Strap in for an extraordinary read from Republican Ethan Book, one of four write-in candidates for mayor. Regular OIB readers know this as Book-speak. For some it’s an acquired taste, for others it’s you-can’t-be-serious-about-publishing this!, and for still others he spews what some believe but don’t have the guts to puke up.
So prepare yourself for an Ethan Book puke-up session.
COURAGE AND CHARACTER
Spanish-speaking people have a saying; “Es mejor un mal conocido que un bueno por conocer;” “It’s better to stick with a bad one that you know than try to go for a good one that you don’t know.” That saying might apply to some things but it doesn’t apply to Mayors.
Joe Ganim has been our Mayor during this his second period for four years. When campaigning in 2015, he said he would do his best to not increase taxes, yet six months later, he increased them by 25% (for a mil rate of over 54, putting the City in a distressed situation), that without doing the due diligence on city spending (re: departmental auditing, contract bidding practices, oversight of departments such as Public Facilities, issues of the Print Shop and Council member stipends, and pension funding), also while doing himself favors by bridging his employment, early taking off to run for governor, and then cashing out on unused vacation pay. The list goes on. He is so compromised with groups from whom he seeks votes that he’s unable or unwilling to exercise the leadership necessary to administer the City properly.
Joe likes to tout a few positives, but all those are not the result of his current administration and even if they were, they do not result in an overall favorable balance. A recent article of 24/7 Wall Street reports that Bridgeport is among the worst 50 cities to live in the U.S. and the worst in New England (remember that there are 50 states), having a 20.8% poverty rate (i.e., low employment rates and a poverty rate compared to the national average of 11.8%).
Bridgeport has also been rated as being one of the most undesirable cities for seniors. Consider the high taxes, the high WPCA fees (coupled with abusive collection and foreclosure practices, which have only been partially addressed during this term) and nationally high utility rates.
Another factor which hasn’t been well discussed publicly is the significance of Ganim in 2016 endorsing Hillary Clinton for President. He endorsed one of the most active abortion proponents in the world. How can we expect God to protect and bless our City when the highest elected official takes such a public position (II Chronicles 7:14)?
In the instance of Mayor Ganim, the City clearly would be wise to reach out to “el bueno por conocer.”
Write-in candidate Marilyn Moore doesn’t show the promise of performing better than Ganim. While she portrays herself as an independent Democrat, in her five years as State Senator, she’s voted in lock step with the Democrat caucus. In 2015 and 2019, she voted in favor of record state tax increases, resulting in many people and businesses leaving the state, resulting also in depressed employment levels, and adding more financial distress for residents. Of course, those increases were approved without her doing the due diligence of cutting the political fat from the budget (like she now promises to do for the City). She didn’t even take steps to close the loopholes on mileage allowance for legislators yet she’s fine to increase taxes on groceries.
Also, in 2017, she voted in favor of the early bill to extend the contract for state employee unions (without allowing the legislature to consider that bill together with the full state budget to be late presented later), also voted in favor of prohibiting voluntary conversion counseling.
Further, she even failed to do what she assured me that she would do in 2015, take certain steps for fixing our broken judicial system.
Her September economic plan was in part lifted from my Candidate Statement published here in mid-June.
She talks a late plan without well addressing the causes of city problems and she proposes programs without being engaged in municipal government. In fact, at a recent community forum dealing with alleged breaches of the PSG&E contract, breaches dealing with local hiring, she said that she couldn’t do anything because she’s only a State Senator.
Further, many of her supporters do so because she’s a woman and because she’s Black. Moore is not a real political leader. She has relegated herself to be a cheerleader!
In this instance, Moore is in fact “un mal conocido.”
