Troll makes battle plans under bridge for Bridgeport school board candidates.
Bob “Troll” Walsh, who served for years as the resident curmudgeon on the City Council, writes in a commentary he’s supporting Working Families Party candidates John Bagley and Barbara Pouchet for school board in Tuesday’s special election to fill four seats. He says he’ll also be voting for petitioning candidate Karen Jackson. City electors may vote for any three of the nine candidates. Four will get in, with one spot guaranteed for minority-party representation. The Troll sharpens his teeth below:
I do not recall ever publicly calling on friends and supporters to turn their backs on my Democratic Party but that is what I have found myself doing as it concerns the upcoming Special Election for the Board of Education.
As far as I am concerned the whole process is a fraud and by default many of the candidates are fraudulent in nature. The Democratic Party chose not to endorse and support candidates who have shown a commitment to the party and to the electoral process but instead endorsed three candidates who only sought appointment to the board and never were willing to take on the process of campaigning. And unless the voters decide otherwise in November this is still an elected and not selected Board of Ed.
That is why I am supporting the Working Family Party candidate for the BOE. I have know Barbara Pouchet for years and have always found her to be a fierce advocate for a quality school system and more importantly for the children who attend our schools.
Although I have not personally known John Bagley as long from what I have heard he too has the best interest of the children at heart.
And although many people on this blog are talking about supporting one of the Republican candidates, I would urge people to consider Karen Jackson. I have met Ms. Jackson on occasion from my years on the City Council and found her to be staunchly independent and willing to question the status quo. And I found her willingness to openly challenge the ethical behavior of one of the Democratic candidate’s private business gain through his seat on the board courageous and quite refreshing.
But there is another reason to support these three independent individuals especially over individuals long involved in the Bridgeport political process. These candidates have no loyalties to anyone other than the voters.
The real Troll, Bob Walsh
If they are asked to vote on new members in the near future, they will have no loyalty to party bosses from either party and feel no obligation to cut deals. The next few months will present unique challenges to the newly constituted board and strong independent leadership is what is needed.
People, who have played the game or been around Bridgeport politics for too long, are always quick to compromise. Just look at how the Republicans acted and voted on the Charter Revision Committee. They were too quick to please and too quick to compromise on critical questions.
All elections are a numbers game. In this election spreading your vote around may have unintended consequences and end up hurting the Working Families Party candidates. If you feel a strong commitment to these two candidates then you should consider voting only for two. By diluting your vote and casting your third choice in the direction of a candidate from either major party you may unintentionally harm one of these two individuals.
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34 comments
Is this the bridge over Bunnell’s Pond in Beardsley Park?
I too have a great heart and want the best for the children of the city of Bridgeport, maybe I should get on the board of Ed too. Run on the Brick for education party ticket! Wooo hooo!
Gimme a break, a lot of people mean well and have good intentions. What it comes down to is who is best qualified and capable and not just looking for a title or political clout.
Well said, Troll. Thank you for your insight. Splitting our votes will let Mario’s absentee ballot campaign win; an outcome that will not be in the best interest of the children.
Zena, the last paragraph of Troll’s essay sums it up. In this type of election the Dems encourage bloc voting. Voters can choose three and four are elected including a minority-party candidate. Several OIB readers have indicated they will vote for the two WFP candidates and the Republican Joe Borges. Democratic Town Chair Mario Testa wants Borges to win the minority-party slot. He wants to maximize results by electing three Dems and Borges. Mario thinks he can work with Borges to get stuff done on the BOE. Mario wants to block the WFP from getting another seat. If you want to enhance Mario’s influence on the BOE vote for Borges, if you want to lessen it you bullet vote. Three bullets, three chambers to fill. The Troll will vote for two WFP candidates and the petitioning candidate Jackson. Some OIB readers are suggesting if you’re not sure about the third option to bullet vote Bags and Pouchet. They’re selecting two candidates to vote for despite having the option to vote for another. That’s called bulleting. Yes, I’ve probably confused you. I’m confused!
So the difference is “bloc” voting versus “bullet” voting? Where bloc voting is across a spectrum of endorsed or preferred candidates, and in this case, Testa and Finch want the two Dems and Borges to be elected? And where “bullet” voting is picking your candidate, in this case, Bagley, Pouchet and leaving one blank or choosing someone other than the candidates Finch and Testa want to be the third? Holy Guacamole, yes you confused me. But don’t take it personally, it’s not unusual for me to not know what the hell I am talking about … 🙂 I don’t even know what I just said.
