Joe Ganim says it’s worth taking the potential heat for fixing a broken fence that neighborhood residents say contributed to crime. Ganim recently opened a headquarters/unofficial police substation in the Trumbull Gardens area. From News 12:
Bridgeport mayoral candidate Joe Ganim took matters into his own hands to fix a broken fence in the city after many neighbors complained.
Ganim says he decided to buy a section of chain link fence Sunday morning to cover an opening which, according to residents, allowed easy access between the Sunshine Circle community and the Trumbull Gardens community.
Residents tell News 12 Connecticut that more than 200 people signed a petition asking local officials to close the opening in the fence. They say the opening provides easy access for criminals, and they say it contributed to the fatal shooting that took place at Trumbull Gardens back in June.
Full story here.
Only Joe Ganim has a real plan for Bridgeport. And only Joe Ganim is taking real action on the city’s escalating public-safety crisis.
And all the other candidates can seem to do is lob half-baked criticism at Ganim for stepping up to the plate. Their “loser” rhetoric against Ganim exposes them for the “losers” they will be on September 16.
The world is full of people using the “loser label” to describe their inability to enter the winner’s circle today.
LE, what’s the winners’ circle?
He’s just babbling, Lisa. If he had a clue he’d be working for Tim Herbst.
The “loser” label looks appropriate and good on your lapel.
Say you were running a bank and had a teller who stole from you and went to prison. Would you hire that person for the same exact job they failed to be honest about?
I’m not a Ganim supporter, but one has to question why, if the opening in the fence was a contributing factor in the shooting death and woundings of several weeks ago, this hadn’t been done already. BHA & BPD asleep at the wheel?
flubadub–I recall the news reports saying the eyewitnesses saw the shooters drive into the parking lot–very doubtful through a hole in the fence.
I can remember when the people were shot and killed, they said they escaped through the hole in the fence. It defies credulity to think Mayor Finch would allow this means of egress for the criminal element to use to evade capture. Mayor Finch, you need to be ashamed of yourself.
I was crying non-stop. Thank you Joe Ganim for making Trumbull Gardens the focus of your attempted comeback. Than kyou for going to Home Depot and buying the fence. Makes the council people look lame to say the least.
So let me explain what is going to happen. By Monday of next week the fence will be open again. Why? Because parents and children simply like the shortcut to Wilbur Cross. I know. I know these kids and the parents, not the kids, are going to want the shortcut.
The fence was really low-hanging fruit. Only a Ganim supporter could appreciate. I nominate Joe Ganim as Mayor of Trumbull Gardens. I think Joe would make a great liaison for the community in relating issues to Mayor Finch if the elected officials of that district can’t.
Why couldn’t Mary-Jane Foster’s campaign gone out Friday to put up the fence? Oh yeah, she is running for mayor.
Now what Joe Ganim really needs to do is learn from Cory Booker. You know, save a family from a burning building, something like a super hero!
Btw, seems like the kids at Wilbur Cross are thanking the Mayor for the great new Water Park, no?
Forgive me, not Wilbur Cross, Park City Magnet. So I spent an hour today at Trumbull Gardens. Ganim Headquarters was locked at 3 pm and the police substation sign is still there without the sign stating it was unofficial. Trumbull Gardens does not like to feel they are a freak sideshow in a Mayoral campaign. I was pleased to see the kids all outside playing and riding their bikes. A very nicely appointed playground was being utilized by a few families and a very large ballfield not utilized at all. The streets were very clean and the vendor selling hotdogs and burgers seemed to be doing a brisk business. From a curbside appeal factor, some trees and bushes would be an improvement.
I couldn’t speak to the quality of construction but I will say Trumbull Gardens is located in a very nice section of Bridgeport. It is a shame when night falls, drugs and occasional gunshots become a thing during long hot summers. The owner of the garbage property where Ganim has his illegal substation and headquarters could invest in a few dollars to improve that strip mall. Maybe if there were leadership in the 135th, the city could have found some cbg money to make improvements. The houses surrounding Trumbull Gardens are all well maintained and it is surprising they do not demand more from those they put in office.
I think the City and Councilmen of that district or maybe Joe Ganim himself can just call the landlord who has given him the space and say you need to clean up this derelict property as it is an eyesore to Trumbull Gardens and the people paying the taxes all around Trumbull Gardens. The city may want to consider a small waterpark for Trumbull Gardens an open it for the entire neighborhood. It seems Wilbur Cross just does not have the land.
Steve, I missed it but what did Mayor Finch and Police Chief Gaudett do about that fence?
www .ctpost.com/local/article/Bridgeport-police-chief-wants-body-cams-for-6238447.php
www .bridgeportct.gov/releases/?FeedID=2130
I do not know what they had to do about the fence, the parents of the school children will cut it open as a shortcut. Ron, you are impressed Ganim spent 30 dollars and put up the fence? Of course you are. I’d be impressed if he put a waterpark, a pool or upgraded the poorly constructed apts. In the 12 years he was the mayor and that derelict property was still there. Little things impress you, Ron?