The Republican-endorsed candidate John Rodriguez is also not the right alternative for Bridgeport. The process of him being endorsed by the Republican Town Committee was flawed. He is a plug candidate. He talks about challenging the city government problems but as a member of the RTC, he has been totally passive about glaring leadership errors. He rarely attends meetings and doesn’t even satisfy the minimum meeting attendance requirement. He talks about the city needs for better education and crime reduction but has no effective plan for addressing these other than “It’s time to vote for a Republican.” Also he’s not been engaged in the political process, hence is not qualified to satisfy his wish list.
In contrast to these candidates and others, I have a solid workable plan for Bridgeport and I have the qualifications including a track record of accomplishments to support my plan.
A starting point for improving the life and costs of being a city resident is the combination of reducing the burden while increasing the benefits. One of the points of my plan is that there be a complete qualified audit of city departments. I not only promise this, even as a non-elected citizen, I have been doing this for several years such as through Freedom of Information processes. Among the areas which I’ve reviewed and disclosed are City Council member stipends, excess costs in collection and foreclosure of WPCA bills, and more recently in coordination with John Lee, some glaring issues of the City in-house Print Shop. Having such audits would likely allow for tax reductions and also be an incentive for outside investors to come and invest in our Park City, hence more and better jobs.
Other matters for encouraging investment, hence jobs, include the following;
– better regulation of conflicts of interest for city officials
– that the Ethics Commission has the authority to enforce its decisions
– that there be qualified professionals heading city departments
– that there be review of apparent overreach of zoning and business regulation
– that there be minority party representation on the City Council (as there is now for the Board of Ed and the Zoning Commission)
– a prohibition that one with less than five years of completing a sentence for a felony conviction would not be eligible for holding an elected office, and
– that there be independent legal counsel for the City Council (rather than mere reliance on the Office of the City Attorney which is part of the City Executive Branch).
BTW, even what I have been doing for several years in cutting sneakers from telephone lines enhances the community, property values and adds to a more attractive welcome mat for potential investors, hence better promise of jobs.
Notwithstanding that a first order of business for improving city governance, meaning improving the efficiency and costs of city government, pertains to points discussed above, there are several areas for which I propose more funding; public education (as long as the Ed Department effectively administers the money) and after-school programs (as long as the programs don’t become substitutes for responsible parenting).
Further, a matter of dealing with broad issues of crime, domestic issues, and business and government ethics, as I have been asserting since before the Sandy Hook shooting, is the matter of the secularization of government, that process of several decades of some attempting to remove God from public schools.
THUS, I am “el bueno por conocer,” the candidate with the workable plan and qualifications for improving our city and community life, the candidate with courage and character.
As a Write-In Candidate, I do not have a party designation.
“Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it, except the Lord keep the city the watchman waketh but in vain.” Psalm 127:1
“Fighting for the heart and future of our great City!”
On November 5th, or whatever date the Court determines, write in
“ETHAN BOOK” or just “BOOK” FOR MAYOR
Ethan Book, tell me, how did you feel sitting in church Sunday listening to Mayor Joe Ganim speaking to the congregation?
Ron, I don’t know what to what church you refer. On Sunday, I attended the afternoon service of Iglesia Universal on the East Side!
Nut case
In the City, please explain ?
Go video tape your self and watch it and you should be able to figure it out.
In the City, that’s not an explanation !!
This is just so ridiculous on just about every level.
There is really no reason to spend alot of time on this because Ethan Book has absolutely no chance of being elected Mayor.
Absolutely none.
Maria, What’s the basis of your opinion? And let’s face it, your credibility is lacking!
Well, let me simply answer your question with statistical and factual data.
2014 State Representative Election
Chris Rosario 1504
Ethan Book 242
2016 State Representative Election
Chris Rosario 3537
Ethan Book 557
2018 State Representative Election
Chris Rosario 2366
Ethan Book 317
2019 Mayoral Primary
Democratic Primary
Ganim 4728
Moore 4443
Republican Primary
Rodriguez 282
Book 167
Francis 144
Once again, you have absolutely no chance of being elected Mayor.
Who lacks credibility now?
