November 17, 2009 11:54 pm

Fireworks At City Hall

Who knew that the first board of education meeting (BOE) would create more controversy than the Common Council meeting? But even though Nick Kydes threw a temper tantrum and threw Joanne Romano’s �stuff down the dias so that he could site next in Laurel Lindstrom’s old spot, the night of bizarre behavior belonged to what can only be called sore loser-itis and the antics of Shirely Mosby who practically assaulted a parent from Rowayton. It seems that Ms. Mosby had issues with her Rowayton vote turnout, and blamed the active parents from the people’s republic of Rowayton.

It wasn’t just Mosby, who is of course, unelected from her appointed position on the BOE. Migdalia Rivas decided to attack newly seated BOE members as being discriminatory. Most of this transpired while the council sort of debated over committee assignments. The Dems wanted proportional representation. The Republicans wanted to keep things at 5 Republicans to 2 Democrats.

The problem for the Democrats, as newly minted Council President Doug Hempstead later pointed out, is that when it was 10 Democrats to 5 Republicans in the 2005-07 Council, committee assignments were 4 Democrats to 1 Republican. Unfortunately since most council members spend an inordinate amount of time remembering slights of election years past, the endless rinse and repeat cycle persists. Will they ever figure out that they all represent all of us? Hempstead did offer this, he publicly called for any committee chair to allow additional council members to participate in committee meetings with everything but voting rights. That essentially is the essence of committee work. Being there, getting the presentations and back up material and being familiar with the issues in order to vote at the full council anyways.

It’ll be interesting to see if the spirit of Hempstead’s intent is honored by both his caucus and the Democrats.

Meanwhile, the BOE action was filmed, so let’s see where the clips get published. Then we should see the Migdalia show in full. The altercation between Mosby and the parent happened in the hallway.

NorwalkSpectator

Oh, the Rivas review should be priceless. I’m reserving my seat now!!! I wonder if she’ll provide a display at every meeting?

By the way, did anyone notice the opening line of the article that was in yesterday’s paper?

“Although minority students are in the majority in Norwalk,…”

If that is true, then wouldn’t that mean that we actually have a minority board? I know that Dr. Moore once pointed out that West Rocks has something like 60% minority students, which would mean to me that the minority students are actually the “majority”, but hey, whose counting?
Publius

Apparently the voters of Norwalk owe Mosby and Rivas an apology for electing who they did?
Secondhand Rose

Migdalia Rivas is nowhere near being the class act her sister Judy has been.

Judy Rivas must be bowing her head in shame right about now.
East Norwalker

Let’s try some simple math concerning the make-up of the Common Council committees.

Since there were 10 Republicans and five Democrats elected to the Common Council that means it is a 67% (R) to 33% (D) ratio.

A four to three split on the committee’s means 57% (R) to 43% (D).

A five to two split on the committe’s means 71% (R) to 29% (D).

Seems to me a five to two split is more of a “will of the people” than a four to three split.

With that said, it would have been a good gesture of the Republicans to have a four to three split on one or maybe two committees to show some bi-partisanship, but I will not hold it against them.
Al Raymond

Good job East Norwalker , I think all the committees should be four , three split NO questions asked if we are to have bi-partisanship it need to start here and now and it should come from Doug Hempstead . Doug please do the right thing for all of Norwalk, put us back on the road too recovery your the boss now lets start off with openees and transparency and as much involvement from the public as possible.
Barnstorm

As much as I’d like to think our various politicians are above this sort of thing, I can’t help but get the sense that the Republicans are kind of rubbing it in the Democrats face a bit.
Given the election results, they’re entitled to I guess.
I do hope Mr Hempstead sees to it that it doesn’t set the tone for the next two years, and that sufficient maturity returns to actually get some meaningful work done.
The Democrats have an awful lot of work to do if they want to ever have a future in Norwalk again.
Kurm Udgeon

