Don’t Get Booted At Two Boots, Plus: Whiskey Hill Boots, And Mayor-Union Deals

Have you paid your car taxes? If not, you’re gonna get a boot in the butt from big brother tax collector. The scofflaw cops are out in full force as noted in the news release below from Mayor Bill Finch.

So, hurry up and pay if you haven’t because I wouldn’t want anyone to get the boot during the OIB Christmas party Dec. 17, 5:30 at Two Boots. I mean there’s nothing worse than seeing your car immobilized when stuffing yourself with gourmet apizz’.

Car Tax Scofflaws Net City $454,000 in Back Taxes in Eight Weeks

BRIDGEPORT, CT (Dec. 5, 2008) – In eight weeks, the City’s focus on delinquent car tax collection has netted the City $453,929.24, an average of $56,000 per week.

“This is a great step forward in increasing the recovery of millions of back car taxes,” Mayor Bill Finch said. “We’re on track to recapture more than a half-million dollars before the end of the calendar year.”

Under the previous system of collecting back car taxes, the City, on average, booted less than 10 vehicles per week, translating into $1,000 a week in back car taxes being recovered. During the past eight weeks the City has booted 794 cars. There are nearly 56,000 delinquent car tax accounts representing about $45 million in taxes owed stretching back 15 years.

Utilizing the services of VioAlert, the City has been able to identify and immobilize delinquent vehicles 24 hours a day, Monday through Friday and Saturday until 3 p.m. Cars with delinquent taxes between $150 and $250 are “booted’ on the spot. Vehicles with more than $250 in back taxes have been subject to towing.

“VioAlert [the contractor hired to use its computer technology to identify delinquent cars] has made a big difference in helping us to go from $1,000 a week in collections to more than $55,000 a week,” Chief Financial Officer Michael Feeney said. “This goes a long way toward helping us to collect the money the City is owed.”

How it Works

VioAlert Systems contractors travel city streets scanning license plates to see if taxes are owed. When a delinquent vehicle is found, they boot the vehicle’s front wheel, and a sticker, with information displaying the telephone number to call to pay taxes, is affixed to the side window. Once the payment has been made, VioAlert detaches the boot from the car as quickly as possible, usually within an hour. If taxes are not paid within 24-48 hours of the placement of the boot, the City will tow cars, resulting in additional fees.

Speaking Of Boots …

I wonder what life was like in Bridgeport when Whiskey Hill earned its reputation for sticking its middle finger up to the puritanical forces during Prohibition. Oh, I know, we can ask Yahooy and Wondering! Check this out from Consumer Protection Commish Jerry Farrell.

Connecticut Marks 75th Anniversary of Repeal of Prohibition

State Control of Liquor Industry Came with Legalization of Sale of Alcohol

HARTFORD, December 5 – Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell, Jr., who also serves as Chairman of the Connecticut Liquor Control Commission, is recognizing today’s 75th anniversary of the end of national Prohibition and the start of State regulation of the liquor industry with visits to three Connecticut establishments, representing the three tiers of the state’s system of liquor control.

Prohibition officially ended on December 5, 1933, one day after Utah, Ohio and Pennsylvania ratified the 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution. The 21st Amendment repealed the 18th Amendment, which had banned the sale of alcohol nationwide from 1920 to 1933. The 21st Amendment, while allowing the sale of alcohol, also put into place laws and regulations in every state, governing how liquor could be sold.

News release from Mayor Finch regarding tentative labor agreements

Tentative Agreements Reached with 3 City Labor Unions

Social Workers, Teamsters, Printers Agree on Terms

BRIDGEPORT, CT (December 6, 2008) – The City and several of its unions have come to tentative contract agreements, taking zero-percent pay raises and pay deferments, all meant to save the city several million dollars and stave off a potential $20 million dollar deficit at the end of the current fiscal year.

The unions include: Social Workers, SEIU Union Local 1199, Bridgeport Typographical Union Local 252 and Teamsters Union Local 191.

These actions follow the vote by Bridgeport Police Union 1159 to accept a four-year deal with two years of zero-percent raises and a deferment of holiday and vacation pay until retirement, among other concessions.

