From Democratic mayoral candidate Mary-Jane Foster:
Foster Campaign: Finch Lies and Breaks His Promises
The campaign for Democratic candidate for mayor of Bridgeport Mary-Jane Foster issued the following statement today in response to Mayor Bill Finch’s radio ad:
“Bill Finch lied when he promised voters a $600 tax cut in order to get elected and he’s lying about Mary-Jane Foster’s record with the Bridgeport Bluefish,” stated Jason Bartlett, campaign manager. “Mary-Jane never took a bailout. In truth, she is responsible for transforming a contaminated, abandoned factory into the beautiful Ballpark and Arena at Harbor Yard. She founded the Bridgeport Bluefish, a franchise that has pumped $60 million into Bridgeport and the regional economy and created 140 permanent jobs, most of which are held by Bridgeport residents. The Bluefish and Arena have brought millions of people to downtown over the last 12 years and have contributed significantly to repositioning Bridgeport as an attractive destination offering family-friendly entertainment.
“What can Bill Finch point to as his legacy? Lies and broken promises. He knew he couldn’t deliver a $600 tax refund to voters but winning was more important than telling the truth. He said he would create jobs–but the only people getting jobs are his politically connected friends, like the $8 million going to his lawyer friends. He said he would lower taxes. Instead he has raised taxes. Crime is up on his watch and the majority of voters feel the city is headed in the wrong direction. And because he’s done such a stellar job, he made sure he and his staff got hefty raises–all while shaking down hard-working city employees for concessions and campaign contributions.
“Bill Finch has been an elected official for more than a decade and has nothing to show for it, so he’s attacking Mary-Jane. Everything he claims he did was initiated by someone else and every job he’s ever had has been given to him. Mary-Jane looks forward to standing toe to toe with Bill Finch and comparing her professional record to his total lack of accomplishment.”
*** Get the word out all over the city, rally in different districts, be loud & be seen, flood the streets with informational flyers, visit the seniors & homes. Earn it the old fashion way! *** Time’s a-ticking ***
Mojo got it. Saw Finch at the Ike center the other day handing out hot dogs to the elderly VOTERS. Even they were saying it’s the first time he’s been there. MJ and JG gotta hit the streets and the apartments. Win Rocky Win.
Funny you should say that. I heard the seniors were told to attend a meeting with the mayor “to talk about the election.” This came from Rose Hoyt who is Aging Director and Mario’s girlfriend. Isn’t that illegal? Unethical at least. No biggie since hardly any seniors go to Ike center anyway. The seniors of BPT would have a much nicer center if MJF became mayor and replaced Mrs. Hoyt with a competent director.
The seniors of Bridgeport would have a much nicer time of it without Rose Hoyt.
I heard Bill will be sending his $600 checks out in the next week or two. They will be post-dated for when Ash Wednesday falls on Tuesday!
Finch never met a lie he didn’t like. Bill’s nose grows!
Here’s a classic Pinocchio moment. You could fill in the blanks with Bill’s claims. Liars figure but figures don’t lie!
hwww .youtube.com/watch?v=hJ3lxzuI_sc
“A Boy Who Won’t Be Good Might Just As Well Be Made of WOOD!”
Paging NORTH45???
The radio ad is embarrassing. The Black chamber of Commerce did an amazing job hosting the meet and greet with Mary-Jane Foster. Not only was the event very well attended, but the people heard the message and participated in great discussions about development, taxes and the Board of Education. It seems the good old days, when the black community was told who to vote for by their pastors are over, let’s hope so. Paging Mr. Moales a treasurer for the Finch Campaign and appointment to the City’s board of Ed. Do his children even attend a Bridgeport public school?
Pastor Moales is not Bishop Moales, God rest his soul. Not even close.
I heard Mary-Jane helped Josh Grant get his business going at the ballpark.
I just want to say once again, I realized Finch was not a man of his word and he would do anything to get elected was when he used that property tax promise. I and others told him the city could not afford to do it. (It was give a $25,000 homestead exemption on someone’s assessed property value. A $25,000 exemption would lower the average BPT home’s property tax. HOWEVER, enabling legislation would be needed at the State General Assembly. Finch knew the City couldn’t afford the revenue loss, never introduced legislation during his double duty as Senator and Mayor. And I was ordered not to lobby for any bill that would give such an exemption.) Yes, I was fooled by Finch, and I am trying my best to rectify that mistake.
