Press Release

          Bridgeport Residents Share Their Pain

12/10/09

“Feel our pain,” Bridgeport residents told their legislators.  Intent on describing the problems they confront in their daily lives, Bridgeport residents faced their legislators at the annual Bridgeport Children’s Issues Forum. 

The Forum was presented by Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition, BCAC.  It was held December 8, 2009, at Mount Aery Baptist Church in Bridgeport. 

More than 100 people attended the Forum.  Five of Bridgeport’s 8 legislators were present:  Rep. Andres Ayala, Rep. Chris Caruso, Senator Ed Gomes, Rep. Auden Grogins, and Rep. Jack Hennessey.

This annual forum is an opportunity for Bridgeport legislators to report on the outlook at the state level and discuss what they will do to support Bridgeport’s children and families.  It is also a time for community members to demonstrate their support for the critical issues affecting children and families. 

This year’s discussion focused on major topics in education, health care, and safety net.  The state budget and plans for the budget deficit mitigation were hot topics as well.

BCAC Chairwoman Frances Newby told the attendees, “The Forum presents an opportunity for legislators to commit to actively working together – as they did last year – to improve education, health care and safety net services for Bridgeport’s children.” 

Newby welcomed the legislators and the audience members.  Rev. Anthony Bennett, past chair of BCAC and pastor of Mount Aery Baptist Church, also welcomed participants. 

Barbara Edinberg, Acting Director of BCAC, said, “Tomorrow is the Appropriations Committee hearing on the deficit mitigation plan.  It is more important than ever that we keep the issues so important to children on the radar screen and that we protect critically needed health, early care, education, and safety net services for struggling families.”

Edinberg concluded, “The state cannot afford to be short-sighted – cutting may save some dollars today but we will pay in the long-term.”

After introductions, audience members who sat in five circles of around two dozen people each, devoted fifteen minute time segments to discussion with one of the legislators.  Each time segment was devoted to one of the priority issues.  Audience members shared their personal stories of hardship with the legislators. 

One woman from Bridgeport described the suffering in her family since her husband lost his job last year.  With the job loss, the family also lost health insurance.  Now the family has to decide whether a visit to the doctor is important enough to risk getting behind on rent.  She asked, “What do we do if one of us gets really sick?  Will the emergency room be able to take care of us?”   

Other parents and grandparents in the room asked legislators about funding for schools to help reduce overcrowding in classrooms.  The legislators agreed to meet as a delegation to advocate for increased funding for Priority School Districts which include Bridgeport. 

Still other participants talked about losing their jobs and needing to apply for state assistance for the first time.

All legislators present committed to meeting with the legislative leadership to prioritize budget cuts and try to minimize the impact on children. 

The state budget deficit weighed heavily on the minds of legislators and audience members alike.  The legislators said they welcomed input from parents and other community members as they face difficult decisions.       

Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition (BCAC) is a coalition of organizations, parents, and other concerned individuals committed to improving the well-being of Bridgeport's children through research, advocacy, community education and mobilization.