Well, last night’s City Council session was quite a bender.
Yell, scream, tit for tat name calling, cops trying to restore order. It’s why we call city politics the greatest sport in town.
Big shout out to the tremendous, handy video work of City Councilman Jorge Cruz who turned the evening into must-see TV.
Quick background: leadership of the civic group Bridgeport Generation Now, Callie Heilmann and Gemeem Davis, have been at odds for years with a variety of city pols. They point fingers, City Council members point back. They throw stones, council members throw them back. And so it goes.
During the public speaking portion of the session Davis addressed the council members recently charged with election fraud allegations. Heilmann and Davis have called for resignations.
In response several council members, including Mary McBride-Lee, Eneida Martinez and Maria Pereira – took to the mic saying in so many words: you’re no girl scouts either!
The claws came out.
Grab yourself a favorite adult beverage, fill a bowl with popcorn and watch. This one is a beauty.
The public has one opportunity to address problems, issues, or concerns for three minutes to the City Council. Recent years noticed a rule change from the division of these 30 minute public speaking sessions from 6 five minute sessions into 10 three minute sessions. The purpose was to provide more opportunity for the public to speak. (Some have commented that it cut down the space and time that public observers had to criticize City officials.)
In recent sessions an increasing number of Council members (who are also residents and officials with citizen rights) have risen to use the microphone for three minutes even though they realize that Council members, by their own rules, will not by Council rules, respond to them as ‘public speakers’. Do they have any other way to be heard? When there is critical comment from the public, is this the appropriate time or space to speak about it? When they use the three minutes to face the public in attendance, is it a fair use of this time? Does it upset the attempt at decorum? (See for yourself as the City Council President with the help of public safety personnel attempts to keep the session within the guardrails.)
Last night several citizens addressed the Council for 15 minutes as is appropriate. However, five Council members used the opportunity to sign in to speak including Councilpersons: Cruz, Newton, Lee, Martinez and Pereira. They used half of the time available to the public. Much of it was directed at members of the public present in the Chambers. Is that an abuse of CC respectful rules? What is ‘fair’ when it comes to observance of rules?
(For full disclosure, I am a member of Gen Now, with basic financial support, and attendance at some sessions. I am especially impressed with their annual attempt to bring CIVICS education and information to Bridgeport.)
( My candidacy for participation in the Charter Revision body has been announced and supported by my personal activity for more than 15 months. Two weeks ago, Councilman Cruz spoke to my absence from the list proposed with energy and passion. I did not know that at that time though I appreciate his success. I will attempt to raise questions that stimulate a study of responses to revise our Charter in ways that improve our local power checks and balances and encourage the public to use their intelligence and become better informed and more fully active as we, all the people, move forward.) Time will tell.
I wholeheartedly agree NO Elected Officials should be allowed to speak during City Council Public Speakers sessions. Only real Narcissists would insist in doing such a thing.
“Big shout out to the tremendous, handy video work of City Councilman Jorge Cruz who turned the evening into must-see TV.”
Lennie, don’t give this asshole of all assholes any more wind to his sail than deserved. Jorge WEEEEPA Cruz is the male version of Maria Perra with a P.T. Barnum Housing Twist. This video is a glimpse of all that is WRONG with Bridgeport’s political status quo and its wannabe replacement. Our past and present proposed cure to our governing system are as bad if not worse than the decease.
“This video is a glimpse of all that is WRONG with Bridgeport’s political status quo” is the notable and quotable Gonzalez opinion. However, video capacity and audio in the Council chamber is an improving process. So why leave this up to personal technology? Why is “fair to all”, raw video footage not available courtesy of the City who formerly had a budget for video?
Shouting WRONG on a blog, positions you to tell us what is a more healthy alternative for our City. The Charter Revision group will entertain your written observations for the wide experience you have enjoyed in Bridgeport, I am sure. Look forward to the subjects you propose, and their priority for attention by those who would improve governance in the City. Time will tell.
John Marshall Lee, how is this for an “opinion”?:
From Jorge Cruz the, ASSHOLE of ALL ASHOLES:
“You’re good on talking shit on the blog but every time I’ve seen you in the council chambers you keep your egg shaped down. I would love for you to talk shit to me in the chambers and see what I have to say to you you punk doubleheader ass bastard. Now I challenge you to copy and paste my comments here on the OIB.”
Agreed. Speedy, CC members should not take time from the public speaking session considering it’s just the way too express discontent will fellow members or mayor. They are there to listen. Though perhaps there is/could be a way for them to put there concerns on the record with pontificating. But what narcissist wants that?🤣
Take Cruz spiel, that all that was nothing but narcissist/pontifcation.
It’ funny I watched him very closely, very vocal and euthsatic in his support G2 SMH
Though a bit more racist then I thought 🤣
John, get out it’s a trap,
BTW how did Disingenuous/Hartford limousine Liberal, millionaire, Gen Now live up to the love of Civics, with their out bust in disruption on people, CC members or not to voice themselves and to subvert the democratic process?
Perhaps, with regards to public speaking there can be a matrix for the 30 minutes alloted. Outside of emotional base CC meetings theyrarely exceed a few speakers, you and Cecil being among them🤣
Though it is understandable as to why CC members would have spoken out to defend themselves from the resignation charge without Civics do process, innocent until provine guilty.
Though to be fair to LV mama bear,Millionaire limousine Hartford liberal, carpetbagger, disingenuous, taste the movment, breath of fresh air Gen Now. Perhaps if they could conjured up more public support in the Port besides a few like minded white liberals and a few paid minorities they could force a resignation, considering.
That being said, try to play nice people. Peace out Port.
https://youtu.be/u9Dg-g7t2l4?si=xfxYeYd1pe0Rtf4Z
Outside of the clock CC Cruz mentioned to monitor his pontifcations, it seems reasonable., Base on the numbers of public speaker who sign up if time allots them the can request an extra 2 minutes to 5
Can depart without the prophet, depending on your view, and in the spirit of the pontifcation and Biblical theme,try to play nice people .
https://youtu.be/uCzwVP_1YNg?si=TH1hWU2R8L162d_u
No words,just amazement & embarrassment.Bridgeport we’re screwed.
Just attempt to hold governance in the City of Bridgeport in one hand and then grasp the facts of our national leadership change or ‘switch’ in your other hand…….and think good positive responses…..or pray for them. Things can always get better, at least for others, and isn’t that special? Time will tell.
Can’ t argue with that logic John🤣
It’s something alright, John
https://youtu.be/YHyW0N5f7zQ?si=D3JFWqDidX7XrpYR
Though it is not always easily to discern facts from fiction. However I did find it comical the charge levied against Disingenuous/Gen Now of bring Trump supporters/voters. Is that in the race baiting support play book? Just say Trump/be anti Trump and Black people will gravitate to your side/position.
One thing that seems to be an undisputed fact though it doesn’t get much play is the fact they tried to blow his head off. I love the playbook facts that they say about Trump tuning his to avoid having his head blown off on live TV and the roof was to steep to position any SS. Yet no one in the media seems to question, you know that thing you do, that the Secret Service snippers took the so called shooter, out in a split second after several shoot and Trump took cover. Oddly for some reason they didn’t notice a person on open fairly flat visible roof with a direct line of shot.JS
https://youtu.be/fYfvSspaJtk?si=9PeYyv5OeYhpabHe