Little things matter, Steven.
Why hasn’t your idol done anything? You knock MJF, your guy is in charge.
Andy, I was being sarcastic. I didn’t believe Foster should put up the fence. I was mocking Ganim for his showmanship and not doing anything for the Trumbull Gardens community that did not include Channel 12 news. It is becoming laughable.
It was just another opportunity for Ganim to get more face time.
We’ll see if the crook will continue to help Trumbull Gardens after he loses the Primary.
Frank, that was mean.
Joe is a grandstander, he believes he has the support of a community because he believes they are not too bright. They are and he doesn’t.
Right on the money, but mean. So that would be right on the meanie.
Maybe Joe could buy some asphalt to patch the chuckholes in Black Rock. Everyone loves him so much over here.
Isn’t that a union job? Being performed by an outside vendor? I see a grievance coming.
You’re right. All those unions endorsing Tax Bill will be up in arms.
What that fence repair represented in a very small way is a quality of life issue. Joe Ganim whom I don’t support fixed an ongoing problem and helped beleaguered people in that area. What most politicians don’t understand is the small quality of life issues actually mean a lot. I know the PD doesn’t understand, the mayor doesn’t understand and public facilities definitely doesn’t understand. PF came up where I lived and paved Broadbridge Ave with their super duper new paving machine. In the process, the heat from this machine killed a lot of branches that line the street. Have they been removed? NO. Will they be removed? NO. Quality of Life Issue.
Amen!
Andy, I like you!
Andy, any ideas on how to have local citizens take back their neighborhoods and clean their own streets and fences? It seems in some communities across the nation, the issue is too many people want elected officials to fix known problems a bit of community togetherness could solve. I am thinking fixing this long-standing fence hole is such an example, but I most certainly am willing to admit I may be wrong in this case. Do you think it is from the top down of each department addressing and fixing quality of life issues that will make the difference? Help educate me, please.
Jennifer, you are so on the money!
Cameras are the best way to prevent crime. As a person who lived in Bridgeport knows, the kids will cut a hole in a fence or tear it down instead of walk around it. A fence swings both ways. Is it there to keep people out or keep people in? Surveillance cameras for the public and body cameras for the Police.
Misplaced Nostalgia is a good term to describe those who praise Joe Ganim’s tax record. The world changed in 2008. In 1991, events conspired in Joe Ganim’s favor. He didn’t know about success, success knew about him. That’s what lead to his downfall. Many mayors enjoyed consecutive terms during those years but don’t expect a return of the “Ganim windfall.” Think of the future.
Bonus: www .BlackRockCT.com
Under Joe, the streets were clean and the pot-holes filled, trees and flowers planted, patrol cars everywhere, and Joe held the line on taxes!
Dirty streets and higher taxes, parks to nowhere, 20- and 40-year bad deals that even Finch’s followers are shaking their heads.
Joe Ganim doesn’t have to run on his record, he can run on Finch’s!
During bad times, breaking even is great. Anyone who’s ever paid their bills on time knows breaking even is a joyful outcome. Re-elect Mayor Finch because he’s upholding his oath and improving Bridgeport on several fronts.
Go back to Trumbull, trash. This ain’t your concern.
Jimfox, do you also remember the jersey barriers that lined the streets of the inner city (East and West Sides) with the graffiti all over them? How about the Latin Kings? Ganim planted pretty trees and filled potholes in some areas but not all. Ganim turned his back on parts of the inner city just as Finch has.
Quentin, I was raised on lower William Street where there were many jersey barriers. I remember driving my car and as I came to the corner I saw a man dead in the sewer. The barriers weren’t pretty, attractive, or convenient; however they did help decrease violence and the rampant drug dealing in my neighborhood.
He also tore down a dilapidated house on the corner across the street and installed a pocket park with a basketball court.
Did that park generate tax dollars, Maria? Should Finch re-install Jersey barriers? Was downtown getting a major overhaul? Was anything happening on Steelpointe? Was anyone getting 100s of low-paying jobs? Was Pleasure Beach open to the public?
Ganim tore down a dilapidated house and replaced it with a pocket park? Mayor Finch gave neighborhoods and children in the largest city in the state and one of the poorest, beautiful new parks with playgrounds, sports fields and water parks in every corner of the city, not just a chosen few.
I know you think the Jersey barriers were lovely and a pocket park were the highlights of Ganim’s economic development plan. But honestly, the best is yet to come and Bridgeport is looking pretty good especially to outsiders and their investment is our future!
Re: Today’s Bridgeport
Those who look for perfection will be disappointed. Those looking for signs Bridgeport is getting better will find much to talk about. In 2015, incumbents face stiff opposition–sometimes for good reason–but Mayor Finch is an exception to the rule because he already has good policies underway while others “explore options.”