The city is still in active negotiations with other unions such as NAGE, LIUNA and AFSCME, but progress has been slow, and decisions must be made before the end of the calendar year in order to effect a 6-month savings on the current fiscal year’s budget. Certain labor unions require specific notice regarding layoffs, and contracts differ among unions.

“A few weeks ago, we gave all the unions a number they needed to hit in order to avert layoffs,” said Mayor Bill Finch. “The Police department stepped up to the plate and their decision will help us save $850,000 in this fiscal year, in addition to the value of a zero percent pay increase for two years. Other unions also have taken the city’s dire financial situation to heart and have prompted their membership to accept zero-percent raises and other pay deferments in order to keep the city solvent.”

“We hope that all other city labor unions will do the same. If not, we will have to lay employees off to get the $4.5 million in budget savings that we need in order to keep the city’s budget in the black.”

The City has scheduled a meeting with Bridgeport Firefighters Union Local 834 to discuss reopening its contract to negotiate concessions for the current budget year.

Following are the details of the tentative agreements:

Social Workers, SEIU Union Local 1199 – Zero-percent wage increase for period covering 7/1/08 to 12/31/08; $1,341 training pay allotment to revert back to the City.

Bridgeport Typographical Union Local 252 – Zero-percent wage increases for FY 2009-09; two-year contract duration, retroactive to 7/1/08 to 6/30/10, with a re-opener for wages and health benefits effective 6/30/09.

Teamsters Union Local 191 – Zero-percent wage increase for fiscal year 2008-09; 2-year contract duration 7/1/08 to 6/30/10; with a re-opener for wages, health benefits and sick leave effective 6/30/09.

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54 comments

  1. To clichebpt and Wondering from yesterday,
    Tell me when and where the meeting is and I will be there. And I have no problem conducting the meeting in public or private and I have no problem answering questions from the public afterwards. Bring it on.
    But if Mayor Finch shows up with his my way or the highway mentality then the meeting will quickly end.
    Now Wondering, I am offended when you say that they all have their hands out in one way or another..

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  2. From the mayor’s press release “The unions include: Social Workers, SEIU Union Local 1199, Bridgeport Typographical Union Local 252 and Teamsters Union Local 191.”
    This must be somewhere from 10 – 20 employees. That ain’t goin’ a long way to solving any problems.
    Social workers had their job privatized by Finch but he screwed it up. There were 10 of them now; there may be 5 left with the city … soon to be none.
    Typographical Union – This is the print shop. 7.5 employees according to the city budget in total.
    And Local 191? I thought they left town when Tony Rossetti did.
    No economic gain here.

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  3. “In eight weeks, the City’s focus on delinquent car tax collection has netted the City $453,929.24, an average of $56,000 per week.”

    Is this money being put into the general fund or is this going towards the many renovations going on at the annex?

    I have three suggestions that would save at least $200k.

    Get rid of the CAO function altogether. The Mayor is the boss and he should oversee all departments. The Chief of Staff can fill in the void of what the CAO does.

    Why do you have a finance and OPM Director? Consolidate those two and get rid of Sherwood.

    Get rid of the Rufus Wells contract. Have the office of minority contracting roll up to OPED and she can report to Don Eversley. You save money and you don’t have to hire more employees. Since they aren’t even building sandcastles over at seaside the OPED employees can help Deb out. The best part of that scenario is that you don’t have Dr. Ford trying to stick it in your ass.

    That can save some employees and some heartbreak.

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  4. Lennie according to my Grandmother who lived for a time on Ezra Street, Whiskey Hill in the late teens and early ’20s was like a hobo camp. It was a place for bums and down-and-outers to settle and camp.
    My Grandmother made her own alcohol in the bathtub thus the name bathtub gin. She stated that she and my grandfather made their own beer in addition to the gin.

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  5. Wondering, if what you were told about the LIUNA members is true then Only In Bridgeport. But they should have realized that the mayor cannot lay off individuals and ignore bumping rights. So any union member who gives back money like this is not protected against layoffs or bumping. I am sure their unions cautioned them against doing things on their own but this.

