers Downtown.
This indorsement like others, is lacking firmness of character.
Here are all the “firm characters” you need to remember:
JOE GANIM WINS BY 1,387 VOTES
Joel check your crystal ball for an update. I believe that Ganim will beat Gomes in excess of 2500 votes. Keep an eye out for a secret Gomes,Gen Now strategy meetings. His Range Rover will probably be parked in front of St Augustine’s Cathedral and Gomes and Davis will sit in the front pew Gomes will wear a hair piece so that no one recognizes him.
Please tell us about all the important endorsements that Gomes is getting. Because if anyone not wearing a straight jacket endorsed Gomes that would be news!
Keep voting for felons, this is why we can’t get a flucking box store in Bridgeport.
Half the city council are felons.
No manufacturing companies would ever think of moving here.
Bridgeport retail businesses are on Bridgeport Ave in Shelton!
We haven’t had a tax break in 8 flucking years, while your Mayor tells you he’s holding the line on taxes, but we can hand out tax exemptions for every developer that comes to Bridgeport.
Steelpointe has tax exemptions with no affordable housing plan, and the (greedy bastards )wants another 12 years of exemptions.
Time for a change!
John Gomes for Mayor!
The members of the city council have been elected by the residents of their district. Some may have had problems with the law in the past but they paid the price and moved on. They have confidence of their constituents they don’t need your approval. It seems in your mind if someone made a mistake they should pay the price and be labeled and continue to pay for the rest of their lives. Ganim inherited the property tax situation from your mayor Finch who kept kicking the can down the road with creative accounting. As far as attracting business, as soon as the city does they are criticized by ignorant loud mouths for giving incentives. It’s a competitive thing, business will go to the city that is most business friendly. If you don’t like the direction of Bridgeport you should probably move because the affluence of Black Rock is not evenly distributed throughout the city. There are many poor people who’s situation has made them desperate and they broke the law in an attempt to survive. They can relate to people with a troubled past they understand each other and you will be seeing more former felons who paid their debt, leading productive lives and are elected to office. Get use to it. And if you believe that businesses are not relocating to Bridgeport because some of the council members had prior felonies,then that explains the reasoning process that you have and your choice to support Gomes. If Gomes prevails on Tuesday your dream will soon become your worst nightmare.
“…this is why we can’t get a flucking box store in Bridgeport.”
Jimfix, open your flucking eyes!
Can’t you see that the Bridgeport Democratic Party has John Gomes ‘boxed-In’?
BOE members Joe Sokol, Rob Traber, and councilmember Jorge Cruz have endorsed Gomes. Pereira switched her support for the Republican.
Think about it John Gomes is never going to get past reasoning like an angry street thug. He arranged a meeting with someone that he should not have met with. He drives his SUV with his name plastered on it to the illegal meeting. And then parks in front of a fire hydrant. Do you want this moron with the mentality of an ignorant arrogant street thug running the city. He reminds of an incident on I95 years ago when the tolls were open and only 25 cents. A car speeds through, a State trooper spots it gives chase and captures the driver. After a search of the vehicle tens of thousands of dollars worth of illegal drugs and bundles of cash were found in the trunk. And the driver had enough cash on him to pay the toll. Just like John Gomes. When you have that twisted logic you instinctively do the wrong thing.
