It’s May 2 and the mayoral election cycle is in full bloom, or should be at least. An incumbent mayor who budgets a modest salary increase during an election year must feel pretty good about his reelection chances. Mayor Bill Finch has proposed an annual salary of $129,862 starting July 1, up from his current $126,538 annual salary. Salary increases for the mayor are tied by ordinance to negotiated increases with the Bridgeport City Supervisors Association.
Three announced Democratic challengers, Mary-Jane Foster, John Gomes and Charlie Coviello are trying to position as the top alternative to Finch. Former Mayor Joe Ganim had been making a lot of noise about getting in but appears to be pulling back. Finch is still the odds-on favorite to win the September primary and win reelection in November. Why? He’s well financed, he’s backed by a majority of the party, he’s entering the cycle without raising taxes this year, or perhaps minimal depending on what the City Council does with the budget, and as the incumbent he controls the candy store, he can make things happen. It allows you to announce this:
Work is slated to begin Thursday, April 28 on the downtown streetscape improvements adjacent to the train station and ferry dock, Mayor Bill Finch announced today.
Work will begin in the area under I-95, between the Intermodal Transportation Center and the former ferry access, and will include power washing the stone walls and the columns. Additional work includes painting, landscaping and moving lights; the entire project will cost $100,000 and is expected to take about six weeks to complete. No road closures are expected during that time.
This is the first in a series of downtown improvements that will be undertaken during the next year as part of the City’s “Bridgeport @ Work” capital improvements plan.
For more information regarding downtown improvements, log on to: www.bridgeportct.gov, or sign up for the City’s email newsletter at www.bridgeportct.gov/Pages/Subscriptions.aspx
And this …
Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch Announces Federal Funds Now Available to Help Homeowners Facing Threat of Foreclosure
CHFA-HUD approved Bridgeport area counseling agencies now accepting applications for Connecticut’s new Federal Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program;
Free Housing Fair Sat., May 7
Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch today announced that Bridgeport area housing counseling agencies are now accepting applications for new Federal aid available for city and area homeowners who may be facing the loss of their home due to foreclosure. Mayor Finch urged homeowners facing this possibility to contact area housing counseling agencies to determine if this program may be able to help.
Mayor Finch and CHFA will host an EHLP Housing Fair Saturday, May 7, 9 am – 12 noon at the City Hall Annex, 999 Broad Street, Bridgeport. For details visit www.chfa.org. The housing fairs, which allow for face-to-face inquiries about the program, are free and open to any state homeowner.
The mayor’s three challengers no doubt will try to remind voters about tax-cut promises made, administrative gaffes and things that haven’t gotten done. The bigger challenge is linking the lack of progress with how they’ll be better, and why voters should fire the incumbent.
Finch will have plenty of money to explain his case for four more years. In addition turnout has now become a big factor. In the old days when turnout was much higher, a majority of the anti-incumbent feeling managed to find its way to the polls. Many angry voters who believe all pols are the same are now staying home and that benefits the candidate supported by the base party vote. It would appear a large primary field would also benefit Finch with challengers carving up whatever anti vote does make it to the polls. That’s the ultimate challenge for the opposition, how to inspire electors to vote? In 2007 State Rep. Chris Caruso showed the base party vote pulled largely by Democratic insiders could be defeated. At one point Caruso had, according to Finch’s polling, a double-digit lead in the summer of 2007. That lead evaporated as Finch cast doubt on a Caruso mayoralty and Caruso hamstrung himself with a myopic message focused on corruption. Caruso lost by 270 votes.
Foster, who has raised far more dough than Gomes and Coviello, had strong visibility a few weeks ago following her formal declaration that included front-page coverage in the Connecticut Post, a flight of radio on WICC, a billboard on I-95 and web site launch. Her campaign, however, hasn’t issued a news release since her formal announcement. Challengers must take advantage of free media situations, social network opportunities, until launching a steady stream of voter outreach in the summer–if they have the money to do it. Big if. While Foster has been quiet recently on the free media front Coviello and Gomes have issued several statements and policy positions. Challengers must be relentless in reaching voters through free media, and the mayor will be just as a relentless leveraging the power of incumbency to further his election. Free media doesn’t a campaign make–money, organization and message does–but it is a factor in building name recognition and reaching voters. It will also be difficult for Gomes and Coviello to resonate with voters if they cannot raise enough loot to compete.
OIB will run almost every press release, statement, policy position from the candidates, be it challenger or the mayor. As a political animal, I want readers to know everything–good or bad–candidates are willing to throw at them.
Weird stuff can happen in campaigns, but with more than four months until a September primary, for now it’s advantage Finch.
God bless America and our troops and God bless Obama. He did it in 2 years while George Walker had 2 terms and did not do it. Obama wins 2012 election easily.
And Jim Himes said, “The victory against Osama caps almost a decade of very seriously degrading his organization. I’m stunned by the ability of our military and intelligence officials.”
THAT’S BECAUSE YOU NEVER SERVED IN THE MILITARY!!! If the politicians had allowed the military to attack like this in the first place, the piece of you-know-what would have been gone to Allah in the first week!!!
donj, don’t make this a political thing. Both administrations have been looking for this SOB. I am happy he is dead but the war on terror is not over. Good job by Navy Seals.
Finch can announce a downtown this and a downtown that but the bottom line is the city is falling apart under his leadership.
The streets are filthy and full of as yet unfilled potholes. Remember this past winter when streets were plowed in such a bad way they were reduced to a width of 1-1/2 cars?
Look at the unpaid pension liability and the unpaid pension benefits. You can hide from it at election time but it still is there.
