This is so disappointing. I checked in with Town Clerk Alma Maya expecting a last-minute flood of absentee ballots for the special election to fill Chris Caruso’s state legislative seat. Only a handful of absentee ballots have arrived. What’s going on around here? No self-respecting Bridgeport pol can resist stuffing the ballot box. Has everyone gone crazy honest?
Even Alma’s surprised by the lack of action. But, she said, Lennie don’t jinx my office. Last thing she wants is a flood of absentee ballots the last day. So, what’s your prognostication for Tuesday? Every time I ask a pol involved they say how the hell do I know, damn season, damn weather. Connecticut’s 126th Assembly District includes portions of the North End and Upper East Side. Polling places: Wilbur Cross, Hallen, Read, Park City Magnet and Hooker. Will the turnout hit 10 percent? Here’s how the candidates will appear on the ballot:
Democratic Charlie L. Stallworth
Republican James Keyser
Petitioning Candidate Mark P. Trojanowski
Petitioning Candidate Carlos Silva
Petitioning Candidate Robert T. Keeley Jr.
Petitioning Candidate Tom R. Lombard
Petitioning Candidate Verna Kearney
Write-In Votes
Who’s your pony? If you don’t have one who’s your write-in candidate? As for the cheaters, this is Bridgeport. Ya never know what will happen.
I didn’t give a single AB out.
I enjoyed the forum last night and it was great to meet my opponents. One more weekend here to get out my message. I hope Bridgeport sees fit to put its trust in me. Good luck to all who are running. Thank you to all my supporters.
SEEN on a t-shirt in the 126th district:
www .voteformarkfeb22.com
You know Santa ordered more than enough ballots for Tuesday’s election. Someone should keep an eye out for ballot stuffing. Oops vote one get two!
As long as it’s fair, that’s all the candidates can hope for, besides a win of course.
The Calamari crew is already working on rigging September. Sec of state got her work cut out and better have the handcuffs ready.
From Tom Lombard
My opponents need to realize the enormity of this responsibility. We can’t use Chain Gangs to clean up Bpt. We don’t need “Gateways” that the suburbs don’t want to enter. On Feb.17 Gov. Malloy will release the State budget that we will all be forced to live with for the next 2yrs. We will need to all fight for scraps for the city, along with 168 other communities. Also we will need to prepare for the second half of the biennial budget 2yrs. from now. These will be the most severe cuts in CT history. New laws take time, budget cuts are quicker. We need to protect our programs. We need to protect all Health and Family services. Seniors on fixed incomes deserve to have security in their golden years.
The voters need to realize that this isn’t a popularity contest. The Battle lies beyond the fog. We have to have someone in Hartford with that mentality. Gov. Malloy has said we are facing a $3.7 Billion deficit. I assure you he will balance the Budget on the backs of taxpayers. All of our representatives must work together on major issues. We cannot waste our time on small-scale issues like higher auto insurance rates in Bpt. We have bigger fish to fry. If that’s the best they can come up with, then go back to playing solitaire.
On Feb. 17 the budget will be unveiled. On Feb.18 a shockwave will be reverberating across CT. On Feb. 22 I hope I am there for you. I would look forward to be working with Malloy. He did a great job revitalizing Stamford, increasing the population by 14,000 people. He did this by increasing hope and opportunities. Pray that we can all do this for Bridgeport.
I would first propose forming a Bipartisan coalition of legislators and the business community. Then establish a realistic plan to induce big and small businesses to take another look at developing here. Example: General Electric Corp. Their headquarters are located in Fairfield CT. They have a factory on Boston Ave. they could demolish or refurbish.—News Flash—GE announces new Plant investments creating over 1,300 jobs. They will be located in Louisville Kentucky, Bloomington Indiana, Decatur Alabama, & Selmer Tennessee. Over $1 Billion investments. Why couldn’t we have those jobs?
The reason I am running is simple. My history, my experience is precisely what we need in Hartford. We can’t afford to have any more representatives playing solitaire or reading E-Mails on their laptops. WAKE UP! Work or Quit!
In closing I need to leave you with a final thought. Bridgeport, there is a light at the end of the Tunnel. Unfortunately, it’s a runaway Train. Vote Lombard–Vote Hope.