Maria,
Your figures do not support your statement that I have no chance of winning the election. Also, you are comparing past apples with past oranges, with many issues, circumstances and people being different. In addition, at every stage to which you refer, there has been more productive issue development and public exposure. No matter what the past, there can come a tipping point (e.g., Abraham Lincoln and Jasper McLevy). Also, the way you present your various figures suggest that John Rodriguez would have a chance of winning the election. Do I understand you correctly?
In addition, you have not rebutted my responses to your ridicule of my positions. Thus, I am a credible candidate. I have a workable plan with qualifications and a track record which show that I can perform for the benefit of the City. I have the courage and the character to turn the rudder toward a better Bridgeport!
Really Ethan. She laid it out black and white. You have no flucking chance
In the City, what she laid out is not conclusive. Her main focus of past figures pertained to campaigns against Chris Rosario. Look at what he’s done to the state with two record tax increases which have hurt the state, the City and the economy. I have the confidence in urban voters that they can be willing to think outside the box. I never said that winning would be easy. What I’ve said is that it is possible.
Ethan,
You are against a woman’s right to choose, support conversion therapy, support God being embraced in our schools, convicted felons cannot run for office until 5 years after they completed their sentence/parole which is a violation of the CT Constitution and more.
May I suggest you run on the platform of cutting down sneakers off power lines and the scandal of the Print Shop.
In fact, please go door-to-door with Karen Jackson and Sheenah Henderson on that platform.
I would really appreciate it. 🙂
Maria,
Your characterizations are misleading.
I support the equal rights of the unborn together with those of the mothers’ and fathers’ rights. I suggest you read The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn.. I support individuals’ rights to choose conversion therapy. There has not been a demonstrated case in CT where conversion therapy caused a problem. I do not support the concept of separation of church and state as was lifted from the First Amendment in the 1947 Supreme Court decision of Everson v. Board of Education. That was not the intent of our Founding Fathers (re: Original Intent by David Barton). There is nothing of the Constitution that would prohibit posting the Ten Commandments in public schools and other public buildings like our courts. I do not see where limiting the eligibility of convicted felons to hold office until after five years of the completion of their sentence is contrary to the state constitution. Some states don’t allow any provision for convicted felons to hold public office. For the City to have such a provision would give more confidence and incentive for businesses to invest here. If you say that the CT constitution would prohibit that, show us where.
I raised the the point of me cutting sneakers from telephone, not as a platform point, but do demonstrate that I’m a candidate who not only talks imptoving the community but doing that. Most people appreciate that. It enhances the community, tends to increase property values and gives a better “welcome mat” for business people to come here to invest, thereby adding jobs. The Print Shop scandal is another area where I together with John Marshall Lee have taken active steps to identify inefficiency and probable waste of taxpayer money.
These points were presented together with a rather complete plan for getting the City on better standing financially; of increasing private investment in the City which would increase jobs and the tax base. My plan is more complete and workable than that of any other candidate for Mayor.
Your mention of Sheena Henderson and Karen Jackson appears to be a reaction of me not supporting you. Do you really expect me to support you after you slandered me during the Primary? Clearly it was my lack of support for you for which yesterday you declined even to entertain my question regarding the Board of Ed. Isn’t a lack of tolerance for views that differ from one’s own bigotry?
You have given no support to your statement that there’s no chance of me winning the election. You can’t!
I confidently campaign for Mayor as one who exercises leadership, one with courage and character and one with the qualifications and track record to accomplish my workable plan for improving out great City. This has not been accomplished over the last twenty years. The voters would lose nothing by giving me a chance!
Good luck with that, Ethan.
they would lose their freedom to choose their own religion (or to not choose a religion at all). they would lose their right to choose to have an abortion. your views are heinous and completely out of step with sane, intelligent people. you are a card carrying member of the christian taliban, trying to ram your religion down the throats of others. your simplistic understanding of the first amendment is beyond laughable. you are face down in the kool aid.
