During this week's City Council session, unsuccessful council candidate Mark Blaschke criticized Republican Ken Cockayne for supporting a $70,000 reduction in the city's aid to the Bristol Visiting Nurse Association.
Blaschke, who lost an independent bid for council last year, said "a whole lot of people" are hurting and the cuts won't help.
Cockayne defended the budget move as necessary and pointed out that the VNA has a large reserve to cope with emergencies.
Then Cockayne ripped into Blaschke.
He said that Blaschke left a rambling, threatening phone message at his home following July's council session.
Cockayne warned Blaschke that "if you ever leave a message like that again, I'll call the police."
"Do not threaten me," Cockayne said.
A police officer was present at the meeting in case their confrontation got ugly. The officer left after Blaschke departed.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
64 comments:
Blaschke's comments in the local weekly were borderline threats as well.
If you agree or disagree with there position, no one should be threatened!
I wonder if Blashke will get credit for speaking up as some people are giving Cockayne?
ken shoots his mouth off and then cries when someone has another opinion - what was the threat? Probably something like Blaske wasn't going to vote for cokcayne next time? No big deal because I'm not voting for him either.
Go Cockayne Go Cockayne Go Cockayne GO!
Enough with the cr*ap, Cockayne. If the message was so bad you should have called the police or played it to prove how you were "threatened" instead of just making tough guy remarks in public and tarnishing Blashke for criticizing you on a vote you deserve to be criticized for.
cockayne addict, get some help.
I'm starting to like Blashke.
It seems like Cockayne has become awful secretive.
This from a person who cried for open government.
Guess he is finding it quite different now that he has to show some accountability.
Oh Kenny, put on your big boy pants and get over it.
Kenny, get down off your cross, use the lumber to build a bridge and get over it.
This is the ultimate case of two warriors getting into a battle of wits - unarmed.
2:35 - post our names like you did - what a sicko- open up ken and be a man, believe me, nobody will recognize you..
Sounds like Ken gave Mr. Blaschke a piece of his mind! Too bad ~ now he probably doesn't have any left at all.
Typical of a bully...Cockayne dishes it out but can't handle it when it comes back at him. Cockayne is the real coward.
WOW...look at all the Cockayne bashing. Looks like Cockayne really has lots of you union hacks pissed. Guess that's because he's not part of the good old boy's club! He's not beholden to the unions like some on the council.
Cockaine may not be beholden to the unions, which is good, but he is still being a jerk. too bad this guy is the best the Republicans can do.
I doubt Mr. Cockayne would be the first councilmember to be threatened by a phone call from an angry constituent and no its not right, but I don't see any of the other ones detailing a cop to the meeting or threatening the caller. I know a lot of people on this site are not a fan of former councilman Mrs. Zoppo-Sassu but some of the funniest stories I ever heard (and yes I am a city employee) were her re-telling some of the phone calls she got over the years. And yes, some of them were threatening but she didn't sick her hubby after them or complain to the chief even when as a woman, she would have been justified in doing so since some of the remarks were downright sexist and meant to be insulting and threatening. And to answer the other question on this site, no, we city employees do not like Mr. Cockayne much, but he did it to himself by showing up in the building last year as if he was God's gift to government and not giving any of us the time of day or asking opinions of how and why things were done a certain way, and in general being quite arrogent. So, I guess it could be said he reaped what he sowed with us city employees and it has nothing to do with the union but everything to do with respect.
WOW...Look at all the Cockayne bashing. Here's a thought...maybe people just don't like him. Not just union hacks, not just good old boys, but just about everyone who has to deal with (or listen to) him. I wouldn't say people are pissed at him. He's just annoying...kinda like a mosquito in your ear.
5:24
If he ignored the phone call like all of the other big boys and girls on the city council do, then he wouldn't get any press, and we all know how much he loves to see his name in print!
