When was the last time Democratic Town Chair Mario Testa showed up to a Board of Education meeting and a City Council meeting on the same night? You might have to dig deep for that one. Monday night the little giant stepped away from his popular Madison Avenue restaurant to show his face–and sometimes that’s all that matters–at the organizational meeting of the school board chaired by Mayor Joe Ganim in which the ambitious young attorney Dennis Bradley became the surprise chairman six days after he received the oath to join the school district. Right after that, Mario attended the City Council meeting to witness the reelection of political disciple Tom McCarthy as president of the budget and legislative body. Things have changed for Mario with Joe Ganim back in office.
Mario Testa is not the kind of politician who leaves his supporters and contributors on the beach. You help him elect his candidates, he helps you. That’s how Mario does things in his political rite of passage. He’s old school. Throw in a little respect and you’ve got his attention. Bill Finch showed no respect. Mario took care of business. A number of things strategically went wrong with the Finch mayoralty but it also didn’t help Finch thought he was the sun, moon and stars. Ganim is mayor again.
You wanna get stuff done politically in the city, you do it through three key areas: the mayor, City Council and Board of Education.
Monday night there was an expectation either former board chair Sauda Baraka or Howard Gardner, the thoughtful, professorial-like school board member would become chairman. A little political dipsy-doodle took place. Gardner is a reasonable, proud man, but he’s not the kind of guy you can approach about taking care of a mighty political contributor eyeing a school contract. Nor is Baraka. Bradley may not be that way either, but someone younger, ambitious, politically smart with a gift for gab may be more accommodating down the line. To Mario’s way of thinking that’s a better bet. Bradley became chairman by a 5-4 vote. Mission accomplished.
The council presidency was a foregone conclusion–McCarthy is well liked among council mates–where Mario has skin in the game there as well. Mario has a mayor who respects him and a disciple McCarthy who respects him, except McCarthy is a tricky balancing act for Mario. McCarthy, while close to Mario, also was loyal to Finch. After Ganim vanquished Finch in the Democratic primary McCarthy, irrespective of having received his city job during Ganim’s first mayoralty, followed Finch’s lead in supporting Mary-Jane Foster in the general election. McCarthy could not deliver his district for her as Ganim won handily across the city. During the Finch mayoralty McCarthy put himself in the crossfire of conflict because he served a dual role as council president while also working at the pleasure of the mayor as deputy director of Labor Relations, in direct conflict of a City Charter provision prohibiting city employee councilors. What ever happened to checks and balances in government? City Attorney Mark Anastasi had reasoned it was okay based on a provision of state law.
Ganim on the campaign trail announced he would do something about the conflict. Will he? It would be easier for Mario to go to bat for McCarthy had he supported Ganim in the general election.
The McCarthy case is an interesting test for Ganim. Will he wait it out and see if McCarthy is accommodating as council president to shepherd through things Ganim wants from the budget and legislative body? Or will he tell McCarthy to make a choice, council or the city job? Or might Ganim say look, I know you gotta eat so we’ll shift you into a position in the Board of Education where the conflict is not so apparent and we all save face?
Makes it a lot easier for Joe and Mario with a friend in charge of the school board.
Well Lennie, it is nice Tom McCarthy has celebrity status. Whatever the fate of Tom McCarthy, it doesn’t change James Holloway and Milta Feliciano having city jobs. Personally, I have no problem with that as everyone knows. You will not see me asking for them to make a choice. I am certain of only one thing. The sun will come out tomorrow and even that, I am not so sure. Personally, with all the issues happening in our city, good, bad or otherwise, I do find it strange McCarthy having a job is an issue.
Steven, you must understand if he serves at the pleasure of the mayor, that means the mayor has the keys to his livelihood and can pressure the council president to do city business the mayor’s way or the highway. No checks and balances. I do wonder if you are following along sometimes.
Board of Education employees are paid from the city treasury. The city charter prohibits those who are paid from the city treasury to serve on the city council.
I met Dennis Bradley. My impression was he is earnest and interested in being on the move in his career path. But just too well put together somehow. Too clean. That is someone who sharpens their knife, always looking for a bigger piece of meat. Temptation is hard to resist. Is that him? Intuition says yes given his age and yuppie-like ambition. A lot of opportunists in politics. That said, I know someone whom I respect as a very honest man who knows and likes Dennis Bradley, so Dennis, just don’t kiss ass too much and you will grow up fine.
Your intuition says yes? And you feel the need to post that? Give him a chance, he seems very level-headed. Let’s see how he does.
Coming back to this post and reading other’s comments below, I will let you do the same and take that as an affirmation of my intuition. It is called your gut instinct. Mine says he is a decent guy, but too quick to get his own. That makes one available to be influenced and that’s what we are talking about. You may know him. I wish him well, and to go light on the ass-kissing.
