Former Fairfield First Selectman Ken Flatto is supporting Joe Ganim’s comeback for mayor, joining the retired FBI agent who put Joe in the joint. CT Post scribe Brian Lockhart has more.
Ex-Bridgeport Mayor Joseph Ganim is looking to forge an armor of respectability for himself as he attempts to reclaim the job he lost in 2003 after being convicted and imprisoned for corruption.
That means surrounding himself with certain people who could help deflect the inevitable deluge of attacks portraying Ganim as a shifty politician who will only lapse back into old pay-to-play habits if voters return him to Bridgeport City Hall.
On Friday former Fairfield First Selectman Kenneth Flatto confirmed scuttlebutt that he is also part of Ganim’s brain trust.
Full story here.
This is fantastic news!
Yawn! Ken Flatto, now there is a name to excite Bridgeport voters. But honestly, good for Joe!
I remember when I walked into my first Ganim meeting. I was so thrilled to see Ken Flatto there. I knew instantly he would bring a solid level of credibility to Ganim’s campaign. He is well respected, intelligent, articulate, and he has a humble way about him.
Those who reside in Black Rock, Brooklawn, the North End, and the Upper East Side are likely to know him, and those who do will be impressed he is supporting Ganim.
It is definitely a plus for Joe.
Yes, it is. 🙂
Maria, stop making stuff up. Why would anyone on the upper East Side know Ken Flatto?
Mayor Finch may get Barack Obama here, but alas Joe Ganim may get Hillary and Bill. I just happened to be at the Sikorsky airport and have pictures of Joe Ganim speaking on behalf of Bill Curry with President Clinton on stage, and I was standing with Ganim when Hillary came to downtown Bridgeport. Ah, good times. 🙂
Things are getting better every day for Joe! Welcome, Ken Flatto!
Ken Flatto, as First Selectman of the Town of Fairfield, was chief executive of a municipal operation that depended far more heavily on revenue from local taxpayers than Bridgeport does at this time. Fairfield had solid, experienced, and bi-partisan membership on its Board of Finance that looked at all things financial relative to town operations, and at times had discussions that became media items where conflicts with the administration or legislative were reported. None of this is true in Bridgeport today and it makes a difference in how Ken’s skill area, basic accounting to fiscal administration, is employed.
What did he do for the Norton-Sherwood team several years ago? Did he find money previously needing accounting for? Were there errors that needed redress that never hit the press? Perhaps this will become exposed later in the campaign. Time will tell.
Ken who? 😉
Looks like someone desperately needs friends.
Ken Flatto … Wasn’t he responsible for that whole FAIRFIELD train station/office development complex??? Oh that’s right, there was no additional development. Did they ever even get the restrooms working?
Kinda reminds me of Steel Point. Give it another 20 years and maybe they can put a big-box retailer there. He can give us apt advice. Good move, Joe.
Ken Flatto … Didn’t he have like a $10 million cost overrun just to build a train station without restrooms? I don’t think B’port needs his fiscal advice for something like that. We seem to do stuff like that without any outside help. Joe, how about the roof at Harbor Yard? Or the HVAC at the arena? Remember those, Joe?
Joe Ganim, like Bill Finch! Getting better every day.
Ken Flatto … Hasn’t he changed jobs over the last few years as often as a FAIRFIELD County day-laborer? First selectman, state administrator, health care finance director, small business owner, non-profit finance guy. And Joe didn’t promise him a job? Don’t believe it. Just like Joe didn’t promise the FBI guy a job. Or Joe hasn’t promised the Police union a sweetheart deal. Yeah, Joe has changed alright.
Bob, why HAVEN’T you mentioned all the particulars in the DEALS that bought both the BASEBALL FIELD and ARENA? If there were anything flaky going on during Joe’s tenure (at that time), wouldn’t your candidate be privy to those practices and wouldn’t this be the opportune moment to mention them?
Hector, MJF is not running against Joe Ganim.
Andy, actually Mary-Jane Foster is running against Joe Ganim. They are competing for campaign dollars. They are competing for the anti-Finch vote and they are competing for press. If anyone believes they are not running against each other they are fools. I already received my first Joe Ganim robo call. When I saw his name on my caller ID I thought omg, Joe is upset with my attacks on the blog, I thought maybe he wanted to apologize for many things, I thought he was going to pay me to shut up on the blog. Instead, it was a robo call asking for my support. You’ve got to give Ganim credit. He wants to get out there and he is.
Andy, I do hope you didn’t mean that or typed it in haste. If not, then you only help to make my statement and observances right. You can bet your bottom dollar Joe Ganim is running against every name that appears on the ballot for mayor, just as every CANDIDATE should.