Mark, the First Amendment says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . . “ The purpose of the Founding Fathers was to prohibit that the government not mandate a denomination as was then being done in England and in the Colony of Virginia. Nothing that I raise or suggest conflicts with that. Regarding abortion, even the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade restricted that from being done during the last trimester of pregnancy which some states are trying now to exceed. In addition, the limited abortions which were allowed through the decision were allowed with the Court’s caveat that if at any time someone could come forth with evidence that life begins prior to birth, the Court would reconsider its decision. With the development of medical technology such as ultra-sound, more people are coming to believe that life begins prior to birth. In fact, much of the issue we are discussing is becoming mooted in that 85% of mothers who seek an abortion but have the opportunity to have an ultra-sound exam decide voluntarily not to have an abortion. My reasoning is sound.
ethan, tell me about your high school career. how well did you do? what were your SAT scores? particularly, your verbal SAT score. did you go to college? if so, where? how well did you do? my prediction is that you won’t respond to this request. roaches hate it when a light shines on them.
and while i’m raising questions, what do you consume for news on a daily basis? either by reading or listening or watching. also, who did you vote for in the 2016 presidential election? the sinner donald trump?
wow, the silence has been deafening. i think anyone reading this thread will understand what the lack of response suggests about you.
Maria, based on your comments here as well as your conduct earlier today in downtown Bridgeport, the probability of me winning my election is increasing and the probability of you losing yours is also increasing !!
He’s got a chance.
Listen to your customers. Overheard in the backseat of Ethan Book’s limousine: http://www.solounopuedeserelmejor.com
Regarding my position regarding the secularization of government, the process of several decades of some attempting to remove God from public schools, I refer to the article I wrote in early 2012 entitled “The Secularization of Government”, found at the link on EthanForBpt.com, at the second paragraph of the Home page. It gives context for the 1947 Supreme Court decision of Everson v. Board of Education. The graphs of federal government statistics which accompany the article show glaring spikes in the figures for matters as violent crime, sexually transmitted disease, divorce and educational achievement at the point of the early 1960’s Supreme Court decisions prohibiting Bible reading and open prayer in public schools.
During my 2016 campaign for State Rep. (128th), I met a woman on the East Side who worked in Bridgeport as a secretary, working for over 25 years including during the time period that the Supreme Court issued its decisions. She says that from that point, she observed a marked decline in student conduct and educational achievement. She believes there is a connection.
Last year I met a man who for many years was a public school administrator in Milford. He says he observed marked declines in student conduct and educational achievement at the point of relaxation in the dress codes.
During my recent campaign for the Primary Election, I met a man who teaches philosophy in a public school in lower Fairfield County. He says that while there isn’t a specific prohibition of teachers talking about God/Jehovah, many teachers feel there is a political correctness code to refrain. He challenges this unwritten code by allowing his students to talk about God. He reports that many are desirous, even eager to do this. He finds they want to discuss in class matters such as of the existence of God and what this means. He also observed that when they are allowed to do so, they are less restless and are calmer.
I am a credible candidate with a workable plan, a candidate with courage and character to turn the rudder of the City government toward a better Bridgeport!
no, you’re a member of the christian taliban peddling propaganda and drivel. that’s why no one votes for you. ms. perreira was *dead* on about you. next!
Mark, in high school I graduated in the top five percent in a graduating class of over 500. I also was the student body president. My SAT scores were in the top 10 percentile. I then studied pre-med courses for 2 1/2 years at Hougnton College (Houghton, NY) where I was on the Dean’s List and was Junior Class President. At my option I transferred and received my undergraduate degree with honors in Business Administration from Azusa University (Azusa, CA). In addition, I received a Masters’ Degree of International Management with honors from the American Graduate School of International Management, where I also served as student body President.
My main news sources are the CT Post, the New York Post, WCBS 880 and WICC 600.