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  6. I know a guy who went into a store and bought a television set that he didn’t have to pay for for two years. I guess he thought that he would have the money by then. Well, he didn’t. Now all he listens to is a radio.

    This Finch character gives me great pause. Some of the things he does are really scary.

    Apathetic Voters … Do you really want this guy in charge of restoring prosperity and stability to our city?

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  7. Bob there will never be a meeting but I will tell you this. There are council people out there that know the true answer to what the deficit is. They know that the city has collected far more tax money than they thought they would. The Bootfinder by today’s article has collected monies way more than they anticipated. The council people (not all) know the true financial picture.
    I find it strange that the city employees have no one watching out for their interests even though there are many city council members who are city employees. I find it strange that there are NO (Walsh to a degree) city council people out there that are part of the loyal opposition.
    I think that as the next election for the council approaches the council people that don’t play ball with the administration are going to find themselves in a primary.
    It is my hope that all of the council people are primaried and a great deal of them are replaced especially the city employees. We cannot move forward and make the hard choices when our leaders (council) are held captive by their dual roles as employees and councilmen.

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  8. Wondering- Bravo. I hope that there are primaries in all ten districts. The city can change this coming summer because the current batch of council members are probably the worst group in the history of this fine city.

    You know what they say. Shit rolls downhill so it must be coming from the top.

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  9. *** 11- You will never change the Dem. endorsed Council picks, ’til you change the Dem. Town Committee Leaders & some of the actual commit. members who make the first endorsement picks to supposely represent their districts! It all starts @ the local district level first, then the nominated picks are anounced @ the city D.T.C. meeting and endorsed there by the entire party as a whole & so forth. Like Smokin’ Joe use to say, “kill the body & the head will fall”! Challenge the entire #9 member slate in the #10 different districts and continue from there. But it’s not easy if all #9 slate members don’t work & get help from the represented district somewhat & at voting time! Just stop & think who the #10 district leaders are & who’s on their hand-picked committees on the local level? ‘Til that’s done, forget about it!

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  10. Mojo- Point well taken. Even if you pluck 2-3 seats from each district (easier said than done) you have a big enough block of people who can at least go against the grain. Right now you have a bunch of bobblehead politicians who are in office.

    Name #1 politician who has had to make a real ethical decision in this city??

    I wonder if Caruso is going to run a citywide slate? It’s a perfect time to do that right now.

    Everyone’s son nephew wife or cousin gets hired and nobody says anything. You have one of the co-chairs for the Economic Development Committees who works for a developer. Conflict of interest anyone?

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  11. Members of LIUNA had a meeting with their attorney last week. He said that he offered the city various concessions including 0% increases; 5-day furloughs; and higher employee contributions for health insurance. He even offered a way for grant-funded employees to give back a week’s pay. But everything was turned down by the “budget director” who we all know is Tom Sherwood. Tom had every intention of laying people off; that was his goal. That’s why he didn’t accept any of the union’s concessions.

    The full-page ad in the CT Post where Mayor Finch thanked the employees who furloughed cost $3,000. And the same day that ad appeared Mayor Finch laid off several LIUNA members on that list who took furloughs.

    From what I heard, even though 35 LIUNA members furloughed, Tom Sherwood would not allow that money to be applied to save the jobs of other LIUNA members. He took that money and put it back in the General Fund.

    I do not repeatedly call for Tom Sherwood’s termination because I don’t like him (even though I don’t); I call for his termination because he is the single most devious, destructive, deceptive employee I have ever met in my 20+ years working for the city. And his latest actions with LIUNA prove my point.

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  12. NAGE member – LIUNA lost 9 employees yesterday. Tom Sherwood threatened this a few weeks ago and he carried it out. I heard that supervisors, NAGE and 1522 are next. What is your union leadership doing? Have they met with the city?

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  13. chs–Tom Sherwood is the problem. I hope Finch wakes up soon. He is running circles around Nunn, Wood and the rest of the crew. If John were mayor he would find the money to bridge the gap in the budget.

    Finch needs to send Sherwood packing on December 24th.

    He needs to stop pussyfooting around creating a committee to form a committee.

    Reach out to a Jack Welch and see if they can come in and fix this mess.