Steve, another of Joe’s strengths is he puts his belief in free will above his ego. I doubt he would ever publicly or privately act in a vengeful manner towards you for comments you have made. While you and I have been on opposite sides of a number of issues, I’ve never questioned your desire for Bridgeport to reach the potential we both know it deserves. Because of this I know one day we will find ourselves supporting the same candidate.
Oh I am sure of that.
How awkward of me to be a white, out-of-town woman whose only knowledge of Bridgeport began with John Mandanici and ended with Bill Finch-wood. I wish I could be a Bridgeporter at this time.
It certainly would give me an opportunity for my own love letter to Bridgeport.
How awkward is my thinking learning the names in this campaign who breathe integrity at a recognized public level would be appreciated for its historic political uniqueness … even for Bridgeport.
With this kind of support, the reader might consider for a moment how much we’ve internalized what “second chance” really means.
Does the man Ganim, who made his mistakes, subsequently make good use of his incarceration time to reassess his value standards and readjust his moral compass? Something changed.
At this point, in giving Joe Ganim a second chance to talk to the voters of this City, the most democratic process occurs. It would then be the voters in this City who would have their say if he can be trusted and re-elected or they say he cannot. Other candidates who truly want the removal of the current mayor had better tell voters exactly that.
Carolanne, that was a very eloquent post. I am not sure I understood the last line or did I understand the other candidates need to vote for Ganim if they want the removal of the current Mayor?
I am looking forward to the debates. I really want to hear what all the candidates have to say. I want to know their platform. I do not want to hear anti-Finch rhetoric. I want to hear why your candidate is better. From them, not you.
I always thought Foster would represent this city well. I did vote for Ganim twice so I do not hold resentment he dismissed me from the city, I mention this only because many were dismissed by Finch.
My support of Finch is based on physical realities. Bricks and mortar. I see the big picture. Other than the rest of the bloggers, I truly love the city and will support whoever wins the election as I cannot imagine living in a city where I am so disturbed by its leadership I’d knock everything they stood for.
I wish all candidates the best and I look forward to improved education, charter schools that give parents choices. I look forward to more Steelepoint announcements. I look forward to Remington Woods development and downtown continued growth. I give Finch credit for these as well as the new ball parks. I am happy Finch is environmentally aware and talks about green. I am shocked folks would mock the Mayor’s concern for the environment.
For the record, I believe in second chances and redemption. I just cannot see the city successfully attracting developers. The city has made great strides and I suppose it will be up to Joe Ganim to brainwash the public into believing he can do a better job with development. Ganim is correct, this election is about the future not the past. However, history does tend to repeat itself. We naturally look backwards to see where we came from so we know where we are going.
Add Mary-Jane Foster and Howard Gardner to the mix. If they do not believe they are all running against each other, they are fools.
Tell us why you deserve the vote of the public, not why you don’t like Finch.
Steve,
Perhaps at the end of the day, it really is all about your holding resentment that you were dismissed from the City. You probably already know Mayor Finch-wood holds the record for unfairly and unjustly dismissing, firing, and terminating without cause City employees.
He holds the record for the amount of dollars paid out for these forced separations.
But perhaps that is of little consequence to you. Perhaps the loss of human capital is justified for you as long as some little park or some big building can bring you contentment with this administration.
The heart and soul of any place, be it small towns or big cities, is with its people.
Those who are challenging the Finch-wood administration are trying to put that heart and soul back into Bridgeport, and clear out the self-serving white boys club at 999 Broad Street, second Floor.
Carolanne, unlike yourself and John Gomes, I may have been dismissed by Ganim as I was a staunch Moran supporter. like duh. I may have been a great cheerleader for the city but let’s get real. There was not one Ganim supporter who would have understood my being part of his administration when I was part of Moran’s inner circle. I voted for Joe Ganim twice, enough said on that. I am a Bridgeporter and clearly, support the leadership. I supported Finch his first go around. I was not ant-Finch, I just thought Foster could speed up development. Well now the city has momentum, so Carolanne, at the end of the day it is not resentment like you and John Gomes. I felt Ganim should not run and humiliate his family. There are 100’s of people who have been convicted in this city. They can’t get a job at McDonalds, how do you make this convicted felon become the most powerful decision maker in the city at the expense of all future development? This will be the narrative you have to address. Not your personal self-serving desire to get Joe elected so you can get your old job back. You live in Westport and your love for Bridgeport is superficial at best. If Joe Ganim were to win the election I would totally support him every step of the way. When Finch wins reelection can you say the same or continue with anti-Finch rhetoric for another four years? Carolanne, finally, how do you go from being one of Foster’s staunchest supporters to a Ganim sycophant? I am the only Foster supporter who went back to supporting Finch, I supported his first win and attended the inaugural etc. etc., all the other supporters like yourself went to Ganim. That Carolanne is as disturbing as it gets. A candidate is always better off with a passionate supporter than a person who is anti-incumbent.