Trying to take over our BOE and raising taxes are some really great feats–smh.
Local Eyes,
Go crawl back under your rock. You’re just an asshole. Try to contribute something constructive for a change.
TBK, you’re meaner than Frank.
Someone has to be.
LE, can you tell me where those 2000 jobs and those 3000 housing units Mayor Finch created are located?
Yes, they’re all in Bridgeport.
Sure!
LE,
I think what Jim Fox was asking you was an example of “TRUST BUT VERIFY.” For instance, if you are excited about 2,000 jobs and 3,000 housing units, where are those ‘metrics’ or ‘indicators’ to be found in regular City reporting showing such activity over the past seven-plus years?
For you to state “they’re all in Bridgeport” shows you are a believer. But are you able to be a verifier to help the rest of us locate where your “data-based opinion” is derived? For Bridgeport “dbo’s” must replace “imo’s” if we are to grow in taxpayer knowledge and trust for what any leader is telling us, don’t we? Time will tell.
This is another failure on the part of Mayor Finch. If the residents are saying this hole is a problem to their well-being and the police say this is the means of egress the shooter used, then why isn’t repairing that hole a priority for Mayor Finch.
That’s the problem with Finch as the Mayor of Bridgeport, he lacks the vision to look ahead to foresee problems before they arrive, he lacks vision to surround himself with individuals who are astute enough to foresee problems before they happen and finally he lacks the ability to govern in the best interest of all the people. It appears the best interest of certain people and certain areas of the city are not being considered as that important. Mind you, I’m not saying he is, but what I am saying is it appears he is ignoring the needs of a segment of Bridgeport and knowing him like I do, that isn’t a stretch.
Donald Day wants Mayor Finch to be clairvoyant as in anticipate the future. He’s disappointed the mayor doesn’t have superhuman features. I’m disappointed he writes such lousy posts.
Clairvoyant, no. Just the capacity to anticipate a problem without the need to let it happen when you should know better. I wouldn’t walk around Bridgeport with $100 bills tapped to my shirt because I know if something happened I shouldn’t be surprised. If I jumped off a 10-story building I shouldn’t be surprised if something happened. That’s called common sense. If someone is using a hole in a fence to wreak havoc on people’s lives I would fix the hole because that’s just common sense, not being clairvoyant. You act like that should be a problem for any reasonable person who possesses a little common sense.
You’re right, what do I expect from Mayor Finch?
The problem is not that Tax Bill Finch has no vision. His greatest failing is as a human being, neither he nor anyone in his inner circle of nannies, nose wipers, bottle washers and diaper changers has anything but antipathy for “the little people,” the poor folks living in public housing, the ones living on food stamps and Medicaid, the folks who don’t like living in the lost community. Shootings on the East Side? No problem, “Those people need to learn how to duck.” A hole in the fence? No problem, “Those people damage everything.”
Say what you will about Joe, the fact is he did attempt to fix that fence, meanwhile Finch was buying guns back from people’s attics in Ridgefield. Now if things hold to form, Finch will send public works there in a day or two to take that fence down and install a better fence. Lol, you know this will happen.
This late afternoon, I went to the gorgeous new Roosevelt School to listen to the interviews for the temporary seat on the Board of Ed. There were a few very impressive candidates including two running on Sept. 16. I would suggest signage alerting people how to gain access to the facility. The new fields and playgrounds are gorgeous. Makes a $30 fence seem so trivial. These fields and schools are the quality of life issues that have a huge impact.
Steve,if you lived in Trumbull Gardens and were afraid to go outside, that hole in that fence wouldn’t be so “trivial” to you. It was so frightening to the people, they actually were forced to get a petition going as a last resort to try to get this admin to help them. Finch meanwhile could care less about it, until now I bet.
Harvey, I know you probably appreciate that caged effect. I know for a fact the parents of Wilbur Cross students will cut through the fence. Not everybody was alerted to the photo opportunity other than the press, you know. I mean Harvey, honestly, is there anything Joe Ganim does for Trumbull Gardens that does not come with the press documenting it? It is embarrassing. A nice gesture but just using these people as a side freak show. The voters are not impressed with these photo ops, we all see it for what it is. A $30 fence is such a small little thing compared to what Ganim did to the city. Does he take everyone for a fool or just the folks living in public housing? They are not fools. Those who like Joe Ganim really really like him. Those who don’t despise him like you can’t imagine!
Harvey, if he didn’t have Channel 12 news filming it would have been a kind gesture. Having the press there made his small investment up the street at Home Depot priceless. This would be like having his picture taken serving food at the soup kitchen before heading to a pig roast in Trumbull. You get the picture!