Poor Ms. Zoppo she is still loking for praise. Grow upZoppo. Bythe way what happend to your position on the Historical Society, heard you got put down a little, again poor Ms Zoppo.
Tell me, just what has Cockayne accomplished?
Other than making a lot of noise and getting a lot of publicity, I am not aware that he has done anything.
Cockayne has been great so far. He attacks more issues than anyone on the council.
Cockayne for Mayor!
Blaschke is a joke! He complains whenever his services are cut, but he leaches off the city for everything he has. No house = no property taxes paid, no car = no car taxes paid, no job = no income taxes paid. Yet he complains constantly. Contribute some instead of just shooting off your mouth!
Oh you poor city employees! Ken actually preaches accountability. Boy that's got to be difficult to deal with. You may actually have to work now. Boo Hoo!!
Find a job that you can't get from a connection. Meet performance objectives, show your worth, etc. but no, you can just hide behind the unions, and bleed us all dry!
Let's be real. What has anyone in this administration done? The rookies have an excuse, but what about the vets?
Let's set up a prize fight with Blashke and Cockayne to raise money for the VNA!
Cockayne for Mayor!
He is the only one on the council who does anything! He is actually taking on the tough issues and it is an up hill battle. Ward protects the unions as does McCauley and Nicastro. Ward protects Rosenthal as does Nicastro. He is fighting a great fight for the taxpayers, but thanks to Rimcocki he is pretty much operating as the loan Republican, except for Minor. LOL
Keep up the good work Ken you're doing a heck of a good job. Keep Art Ward and his cronies in line!
Blanske is obviously a mentally disturbed person who should be looked out for. The police need to keep an eye on this nut job. Ken did the right thing by reporting this to the police.
But what has he accomplished????
Poster 5:24
I know for a fact that lots of city people like and support Cockayne. It's the few like yourself that hide behind the union that don't like him. Perhaps you dont like him because he expects everyone to do there job!!
Blaschke for mayor, Therese Pac for mayor, anyone BUT Kenny "look at me" Cockayne.
"I know for a fact that lots of city people like and support Cockayne. It's the few like yourself that hide behind the union that don't like him. Perhaps you dont like him because he expects everyone to do there job!!"
You know that for a fact do you? Well I know for a fact that lots more DON'T, and most of them have nothing at all to do with the union. Oh, and we all expect everyone to do their jobs, I don't know why you think Ken deserves a pat on the back for expecting the same thing. He doesn't do anything but whine, complain, and try to get as much attention as possible...I have a 3-year-old who does the same thing. Maybe he should run for mayor?
"Ken actually preaches"
Kinda says it all, doesn't it?
August 15, 2008 6:35 AM:
What has McCauley accomplished? What has Cliff Block-head accomplished? McCauley has done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. All Block does is suck up to the BOE and the school administration.
Ken Cocaine STICKS UP FOR THE TAXPAYERS!
"Ken Cocaine STICKS UP FOR THE TAXPAYERS"
~ More like Ken Cockayne STICKS-UP THE TAXPAYERS. If he has it his way, we'll all get robbed! LOL!
1:01 poster,
You havn't been paying attention! McCauley has been working for the unions. Making sure they get everything they want. Other than that not much, he doesn't have Zippo to tell him what too say and do!
August 15, 2008 1:01 PM says that Ken Cocaine STICKS UP FOR THE TAXPAYERS!
Maybe, but Block, Minor, and McCauley stick up for ALL OF BRISTOL, not JUST the taxpayers. They've got the big picture in their sights, while Cockayne just has the Mayor's seat in his. They do most of their work behind the scenes; he does most of his in front of the TV camera.
how hilarious, blockhead block, mindless minor and mixed-up mccauley have about as much clue about city government as charles manson has about respect for life.
Unions , Unions, Unions. You republican phonies forget to mention your great "Union" man Raymond.He'll end up where Johnny was then he can ask him how he got off so easy. Must be a republican crook it's OK as long as he listens to these phonies on here.