I admire you for your honesty and integrity.
MJ,
You have the proof of the lies, no? Taking credit for Fabrizi things, lies about your record and his. Shooting back with the PAC and $600 on here is not wartime consigliere work. It takes cash and deep digging to get to the truth. The people need to know. John Gomes had a Carolina consigliere. Tap into Gomes. Get your message to the streets, airwaves and print.
What’s up with the Board of Ed layoffs? Letters went out yesterday and more today. Every union is getting hit except for AFSCME who made a deal with the devil. Anyone have more info?
Let’s see, ARENA and BALLPARK or housing projects … let me really think about that for a second …
Why aren’t more people talking about the PAC fraud? After you donate money to a PAC you can’t ever use it again for your campaigns or anything and they clearly did and probably still are … the law is so clear … does anything else really matter?
I expect the SEEC to do something about the PAC issue. Too many people have been making a big deal of it. Not only have Bill Finch and William Beccaro conspired to violate state campaign finance laws, they’ve also conducted financial transactions that bear a strong resemblance to money laundering. And that is a federal crime. As this is Bridgeport there should be no question the US Attorney’s office is taking some interest in the matter.
It just goes to show you, Mario Testa and Paul Timpanelli really think the people of Bridgeport are stupid and they will do what they are told.
I am embarrassed for the city by the pack of lies the calamarian leadership has published in the name of campaign rhetoric.
I’ve been around this city a long time … could someone please tell me why Testa and Timpanelli are linked? Other than Timpanelli’s damning silence, that is …
You haven’t been around long enough if you cannot see a link between Testa and Timpanelli.
Testa and Timpanelli are the backroom operators in Bridgeport, a couple of putzes who have no concern for the people of the city of Bridgeport. Bill Finch is the punk who does their bidding.
I’m appalled by the sleazy tactics Bill finch employed to rid the BOE of three dissenting voices.
Stop bitching and get those street signs for MJF out on the avenues and streets and on your front lawns … start working actively and speak with your neighbors and friends to get rid of this toxic mayor and his flies and leeches.
The disappointing thing is both Foster and Finch are cutting deals with these black pastors but whatever happened to separation of church and state? These churches should be paying taxes when they get involved and we wonder why Obama was elected president of this country because people will vote for anyone these people tell them to vote for. Obama and Foster have one thing in common, a lot of mouth with no action.
Go back and read the amendments to the constitution, NORTH45. If a clergyman endorses a candidate for elective office it’s not a violation of the separation between church and state. It’s protected speech. Get your facts straight before you gas off.
And Finch??? I’d support Mary-Jane Foster if you ever believed Bridgeport had a chance to rise to its former glory. This isn’t a personality contest pitting Mary-Jane Foster’s enthusiastic personality against the lintlike Finch. It’s about the ability to attract a developer.
NORTH45, keep talking, you are starting to tell us what you really are about. You did a good job in your last post of telling on yourself. Keep talking and cross the line.
NORTH45 hasn’t figured it out yet. Every time he posts some bullshit remark criticizing Mary-Jane Foster several of us come back with hard information that Bill Finch is a crook. We come back with the lies Bill Finch has told, the lies NORTH45 has told about Bill Finch. Every time NORTH45 posts it only serves to make his boy look worse. We deal in facts here, NORTH45. Not the poorly conceived attacks you proffer as truth. Keep it up. We need a regime chance at Bridgeport City Hall. Just remember one thing as you dig a hole for Bill Finch: you’ll have to build him a ladder.
I’m wondering how this bit of racist diatribe will go over with members of the congregations whose churches you believe ought to be paying taxes for their pastors exercising their right of free speech.
You are right about one thing: some people will vote for whomever they’re told to. That includes Bill Finch, John Fabrizi and Auden Grogins, calamarians all.
Paging Governor Dannel Malloy. Bill Finch is also talking about you in this ad. Malloy is doing the same thing he (Finch) is accusing Foster of accepting. Is Bill Finch against Malloy assisting ESPN and four other large State employers to save and create jobs? Based on his (Finch’s) comments, Malloy is just bailing them out and it’s wrong.