Tom–Enjoy the 9 or so votes you’ll get. Your above message is basically a long slew of ad hominem attacks on all of the other candidates. If you’ve ever taken a class in formal logic or rhetoric, you’d realize that ad hominem attacks make the sayer look like an asshole, not to mention that they’re fallacious. Maybe you should run Charlie Coviello’s mayoral campaign–he is used to getting similar vote totals.
Hey! Is this Bob Keeley?
Hey Bob, give me a call.
Keep guessing–I’m equally critical of all OIB’ers. Lennie can attest.
Hey! 10th Mouseketeer you sound a little little bit Paranoid Schizophrenic. On this site you fit right in.
I still think you’re Bob Keeley.
It is in the interest of ALL the non-endorsed candidates to force Santa Ayala to allow outside observers into the polls. Enough is enough. Citizens deserve accountability above all else. I might have been the only one who actually read through the entire Caruso vs. City of Bridgeport, et al. case, but the Supreme Court RULED that AYALA’S POLL WORKERS committed NUMEROUS ILLEGAL ACTS.
Unless the non-endorsed candidates band together on this one, nothing is going to change. DEMAND INDEPENDENT STATE OBSERVERS AT THE POLLS.
10thMountaineer // Feb 18, 2011 at 9:30 am
To your posting
10th …
If that doesn’t happen, how about observers from OIB land? A pretty savvy group … good eyes and a means of reporting what is observed …
We’re going to get people from the Gomes campaign to go observe throughout the day.
Carolanne, I wonder how many city employees will be on “personal” time watching/working the polls.
“10thMountaineer,” two very good postings.
If the state won’t send observers and Ayala continues with her dog and pony show, I’m going to recommend Dannel P. Malloy suspend habeus corpus and request the 10th Mountain Division air assault onto Chopsey Hill to restore order and sanity.
(Full disclaimer to any federal law enforcement authorities that may be reading: I am 100 percent joking about this recommendation.)
Although sometimes I think martial law would be the only way our elections would truly be fair and free.
Bob Walsh and Ed Gomes could be a tandem jump pair first out of the plane–TROLL AND GNOME: THE TIP OF THE SPEAR!
Sorry, I mean to say he should suspend posse comitatus, not habeas corpus. Although he should probably do both in this case.
Okay, I’ll take the bait. I say a 25 to 30 percent turnout, based on the number of candidates and the supposed desire of so many to be a state representative just in time to vote for the governor’s tax package and service cuts.
Weather predictions appear not to be too bad at this point.
This webzine does an outstanding job of dragging officials down off pedestals. For cussedness’ sake, I’ll go the other way here. I’m not looking at qualifications to serve, only ability to get elected. I’d use more information as a reporter than this, but I’m not on the ground, and depend on the opinions I read here.
My gut tells me Kearney should have an edge over Stallworth, but many of the others have experience in rough primaries, especially Keeley. It they are all tangled up, a dark horse, someone like Silva might have a shot. That’s only to throw a name out. The others have their assets. But of the dark horses, Silva is already an elected official from an area with a number of voters. Trojanowski, less so, for example. Means no more, no less. It just feels like Silva should have a larger base than Trojanowski. I know Keeley is long in the tooth, but he’s won some tough ones in the past and he used to have a base in Lake Forest.
I like Kearney because of her support from Ed Gomes and Chris Caruso. They got friends all over the place willing to help. (And if you say Jeff Tisdale you are saying … dare I? … Charlie?)
Stallworth has an endorsement. I don’t discount that. Contrary to the opinions expressed here, Mario is a very good politician. But my mental calculations don’t give overwhelming emphasis to the minister connection, which would make this election a slam-dunk. You white guys apparently don’t see religious support as only one element of putting together a coalition in the black community. The black guys–hello Ernie–aren’t bothering to educate you.
Who has the money? We haven’t read that much about that. This kind of an election calls for a mercenary operation. How well it is put together is the trick. With this many candidates superior organization is important.
Have all the poll watchers you want. The poll workers are more important. If the pros do a good job selecting workers, you’ll have a good election.
Who is the moderator? Hopefully it is someone strong enough with enough knowledge of the election code and human nature to tell everyone to shut up.
It is telling there are so few absentees–if that holds up by the end of day Friday. That means everyone knows that everyone is watching. That “everyone” are the 500 people who actively are involved in politics. Legal authorities might all well be from the moon.