To say that I am a member of the Christian Taliban is an unfounded extreme comment, inappropropriate even for this largely open forum. Maria Pereira could not have hit it dead on as no information which she provided could result in a sound conclusion that I have no chance of winning the election. The most that could be said is that winning would be an uphill battle where the odds would be slim. I’ve never disputed that. However, she has a habit of making unfounded statements.
With that, I go back to the question of who else would you vote for; Ganim, Moore, Rodriguez or other? Their candidacies all have fundamental weaknesses. I’m the credible candidate with the workable plan and the qualifications and qualities to achieve my goals. I’m the candidate with courage and character!
And you drive a limo with all that BS education
In the City, I have a small Limousine Service business. It is an alternative livelihood to my banking career which was disrupted when as a specialized bank officer I uncovered and disclosed some problems of state public works, specifically issues of the CT Resources Recovery Authority (CRRA). That was when William O’Neill was Governor. With that, I challenged the political establishment and by circumstance became a whistleblower.
your SAT scores were in the top 10% yet you went to two colleges i’ve never even heard of. and you were often student body president. hmm… maybe you do have a shot at being the mayor of bridgeport! your background is even shadier than ganim’s!
The two colleges are well accredited. The graduate school later renamed the Thunderbird School of Global Management (Glendale, AZ) has yielded many graduates in top levels of business and government. Including the time period that I attended there, it was for 15 consecutive years the top rated school in its field by US News and World Reports. From there I was hired by Bank of America to work in high-level Banking in Latin America and then the New York Corporate Office. There I did money center transactions including a $55 million construction financing for the Vermont portion of the electrical transmission interconnection between Hydro-Quebec Power Company and the New England Power Pool, a project which has saved New England residents billions of dollars. To my knowledge, I am the only candidate for Mayor who has advanced education in finance, a definite asset for the city’s top executive position particularly at this time.
Maybe if you prayed harder you could get elected, Ethan. Isn’t that how it works? I mean, if praying the gay away is open for debate so should asking DOG (sorry, dyslexic agnostic here) to be Mayor. Am I right???
Peter, if you are suggesting that I am praying the gay away, you are incorrect. I am tolerant and my religion teaches love!
I would argue that believing “gay is a choice” is not exactly my definition of tolerance. Passive aggressive at the very least but not tolerance.
Peter, the science that homosexuality is a born trait is incomplete. My understanding on this does nothing to diminish me being tolerant. Also, the terms passive and aggressive seem mutually exclusive.
So you’ve “chosen” to be straight?
you answer others but not me. strange, huh? almost as if you were afraid of being exposed as a fraud? but we both know the answer to that question.
Mark, read on!
You’re so coy, Ethan. My understanding of you does nothing to diminish that fact that Conversion Therapy is f*&^%$ up and Woman’s Rights aren’t your rights. How about that for just aggressive?
I’m with Peter Slywka on Ethan Book and his questionable positions on critical issues.
What you have primarily questioned are my positions on two social issues; the error of the state in prohibiting voluntary conversion counseling and my respect for the lives of the the unborn. You have not given significant comment on the critical issues regarding the city finances and the need and means for getting the City financial house in order! I am a credible candidate for Mayor !!
No you are not. You have 0 chance at getting 100 votes. The facts behind my statement will be given on November 5th
Bridgeport has been rated as one of the worst 50 cities to live in in the U.S. with a poverty rate of 20.8. Are you suggesting that Ganim should be re-elected? In Bridgeport, there needs not just to be change but the right kind of change. That would never come with Marilyn Moore. And we can’t expect that from Republican insider Rodriguez. I have a sound workable plan and the qualifications to achieve it!