Only the dems speak of bipartisanship, never the repubs. Why would the locals be any different then the national party. They will just be the party of no, until they get back in the majority, then they will rub the dems noses in it like a puppy in toilet training.
There is not going to be any bipartisanship for the next two years. If Doug had ever had a pair, he would have remained an independent and not sold out to the repubs just to get elected. Now, he does his masters bidding like wormtongue for voldemort. When will we ever learn that without some way to organize those of us who won’t swear fealty to one or the other of these two political trainwrecks, nothing will get fixed.
Why The Hate

Was Mosby ever elected to her position? Was Rivas? Only Greg Burnett and Rosa Murray won support by the voters. These people need to understand that they were voted out of office by voters. Bringing all this hate to a new board is just wrong.

turfgrrl

Why The Hate: Migdalia Rivas was elected to her seat in 2007 after being a midterm replacement in 2006.

Secondhand Rose

I know for a fact that Rivas was not elected to her position when she first took her seat on the BOE. She was finishing out her sister Judy’s term. Judy had to resign due to illness. I was in attendance at the meeting when Rivas was approved by the rest of the board.
NorwalkSpectator

That’s depressing, Rose, to think that all this time Judy Rivas was supposed to be on the Board. And when does Migdalia Rivas’s term expire? I wonder if Bruce Kimmel would consider coming back? Bummer, he’s a white male.

How about Maria Borges Lopez? Come on people, put on your thinking caps and let’s start working on the next election, whenever it is.
Secondhand Rose

Well, I don’t know about “all” this time – Migdalia was approved to finish out Judy’s original term, and then Migdalia ran – and was elected – for another term all on her own. But it is true that if Judy hadn’t resigned, she (Judy) would probably still be on the BOE. Judy was a very effective person and served well on all the various boards she was elected or appointed to. And, might I add, was a fair and balanced person – something her sister doesn’t appear at all to be.
Embarassed Democrat

Migdalia was elected to represent District B, while the four newcomers were elected at-large. Since District B always elects Democrats, anyone, and I mean ANYONE can get elected in those seats.Look who they tried to get nominated as a mayoral candidate! Look who they’ve elected to Common Council in recent years. The party cannot do anything about this except encourage others who live in that district to reform it. Being the “Big Tent” party is a lot more challenging than being the White Peoples Party.

turfgrrl

Embarrassed Democrat: By being the “Big Tent” party you mean suggesting (any of the following) Mike Geake, Anna Duleep, Bill Krummel, Mike Coffey, Phyllis Bolden, Herb Grant, Carvin Hilliard, Greg Burnett and Fred Bondi didn’t fit in the Democratic tent?

concerned citizen

turfgirl that is some lineup that you mentioned. almost everyone of them wouldve won reelection this year and kept the council democratic. a couple of them even wouldve made good mayors if given the chance. do you agree ?

turfgrrl

concerned citizen: Fred Bondi did win re-election as a Republican. Hilliard as a Democrat. Geake and Duleep did run and came close. The rest, for various reasons did not seek elected office. But then one of the big differences that I see between the two parties is that the Republicans keep their former elected officials involved, and the Democrats seem to kick their former elected to the curb. In corporate speak, the lack of institutional knowledge is a problem.

Embarassed Democrat

The Republicans would never tolerate Republicrats collaborating with the other party for their own power plays, like those you mention above. Have to give your party credit for that discipline. Actually I’m not sure about Greg Burnett collaborating. Most of his district just voted him out for incompetence. It doesn’t look like Fred Bondi, who was always a Republican at heart, was welcomed with open arms. I note that he did not get to chair his beloved P & R committee. Could it be that maybe there’s lack of trust?
Also, being an all white party, there are fewer differences of opinion and no chance of anyone playing the race card. Those are the benefits of being a Republican.
NorwalkSpectator

Wow, Embarrassed Democrat! Last time I saw Mary Roman, she looked the same to me. (And on a national level, can we talk about Alan Keyes, Thomas Sowell, Clarence Thomas, Walter Williams, Larry Elder, Star Parker, Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, Greg Crosby, Michael Steele and Dr. Condelessa Rice?) Also, I have heard from three other non-white Democrats that they didn’t vote a straight party ticket.

