Foster: Jobs Must Be Focus

Five months before an anticipated Democratic primary, Mary-Jane Foster formally declared her candidacy for mayor this afternoon at the Bridgeport Holiday Inn with an emphasis on job creation and a reformer’s rhetoric. In her speech she declares … “it’s time to flush out the past, clean sweep the present, and poise our city for a fresh start.” See her speech below:

One of the great joys in life is accomplishing what naysayers insist can’t be done. A baseball park and arena? In Bridgeport? You’re crazy–they said. Well, they were wrong. The Harbor Yard sports and entertainment complex–home to the Bridgeport Bluefish and world-class entertainment–is one of the great joys of my professional life. I’m proud that we created over 140 permanent jobs, 90% of which are held by Bridgeport residents. The Bluefish team alone has pumped about $40 million into our local economy. Twelve years later, the ballpark and arena continue to bring over 500,000 visitors to our city each year.

The ballpark and arena are perfect examples of what can happen when people have the vision and will to put words into action: create an idea, nurture its development, and shepherd it to completion through a private-public partnership. We created an excitement in this city that had not been experienced in decades. And the right leader–a leader with vision, the ability to make bold decisions, and who has a proven track record of accomplishment–can create that excitement again.

Today I officially declare my candidacy for the office of mayor. I am running for mayor to put our city back to work and to build relationships throughout the state and beyond that will attract new business, create jobs, and beef up our tax base. That is the only way we will be able to finance public safety, improve our schools, and rebuild trust with residents so they know that government hears their call for action and is actually doing something about it.

I am seeking the Democratic nomination without the support of the party apparatus that is so entrenched in government decision-making. If we’re going to change the way Bridgeport does business, our campaign must reach beyond the party regulars and build neighborhood coalitions from the bottom up. If you’re tired of politics driving government … if you’re a long-suffering taxpayer eager for a fresh start … if you’re among the neglected, poor, and voiceless who want government to be part of the solution rather than the perceived problem, I ask you to support my campaign for mayor.

I never dreamed of running for office and I’m not a career politician. I also know I’m the underdog against a really well-financed incumbent. I’ve spent a lifetime overcoming the odds as a child, an actress, a single mother, and business leader. Yet time and again I’ve succeeded where others might have failed. From pounding the pavement and convincing casting directors I was the right person for the job, to going back to school to earn my undergraduate and law degrees as a single mother in my 40s, to negotiating contracts at the ballpark–I bring hard-won, real-life experience and a track record of accomplishment to this race.

Job creation will be the focal point of my campaign message because it drives all the essential ingredients to rebuilding a city. Tax growth leads to more revenue that funds public services, enhances quality of life, sparks community spirit, and provides discretionary dollars to support local businesses, restaurants, recreation, the arts, and non-profits. Bridgeport’s unemployment rate is among the highest in the state and we need to focus our collective energies on putting people back to work.

The sad reality is that the only job creation we’ve seen in Bridgeport is for the politically connected who have been hired by a mayor who is beholden to the political process. In Bridgeport, connections trump competence. Politics trumps people. And posturing trumps policy. Enough is enough. Bridgeport deserves better and it’s time to flush out the past, clean sweep the present, and poise our city for a fresh start.

How can the mayor create jobs? Jobs will be created when the mayor relentlessly markets Bridgeport to potential investors. As mayor I will have an economic development department that is fully engaged and totally focused on responding to the needs of investors and developers who want to do business in Bridgeport and efficiently moving projects to completion. It’s easy to find reasons why things can’t happen. My administration will move heaven and earth to ensure progress does happen.

At the same time, job creation isn’t just about attracting new investors; it’s also about supporting your existing businesses and helping them stay and thrive here. What are your needs? How can we help you grow? I assure the people of Bridgeport when I’m elected they will have a mayor and economic development director fully engaged in the task of attracting and retaining jobs.

Every four years, the voters have an opportunity to take a look at their current leaders and decide if the city is headed in the right direction. Now is that time and an honest look at where we are will reveal that we’ve had:

Four years of a lot of talk and no action.

Four years of misplaced priorities and missed opportunities.

Four years of taxpayers being squeezed by higher taxes and higher unemployment.

Since taking office, the mayor has spent a fortune on questionable employee terminations, millions in political hires, and fees for outside legal counsel. City Hall has pounded on city employees for concessions without looking at its own expenses.

This administration told you they would cut your taxes by $600 only to raise them by that much for many homeowners. They told you they were for a prison on the Upper East Side before they were against it. They told you they were for a halfway house in the West End before they were against it. They’ll tell voters whatever they want to hear on any given day. That’s what happens when elected officials have no clear vision and no backbone to do the right thing.

And what have taxpayers gotten for their hard earned tax dollar? Bridgeport is drifting in a sea of inaction, higher crime, poor services, low morale, and lousy government communication skills. Finances are so badly managed that City Hall is for sale … pension obligations are put off with no plan for repayment … and they’re borrowing millions to cover daily operating expenses.

The mayor claims victory with his latest budget saying he’s cut spending. He hasn’t. He has simply put off spending by not paying his bills.

I urge voters to consider one question this campaign season: which candidate do you trust to create jobs, stabilize taxes, and lead Bridgeport in a new direction? The truth is: Bridgeport cannot afford to have a career politician running our city into the ground for another four years. Bridgeport deserves better and the time for new leadership is now.

While you can’t solve a legacy of bad decisions overnight, we will change course with a fresh, new approach to governing. And that starts with leading with integrity, forging relationships, building consensus, truly embracing transparency, knowing where we want to go, and how to get there.

One immediate way we can restore faith in government is to implement some first-class reforms controlled by the chief executive. For too long we’ve seen the conflicts of interests that arise for City Council members who are also City employees. With the new budget cycle beginning, how many will recuse themselves rather than vote on a budget that directly affects their employment? While a mayor cannot stop a City employee from seeking public office, a mayor absolutely can decide to never appoint a member of the City Council to a paid City position. If they’re qualified to do the job, they must resign from the City Council. You cannot have it both ways.

We will have experienced department heads who know how to get things done. They will not be appointed based on the number of votes they can deliver or the amount of money they can raise. We need to change the culture so that it is driven by competence, not political connection. And with time, this competence, demonstrated on a daily basis, will create confidence in City Hall’s ability to do right by the people and in Bridgeport’s ability to establish itself as the great city it once was and can be again.

Bridgeport deserves a mayor who will be independent, focused, and bold. A mayor who will not only talk about a plan for revitalizing our city but who will deliver on it. A mayor with a track record of integrity, honesty, and accomplishment. My name is Mary-Jane Foster, I am running for mayor and make no mistake about it: I am in this race to win it. There is simply too much at stake to continue on the path we’re on.

I’m running for mayor because I’m tired of being from the city with “so much potential.” We need a mayor who will set us on the path to finally achieve our potential. A mayor who will seize every opportunity to turn this city around. I turned around the south end of Main Street and I can turn Bridgeport around.

If you believe Bridgeport deserves better, I ask you to join me and support my candidacy for mayor. Together we can take on the political establishment, take over City Hall, and turn this great city around once and for all!