Peter, for me I don’t remember making a choice. I simply accepted and was comfortable with my heterosexual status. You miss my point on conversion therapy. My position is that there should not be a state prohibition on voluntary conversion counseling. With respect to choice, even the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade commented that a person’s privacy rights are not absolute. However, in their equation, they considered a woman’s privacy rights without considering the privacy rights of the fetus and the privacy rights of the father. In addition, the Court was dealing with the question of the constitutionality of a Texas state law prohibiting abortion. The law is very clear that a federal court cannot rule a state statute unconstitutional without there being a preponderance of evidence to support such change. In that case, there was very little evidence, and what there was was primarily focused on ancient practices of Greeks and Romans. That’s hardly a way to decide a constitutional issue!
Ethan Book, what does any of this has to do with being the mayor of Bridgeport?
So you’d be fine with a Homosexual Group introducing a Conversion Therapy that helped people find their gayness over their straightness? If it’s open ended then it would have to go the other way (no pun intended)? Am I right? I’m not sure upholding a ruling made by men for woman is one you want to make.
Peter, my point is that I oppose the 2017 state action prohibiting voluntary conversion counseling. There was not a sound factual basis to support that. It never had a full hearing before the legislature.
You can dress the legislative pig up all you want but the reality is that Conversion Theraoy is based on a Jesus-Loving, historical hatred of homosexuals. Pardon me for not allowing you to rationalize that. Religious Freedom does not allow persecution and using the State to try to enforce what your trying to paint as Personal Choice is still based on serious prejudice. Grow up.
Peter, you again mischaracterize my position. I haven’t been looking for the state to enforce my position. Rathe the state should not prohibit voluntary conversion counseling. There’s no issue of hatred there. Also, “conversion counseling” in the sense that encouraging one with sexual identity confusion to be gay is already permitted. Be careful with that. The LGBT community has the highest suicide rate of any group.
The government should prohibit conversion therapy. It’s based on historical hate. Why is the suicide rate high you suppose? Because they are feeling the hell fires and that’s the logical conclusion. Honest question? Be careful!
Peter, you give two hypotheses which might be one of several causative factors. Regarding the prohibition on conversion therapy, there is essentially a constitutional issue. Can a state government intervene in a private matter where the parties voluntarily submit to counseling where in CT there has never been a case of prejudice or injury for the counseling? Also, I acknowledge that there may have been suicides by gays, particularly young ones, resulting from bigotry and bullying. That clearly is lamentable. And there also could have been suicides resulting from sexual identity confusion not having been treated properly. This is an area which deserves more study !!
Ron, the question of what does this have to do with being the mayor should have been addressed to Peter and Maria. These two bought up the subject as if being the mayor of Bridgeport would someway affect a womans right to choose or Conversion Therapy?
After choosing a convicted thief who stole hundreds of thousands of dollars, violated the public trust, used Absentee Ballots in violation of the election process, who rewarded his personal driver and confidant with the police chief position and never once being contrite about his personal failures, yet they feel like someone’s not worthy of being the Mayor? That expectation of excellence of being worthy for the position of Mayor was lost at the last mayoral election and during the last Democratic primary.
i read your comment a few times. it was terribly written and confusing. i think you’re trying to say that peter & maria *can’t* criticized the christian taliban guy because they elected ganim after his felony conviction? was that your point? if not, can you clarify?
Ron, in a sense you are correct! The abortion/life question is not one of municipal jurisdiction. However, the opinion that a municipal chief executive holds on the issue can have bearing on the moral/spiritual umbrella of a municipality (Re: The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn; a book summary posted on my Facebook page in early June). For local issues here, critical matters are getting the City financial house in order, reducing taxes, attracting business investment and jobs. Other matters such as education and crime are very important but they revolve on the city’s financial soundness. On these critical issues, I have the sound workable plan!
Excuse me, my comments above should be directed to Donald Day!
My post like all others by me are easily understood by anyone with a modicum of intelligence. Clear, concise communication prevents misunderstandings and gives people the information they need to understand without any ambiguity. I say that to say if you can’t find clarity it’s your fault, not mine!