Lol, Park City too, I am always following along. Politics is now and will always be a dirty business. Great for gossip. The things I have seen and heard as part of the inner circle 26 years ago would blow your mind right down to internal investigations. I always have a lot to say, what I don’t say is so much more fascinating. There are things that will never change. Patronage jobs are important. An elected official needs to surround himself with people he can trust. Anyone on this blog who doesn’t get that is a little dull and naive. That’s okay, I used to be.
When you don’t say anything at all, it is most fascinating. Check yourself for tooting your own horn too much, that is what leaves you open to rebuttal. Cheers.
All you need to surround yourself with are honest professionals in various fields who would be happy to make a good living and enthusiastic about providing their talents in public service. Patronage jobs will get you un-elected, if the public pays attention. Patronage jobs make departments fail and often have serious consequences.
Bradley would sell his soul to move up, anyone involved in the TC race a while back knows he had the knife sharpened for his district leader before they won.
I personally trust him less than Finch, whom I trusted below ZERO.
Frank, it’s obvious to everybody Dennis Bradley made a deal with Mario Testa to become the BOE President, now what was the deal? It seems to be the state senate position, Ed Gomes’ seat Bradley ran for and lost. And what did Bradley promise Mario Testa? Dennis Bradley has been outed right away in his first elected position and he’s already shown it’s about Dennis and not about the children or the residents of Bridgeport.
Ron, in 2014 Bradley ran for the State House seat won by Chris Rosario. But I dare say Bradley certainly has a future in other city elections.
Rosario was his district leader and at the time Bradley was going to the opposition people trying to gain support to take Rosario out, everyone in that district knew he could not be trusted.
Lennie, thanks, I remember, but my point was “his first elected position,” meaning he now holds an elected position.
No surprise. It’s “machine politics” in Bridgeport! However, let’s wait and see how Dennis conducts himself as Chair. He is a capable person.
Dave, it doesn’t matter how capable he is, he sold out to become Chair of the BOE. Everyone in the political know is aware of what occurred, and Dennis will not be trusted. Without that, he’ll not garnish the political endorsement or support to be successful in winning a local or state seat. He bought the deal, hook, line and sinker; he’s a newbie and actually believes Mario can deliver for him. The only time he’ll hear from Mario again is when he’ll be asked to expedite a patronage job in the BOE. Howard Gardener’s integrity is well-known and that’s why he was ambushed.
Lisa, your insight is always valuable. In this matter I beg to differ. If capable no longer matters, we are all in trouble.
Phocion, capable does matter, it’s how you use your capabilities that matters most. To put my opinion in harsh terms, he attained that position fraudulently. He made a deal with less-moral people than I choose to interact with. That evening I told Dennis before he entered the meeting room he was being used. I didn’t expect he would listen to me, or care for that matter, but I cautioned him.
“Things have changed for Mario with Joe Ganim back in office.” Yes they have. We’ve certainly gone back in time. Ganim’s first moves are all Mario. City staff has quickly gotten older and more corrupt. We’re quickly realizing the best thing Finch did was try to distance himself from the party. Mario, instead of supporting the progress Finch was making–which was exceptionally considerable when you account for the trail of corruption left by Ganim and Fabrizi and the recession that began in 2008–betrayed all of us by letting his feelings get hurt by Finch and doing everything he could to get himself back into a position of power. Those who are controlled by others cannot make respectable decisions on our behalf. We’re watching it, and I cannot believe there isn’t an outcry.
cano, Finch had an opportunity to completely break from the party. Instead he trapped himself right in the middle saddled with the baggage instead of being viewed as reform-minded. As a result, he was forced to use the power of incumbency just to salvage the Democratic Town Committee endorsement in July. It’s hard to be a selective reformer and pull it off.
I really couldn’t agree w/more. I wish he would have broken completely free.
Wait ’til the Sun Shines Nellie and the truth comes out about Finch Fiscal Malfeasance! He and his crew were cooking the books for years.
I hear Nunn got nixed for the Port Authority job that has been dry-docked for years. Whatever happened to that loan they took out for the Ferry Tariff case?
THE WHOLE SITUATION WITH BRADLEY IS DISGUSTING. THE WHOLE SITUATION WITH MCCARTHY AND THE OTHER MEMBERS WHO ARE CITY EMPLOYEES IS DOWNRIGHT WRONG AND EVERY MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL IS GUILTY AND SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
***** MAYOR JOE GANIM, IS THIS YOUR GAME? *****
IT’S YOUR MOVE, I HOPE IT’S FORWARD PROGRESS.
PS, JUST REMEMBER YOU ONLY HAVE SO MANY PAWNS TO BLOCK YOU OR FOR YOU TO SACRIFICE.
I’m happy with Ganim’s inner circle so far, I’ve said all along each is very qualified in their positions.
I’m also hearing the books were cooked and the perks Finch’s people received were of the eye-popping mouth wide open variety, those guys paid for nothing inside or even outside Bridgeport.
Gives an enhanced meaning to the bConnected app for sure.
One of the funniest things on OIB in awhile!
I’m going to be happy when the boys who bullied city employees for eight years and called Ganim a felon have their day in court for their transgressions.
GO GANIM!
*** I like Mario, always have! ***