More people looking for viable alternative with one-party rule locally and their party failing nationally, poverty among minorities has increased a great deal under Obama. If one day WFP has a congressional candidate, you can’t imagine them voting to extend tax cuts for the rich as Himes did. So the WFP is gaining. But do you just vote the party line, or should your vote be based on education credentials and experience of the candidate also?
I will be voting for the Working Families candidates come Tuesday and to be honest I do not know who is the third person to vote for. Come November I will be voting for Obama, Murphy and Himes.
Politics in BPT are so bad people will vote for candidates they barely know in order to beat the other guy. I understand the Anti-Testo/Anti-Dem stance in BPT. But I find it amusing so many will throw blind support behind WFP even though they have not given us one idea about what they want to do with the school system (other than fight Finch–LOL). That in itself should force the DEMS to take a hard look at how they do business in this town.
I cannot wait to see how this plays out … I believe the BOE meetings are going to go back to the uncivil wars of two years ago. Everyone is saying how the DEMS fall into lockstep … the WFP candidates and elected members are the same. They will vote in a BLOC too. All of the parties mention the kids as #1 priority. But none of them–the BOE, elected officials, the contributors to this board, are thinking about the kids. It all comes down to 1) Control 2) Power 3) Personal and political agendas … in this atmosphere the kids are just pawns and will never win.
Interesting points, Lifelong. It’s the classic “if he’s for it, I’m against it.” Compared to the old days the three Dems, Kelleher in particular, are actually some of the better candidates the party has ever endorsed.
The three endorsed Dems agreed to sit on an illegal reconstituted board. They have never commented on this and are now for an elected board. Moales has a Major and Mayoral Moolah Conflict!
I do not believe resume qualifications equate to the most qualified candidate/BOE member.
They may intellectually be most qualified to make the informed decisions but that may not be the best political course to take nor the best policy.
The elected members of the board are there to SERVE the public. To reach out to the public. To listen to the public. And then they should vote on a course the professionals can support that is acceptable to the public. This may not be the most intellectually defensible decision. If you want to ignore the public’s input and the public’s concern then vote for a charter change that eliminates an elected board and give you an appointed one that will look just like the Democratic Party’s slate of candidates.
Otherwise look for the candidates who have real roots in the community and are not there to serve the mayor, the superintendent or themselves.
What I fear most is the public will soundly defeat the mayor’s plan to abolish voting for a Board Of Education only to see by the slightest of majorities the new board vote to disband itself.
And this is Plan B for Mario and the Mayor. If all else fails they go back to the future and get THEIR board to declare themselves dysfunctional and the state will once again select not elect Bridgeport’s Board of Ed.
That is why I am urging voters to vote for real change and support the Working Families Candidates and Karen Jackson. Most of the time, really caring about the kids is what this is all about.
Bob–
I respect your position and everyone else’s choice. How you use your vote is up to you. My remarks were more directed at the situation we are in right now politically (locally and nationally).
When it comes to Working Families, I am going to judge them the same as I would any other party candidate–on their merits. I am not going to support them just because of who they are not (e.g. Finch supporter, state appointed, etc). I know one or two WFP personally and because of that, that individual would not get my support. WFP is the flavor of the month right now. But is it real change if they cannot think/act as individuals either? I’d love to see some 7-2, 5-4, 6-3 BOE votes in the future. Votes with different outcomes would show they are all independent thinkers and not party soldiers look to “win.” And the one thing the state board had that they need to continue–the meeting civility. Debate yes, but talking over each other, personal attacks and rudeness should not be accepted from anyone, DEM/REP/WFP. Can we all agree on that?
Good arguments. Is the WFP vote just anti status quo? And do we disregard any state-appointed candidate even though they might have an excellent skill set? So the point made above is yes, maybe we should because it’s not just credentials but about voting for people who have “real roots in the community and are not there to serve the mayor, the superintendent or themselves.” Okay, but aren’t the issues confronting the city very complex that some high-level problem-solving skills and such credentials may be useful?
Having been at the tail end of many a sh*t storm I agree with Lifelong completely.