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  14. CHS- Frank is not coming to the table because he knows that we can give furloughs until the cows come home and we are going to lose members. We know that we are going to get the sharp end of the sword sometime next week.

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  15. Tom Sherwood is the one person who should be fired. He fabricated the last budget under Fabrizi and he is doing it again.
    Here it is again with this administration, you can’t trust a word they say. Stop layoffs by making concessions? What a crock of shit.
    Sherwood is trying to make it look like he has a handle on the budget and on his job by making these layoffs. Maybe he should lay off his ex-girlfriend who is shuffling papers for $65K a year.
    This administration cannot be trusted so if they are going to lay off whether they get the concessions and the week furlough I suggest that the union membership start working by the contract work rules and see how they like that.
    I swear to god in all my years with the city I have never seen such a bunch of incompetent fools as I have seen with this administration.
    The one thing that they have been able to do is split the council and pit the hispanics against the blacks and the blacks against the hispanics and the few whites they have on the council they have bought off with one or 2 exceptions. It’s time for these people to get together and get this city administration under control.

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  16. Speaking of the Council. I think that Tom McCarthy is a decent guy. I just don’t understand why he is not speaking up about all this nonsense. He’s also a labor attorney and must know that this is so wrong. I’m sure the union is going to file a lawsuit and I’m sure they are going to win because this is obviously acting in bad faith.

    It amazes me that Tom Sherwood created this budget mess and they continue to let him call the shots. Now he’s messing with the unions. And where is Larry Osborne in all of this? Out riding his bike?

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  17. NAGE, Frank is smart not to come to the table. When you meet with these guys you need a court reporter and a videographer because they lie thru their teeth.

    The worst part is that people are losing their jobs right before Christmas. This has NEVER happened with any other Mayor. I don’t know if Mayor Finch is just a cold-hearted jerk or if all this is happening without his knowledge.

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  18. City Hall smoker; McCarthy is a nice guy but he does not have the stones to stand up to Finch. By his silence he is going along with this Finch circus. McCarthy is looking out for McCarthy; $91,000 a year is a lot to put on the line plus McCarthy has other aspirations. Judge of Probate and Mayor come to mind. To my way of thinking if he has no balls now he is not going to grow a pair in the next few years. So when you think to blast Osborne you can put McCarthy right next to him.

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  19. There is not one person in this entire administration who has an ounce of intelligence and/or integrity. They have all sold out. I feel like there is no hope.

    I am perturbed that the CT Post and even OIB have not exposed the wasteful spending that still exists today while people are being laid off. Let’s start with the big items like the Annex renovations, new carpeting and Charlie Carroll’s flatscreen televisions.

    Forget about the Board of Ed audit. The City side is just as bad.

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  20. CHS and Wondering- If The Administration REALLY wanted savings they should put their money where their mouth is. I would have an executive order asking all top administrators to slide down to the low end of the pay scale. Doing that would save major $$.

    CHS- this administration does have some great people. They are just drowned out by the nonsense that is happening with the brain trust.

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  21. Let me rephrase that. I meant to say great city employees who do their jobs. I am sure Finch is a great guy and not a monster as they make him out to be. I just think he is taking orders from people who have absolutely no clue what is best for Bridgeport.

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  22. ***25- Then he’s a fool & should not be in the Mayor’s seat if he’s continuing to listen to people that are not in touch with the real world in Bpt. & neighboring communities! *** At this time of year, with all the layoffs taking place and still to come; people are not making waves if @ all possible. They’re all covering their own derbys & that’s why certain people that maybe should take a stand, “don’t”! And if they do take a stand so to speak, it’s on the Mayor’s Admin. side! Reminds me of a few sayings that might fit, “Out of sight, out of mind” or “silence is golden” is another one. *** And last but not least; I was watching “2” state senators from Bpt. (1. Gomes 2. Henessey) & I believe senator (Jack McDougall?) on the weekend CT Politics with Scott Appleby today. Boy, if this senator McDougall was not there to supply something, anything on pending state legislation or Gov. ideas for Bpt. etc. Tom would have been pulling many molars to get anything that was factual from the #2 from Bpt! Man are we in trouble!!! ***

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  23. NAGE Member said:
    > Reach out to a Jack Welch and see if
    > they can come in and fix this mess.

