It’s time to fowl (or is it foul?) a few feathers in our cap to hand out OIB’s Turkey Of The Year Awards.
Hmmm, where do we start, with so many?
State Rep. Jack Hennessy for throwing his political godfather, former State Rep. Chris Caruso, under the poultry bus in favor of specious City Councilwoman Maria Pereira who had guaranteed his victory over City Councilman Marcus Brown. Enjoy retirement, traitor Jack.
Pereira for guaranteeing Hennessy’s win, then stuffing her bank account with her largest political pay day. Talk about a losing investment.
City and state election officials for placing a cache of absentee ballots in the wrong bag during the Brown-Hennessy primary. Where’s magic man David Copperfield when you need him?
Failed state senate candidate Juliemar Ortiz for declaring herself the epitome of former State Senator Ed Gomes then turkey trotting to the beat of Pereira whom Gomes loathed. Ortiz was rotisseried at the polls.
State Senator Dennis Bradley for a premature gobble victory dance on primary night against victorious Herron Gaston. Dennis, put the bird back in the oven, please.
Former Mayor Bill Finch for dancing with Bradley. Birds of a feather flock together. Oops, your slips are showing.
Black Rock City Councilman Matt McCarthy for whining Assistant Chief Administrative Officer John Gomes didn’t show up for work, then marveling Gomes had a lot to offer when he lost his job. Talk about an accountant who can’t count. Make up your mind!
Retiring Acting Police Chief Rebeca Garcia for finally leaving the cop house for a public relations stunt rappelling down Bridgeport Center only when her job was on the line. The good news? She’ll receive a nice retirement safety net.
Former Superintendent of Schools Michael Testani for bailing to suburban Fairfield’s top job. Well actually, can you blame him for that? Bridgeport’s school board is a messy place.
Republican candidate for Governor Bob Stefanowski for burning the bird after coming within a few points of Governor Ned Lamont in 2018. Bob, meat thermometer?
We missed a whole bunch, you say? Ah, Christmas is around the corner. What could be under Santa’s tree?
Jack be proud of the 18 years you serviced the 127th , just remember that it took the entire DTC and city employees from the 127th to defeat you.
Chairman Mario Testa ran a Gerrymandering candidate from the DTC to defeat you!
If you’re one of OIB’s recipients for the Turkey Of The Year Award .
(Lennie the shill) and (Mucus Brown) are just Flucking Giblets
Thank you, Sonny, I enjoy internal organs. Best part of the bird.
Hey Lennie (the shill), tell us how is Jack Hennessy a traitor?
Jack Hennessy graduated from St. John’s Preparatory School in Danvers, Massachusetts. He graduated from Boston College with a bachelor of arts in English literature in 1974. He was in the United States Army from 1974-1977, where he served in the 1st Ranger Battalion and attained the rank of Sergeant.[
Lennie I thick you owe Jack an apology!
Lennie, I agree with most of the selections, but two (2):
1) Black Rock City Councilman Matt McCarthy for what? It was you who got John Gomes fired immediately after you reported the EXISTENCE of a PAC with his fingerprints on it. Had that not happened, McCarthy would’ve had nothing to say.
2) It takes balls to to scale down a 10 story building. Had Ganim let AJ concentrate on doing police work as opposed to making so many public appearances, better results at fighting crime would have been the serving of the day. Keep in mind that Rebeca Garcia lives in Bridgeport and us a formidable candidate for the highest post. She is definitely not afraid to go higher.
Speedy, McCarthy, on the budget committee, had a lot to say when he tried to carve Gomes out of the budget, bellowing Gomes didn’t show up to work. Gomes was not canned because of that PAC. McCarthy found religion on Gomes only because he despises the mayor. Next case.
As for Garcia, she wasn’t a community person as chief now you say she will become a community person running for mayor? The person who claims to hate politics now becomes political? Good luck persuading her to run, though it would be titillating if she got in with no money, public or political support.
Hell hath no fury like a former police chief rebuffed by her superior.
If her rejection was all about politics, a mayoral campaign might be the winning antidote.
She’s female; knows her stuff and could quickly gain a following. She doesn’t have a chip on her shoulder, she has a badge on her sleeve.
Lennie is a political buzzkill.
Badge on her sleeve? Paul, not for long.
You misunderstand. She’d have to retire BPD to enter Bridgeport politics.
Besides, you sound like you’re protecting Mayor Ganim.
You keep insisting you know more about this subject than I do.
Once a cop, always a cop.
Oh, I forgot, LE is never wrong.
Lennie,
It is a truism that each column presented on OIB meets your standards, whether you write them or not. But as a frequent writer and regular reader, I continue to attempt to occasionally break into your lineup with articles of general import to Bridgeport citizens, including comments at City Council meetings.
There are certainly activities and irresponsible behavior that are clearly unique to Bridgeport at this moment that are reported to you that do not see the light of day in your articles. For instance, you know where the buck stops in the City in general, but fail to provide any individual fault to Mayor Joseph Ganim. Slippery as gravy? He has a power to appoint folks to Boards and Commissions, doesn’t he? He has provided himself with assistance to maintain the particular duty of appointing varied and responsible fellow citizens to these groups in a timely fashion.