This is just another example of The Connecticut D-Party hierarchy reminding Bridgeport-vote-dependent elected officials to join the circle of the D-wagons protecting Chief Bridgeport leprechaun JG (and his magical Pot of Votes) if they want to avoid future, serious primary challenges and have their names included on magical bags of ballots that might need to be pulled out of the Bridgeport Democratic Magical Pot at election time…
Now; while I believe that Governor Ned Lamont is (politically, at least) shady and unscrupulous, and is beyond derelict in his duty as Governor (indeed, breaking his oath of office) by not pursuing real “prosecution” of Bridgeport’s “Ballot Gate” scandal and its players and related corruption crisis (indeed, he has shown himself to be a big part of the statewide/Bridgeport, D-Party corruption crisis, and a true “Corrupicut” governor…), I don’t see Chris Murphy in quite the same “corrupt” light. I see Murphy as more blinded by ambition, and Party dependency in that regard, so he’s following Party orders, and “going along to get along”… He will find out that the Connecticut D-Party house of cards is (fairly soon) about to come falling down, and he’ll regret his tainted image at election time when he needs those “independent” D’s, I’s, R’s, and huge pool of “unaffiliateds.” They’ll be reminded by our (presently complicit) media about which state and federal pols were “kissing the Bridgeport Blarney Stone” on orders from the Connecticut D-Party hierarchy…. (Mixing lots of metaphors here… Can’t help it! So many associations provided by the operations of the Connecticut D-Party hierarchy…)
On a wrap-up note: It’s interesting and telling that, so far, Blumenthal, Himes, et al. (state-level), haven’t fallen in line… Perhaps they are just a bit smarter and/or on firmer political ground?!… (Resubmit a better BRIDGEport bill, Jim!… One with a Congress Street drawbridge and inland-Pequonnock navigation…) (Now watch another Congress Street Bridge announcement to appear, with Himes/Ganim photo-op, on Monday!…)
Jeff.
An interesting observation by you that, so far, Blumenthal and Himes, have been quiet in terms of support of the two non-Republican candidates on the ballot this coming Tuesday. I was present with them back in fall 2021 when TV cameras were outlining the serious elevator service shortfalls at Stratfield Apartments on Main and Chapel. I have followed the development of a Tenants Association from the 190 units monthly since that November and I am happy to report that floor captains, public safety members, a set of discussed and voted upon bylaws, and officers including President, Vice President and Secretary have been a product of meetings by upwards of 20-25% of residents. I have observed two City Council persons work monthly to attend and support the tenants in this progress.
At the same time I have continued to speak to the City Council about the failure my Fabrizi, Finch, and Ganim for their entire terms to appoint qualified and interested public citizens to Fair Rent and Fair Housing Boards such that they died, expired in view of all, for anyone who might care. Why?? At least the City Council last year heard this plea from me and provided a budget, subsequently a staff person, and moved a resolution to re-create a Fair Rent Commission. I am waiting to attend their first public meeting with agenda and minutes. But there is no like action yet on Fair Housing, so it can be said that the DTC does not respect FAIRNESS in the City.
I share my comments to the City Council last Tuesday. Please note the questions I continue to ask about the weak record of voting in the City. No mandate. (Unless you have a camera with a picture?) Time will tell.
City Council Comments – February 20, 2024 by John Marshall Lee
Disciples of democracy, I greet you tonight to explore two quotes from American history. Ben Franklin born in 1706 in Boston spent many years in France and Philadelphia, where he died in 1790, was known as a Founding Father. In 1754 during the French and Indian War, 20 years before the American revolution, imaged the serpent with the message, JOIN, OR DIE in his Philadelphia paper. It is not one of his most famous quotes.
Context is critical. The colonies were growing, settlers pushing west but the state boundaries for New York and Pennsylvania were unknown. Indigenous people were settled to the west. They were not contemplated in the governance by Colonials as folks with rights or land ownership and other practices from English royal tradition. The colonies two decades later included Delaware, then a part of Maryland, and Georgia, but the four New England states did not include Maine, a part of Massachusetts, or Vermont. which was the Vermont Territory during the Revolutionary War but became the 14th State in 1791. See the banner, study the context of colonials without the rights of free white men across the Atlantic in England, subject to taxes or commercial regulations ‘without being at the table,’ and responsible for safety of family and person as well as security of their property in frontier locations. Franklin’s advice to fellow colonists, JOIN, OR DIE, becomes more clear.
In 1864 at the lowest point of the Civil War Abraham Lincoln said: “We cannot have free government without elections;” Lest we forget, secession and separation of the States into warring parties in his first term with 620,000 casualties known to all caused some to question the Union. Since that time, rights around voting have been extended to people of color and to women as well as to naturalized immigrants like my father.
If you believe Lincoln’s words and act as believers, why are 75 to 80% of registered voters in Bridgeport absent from the polls? Is our local government authentically free when it provides such a minimal mandate from the governed? Where is your City Council systematic effort as those responsible today to answer these questions with democratic action? Do you believe that the words of these famous Americans are of value and ring true today? What say you in response to the Founders? Time will tell.