    You’re kidding, right?

    “Neutron Jack” Welch got his nickname because he was like a neutron bomb. All the people were gone, but the buildings were still standing. In the five years ending in 1985, Neutron Jack got rid of 112,000 employees, a bit more than 27% of GE’s workforce. (72% of these people were laid off, the rest were in businesses he got rid of.)

    You’re getting layoffs. You’re already getting Neutron Jack’s solution.

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  24. Mojo,
    The conflicts of interest that are allowed to continue are not easily understood by the voting public. For instance many members of the district committees and Democratic town committee have relatives or are employed by the City. Although the law doesn’t prohibit employees or immediate family from serving on the Democratic district committees or town committee, it is just plan incest. Then there are City employees or their immediate family that are members of the town committee or district committees and get elected to the city council. For example: Take the current City Council President. He is a great guy that loves this City. He is also employed by the city in the office of labor relations, and an important member of the Town Committee. A triple conflict. Sure he can say he can keep all three hats separate but can he really? It is impossible in my opinion and it shouldn’t have to be that way. One person should not hold three positions of such importance no matter how terrific he is.

    Look, Bridgeport is the largest city in the state. That means there are lots and lots of people that could get involved. But they don’t get asked or don’t want to rock the sinking boat. So a small few work hard to get into positions in the City governmental or political structure and dig in deep.

    Remember the smart frog that jumps into a pan of hot water realizes she is in trouble and jumps out right away. The stupid frog that jumps into a pan of cold water while the water slowly heats up to a boil dies from not paying attention. I really think the ‘city’ has been doing this incestuous conflicting crap for so long it can’t see the water is boiling. It is full of stupid frogs.

    New eyes and ears need to be recruited to join the new district committee slates when they are put together so that the new cavalry gets into gear. I trust you and other OIB Bloggers will let us know when the new slates are being formed and we will help get that new blood involved. I will help if I know when the new slates are being formed. I for one have no idea when that is. I also have no idea when the district committees meet, if they are public, and if they allow observers.

    Your comments in #12 are right on target. A small group of people have been involved for so long they can’t see that they have either run out of steam to put up the constant fight for the heart and soul of the city, or they are on the dole with no care to upset the applecart. I am not advocating throwing out the baby with the bathwater but I am in complete agreement with you that it has to start from the first level, the district committees. I am not sure how many OIB bloggers actually live in the City. I do. I am concerned. I would like to be involved in some way that adds value. Are there other OIB bloggers that are City residents that are currently not a city employee, town district or town committee, or council member that would also be interested?

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  25. I clearly remember when the Boston Avenue GE site closed up. Jack Welch stated unequivocally that mounting pressure from Asiatic manufacturing of the same products made it virtually impossible for GE to offer products at a competitive price especially when Union obligations affected the costing.

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  26. Countdown- You hit the nail on the head. In the 133rd you have a situation where you have a council member, union negotiator and a district leader all in one. I could swallow that load if this were Prospect, CT. Does this mean that nobody on that TC is capable of being district leader??? Geez let someone else have the title and just use them as a figurehead at least. It doesn’t matter anyway because he is going to add probate judge and head groundskeeper over at Fairchild Wheeler.

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  27. If you believe the postings on this blog, it’s looking more and more like Bridgeport is Connecticut’s Detroit.

    The city, just like Detroit (US auto industry), is in dire straits. While the scale and size of the problems are different, the difficulty of finding a solution is eerily similar.

    These aren’t transient problems caused just by a weak economy. These are structural and much more significant.

    Change has made the current operational AND leadership models obsolete. Others can do things better, faster and cheaper … Toyota vs. GM; Stamford, Norwalk, Shelton, New Haven vs. Bridgeport. And deliver competitively superior value to the buyer, the taxpayer or the investor/developer, in the process.

    Industry and city leaders have lost credibility because of a lack of capability. They’ve failed to deliver results. Either they didn’t see the problems, understand the problems, or have the slightest clue how to solve the problems. Wagoner (GM), Nardelli (Chrysler), Malally (Ford) and Gettlefinger (UAW) seem to be unwitting role models for more than a handful of Bridgeport’s past and present political/municipal leaders.