Finch, before him, and now seven years into his ‘second coming’ has continued a pattern of neglect of FAIRNESS in response to housing, rents, and citizen issues. Two Boards essentially, died and disappeared while in plain sight on the City web site. Is that FAIR? Or does it just put renters or potential homeowners at risk of having no recourse when such Boards could have heard word from those with complaints. The citizen and voters, become FARE, a meal for predators in the midst of real estate transactions, with attorneys and courts ignoring the plight. A skinny meal for voters as a main course, but bite by bite, and out of plain sight, the equity in some homes gets transferred to ‘sharp operators’ and residents have to move on.
Does that make Ganim2 in Thanksgiving parlance more like a root vegetable, similar to a turnip? Follow City practices, court documents, and the LLC parade that ‘turnsup’ for the spoils. Time will tell.
JML, meeting standards includes a lot of latitude, be it high or low. I review everything you send me, much of which is just a rehashing of something else, a lot of repetition, reciting questions ad nauseum. So much of it boringly burnt toast. When I see something that’s worthy for my readers I publish it. Irrespective of that I still provide you a platform here, in the comments section, regularly criticizing Joe Ganim’s mayoralty. That obviously is not good enough for you. You seem to embrace a self-entitlement that every commentary you send me deserves stand-alone time like you’re the righteous hero rooting out all the evils in the city. You may recall your attempt to publish your own site. It flopped. No one read it, except you. I even tried to help promote it. Why didn’t they read it Mr. time will tell? You see, it’s not about the city, it’s really about you. You marinate in a level of narcissism anathema to a lot of readers. Do you know how many off-line emails I receive from readers wondering why I give you a platform? Still, if I think it’s worthy, I run it. And, still, if I don’t you may post it in the comments section, if you appear so important.
People like you and Carmen Lopez will never understand the larger picture. God forbid I dare decide this is not a fit for publication. Lopez had a mighty platform here for a number of years. She sent me a column many months ago that cited things flagrantly false and offensive. Instead of looking at the larger picture she decided in a fit of childishness that no one dare question the honorable ex judge. It’s sad because she has many solid qualities. Also sad that she marinates in a level of paranoia that now drowns out her voice. “Thank you for everything you do, Lennie, thank you,” she wrote me how many times. But when I dared to question her motives I became an instant pariah. “You’ll never get a piece of information from me again!” Okay, ciao, adios, sayonara, see ya.
OIB will not live and die by you, Carmen Lopez, Maria Pereira or any other so-called fatuous reformers, some of whom are worse than the very establishment they detest. I’ve been at this 15 years building tens of thousands of regular readers. Less than one percent of readers actually participate in the comments section. In the last year or so some former regular contributors in the comments section decided they were more important than the larger picture.
“If you allow this guy to continue to post, I’m not.”
“If you don’t beat up Joe Ganim, I’m leaving.”
“If you don’t do this or that…yadda, yadda, yadda.”
Fine, I say, have a nice day and feel free to return when ready.
Nothing is forever and I have no clue how much longer I’ll be doing this. But know: OIB traffic and ad revenue have never been stronger. I am grateful for my readers and advertisers that give people a platform.
JML, you can embrace it or drown in your myopic narcissism.
Or, try your own site again.
Lennie, get up! Open the nearest window to you; stick your head out the window and scream as loud as you can. What a bunch of turkeys, eh?
OIB Founder/Writer/Publisher Lennie,
An important element of your column is that you allow folks to make current comment on their fellow citizens, neighbors, and the state of the City. What may work when folks intend a common purpose, something to measure thoughts and opinions against, can descend into good guys or their opposite, us vs. them, light vs. dark. That can be a public service. It is at least an opportunity to share opinions and viewpoints.
So, you give me a platform? And people have come to know me by my byline, TIME WILL TELL. In person they thank me for writing about various subjects. But, as you tell your readers today, there are a few perhaps close to current political power and employment, though not on your OIB “content editor board” who would silence my questions and comments? Unburden yourself and send them on to me. When worthy of rebuttal I can then do so. Not a surprise to me. Your unburdening commentary got 4+ though the turkey announcements at the moment have only 3+ unofficially, for whatever those ratings indicate.
And I provide comments on Bridgeport governance, finances (I am a taxpayer), and folks without a voice. On occasion I also comment to note an event or passing of a person whose life left a legacy to the region that is both notable and positive.
And then you indicate your medical training by terming me subject to “myopic narcissism”. Wow!! I have an eye doctor whom I have seen recently without change of prescription since GRADE 3 for glasses. But you are the first diagnostician to indicate that I have an “excessive interest in myself”. I believe that each of us has to live out our potential in the context of our times, and persevere in that endeavor so I have written about and celebrate the notion: LIVE THE QUESTION.
And I ask too many questions, though in accusing me you offer seven such sentences so the problem is not in my sentences but perhaps in the subject matter that fails to be answered by other readers or the publisher.
At one time you used your considerable talents to support a corrupt administration in Bridgeport and consequences were due and you paid them. But life goes on and you have used a lifetime of contacts to construct a site that draws people to comment on Bridgeport and the ways it can be unique and appreciated. You are stuck with me as well. And with reminders about Mayoral responsibilities for appointments to public positions in governance that have been neglected.
Where do Fair Rent or Fair Housing Commissions or their failure over 15 years to function and ultimately die in plain sight fit into ONLY IN BRIDGEPORT when Guedes is converting the last hotel in town and when the former 855 Main is a site of conversion news courtesy of Brian Lockhart and an article on your site today? I have confidence that you will explain this major urban failure for the people. Time will tell.