State Rep. Chris Rosario’s days as director of Anti-Blight in the Neighborhood Revitalization department have ended. The Democratic leader for the 136th District and a strong supporter of former Mayor Bill Finch received a layoff notice on Tuesday. He has bumping rights to another city position that he plans to pursue. Deb Sims, another Finch supporter, also received a layoff notice. She was director of Neighborhood Revitalization Zones.
“I did receive a lay off notice today,” Rosario wrote OIB in response to his employment status. “I am in NAGE and I do have bumping rights. I am going to explore that option and also see if other opportunities arise. I am grateful for my time as the Blight Director and my overall service with the City. If things don’t work out I want to thank Mayors Fabrizi and Finch for the opportunity and wish the new administration nothing but the best of luck going forward.”
After supporting Finch in his primary loss to Joe Ganim, Rosario followed Finch’s lead in supporting Mary-Jane Foster in the general election. He’s a well-liked rising star in city politics building a base of support in the heavily Latino East Side. He defeated incumbent Christina Ayala and Dennis Bradley, the new chair of the Board of Education, in a 2014 Democratic primary for State House.
Sims is a member of the Democratic Town Committee in the East End.
Sims’ departure allows Ganim to appoint a political supporter to her position.
*** Nice person, wish him the best of luck! One of the few State Legislators who has potential in doing good things for Bpt. ***
Could have sworn Ganim said he had no vendettas.
That is what I thought!
That’s the way, Joe; lay off a State Rep. Dumb Ass.
Andy, it is awfully strange! I think Chris Rosario is a gentlemen and a rising star. I am disappointed in Ganim’s decision for two reasons. He did say he was attempting to reach out and bring the city together. Instead, when the honeymoon is over, Ganim has burned an important bridge. I will support this Mayor but disappointed in this decision.
Give it a rest, Stevie. Rosario still has a city job.
We have three State Reps on the city payroll. Not including Kim Rose from Milford. I believe it’s a conflict. They shouldn’t be City employees and representing the city as well in Hartford. But we are all entitled to our personal opinion. That’s what makes this country the best in the world.
And Mr. Fardy, you’re one angry old man. Lighten up, life is too short!
You are 100% right. When I see what these politicians are doing to the city and the taxpayers, I get pissed. Now you may think it’s okay to pay a man who works for the mayor and has no clear job description $2,500 per week (Chapman). You may think laying off a state rep is a good move, think again. Yes I am angry and I am upset with these politicians who are peeing on my shoes and telling me it’s raining.
Hi, Andy Fardy. It’s raining! Ahhhhhh.
*** Out of the many political appointments or job promotions made by Finch, Rosario appeared to me, from what I saw and heard, to be doing a good job regardless of the lack of experience in certain areas. Tom White worked with and groomed Rosario when they both worked as city council liaisons, which I though they both did a great job and made some of the city council members look good in doing their jobs! ***
McCarthy is gone too, that should make Fardy happy, right?
All the conflict people will have to give Ganim credit for that one, begrudgingly.
Where did McCarthy go?
Right.
He told people in City Hall he’s gone too, where he’s going he didn’t say, if he was fired, laid off or quit I’m not sure.
As long as he’s gone, how he left is a moot point.
In unrelated news, Charles Valentino, the former sheriff and state marshal, copped a plea to 3 of the 39 criminal counts the Department of Justice charged him with. He’s looking at one to four years in prison instead of a potential life sentence. His attorney is asking for one year. Must be singing some catchy tunes to the FBI to warrant that sort of consideration. Word is he knows some less than savory things about a member of Bill Finch’s administration. None of it could possibly be true because Bill Finch can walk on water, at least according to Steve Auerbach.
Frank, is this true?
McCarthy himself said so, not sure why it’s not been officially announced yet unless he’s messing around, but that’s not something to brag about.
Remember, State Senator Alvin Penn had his City position taken away from him when the Office Of Affirmative Action was eliminated and this position and the work of tracking the City’s ability to see if fairness is being followed and laws are being followed is not being done, thereby leaving the City open to lawsuit.
Santa’s Hotline
Ding–a-ling–Hello! Santa’s Hotline! This is Santa Claus, how can I help you?”
Tommy McCarthy: Hello Santa! This is Little Tommy McCarthy! I’m calling to check if you got my Christmas list, I mailed it back in July.
Santa: HO! HO! Yes I did receive your Christmas list, Little Tommy! And may I add, it was very extensive this year! I’m sure you know by now Little Tommy, we couldn’t really help your friend Little Billy Finch this past September. So we had to remove that line item from your list, you know how that works!
Tommy: Santa, thank you for my recent raise, as you know it was retroactive from 2013, and Santa I’m just inquiring, am I on that same list as Rosario and Little Billy Finch?