    Unfortunately, there’s little evidence that the capabilities and resolve needed to transform Detroit or to revitalize Bridgeport will be available any time soon. Bailouts and draconian cost cutting are short-term solutions, never long-term engines of growth. They’re methods of stabilization often necessary, but never sufficient, for the economic/competitive vitality of an industry or a city.

    What’ll solve the problem is what’s been suggested here on OIB and elsewhere: Throw out the old and bring in the new. Make change happen from the top AND from the bottom.

    Bring in, vote in, people with the vision and intellectual capacity to solve today’s problems … and create tomorrow’s opportunities. Bring in, vote in, leaders with the self-confidence to build a team with superior talent, where competence trumps politics for every hire, not just a few.

    In Bridgeport, Countdown, NAGE Member and Mojo are on to the solution. But implementation (change) will have to come from the mayor and from city hall. And that change better start happening soon.

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  28. You cannot have change when the people charged with that job are worried about their jobs. Fight this administration or go against what the inner circle wants and you will find yourself jobless.
    The council will not or cannot do anything for the same reasons. At least 8 of them work for the city or have spouses that work for the city.
    We need to start this coming November and start replacing council members with people of vision and the nerve to stand up to the mayor and his henchmen.

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  29. I just finished reading this blog and I was surprised to see how many of you think it’s time for new people to get involved in politics. I have to say who would even dare to do that? This blog is a perfect example of what you would be up against. If anyone posts something positive or a different thought, some blogger will pound the stuffing out of you with their keyboard. The insults, name-calling and innuendos sure do not make you feel welcome. So why would the average person bother to get involved and put themselves thru that?

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  30. Bruce and Wondering- People who want change think that if you target Council-Mayor-State Rep seats you can make changes. The changes come at the foundation. The Town Committee.

    130 Dan Roach- Wife works for city
    131 Mitch Robles- Entire family works for the city
    132 Not too familiar with this district
    133 Tom McCarthy- Works for the city
    134 Dennis Scinto- He, girlfriend and son work for city
    135 Warren Blunt- Works for city
    136 Dorothy Guman- Not sure if she has any family working for city
    137 Gil Hernandez- Worked for city
    138 Martha Santiago- Works for city
    139 Ralph Ford- has family and friends who work for city.

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  31. I agree with Bruce to some degree, yet I believe the core of the auto industry problems, as with the banking industry and the City is greed and power. Nourished in an environment of self-entitlement and Enronish greed, nobody was paying attention to the future. The big three kept churning out gas-chugging SUVs with no regard to gas consumption, mileage standards, the environment and the fulfilling the demands of an “I must have it all generation.” The purchasing power of the top 10% of the moneymakers dictated that we all must have vehicles with navigation systems, room for ten, DVD players, 23 cupholders with fold-down tables. When they finally caught on to the fact that the other 90% of the population were looking for economic value, high gas mileage, quality and environmentally friendly options, Honda and Toyota had Detroit in a headlock. They took no steps to educate the consumer, but rather feed their gluttony for the mine is bigger than yours mentally, by pushing 10,000 pounds of fuel-famished steel that only carry two to four adults. Now the sad trio are crying they didn’t see it coming. If we leave them out to dry the people that suffer most are the employees and their families while those who profited are secure in their amassed wealth. If they are not set, they are arrogant and stupid as well as greedy. Everybody who trusts Detroit to mass-produce a reliable, highly fuel-efficient, quality car any time soon raise their hands.

    There is an allegory here for politics. No one trusts anyone in power in the City to look out for them, real change has not occurred here and I am not sure an election can do what needs to be done. Bridgeport is cursed with an apathetic electorate who feel powerless to change anything. The remaining advocates for change are reeled in with promises of power and jobs. Lack of trust and self-serving goals are systemic. If change can’t come from within, where is an outside party we can trust? The state? The federal government? Private industry? A combination? Change cannot happen without trust and those in power now, fairly or unfairly are not trusted. Where have you gone Joe Dimaggio?