At this stage of the game Bill Finch will say anything to get re-elected. He must be a frightened man. Never had a straight job, always appointed or elected. It’s uncomfortable on the unemployment line when you have no marketable job skills. No record of achievement to promote, no virtues to extoll. So what is he doing? Attacking the character and credibility of an opposing candidate. There are no legitimate criticisms of Mary-Jane Foster so Finch’s handlers are creating a few. Sending an operative into this chatroom to exhort the intelligent voters to “vote for Finch!” NORTH45 claims a church should pay taxes if the pastor endorses a particular candidate, claiming it’s a violation of the separation between church and state. This is simply woeful ignorance of the law and the constitution. NORTH45 is either a complete and total moron or is simply parroting what he has been instructed to say by Adam “Pecker” Wood.
Joel Gonzalez // Aug 19, 2011 at 1:16 am
Mary-Jane Foster needs to run a Mac Attack ad. Remember 38 months ago when Lennie did the first Pol pod interview with Tom McCarthy and all the OIB readers and listeners had their ears full of wax until I took care of that problem. Mary-Jane Foster must hear this one interview and seriously think about running a Mac Attack ad using the words of McCarthy as he reveals Finch knew coming into the ’07 race the city was in a dire financial situation but still went on to promise a $600 tax refund to homeowners.
Here is my response back then (38 months ago):
Joel Gonzalez // Jun 25, 2008 at 2:46 am
Lennie;
Before you do another pod interview, you should send some Q-tips cotton swabs to some of your readers and now listeners here. By the postings of some here, it is obvious they need to clear the wax out of their ears.
Remember when the feds read you your rights Lennie?
“Anything you say can and will be used against you.” This also applies in politics and since we had the first frog jump out of the pond, I shall dissect him.
When you asked McCarthy about the positives and negatives of being Council President, he responds by saying, “The problem is you (meaning himself and the Council members) are always making bad choices.” Bingo!
He then goes on and states, “We (the City) have all the burdens. We have the poor population, the hospitals and sewage treatment plants.” I am poor and I’m very sorry I and the majority of the city is such a “burden” on McCarthy. Had McCarthy paid any attention to the City’s spending, we the poor would not be getting hit with higher rents (landlords passing the buck) and more taxes for supermarkets that will also pass the buck to consumers. The Town of Trumbull is the only town that is hooked up to our treatment plant and they pay for the service. The police does not protect the hospitals, the guards do that. The Police go to the hospitals to take statements from victims of crime or accidents. He points out cutting nurses, library staff and raising taxes as some of the “bad choices” he had to make. McCarthy fails to point out his bad choices are what led to the tax increase and the $16 million deficit that lead to it. Listen to what he said, when Lennie asked about the BOE targeting his people. He did not correct Lennie on his choice of the word “targeted.” “Nobody for any reason whatsoever, should feel their livelihood (there’s that hood again) could be in jeopardy for making a decision as an elected official.”
I’ll bet my remaining nine digits not a single elected official will lose their job. Ezequiel Santiago got a $20,000 raise and a promotion. He says nothing about non-elected officials who are critics of the administration or the Democratic Party and the fact they are the ones being targeted. The dumbest posting is the one that suggests McCarthy would make a good mayor. Here is a guy (a lawyer) who runs for City Council and doesn’t even know what a soft sheet is. Lennie, is that how you trained them? Lennie, next time you interview McCarthy ask him about “The Flats” in Cleveland.
Mary-Jane doesn’t have to listen to the whole interview. Here is my short ‘cut’ to the audio:
Joel Gonzalez // Jun 26, 2008 at 1:29 am
Lennie thanks for sending all your listeners a pair of Q-Tip swabs. Folks here haven’t realized (Lennie included) the important revelation given by Council President McCarthy in his Pod cast interview with Lennie Grimaldi.
For all you poor listeners, I ask you to listen to the most revealing 16 seconds in the interview. Start listening at 11 minutes and 40 seconds into the interview up to 11 minutes and 56 seconds. I quote Tom McCarthy as follows.
Start 11:40
“I mean it is a different mind-set from Hartford and he (Finch) has been in Hartford for a while and it is a different mind-set than coming back and running a City.
But, what I like is the fact–and this is what a lot of people don’t like, is he (Finch) was willing to come in and make some very tough decisions in an awful financial environment and I give him credit for that.”