I also happened to be present one day a few years ago when Carvin Hilliard said that he didn’t understand this whole party politics concept. He went on to say that when he was down in the Carolinas (I don’t remember which one), he ran for Board of Education — and won — as Carvin Hilliard, not as a Democrat. (And Carvin, if you are reading this and I got it wrong, please correct me.) Most of the time, Carvin’s thoughts are pretty straightforward and I frequently agree with him. Not always, but then again, I don’t always agree with myself, either. What makes you think that all Republicans think alike? The Republican party, just like the Democratic Party, is made up of people, every day working people, rich people, poor people and of all races. Everyone has, and is entitled to, their own opinion.

Just asking…

Republicans can list their minority representatives easily; Dems have so many that it would be imporssible. Does the term “tokenism” mean anything to you, Norwalk Spec?

NorwalkSpectator

I object to Embarrassed Democrat’s use of “all white party” to describe the Republicans. Could it be that just maybe….just maybe….I may not be familiar with all the Republicans in town rather than tokenism? The other point is that when I get to know someone, I am far more interested in them rather than their race or party affiliation. My list of those Republicans on a national level was by no means inclusive, but in my mind, the presence of one non-white member voids the use of the word “all”.

Also, I find it interesting that Mary Roman was City Clerk for a few years before Mayor Knopp, who immediately side lined her and put someone else in. When Mayor Moccia took office, Mary was back where she belonged.

Embarassed Democrat

Dear Norwalk spectator,
Think you missed the point, which is that party members ususally stick together when they are governing. It’s called “party discipline” and what the Republicans do well here.
In recent years Democrats, not so well with Carvin Hilliard being a star traitor. What does he or Burgess care which party gets elected?
Watch what’s gong on with the healthcare legislation at the national level as the Democrats exercise party discipline to get all those cats herded into voting on the bill .
Secondhand Rose

I can’t understand the whole “party politics” thing either. If you ask me, holding to this outdated attitude does two things: One, it destroys the ability of people to work together on projects for the common good in a bipartisan manner; and Two, it hurts the City and by default, its citizenry, when the two parties are so immersed in their separate ideologies that they cannot find a way to work together and end up shooting themselves in the foot.

What we’ve been seeing in the Norwalk Democrat Party since Alex Knopp lost the election is a perfect illustration.

And Fred Bondi is another perfect illustration – he was able to work effectively with both sides of the table when he was a Democrat; and I expect the same from him now that he’s a Republican. To be honest, the Dems have yet to realize how much they’ve lost by letting Fred go. But to do that, they’d have to take the blinders off first, and they seem to be too vested in bitterness and vituperation to bother doing that, never mind how much it hurts the City.
Just asking…

Bondi? Working with both sides? Ha! He’s Norwalk’s own Joe Leiberman — a party of one, working whichever side is most favorble to his own interests.

And how much “working together” was there in the Esposito days when there were very few Dems on the Council? Most of them were sidelined and ignored — if not blatantly ridiculed — as the Republicans voted as a solid block (with Bondi on the side that was winning, of course.) The good of the City? Oh sure. The Espostio-era mantra was “whatever works for my developer buddies.” So, hang on. You ain’t seen nothing yet…

ENW

Liked that! -I was thinking of the Lieberman similarity as well.

anonymous

“a party of one, whichever side is most favorable to his own interest”??? That is usually referred to as someone not tied to party interests and works on whatever is best for his constituents. If done correctly, his constituents will reward this by re-electing him no matter what party he runs under or even if his own party kicks him out, much like in the case of Bondi.
Just asking…

Maybe Bondi is more like Norwalk’s own Joe Bruno…