But in B’port like other political arenas there is too, too much “Might Is Right.”
If all board members are treated with fairness and respect and if reasonable requests are granted and a cooperative spirit is used by all, maybe we can get beyond some of this stuff.
On the City Council I was lied to, ignored and fed half truths simply because some people knew they could get away with it and the majority of the council members believed their allegiance was to the administration and paid staffers.
Not to diminish Kelleher’s credentials, the reality is Baraka and Pereira are going to be part of the BOE. I think the cancer has spread too far, and Kelleher, Baraka and Pereira are headed for trouble in the group dynamics department. Kelleher may be the best candidate, but we need a BOE that can work together. I won’t be voting for her.
Zena Lu–that was their ploy, you seem too intelligent to have bought into that. As long as those two are sitting on the BOE, there will be no room for compromise, and that mindset of theirs must be defused.
Godiva: What is going to make things move along on the BOE then? I understand what you are saying, but how do we leverage the vote that we have now to not end up putting up with another cyclone of crap until the next election? What are your ideas? I am not saying Baraka and Pereira play nice in the sandbox, but they are IN the sandbox.
I think it’s a question of balance, Zena. These ladies need to learn the art of compromise rather than continuing to be so combative. They need a role model with some temperance and common sense, and if the kids get lucky, maybe they’ll follow Ms. Kelleher’s lead. If their negativity and combative posturing continues, perhaps they should be removed from the BOE. Ms. Pereira seems to have no goal let alone standards other than to hear herself talk.
Not for nothing Godiva, but do you really think Pereira and Baraka are clever enough to think of a ploy that devious? 🙂 Thank you and everyone else for the input, there are three other voters in my household who will vote the same way I do on Tuesday, so I wanted to make sure I did my homework.
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Really telling how no one seems to mention what is better for the students and are using this vote as a proxy to stick it to Finch.
Bridgeport Rising–That seems to be the unfortunate truth. The WFP is playing this “let’s stick it to Finch” game, when the reality of the matter is the students are getting it stuck to them. I see no impressive credentials among them that would qualify them to steer the BOE in the proper direction. This “anti” platform they spew is really old now and clearly not beneficial to the students.
No, it’s about money, not the kids, it’s about kickbacks to the DTC, it’s about construction jobs and who gets the new School projects, it’s about Finch’s reelection. It’s about control of millions and millions of dollars going out for new schools, architects, consultants, supplies, food service. The last thing on the list are the kids and fools like us. The kids are just pawns in the big game of School Chess.
If you really think it’s about the kids then vote for Finch and Mario’s people.
*** Bobby goat gruff will be charging a toll to cross the BOE bridge for the usual Finch followers and their wolves in sheep’s clothing flock. So remember OIB readers, bloggers, friends and newcomers, the WFP needs you, you, you and your vote! *** PEOPLE POWER! ***
I will be voting for the two WFP candidates; it’s time for a fresh voice. It’s time to get rid of the Democratic ass kissers who don’t have a mind of their own.
Is this the bridge over Bunnell’s Pond in Beardsley Park?
I’ll be Trollin’ too and won’t take Finch and Mario’s Bait and Switch!
BULLET VOTE BAGS & BABS!
Fluck, if I bullet vote I take away the the Finch & Mario AB vote, true?
Anti, Yes! Just vote for Bags & Babs and no other. Bullet baby! Bullet!
Best-looking photograph of Walsh in years.
That *irresistible* wisecrack aside, what is the party saying about their candidates? Or are they just expecting an AB and machine vote?
I too have a great heart and want the best for the children of the city of Bridgeport, maybe I should get on the board of Ed too. Run on the Brick for education party ticket! Wooo hooo!
Gimme a break, a lot of people mean well and have good intentions. What it comes down to is who is best qualified and capable and not just looking for a title or political clout.
Well said, Troll. Thank you for your insight. Splitting our votes will let Mario’s absentee ballot campaign win; an outcome that will not be in the best interest of the children.
Can someone be so kind as to explain to this simpleton (me) what is meant by “bullet vote” and why voting in that manner eradicates the AB vote?