Santa: Little Tommy, how about those Giants! Go Big Blue!!! Now listen to Santa, Little Tommy, I had nothing to do with those raises. Little Tommy, your quote in that local rag the CTPost, “Bridgeport is a Poor City,” you never once mentioned forgoing that raise, now did you??! That Christmas bonus you received from Little Billy Finch came from the good taxpayers of Bridgeport, at a cost of two and half Million dollars, and that’s why Little Billy Finch is getting Coal in all his stockings this year! So if you see Little Billy Finch walking with a limp, you’ll know why!
Tommy: Santa, can I stay in my present job? I don’t want to move over to the BBOE!
Santa: I worked very hard to get Maria P. elected in the 138th just to help in case you did get a new job with the BBOE, Tommy!
Tommy: I’m so flucked!
Santa: I can tell you this Tommy, you are getting a “Hover Board!” But make sure you keep up those COBRA payments!
“Merry Christmas to All! And to all a Good Night!” Ho! Ho! Ho!
Santa, I bet Little Tommy is regretting interfering with the recent special election held in the 138th District. Maria’s candidates were running against Jim Morton, and Little Tommy was in front of Hooker School working against Maria P’s candidates. Why in the name of God would he go across the City and stick his nose into an election that had nothing to do with him? Or did it? On top of that, Morton lost. Well if the rumors are right, and Tom McCarthy is being transferred to the BOE, well, indirectly Maria will be his boss!!!
Please. McCarthy will not be transferred to the BOE.
Andy, I’m repeating what I heard, and it could only be a rumor. Shame on me. What really has me confused is how did quite a number of employees hired by Finch suddenly become union members? I’m absolutely pro-union so I don’t want any misinterpretations regarding unions. I dread thinking there might have been some shenanigans going on at the last minute. Unions are getting a bad rap as it is because of weak support of their membership, as well as cozy relationships with management. I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough!
Poor Tommy. I have been lucky enough to stay out of labor relations but too many good people had him dole out injustice while his partner Osborne was at the gym or golf course or a friend’s house or anywhere but doing his job.
This is not a vendetta. Gomes was shitcanned from CitiStat for doing the job. Finch didn’t like it.
Ganim is not one to hold grudges, unlike his immediate predecessor. Eliminating CitiStat is a budget-cutting move. The office wasn’t accomplishing anything other than providing a few jobs for Finch’s yes men and ass-kissers. Rosario has union tenure; he can stay on the city payroll. No harm, no foul.
Not exactly true!
If McCarthy cut a deal to move to BOE, it accomplished nothing in public’s eyes as far as Ganim being transparent as McCarthy is still a lapdog. The words I heard him say was he is gone, not making a lateral move.
Chris Rosario is an up and comer in Bridgeport and the State House. His comments were properly measured and thoughtful.
I believe the new administration is taking a scalpel and EXACTO knife approach to trimming the fat.
Chris Rosario should be fine! He will do The Bump. His 100% voting record in the House speaks for itself in Political Capital he brings to Bridgeport!!!
First off, McCarthy works for labor relations. There is no such job at BOE and I don’t believe a lateral move is possible. If Ganim were trying to get rid of him, why would he okay a move to the BOE? Makes no sense.
I’ve barely seen Rosario around City Hall and maybe that is the problem, he has a 100% voting record in Hartford while being paid by the City of Bridgeport to be the Blight Director, over $100,000, while being in Hartford.
He is not supposed to be paid by the city while being paid by the state. Those are the state and city rules.
You’re right on, Andy. I wonder who has those payroll records.
100% Voting Record at the Connecticut State Capitol is nothing to brag about. I haven’t heard of anyone with a 100% or a 50% voting record come out and accept 100% or 50% blame for the failing policies coming out of Hartford. Picture Rosario campaigning and telling the poor voters of his district about the drastic cuts to programs that benefit them the most. He would be talking about the $250,000 grant to the Caribe Youth League and leave out important details.
Joel, why would the Caribe league need $250K?
*** Because Bennie, a school security person is on the Parks & Rec’s Board and DTC and the same reason the Little League organization in Black Rock got $25,000 years back! It’s who you know or are related to on the committee that decides what city organizations get money and how much, no? ***
The Caribe league now plays their games or at least some of them at the former site of the Park City Little League. Those fields are donated by GE and there is no rent. At one point PCLL had 300 kids playing there. The field also has a new refreshment stand. So who is going to make a fortune on this bullshit?
Correct me if I am wrong, but it is my impression Rosario came onto the scene as the blight director, and was doing a great job in the beginning. At that time he was accessible, responsive and he looked like he was actually making progress. Then he became a State Rep. After that, he did not seem to be creating the same results he had before he had become a State Rep. Blight Director is an imperative job, and the person in there needs work hard on a daily basis. I have not seen him doing that for some time. As Frank Venna said, he was making over $100K? That’s a lot of money to be making to be in Hartford with a 100% voting record. He seems like a nice person, but this is the time to clean house and make changes. I just hope the next one can actually get the job done.
McCarthy is the type of “human” who would tell people who were shitcanned he is gone too while knowing there is a loophole he went through or a deal he already cut knowing he won’t have to see those people again in a official capacity.
Words coming out of his mouth have never meant anything. He only lies when his lips are moving.