Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Vallas pulls a fast one in Bridgeport

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Vallas pulls a fast one in Bridgeport:


Vallas pulls a fast one in Bridgeport

Vallas
They pulled a fast one in Bridgeport last night. At a "special" meeting of the board, called to head off any further debate, school privatizer/profiteer Paul Vallas was handed a new 3-year contract. The 5-4 vote came just days after the Connecticut Working Families Party mounted an all-out campaign to derail a contract extension for Vallas. Board members Maria Pereira, Sauda Baraka and John Bagley, all members of WFP, voted against the extension, along with Democrat Bobby Simmons.
"This is just one more example of Bridgeport politicians undermining democracy,” said Andre Baker, a Bridgeport City Councilor. “This is an ongoing process with an important outcome and calling a special meeting at the last minute is a blatant attempt to keep parents and citizens out of the process." 
Former State Senator Ed Gomes, who represented Bridgeport, said "as soon as questions were raised about