Zena, the last paragraph of Troll’s essay sums it up. In this type of election the Dems encourage bloc voting. Voters can choose three and four are elected including a minority-party candidate. Several OIB readers have indicated they will vote for the two WFP candidates and the Republican Joe Borges. Democratic Town Chair Mario Testa wants Borges to win the minority-party slot. He wants to maximize results by electing three Dems and Borges. Mario thinks he can work with Borges to get stuff done on the BOE. Mario wants to block the WFP from getting another seat. If you want to enhance Mario’s influence on the BOE vote for Borges, if you want to lessen it you bullet vote. Three bullets, three chambers to fill. The Troll will vote for two WFP candidates and the petitioning candidate Jackson. Some OIB readers are suggesting if you’re not sure about the third option to bullet vote Bags and Pouchet. They’re selecting two candidates to vote for despite having the option to vote for another. That’s called bulleting. Yes, I’ve probably confused you. I’m confused!
So the difference is “bloc” voting versus “bullet” voting? Where bloc voting is across a spectrum of endorsed or preferred candidates, and in this case, Testa and Finch want the two Dems and Borges to be elected? And where “bullet” voting is picking your candidate, in this case, Bagley, Pouchet and leaving one blank or choosing someone other than the candidates Finch and Testa want to be the third? Holy Guacamole, yes you confused me. But don’t take it personally, it’s not unusual for me to not know what the hell I am talking about … 🙂 I don’t even know what I just said.
Three Dems and Borges. You can vote for any three but four get in.
Lennie, you’re right. The bullet takes away the votes from other candidates. So Bullet Bags & Babs!
More people looking for viable alternative with one-party rule locally and their party failing nationally, poverty among minorities has increased a great deal under Obama. If one day WFP has a congressional candidate, you can’t imagine them voting to extend tax cuts for the rich as Himes did. So the WFP is gaining. But do you just vote the party line, or should your vote be based on education credentials and experience of the candidate also?
I will be voting for the Working Families candidates come Tuesday and to be honest I do not know who is the third person to vote for. Come November I will be voting for Obama, Murphy and Himes.
donj, then just bullet vote the two WFP candidates. This way Finch and Mario come up short.
Politics in BPT are so bad people will vote for candidates they barely know in order to beat the other guy. I understand the Anti-Testo/Anti-Dem stance in BPT. But I find it amusing so many will throw blind support behind WFP even though they have not given us one idea about what they want to do with the school system (other than fight Finch–LOL). That in itself should force the DEMS to take a hard look at how they do business in this town.
I cannot wait to see how this plays out … I believe the BOE meetings are going to go back to the uncivil wars of two years ago. Everyone is saying how the DEMS fall into lockstep … the WFP candidates and elected members are the same. They will vote in a BLOC too. All of the parties mention the kids as #1 priority. But none of them–the BOE, elected officials, the contributors to this board, are thinking about the kids. It all comes down to 1) Control 2) Power 3) Personal and political agendas … in this atmosphere the kids are just pawns and will never win.
Interesting points, Lifelong. It’s the classic “if he’s for it, I’m against it.” Compared to the old days the three Dems, Kelleher in particular, are actually some of the better candidates the party has ever endorsed.
The three endorsed Dems agreed to sit on an illegal reconstituted board. They have never commented on this and are now for an elected board. Moales has a Major and Mayoral Moolah Conflict!
I do not trust them with my vote!
I do not believe resume qualifications equate to the most qualified candidate/BOE member.
They may intellectually be most qualified to make the informed decisions but that may not be the best political course to take nor the best policy.
The elected members of the board are there to SERVE the public. To reach out to the public. To listen to the public. And then they should vote on a course the professionals can support that is acceptable to the public. This may not be the most intellectually defensible decision. If you want to ignore the public’s input and the public’s concern then vote for a charter change that eliminates an elected board and give you an appointed one that will look just like the Democratic Party’s slate of candidates.
Otherwise look for the candidates who have real roots in the community and are not there to serve the mayor, the superintendent or themselves.
What I fear most is the public will soundly defeat the mayor’s plan to abolish voting for a Board Of Education only to see by the slightest of majorities the new board vote to disband itself.
And this is Plan B for Mario and the Mayor. If all else fails they go back to the future and get THEIR board to declare themselves dysfunctional and the state will once again select not elect Bridgeport’s Board of Ed.
That is why I am urging voters to vote for real change and support the Working Families Candidates and Karen Jackson. Most of the time, really caring about the kids is what this is all about.
