Ganim Released From Prison, Vows Return; Finch, Fabs And Caruso Weigh In

Former Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, released today from a federal prison camp in western Pennsylvania just minutes after midnight following five and a half years of confinement on federal corruption charges, vowed a dramatic return to City Hall, setting up a showdown of past and current mayors in the 2011 municipal election.

Ganim did not make clear his intention to seek the Democratic nomination for mayor or to wage an independent candidacy. Ganim spoke briefly to Associated Press reporter John Cristoffersen just outside the gates of the federal prison camp at McKeon near the Ohio border.

“The years have been trying for me and my family, and the first thing I want to do is reconnect with them,” the former mayor stated. “In time, I’ll have a formal announcement about my plans, but I’m not happy with the progress of the city since I left office in 2003.”

Democratic Town Chair Mario Testa, who visited Ganim in prison on a number of occasions, shared his thoughts with OIB early this morning by phone from his restaurant.

“The Ganim years while I was town chairman under him are undeniable,” Testa said. “Working with the mayor we had 10 straight years of balanced budgets without a tax increase, the greatest period of prosperity in the city since the war years, a cleaner, safer city with development all over including a ball park, arena, new Housatonic Community College and new state police barracks.”

The town chair would not speculate about the former mayor’s entry into the 2011 race.  “We’ll see what happens after Mayor Finch has another fundraiser at the restaurant and former Mayor Fabrizi does the same.”

Fabrizi, who’s also considering a comeback in 2011 following party pressure not to seek another four-year term in 2007, told OIB he’ll have a formal announcement shortly. “When I came into office the place was a mess. We turned the city around, made clear that pay for play was a thing of the past and we got things done. If I run I will do it with or without the party politicians that threw me under the bus.”

Mayor Finch, from his home on Crown Street, seemed ready to hunker down for a fight. “Between Ganim and Fabrizi the city was a complete mess when I got in and as a result we’re paying the price. By the time 2011 rolls around the city will be the cleanest, greenest, safest city in America with schools and neighborhoods that improve each year.”

OIB caught up to State Rep. Chris Caruso, unsuccessful mayoral candidate in 2003 and 2007, at the New Colony Diner, a magnet for the city’s political guys and dolls in the North End. Sucking on a chili dog for breakfast Caruso hammered home the red-meat theme that came up short in his two runs.

“It’s corruption, corruption and nothing but corruption,” he said, swiping at gravy stains on his white shirt. “In fact, the corruption issue isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.”

Asked to pinpoint one specific case of corruption in the Fabrizi or Finch administration, Caruso said, “Voters know what’s going on. The election was stolen from me in 2003 and again in 2007 and even state judges are in the pocket of Bridgeport’s corrupt political machine. Voters know what’s happening. I’m in this to win and if I don’t I will pursue all legal remedies available to me.”

City Councilman Bob Troll Walsh, still considering whether he’ll seek reelection to the council this year, shook his head as OIB caught up to him hopping on his gas-efficient scooter in his West Side driveway.

“I don’t know what to make of this. I’ve been in Bridgeport all my life. It may be time to find a nice Hungarian girl and move to Budapest. Unless, of course, this is another one of Grimaldi’s April 1 gags.”

Classified Info

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News release from Jim Himes: No Joke!

Himes Announces Recovery Act Middle-Class Tax Cut to Take Effect

WASHINGTON, DC -Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) announced that middle-class workers will see an increase in their take-home pay beginning  April 1. Individuals earning less than $95,000 and couples making up to $190,000 will benefit from this tax cut created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Recovery Act is the largest middle-class tax cut in American history.

“Middle-class families are struggling simply to buy groceries and to pay their mortgages, and the best way we can help our economy is to help them stay on their feet,” said Congressman Himes. “I campaign on the need to offer hard-working families a break on federal taxes, and the Recovery Act meets this challenges head-on by combining middle-class tax cuts with investments to create local jobs.”

The Making Work Pay provision of the Recovery Act provides a refundable tax credit up to $400 for working individuals and $800 for married taxpayers filing joint returns through 2010. For workers who receive a paycheck and are subject to withholding, the credit will typically be handled by their employers through automated withholding changes made by tomorrow. If a worker is eligible for the maximum amount of the tax credit, and their employer begins using the revised tax tables starting April 1, that worker can expect to bring home an additional $44 each month as a single filer and $89 as joint filers.

Some workers may have already seen the increase in take-home pay because the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) withholding tables were already updated to reflect the new credit. Because the tax change is retroactive to January 1, in some cases, employees will have no federal tax deducted in recent paychecks.

It is not necessary to submit a W-4 to get the automatic withholding change. However, an employee with multiple jobs or married couples whose combined incomes place them in a higher tax bracket may elect to submit a revised W-4 to ensure there is enough withheld to cover the tax for his or her combined income. IRS Publication 919 provides additional guidance for tax withholding.