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  32. Nage Member:
    That is a pretty depressing listing. I know I read a Bill Cummings article a couple of years ago stating 75% (or higher?) of the district committee members are either directly employed by the city or their immediate family is employed by the city. However, I really didn’t understand its real meaning.

    So, how does it work?

    When is the next election of the slates of district committee members?

    When does the slate have to be submitted and to whom?

    How many people are on a slate?

    Are there special requirements to be a member of a slate?

    Do you have to be part of a slate or could you run on your own?

    What are the requirements to have a slate deemed legitimate? Is it a certain amount of signatures? Is it a percentage of registered democratic voters?

    Once the slate is deemed ok, then what amount of time is there between the slate and the actual vote?

    Is the vote at a special election time or is it done in the regular November election day- first Tuesday?

    Does it cost money to run for a seat on the district committee?

    Once you are elected to the district committee, how does the election to the Democratic Town Committee work?

    Do you have to be on a district committee to become a member of the DTC? Or can you just run for one and not both?

    Are there by-laws for a district committee? Is each district operating by the same or different rules?

    Are there by-laws for the DTC?

    Are the meetings open to the public? Do they post when the meetings occur or are they a secret?

    Is there a Republican counterpart to the Democratic District committee and DTC?

    It is amazing how little I know about how this all works.

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  33. #37- All these questions & more can be answered @ the Bpt. Registrar of Voting Office and/or a call to the CT state elections commission in Hartford. Depending on what exactly you what to do in politics will vary on the info. you’ll get. But remember, it’s not difficult and you’ll only get out of it what you put into it! ***

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  34. Agreed that the DTC needs to be reformed. In fact, it should be completely eliminated and anyone that wants to run should follow the normal procedures for a primary … All they do is endorse, but have taken that power to another level …

    Of the 90 DTC members, at least 80% Worked, have worked or have family that work for the City. At least 20% don’t even live in the City or the district they represent including its Chair.

    Of the Council, 70% are on the DTC. And 60% work or have family that work for the city.

    Now on to City Hall Smoker … McCarthy being a good guy … Crock of Shit … McCarthy gives the impression that he is a nice guy or cares. But, like someone else mentioned, he cares about himself and getting what he wants … He is a devious conniving blood sucker … As for his hopes for Probate Judge or Mayor, he has a lot of personal issues to confront and deal with before he can think of moving up higher …

    The only council members that in my opinion should be re-elected are, Susan Brannelly, Bob Walsh, AmyMarie Vizzo-Paniccia, Angel DePara, Maria Valle, Daniel Martinez and Andre Baker.

    The others should be replaced. They can’t seem to prove they can think for themselves or have a brain …

    BUT, someone should really help that Martinez kid get healthy. I hear a lot of good things about him, but I fear his ability to remain alive to succeed in life. I remember reading he wanted to be Mayor, but I think he has the potential to even be Governor or Congressman some day … Somebody write to Oprah or something …

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  35. Goes to figure that a birdbrain drunken a-hole like Finch who has had every job he’s ever had spoonfed to him because he is incompetent and lazy ends up laying off the good employees he hasn’t scared off AND chooses to boot struggling citizens all right before Christmas in a down economy.

    Who made these decisions? Finch and his gaggle of heartless lying incompetent out-of-town braniacs, that’s who.

    It’s a shame. He’s blowing off good people like he did that guy on his ex-wife’s couch.

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  36. America is suffering from a major-league debt hangover.
    Are you a creditor or a debtor? Creditors rule while debtors pay double; unless, of course, you’re too big to fail. Then taxpayers say: Welcome to Bailout Nation!

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  37. Has anyone a list of those laid off–by department and number of employees, job class? I don’t want names. I just want to see where these cuts are being made.

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  38. With all these labor pains I feel Bridgeport needs a C-section.

    countdown- Town Committee elections will be in March of 2010. Slate petitions, I believe come out in January of 2010.

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  39. clichbpt #36:

    You bet. Greed, power and a lack of trust contibuted to the downfall of many organizations, even a few civilizations!

    Combine these motivations/behaviors and you create a deadly cultural toxicity that’s tough to eliminate, especially when it becomes part of the structured ways of “doing business”.