Bob–
I respect your position and everyone else’s choice. How you use your vote is up to you. My remarks were more directed at the situation we are in right now politically (locally and nationally).
When it comes to Working Families, I am going to judge them the same as I would any other party candidate–on their merits. I am not going to support them just because of who they are not (e.g. Finch supporter, state appointed, etc). I know one or two WFP personally and because of that, that individual would not get my support. WFP is the flavor of the month right now. But is it real change if they cannot think/act as individuals either? I’d love to see some 7-2, 5-4, 6-3 BOE votes in the future. Votes with different outcomes would show they are all independent thinkers and not party soldiers look to “win.” And the one thing the state board had that they need to continue–the meeting civility. Debate yes, but talking over each other, personal attacks and rudeness should not be accepted from anyone, DEM/REP/WFP. Can we all agree on that?
Good arguments. Is the WFP vote just anti status quo? And do we disregard any state-appointed candidate even though they might have an excellent skill set? So the point made above is yes, maybe we should because it’s not just credentials but about voting for people who have “real roots in the community and are not there to serve the mayor, the superintendent or themselves.” Okay, but aren’t the issues confronting the city very complex that some high-level problem-solving skills and such credentials may be useful?
Having been at the tail end of many a sh*t storm I agree with Lifelong completely.
But in B’port like other political arenas there is too, too much “Might Is Right.”
If all board members are treated with fairness and respect and if reasonable requests are granted and a cooperative spirit is used by all, maybe we can get beyond some of this stuff.
On the City Council I was lied to, ignored and fed half truths simply because some people knew they could get away with it and the majority of the council members believed their allegiance was to the administration and paid staffers.
Not to diminish Kelleher’s credentials, the reality is Baraka and Pereira are going to be part of the BOE. I think the cancer has spread too far, and Kelleher, Baraka and Pereira are headed for trouble in the group dynamics department. Kelleher may be the best candidate, but we need a BOE that can work together. I won’t be voting for her.
Zena Lu–that was their ploy, you seem too intelligent to have bought into that. As long as those two are sitting on the BOE, there will be no room for compromise, and that mindset of theirs must be defused.
Godiva: What is going to make things move along on the BOE then? I understand what you are saying, but how do we leverage the vote that we have now to not end up putting up with another cyclone of crap until the next election? What are your ideas? I am not saying Baraka and Pereira play nice in the sandbox, but they are IN the sandbox.
I think it’s a question of balance, Zena. These ladies need to learn the art of compromise rather than continuing to be so combative. They need a role model with some temperance and common sense, and if the kids get lucky, maybe they’ll follow Ms. Kelleher’s lead. If their negativity and combative posturing continues, perhaps they should be removed from the BOE. Ms. Pereira seems to have no goal let alone standards other than to hear herself talk.
Not for nothing Godiva, but do you really think Pereira and Baraka are clever enough to think of a ploy that devious? 🙂 Thank you and everyone else for the input, there are three other voters in my household who will vote the same way I do on Tuesday, so I wanted to make sure I did my homework.
Really telling how no one seems to mention what is better for the students and are using this vote as a proxy to stick it to Finch.
Bridgeport Rising–That seems to be the unfortunate truth. The WFP is playing this “let’s stick it to Finch” game, when the reality of the matter is the students are getting it stuck to them. I see no impressive credentials among them that would qualify them to steer the BOE in the proper direction. This “anti” platform they spew is really old now and clearly not beneficial to the students.
No, it’s about money, not the kids, it’s about kickbacks to the DTC, it’s about construction jobs and who gets the new School projects, it’s about Finch’s reelection. It’s about control of millions and millions of dollars going out for new schools, architects, consultants, supplies, food service. The last thing on the list are the kids and fools like us. The kids are just pawns in the big game of School Chess.
If you really think it’s about the kids then vote for Finch and Mario’s people.
*** Bobby goat gruff will be charging a toll to cross the BOE bridge for the usual Finch followers and their wolves in sheep’s clothing flock. So remember OIB readers, bloggers, friends and newcomers, the WFP needs you, you, you and your vote! *** PEOPLE POWER! ***
I will be voting for the two WFP candidates; it’s time for a fresh voice. It’s time to get rid of the Democratic ass kissers who don’t have a mind of their own.