Steve,
I believe the voters will know all you say and know even more than you know about their capacity to identify the candidate they want to govern Bridgeport as Mayor.
I’m not afraid of that process. I hope you’re not.
Politics 101: new party in office, old party appointees leave. That’s what happened to you, right? Not a healthy basis for resentment. It’s very disturbing you justify your decision as the only one out of all the Foster supporters to go back to Finch. The “only one” says a lot about all the others, who will probably not be voting for Finch.
Politics 101: one of the major reasons for candidate support is to cause election defeat of the opposing candidate(s). That’s been a rule of campaigns equally as important a motive as the focus on with positive candidate support.
Carolanne, you did not address anything I said. Especially those who supported Mary-Jane Foster. If you would be so kind and I know you do not speak for John Gomes, Tito Ayala, Lisa Parziale etc. etc. etc. Why would you go with a convicted felon rather than Mary-Jane Foster? Do you just find any candidate that is not Bill Finch? I would appreciate an honest heartfelt response. I stated why I was currently supporting Finch. Why are you supporting Ganim over Foster?
Selfy-serving white boys? Is that code for black folks should vote for Ganim? That is funny coming from a white Westporter. Honestly Carolanne.
On a positive note. Congratulations to the people of Ireland a strongly Catholic nation that overwhelmingly voted to support same-sex marriage. The historical vote makes Ireland the first country in the world to approve the measure by popular vote. This should resonate with our Republican party in the United States. Get with the program!
Carolanne, it’s no longer Finch-Wood.
Their new names are Finch and mini-Finch!
Why should MJF spend her time and money campaigning against Ganim? He is not the mayor and has not been around politics in Bridgeport for nearly a decade. MJF should do what she is doing and that is going after Finch who has been mayor for the past seven years.
What is MJF going to debate Ganim about, the prices in the prison commissary or the length of visitor visits?
Hector, you are a nice guy, put your winning percentage in elections is to say the least very poor.
Finch would love to see MJF and Ganim go after each other and he can sit on the sidelines and watch.
Grow up people, this is not a fairy tale.
Andy, here is the fairy tale. Ganim is making more money and more money and more noise than Foster. Ganim may have been making license plates for 10 years at 38 cents an hour :-), but he is making more noise than Foster. He has more name recognition. Finch has $500,000 to send out glossy pictures of all of Bridgeport’s developments, schools and parks. Foster needs to first get Ganim’s anti-Finch votes before going after her perceived weakness in the Mayor’s leadership. Mary-Jane Foster is not making enough noise and Finch just needs to keep on doing what he is doing and embrace the University of Bridgeport. To think, with all of that money and not being able to get his message out while investing a few hours to the South End’s economic engine on the water, that would be a travesty. That could happen. That happens when you do not make smart choices.
Andy, MJF needs to knock out her competition before she goes after Finch. The way I see it, Ganim is ahead of Foster.
How strange is that? As strange as Ganim taking the gold. This is Bridgeport.
For 10 months I cleaned toilets for 12 cents an hour. I might have been grossly overpaid.
Lennie, I’ll bet you did an amazing job!!!
Well Lennie, do you think Joe reserved making three times your hourly rate. 🙂
MJF will be bringing her case to the people, let Ganim and Finch fight each other while she piles up voter support.
Andy, I hope so to make this an interesting election. I still say it is going to be a yawn.
Andy, during my past elections for state rep (before moving to Black Rock), my winning percentages were 91% and 97% respectively. In the more than 20 years I was part of the DTC I was always first or second in votes, again before moving to Black Rock. The past election may have been considered huge defeat, but if you noticed of the five candidates the only one having legislation currently being debated in Hartford right now is the issue I brought out on Channel 12 Focus on Connecticut Substitute for S.B. No. 319
An ACT CONCERNING FINANCIAL LITERACY EDUCATION
To ensure that students of public high schools and public institutions of higher education in this state receive instruction in financial literacy.
My point being every election isn’t only about winning some are to get a platform, a chance to give those paying attention the awareness of a need. As I get to know my neighbors and they me, I believe my percentages will grow, as you said “I’m a nice guy,” thank you for that, Andy.
Every candidate should focus on exposing Finch on his abysmal record over and over again.
Maria, the problem with that is all the issues you want to go after, Mayor Finch also has some serious fluff people want. That being said, Mayor Finch has his supporters. It is the anti-Finch that is open for distribution. They are going to Foster, Ganim, Gardner and Coviello. Maria, Ganim has to say why he would be better than Foster and vice versa. This is where it can get ugly. Steelpointe is looking good. Downtown north is happening and there are still many more announcements to be made.