    It usually takes a full-blown crisis, new and forceful leadership or outside intervention to jump-start any type of meaningful change. Governmental and municipal environments offer their own set of challenges, and unfortunately the solutions aren’t any easier to attain.

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  40. It is easy, yeah, TOO easy, to cast stones upon an elected official who is simply trying to do his job. No one likes having his or her vehicle impounded. The best way to avoid this is to PAY YOUR TAXES. Period. The city is in dire straits financially, and all many of you are willing to do is whine, moan and complain. Talk is cheap, but no one here seems to know how to use it cost-effectively, even with a “valupak” wholesale price.

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  41. Bpt Kid: You are right, talk is cheap and that’s just what we are getting from our elected officials.
    I have no doubt that there is a deficit but I don’t believe that it’s $20 million plus.
    I did see a document that shows we have collected a lot more taxes than were anticipated. We did collect $500K from the boot program–way more than anticipated. And we have $1.5 million hidden under non-existent attorney fees (money not spent).
    While the boot program may be effective why aren’t we also doing the same with the large delinquent property tax problem. Why are certain people being allowed to skate and the small guy is having the city attorney foreclose or sell his tax lien to the highest bidder?

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  42. Seems like old Countdown didn’t have a problem with the way the system worked when she was pulling down a six-figure income. Now that she is out, she is all for reform. No thanks, I’ll pass on that kind of change.

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  43. Not to mention the political hiring the took place under her watch in her department. No problem with nepotism as long as I am richly rewarded! But give me the boot and I cry foul!

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  44. What about that woman in charge of services for the elderly? What’s her name, is it Rose Hoyt? D’ya know that she’s Don Mario Testa’s girlfriend? Even if ol’ Joe “I’ll get the volunteers to do it for free” Celli had accepted the city’s offer of space in Eisenhower Center for IPA, Ms. Hoyt would’ve blocked the move. NO ONE moves into her realm without approval, and she could care less if the city owns the building. She’s got the clout, playing slap ‘n’ tickle with Mr. Mario … Ms. Hoyt’s son is a noncommissioned officer on the Bridgeport Police Department, has lunch with Mommy Dearest every day. If there is someone Mommy Dearest doesn’t want to talk to she calls sonny boy and has that person arrested. This kind of nepotism usually ends up costing the city much more than it’s worth–individuals arrested for disturbing Rose Hoyt’s afternoon nap have pretty solid grounds for civil action. Why is she still holding office? Ms. Hoyt has done NOTHING to improve the lot of the city’s aged. In fact, her greatest accomplishment is alienating the other people employed by Bridgeport’s Department of Aging. The old folks in town could drop dead for all she’s concerned; she has Don Mario and Sonny Boy the Police Sergeant covering her ass.

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  45. Bpt Kid; Let me get this straight–if Rose Hoyt does not want to talk to someone she has her son arrest them? You know what, you are full of it on that one. How about making sense with these baseless charges? Why do I smell a Black Rock troublemaker here? Did Danny put you up to this as Rose Hoyt holds a job his wife covets?
    How much has it cost the city to date? Try telling the truth this time. This is a pretty vile post with no substantiation. If you have proof bring it forward. Or are you keeping the information as your ace in the hole?

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  46. Grin Reaper,
    Do you want to explain the crap you just let fly? Those comments do not make sense to me. If you are going to accuse, lay out the facts. I thought you wanted to be constructive, not full of innuendo.

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  47. ***#50- You know, your blog is exactly what’s wrong with the negative personal rumor bashing that goes on from time to time on this forum. Ms. Hoyt is a very nice woman that just wants to do her job, stay out of the day-to-day city gossip and retire when she’s ready. Due to the cost of medical Ins. many people that wish they could retire need to stay on a bit longer. Her personal relationships with anyone, in or out of politics in the city of Bpt. is really no one’s business! Instead of trying to bash senior city workers that really are not involved in the day-to-day city legislative activities, you might do well sticking with actual facts. ***

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  48. WorldsSecondBiggestLiar-
    I think your elementary insults at Finch and whoever else you target show how immature and uneducated you must be. My condolences to that sad fact, and also to the fact that you believe what you’re saying makes any sense.

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