End 11:56
This 16 seconds of the recording reveals Finch knew coming into the Mayoral race the City was “in an awful financial environment” as you heard it. Why is Bill Finch blaming Fabrizi for what he knew he had to face coming in? This revelation proves Bill Finch intentionally lied about the $600 tax refund as he knew the City was in an awful financial environment. Now Lennie you have the smoking gun and I hope you show some journalistic principles and build on the statement of Tom McCarthy. If you let this opportunity pass you by, we shall all be disappointed.
Now is the time for OIB readers to call Mary-Jane Foster’s headquarters (203)908-3684 and tell her she must listen to this revealing interview and just like Bill Finch used my “Bastard” comment against her, she too shall use this against Finch–consider it a set precedent. Call (203)908-3684 NOW!
Joel Gonzalez // Aug 19, 2011 at 1:24 am
I wonder why Bill Finch didn’t go to the CT Post with this posting from 38 months ago?
Jason Bartlett is awfully quick on his responses. Maybe he should make some phone calls before he goes and says things.
Bartlett should’ve called Bob Walsh before he went and said “Mary-Jane never took a bailout.”
From CT Post 10/4/2008:
City Council member Robert Walsh, D-132, said “This is corporate welfare,”
The same way he should’ve called Joel Gonzalez before he went and said “Mayor Finch is fanning the flames about a blog posting, for which Mr. Gonzalez has already apologized.”
From last week’s CT Post article:
Gonzalez said. “(But) to the mayor, I will give no apologies. I said it. I stand by that statement.”
Read more: www .ctpost.com/local/article/Joel-Gonzalez-withdraws-from-sheriff-s-race-Bill-1871379.php
I’m sure he has Walsh and Gonzalez’s phone numbers.
Give them a call, Jason.
BUT DON’T CALL THEM WHILE YOU’RE DRIVING!
www .wtnh.com/dpp/news/fairfield_cty/bethel-rep-motor-vehicle-charges
At this stage of the game Foster will take the endorsement of an East End felon who stole money from Bridgeport residents. How low and desperate can a candidate get?
Joe Ganim is a convicted felon. Were it not for Finch’s need of a high-paying job he’d be running for the office of mayor. Ganim would receive Mario Testa’s blessing and support. Mario Testa, king of absentee ballot manipulation. Mario Testa, the man from Madison Avenue who decides who gets a job with the city. His choices aren’t based on hiring qualified applicants, just returning political favors.
There is clear and unequivocal evidence Bill Finch has been laundering campaign funds for his own personal use. There is documentation he maneuvered to dissolve the BOE in order to remove three members who did not agree with his policies. Mr. Finch is on the record saying democracy doesn’t work for many of Bridgeport’s parents because they are illegal immigrants or convicted criminals. The latest radio spot from Mr. Finch claims credit for Finch for things that happened on John Fabrizi’s watch. Your boy has done absolutely nothing for the people of the city of Bridgeport.
Politics is not a game, sir. Well, maybe to you it is. The future of the city is at stake. We cannot afford four more years of Bill Finch, Adam “Pecker” Wood and Mario Testa obstructing progress by demanding an unreasonable tithe from developers. We cannot afford another four years of Finch, Wood and Testa pimping off the taxpayers for their own material and political gain. We just can’t afford Finch, period.
TBK
You have been doing a good job of maintaining a litany of Finch failures and/or false claims. It helps people to keep focused on the myriad ways this administration, despite arrogance, real power and structural advantage of incumbency has let us all down.
While I am usually reciting financial sins, I would like you to add one more “inactivity” to his list. Not original to him, because Fabrizi followed the same sloppy practice, but the Charter provides the Mayor the opportunity/duty to select/appoint about 130 unpaid residents to about 20 Boards and Commissions. They are appointed to serve for a term that differs by group. The problem is people continue to serve well beyond their terms and/or cease to function. Death or job change or sickness contributes to quorum issues for important land use groups. When a member exhibits thinking contrary to the Mayor, they are replaced promptly because their term is over, i.e. they are overdue for replacement.
You would think in this City where overlapping employment, elected office and DTC service is so frequent, you wouldn’t have to rig the Boards and Commissions too. But here is another way absolute power moves towards corruption.