August 14 8:47 Gee he sounds just like a republian. Maybe you should recruit him. Sounds like he'd fit right in with you.
August 15, 2008 2:13 PM:
I don't know what planet you're on but if you don't pay taxes, I couldn't care less about your opinion. You're opinion is meaningless.
That's right anyone "anti-union" is a Republican. Then I guess I should be a Republican, because I'm NOT for the unions. A vote for the Dumb-o-crats is a vote for the unions. Remember that all you non-union people. And All you Dumb-o-crats be honest with the voters, if you're not in the unione the Democrat Party IS NOT for you!
Tell us what he said Ken.
And tell us where Pac is wrong.
Or don't you have anything to say???
There go those useless republicant's at it again calling names. I guess they have to impress themselves. Children have more sense than them. They think that by calling people names it shows their intelligence. It does and guess what? It shows they have none.Cry some more !!!
9:07 Read what you said fool ! It contradicts itself. But don't you fake Democrats always do that? How about Republicant's ? Still a wannabe Republican ? Or are you a Republicant pretending to be a Democrat?
August 16, 2008 7:26 AM:
I never said I was Dumb-o-crat like you, you moron. I'm being sarcastic, obviously something your simple mind can't comprehend.
The Dumb-o-crat Party is the union party, no doubt about that. If you're not supported directly by a union, the Dumb-o-crat Party is not for you.
The partisanship on this thread is nauseating. It is people like this who can't work together for the common good that are ruining our country.
How about this statement: "we will not tolerate people being threatened in our community whether they are a Democrat, Republican or other and we will not tolerate our representatives being called at their home". Imagine that! We would actually have respect for the law and treat other's as we wish to be treated.
I have zero respect for anyone who bases their opinion on what political party someone is in rather than looking at the facts and deciding what is right and wrong. There are good and bad in all parties. Keep up the partisan crap & we will get nothing accomplished. Further, we will keep qualified people from running for office because they don't want to be exposed to this crap.
Nothing is worse than a crying republicant.
August 16, 2008 12:19 PM:
Sounds like all the crying is coming from you, you Dumb-o-crat.
August 16, 2008 11:09 AM:
I agree. And this Blaschke guy is truely simple-minded. He's even too dumb for the Democrats (although I'm sure they would welcome him as a helper as would the Republicans) Cockayne took appropriate action to thwart any more potential problems from this fellow.
You guys (Republican crybabies) want a crying towel ?
And as long as a big mouth phony is nasty it's OK right ? C'mon who are you new (old ) republicants trying to fool yourselves?
We still don't know what the "theat" was!!
C'mon Kenny, don't keep us in the dark.
The last administration under Stortz was much more open and informative than this one.
I wouldn't be nice to anyone like you because you are the perfect example of "nasty" You don't or can't be civil. And you love to lie.
And 10:09 there you children go again . When you get caught in your lies you name call. Like I said before ......Ho Hum !
If anyone wants to see the real "nut" they should follow your writings.You are a poor excuse for a human being. (Yawn)
All politicains get calls at home.
The question is, what did he say?
Unfortunately Cockayne is pulling a MCarthy.
August 14th 2:35 You phony should show your name too, but we know you'd rather hide and call names. Nyah, nyah, nyah. You baby wants some more names ? Repulicant, republicramps, all like you ! Need some more ? We got em.
August 18, 2008 10:57 AM:
The extent of your stupidity reflected in the fact that you can't comprehend your own hypocrisy is amazing to me.
18th 12:27 You are soooooo scary !! LOL You faceless phony and look at the writings and see who's stupid !!! You are of coarse!!!!
Stortz adminstration Open?
Give me a break.
4:17
Much more open than this one!
So Kenny, tell us, what did he say that scared you so much?
Funny how Kenny picks certain times to go silent, and other times you can't shut him up.
Or is it just when he can get media coverage?
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