I agree with Jennifer Buchanan. A little community involvement would be nice. Does the city have to do it all? The fence will be open in a few days. Believe me!
And Finch doesn’t have people following him around for chicken-shit photo opportunities?
Mayor Finch is the mayor, the media has his schedule. Joe Ganim personally calls Channel 12 to say I am putting up a $30 fence in Trumbull Gardens. We will wait while you set up the cameras. Anna, one is the mayor and one had been the mayor for 12 years and disgraced the city. Mayor Finch does not have press every time he has to make a condolence call.
Anna, I totally respect your support for Joe, but acknowledge these stunts for what they are and laugh! Don’t treat him like he walks on water.
Hey look, it’s chicken-shit anna!!! Finch’s city hall suck-up!
What happens in the classrooms of those schools is even more important, isn’t it? I mean the quality of education affects the long-term opportunities for “quality of life” for those students for 40, 50 or 80 years into the future. Isn’t that correct, Steve?
What has Mayor Finch done for classroom advancement each year of his term other than refer to his children who have a history of being in Bridgeport schools? If Hartford and New Haven taxpayers are funding $4500 per student in recent years, and Bridgeport OPM is directing less than $2900 per student, shouldn’t we be looking at this data, rather than the brand-new buildings? And while the Mayor has been directing more than $20 million of funding (Federal, State and local) to parks and recreation activities for youth and found the money to do those things without a strong mandate, why has he ignored for so long the application of dollars to the classroom and posted the results as they followed? Does he have any metrics on education that impress? On which the community can begin to agree? Time will tell.
Joe’s actions may have been politically expedient, but to some things we need to ask, is the position right? It’s like Harvey said, Mayor Finch will get it fixed now, but first he needed to be publicly shamed to do what’s right, what’s moral and what’s just.
Donald, you said it! Thank you.
How much time went by with NOTHING happening to address this simple issue raised by the community members? Anyone listening in the Mayor’s office? Finch has the full command of the city at his finger tips … and yet … here we are, with another vigilante ante to make Finch act.
How about the “mass shooting” at Trumbull Gardens of nine unarmed citizens and the killing of one on June 10th? We’re 11 weeks in: Any news? Any suspects?
Finally, someone said it out loud. Bill Finch will do what is right for the community but only after he has been shamed into it.
Joe Ganim opened an “unofficial” police substation near Trumbull Gardens; from what the locals have said the office is empty most days; there’s hardly any activity there. But that wasn’t why the “unofficial” substation was opened. It was a successful effort to expose Bill Finch for what he is, a callous and insensitive chief executive with latent racist tendencies. It also shamed him and Chief Joseph Gaudett into doing something to address the gun violence and criminality in Trumbull Gardens. If the police presence is close to nonexistent, the thugs and gangbangers will take that as carte blanche to do whatever they want, with near impunity.
Bridgeport Kid, it certainly was a political opportunity on Ganim’s part. Brilliant, the problem is the sign on that derelict building that should be rehabilitated that houses the Police Substation still has that illegal sign hanging and it does not say unofficial. That would be equivalent to having a sign that says Medical Emergency Room and someone dying waiting for service. What Ganim did was illegal and it should be noted since the sign is still hanging it shows utter disrespect for the entire 135th district. It is not all about getting the Trumbull Gardens vote. There are thousands of actual taxpayers who live in the 135th. Ganim does not give them the time of day, much as it was when he was Mayor!
FYI, Ganim taking live calls on channel 78 now.
WAKE UP, PEOPLE!!!
Everyone seems to have forgotten what the problem is. There was a shooting. One died. Several injured and whether you plug this hole in the F’n fence, install a gate or leave it be, none of that is addressing the lack of progress by the BPD in solving the cause. Got it???
And it is the fault of Chief Gaudett and Mayor Finch along with every member of the police union who are supporting Ganim.
Channel 78, an audience of 12.
From what I see, this wasn’t a hole in the fence cut by some neighborhood kids. It was constructed with egress/ingress by design when it was built. If it’s creating a problem, I can see it being closed. It’s not what Ganim did. It the validity of why it was done. If there was a petition, when was it submitted and did it go through city process, did Finch deny it? If this was a serious, serious issue and action had to be taken, then yes, what Ganim did was valid. If it was just to get press coverage then it was not valid. Personally I think the city should line Trumbull Ave with trees and put a gate around the tree trunk until they’re thick enough so the kids can’t damage them.
I’d rather watch Nick Toons.
Look at that picture. Mending fences in the name of public safety is the subliminal message. Clever.
This is supposed to be a BFD but it’s all show and no go. Ganim did not fix the fence, he fixed an attached gate that swings open and closed anyway. Enough of all this smoke and mirrors BS, what will be done about the upcoming tax increase?
Who cares about the fucking fence? It does not vote.
This story would appear in the New York Post with the bold headline “CROOKED POL MENDS FENCE.”