Will the new broom grade those serving who have served in the past but are outside their term into: Superior (re-appoint); Acceptable (Re-appoint if better candidates are unavailable); and Below expectations (replace). Factors going into such an evaluation might be attendance record, contribution to the functioning of the group, extra education and training, and respect of colleagues and public. Just a thought … but good people have been let go, and others asked to serve without previous community experience. Not a way to run a government that makes decisions for all of the people.
TBK, keep up your good work.
Thanks, BEACON2.
The original complaints filed with the City Ethics Commission and the State Elections Enforcement Commission were submitted by Tom Kelly, an employee of the Mary-Jane Foster campaign. Mr. Finch’s response to the allegations was to issue a statement in which he claimed he made every effort to do everything “above board” and then going on to more or less incriminate himself. Adam “Pecker” Wood, Mr. Finch’s chief of staff and personal son-of-a-bitch, responded by pointing out Mr. Kelly once operated a restaurant that is now closed, questioning Mr. Kelly’s business acumen, but not denying the allegations of malfeasance. Investigations by several local news organizations have proven there is more than a little validity to the charges Mr. Finch and William Beccaro, an attorney contracted to perform outsourced legal work for the city, have engaged in campaign finance irregularities that smack of money laundering. It has also been proven Mr. Finch had been engaged in dialogue with several individuals, a dialogue that concerned giving control over the school system to the mayor’s office. One of the people involved was an employee of a Greenwich billionaire.
In his 2007 mayoral campaign Mr. Finch asserted he would work to make city government more transparent. What Mr. Finch tells the public has no resemblance to the reality on the ground. He and his inner circle do not like to explain themselves to the voting public. Such secretive behavior leads one to believe they are up to no good, which is being confirmed nearly every day.
No one forced the mayor and his associates to engage in this sort of unethical–and occasionally illegal–behavior; no one held a gun to their heads. Once they did, however, they made themselves fair game and should be prepared to suffer the consequences.
And to correct your negative spin, Ernie Newton did not steal money from Bridgeport residents. He was convicted of bribe-receiving, misuse of campaign funds and tax evasion. None of the money came from Bridgeport residents. Which means you, NORTH45, are ignorant or a liar.
NORTH45, who put Mayor Finch’s name in to be nominated for mayor last month? And tell us a little something about that person.
Hahaha.
Repost:
Time to put the Finch ads through the fact checker: 323 Fairfield (the new construction mixed-use building on the corner of Fairfield and Lafayette) had its tax agreement negotiated and construction start during Fabrizi’s administration. The $25 million of preferred financing through a GE Capital investment was secured during the Fabrizi administration. That financing helped 323 Fairfield and 333 State close their financing gap.
As for the five new schools and the NRZs that put their plans together to improve the neighborhoods surrounding those new schools: again all done during the Fabrizi administration. Yes Finch was there when the school doors opened but the heavy lifting was not done by Finch.
As for the new regional high school and middle school, the state financing was secured during the Fabrizi administration for both schools. Finch can take credit for the groundbreaking and opening of Discovery Middle but he totally screwed up the negotiations with Trumbull on the regional high school. That school was supposed to open next month. It is still a couple of years away. Where do the kids go when they are ready to graduate from the Discovery Middle School?
As for Steelpointe–don’t get me started. When Fabrizi took office the city did not have title to over one third of the land. Yup, a developer was selected during the Ganim days without the city owning the land on the peninsula. Tough to hold the developer to timeframes when the City didn’t own the property! In the four years Fabrizi was in charge all of the property became city owned by very complicated court and DPUC actions; the new zoning was enacted and a strong land disposition agreement was put in place. Fast forward to today: where are the retail store announcements? Stratford Avenue’s reconstruction will start this fall and be completed in 2012 thanks to the TIGER II grant. Finch can take credit for that given the heavy lifting by our congressional delegation but what is going to go on the site and when? Please don’t tell me it’s a super WalMart, Target or other such big box! I can go to Stratford or Milford for those stores. Steelpointe was to be a major destination; something very unique with the public boardwalk, big boat marina that would feed off Derecktor’s and all kinds of specialty mixed uses. Hello, is Finch holding the developer’s feet to the fire? How many times did the developer go to the Las Vegas shopping center conference in the hopes of landing major distinctive retailers? It must be five trips by now. Still no announcement! If there is an announcement in the next three weeks, it better not just be a ‘primary photo op.’ It better have some substance behind it that residents can read and know it’s for real.