This election has developed into a free hit for pols. It sounds like recess for people who normally would be in their lairs lying about each other until springtime. Only The Superior Presence Who rules over the Heavens may know who is supporting whom. And hey, Bridgeport being Bridgeport, there may be some side action going on there too.
WHO HAS MONEY??? (Preferably cash, in non-sequential bills.)
Did you say cash? I say turnout doesn’t hit 15 percent. But, but let’s see if we have a late AB rush. I checked in with Alma Maya again today. So far it’s quiet.
LennieGrimaldi // Feb 18, 2011 at 1:26 pm
To your posting
Lennie,
As much as it breaks my heart to see something as miserable as 15%, I am in agreement with you.
While there are multiple candidates, nobody is “feelin’ it” for next Tuesday.
Auden beat Keeley not because of the DTC endorsement … she was a very tenacious campaigner, and absent that kind of campaigner among the six candidates Keeley faces in this election, he takes it.
Audin beat Keeley not because of the DTC endorsement …
Keeley was the endorsed candidate!!!
So much for the endorsement.
Keeley hasn’t represented that district in 20 years.
Keeley hasn’t lived in that district in more than 20 years. The Keeley campaign consists of old, worn-out, tired-looking campaign signs from years ago. Pretty much like the candidate. No upset coming from that camp.
Times up …
Monday is President’s Day. Town Clerk’s office is closed. No mail delivery. In or out.
If the Town Clerk gets an AB application on Tuesday, unless the voter comes in in person, no vote.
Cash? Hmmm, would you settle for a bottle of expensive wine?
First Stewie Griffin and then Forbes. We say screw them both.
Tuesday
Mostly sunny and brisk. Cold with highs in the mid 20s. Wind chill values as low as 5 below.
Tuesday Night
Clear. Lows around 15.
Lennie, it looks like it’s gonna be a cold special election day. The snow has melted, rendering your Reindeers useless–unless they can fly.
www .ctpost.com/local/article/Forbes-all-wet-on-Bridgeport-being-On-the-1020591.php
Hey! Tom, we can count on 10th Mountaineer’s vote. He’s a warm bucket of piss. LOL.
The Men in Black came to my aunt’s house. Two suits with badges were asking if she requested the Absentee ballot, who she spoke to, who will return it, etc. Why the interest in this election? Has this happened to anybody else?
Seriously?
Oh! Now I know who the 10th mountaineers are. Those are the guys who control the Ski Trails at Jiminy Peak.
Lennie you may be confusing the 126th assembly district with the 137th aldermanic. The AB’s are appreciated ’til the end and if you don’t believe me ask Mitch Robles. Don’t those Keeley signs look familiar? I get the sense that few in the 126th are even aware of the special election and that they can by absentee ballot. Everybody is thinking Income Taxes and Oprah.
Special election news:
All the candidates are qualified but only one can win the election.
You’re smart, so here’s what you do:
Vote for leadership, compassion and the timeless traits of experience and know-how.
Vote for Mark on Feb 22. Mark Trojanowski for Connecticut State Representative in the 126th District.
www .voteformarkfeb22.com
My advice:
Never vote for an endorsed candidate.
Tom Hagen–Excellent advice.
I don’t care what Tom Lombard thinks, I think Verna’s idea about using inmates for snow removal was good, simple common sense. Something we need more of up in Hartford. We have too many reps with grandiose ideas on how they will single-handedly solved all the state problems with utter gibberish. Common sense says Verna for State Rep!
I can’t trust inmates around my snowman. Maybe Verna will bring them flowers? Okay, let’s send Verna to Hartford with that one. I’m sure the boys at the police station are voting Tom Lombard.
Tom Hagen is ultra-cool and should have a parade thrown in his honor.
My advice about Mr. Lombard is to make sure his back is better and the painkillers are tucked away.
Long drives to and from Hartford are just that, looong drives.
I was on the CTPOST website and noticed that all the candidates are named in tomorrow’s special election except for one … Carlos Silva. Several people noticed it as well. I posted a comment on their website asking that it should be corrected. And nothing. Tried calling the # provided for the editor and nothing. Others called the same # and yep you guessed it … nothing!!! Oversight? I don’t think so.