As for Downtown, well I just don’t see anything of substance Finch can take credit for except the mill and fill paving project to put a temporary layer of asphalt on a couple of the streets; the graffiti art and pocket park near the old Boy’s club that recently burned; and the landscaping at the Transit Garage on lower Water Street. The solar-powered recycling bins are neat but they aren’t adding to the tax base. The financing to separate the storm and sewer pipes is not secured therefore the design hasn’t started! The parking meters still take only quarters; the railroad underpass on Water Street is still not upgraded; the crosswalk signs don’t work; the signage is terrible; the traffic congestion around Harbor Yard at peak events is still awful; the signals are not timed correctly so you have to stop at every block. I can go on and on. Finch’s performance to grow Bridgeport’s tax base has been abysmal in my opinion.
So he throws out a Request for Qualifications for new parking meters with a three-week turnaround time (primary timeframe?). Then he throws out a Request for Proposals for six blocks of the Downtown without phasing; street level planning; public garage location so that there is shared parking downtown rather than a sea of expensive on-site parking; no preference for historic preservation; no strategy to provide for higher densities so the essential tax revenue is generated to ease the pressure on our ridiculously high uncompetitive mil rate. Then I find out a planing and zoning commissioner was calling folks including developers to attend a Finch fundraiser that was held last night at Fairchild Wheeler. Time to take a shower!
The Finch ads don’t pass the fact checker. This City needs a huge breath of fresh air and a top to bottom scrubbing.
Without a doubt Mary-Jane Foster is the person Bridgeport needs to move this City forward; forward in an ethical; sound; transparent and inclusive manner.
The mayor is laundering money. Members of the City Council don’t pay taxes. None of them do anything for good of the people of the city of Bridgeport.
Every member of the City Council ought to have their voting records scrutinized. How many of them have paid their property taxes? With so many of Mario’s “nephews” on the city payroll the scofflaws on the common council ought to contribute to the salaries. After all, it was the goombah on Madison Avenue who got them the job.
Liar Liar Pants on Fire! Is that the best Mary-Jane can come up with? Let’s start with facts folks, OK! Mary-Jane took a bailout from the city. She also hob nobs with the likes of John Stafstrom and Ann Philips all of whom are connected politically. Some of the side effects of Mary-Jane are munchies and impaired judgement. Hiring Jason Bartlett was the first mistake she ever made. Can you at least buy a bluetooth for crying out loud?
And now Finch is touting his accomplishments in the article that talks about enticing a developer to rehab downtown. Even Phil Kuchma backed off of this one …
This all goes back to Mayor Tedesco’s administration and thievery. When 25/8 was built his family made a bundle of money buying up properties at the foot of where the highway joined I-95. He then retired to Greenwich. That’s where John Fruge wanted, in 1957, to put what is now Trumbull Shopping Park. When Tedesco refused (citing the above), Fruge built in Trumbull. From that time forward downtown has deteriorated into what you see today, an empty, unproductive, run-down shell. Ganim’s administration took over a myriad of properties by eminent domain taking those properties off the tax rolls and making Bridgeport a landlord with no income coming in. Finch’s flies and leeches have no idea what to do or how to do it. This is just a typical political ploy to get votes.
Bridgeport’s potential has been sabotaged by politicians for the past 50+ years and now it’s time to pay the piper!!!
Seems as if Jason hasn’t been a squeaky clean law-abiding citizen either, seriously, no driver’s license and playing with your phone while driving? Naughty boy!
OMG–some of the lengthy diatribes posted here by the MJF fans tells me some of you need to lay off the coffee or switch to decaf. While you might be getting an adrenaline rush writing your negative dissertation, some of us have already fallen asleep reading it.
countdown–been around the block a few times and looking to get recycled? Shouldn’t you be out there campaigning for your GF instead of posting?
Godiva–I guess the MJF supporters have been knocked down for the COUNT when hard-hitting facts come their way, OK!
Mary, good point. So much for the MJF camp promoting themselves as having a new approach/change to city government when the majority of her support comes from a bunch of disgruntled burnouts who are all blasts from the past. It’s time to put them in the pasture and this is one time I’m anti-recycling.
That’s great, you girls are over here talking to yourself.