Look at the manner in which he has handled city employees. He has forced them to take a week off without pay yet he and his cronies got 3% raises. He continues to hire political friends at a record pace.
This mayor has us paying for employees who are no longer on the payroll. Who is getting that money? You got it, Finch and his cronies.
I don’t know where there has been no tax increase, my taxes have gone up every year he has been in office albeit they have been small increases.
You would have to be a moron to reelect this guy and his band of incompetents.
L.G.,
As usual your assumptions are correct. The only hope to beat Finch in the primary is to have a consolidation of powers. MJF & John Gomes must sit down and put aside their egos. Too many times in the past we have seen better-qualified folks lose to better-organized folks. Equally important is there must be a qualified Republican candidate to run for the mayoral position. In the unfortunate event Finch wins the primary we must have a viable option to removing “Dollar Bill” from office. If I am forced to vote for a Republican to eliminate “Kaiser Bill” so be it. Democrats for Republicans.
Antitesto // May 2, 2011 at 6:21 am
To your posting
Anti …
The last thing to do at this point is for either candidate to stop delivering a brand new message to Bridgeport voters. One they haven’t heard in 30 or so years …
Political life is no longer going to be the same in Bridgeport for those who fed so easily at the trough. Voters deserve to be contacted, connected with and made to feel valued again. That has little to do with ego and much to do with compassion and leadership. And voters have a right to know their choices are not limited to one candidate delivered by the Party Machine.
Carolanne, with affection I must ask you a question. Can a candidate put aside ego for the greater good? Can a candidate suck it up for us to defeat a common foe? We have two highly qualified candidates who can dethrone “Kaiser Bill.” Could one say” I will work for you & with you to improve the quality of life in BPT?” MJF is not creating a slate to run against the incumbent, you are. Through cooperation we could all win. Are salary adjustments an issue? Please look long & hard at what divides us on these issues. Between us we have a cure for cancer. If we fail to reach an agreement at these crossroads we will all regret it forever. I will be more than happy to help you by any means necessary. You have my contact #s. I am at your service.
For the sake of the city whoever gets the primary win, they had better think about the citizens for once instead of themselves. I only hope one of them has a multi plan for the financial disaster heading this way. Starting this week it will become apparent Bridgeport will not be getting the State funding it expected. The individual who has the most comprehensive financial plans had best win.
The “Peter Principle” doesn’t even apply to Finch. He is so far past his level of competency to even suggest a raise (regardless of any prior commitment from the Bridgeport Supervisors Association, another self-serving entity) is contemptuous.
Here’s a Peter Principled Finch?
www .youtube.com/watch?v=jcgvMoZ_Oyg
Finch can and will win if the challengers fail to reverse voter apathy. The “regular” voters vote the way they are told. El Squid knows full well his cushy way of life; the only life he has ever known, can come to a well -eserved screeching halt if his minions lose the primary. I’m not optimistic although I loath any thoughts of Finch returning to office. The concept is unconscionable and downright wrong.
The challengers are just not addressing the “get out the vote” imperatives as they should. All candidates walk the neighborhoods. That’s not good enough. They have to create a sense of urgency clearly stating the rubble in which we live is a direct result of the flagrant mismanagement of the self-interested sycophants who arrogantly thumb their noses at the populace to advance whatever agenda they have.
I truly don’t believe MJF and Gomes get this message. It’s scary.
In the absence of Chris Caruso, yahooy is beginning to sound like Chris Caruso. IT’S CORRUPTION, DAMN IT!!!!!!!!!
The city will end tomorrow! Run for your lives!!!
I never said anyone is corrupt. I clearly infer Mario Testa and Paul Timpanelli have done absolutely nothing to restore Bridgeport to a position of prominence. Why? They put people into office like Finch, Fabrizi and all of the calamarian council members who band together and just do really stupid things. If cash changes hands, I’m not aware of it. I object to these people staying in office because, like you, they are too stupid to recognize what is needed to reverse the shit-hole we are in and are destined to stay in unless real change occurs this time.
Corruption in City government is not only a matter of “cash changing hands.” I know something close to that language is the standard set by our City Ethics Commission, but I will repeat once again that sets our ethical standard and expectation in the City too low.
Corruption also occurs when you put people in positions that are over their head and also fail to train them. Perhaps that is what happened in the past year with “ballot discrepancies” during the election and fingers pointed at Voter Registration.
Corruption occurs when you allow your Boards and Commission representation serving currently appointed terms to dwindle to less than 25% of posted offices. Then if the person in the “oval office” locally does not get the result he wishes he replaces the volunteer on the Board (who voted incorrectly) to get someone else more disposed to act in concert with City Hall, rather than act as a true steward serving the Board or Commission duties.
Corruption is encouraged when you wear two or more hats that are frequently if not just occasionally called into conflict. How about serving as a Pension Plan Fiduciary that requires singular passion and action to make sure benefits are funded while also being an elected official who sees remaining as incumbent come next election day Which is the highest and best hat to wear does not matter? Don’t allow the grounds for conflict in the first place!
Corruption is stretching out the good times as long as you can (City cars going home this year but corrected in the future) despite negative finances; expecting City Council members who have not attended one Budget and Appropriations subcommittee meeting this year (and dare I question whether they have looked at any minutes or the budget itself to find areas to challenge, to vote in a critical, competent and intelligent manner; or to expect those who are employed by the City to recuse themselves from a budget vote (or recommend changes in the budget from observations in their daily work) so as to lighten taxpayer burden and focus tax dollars where they will serve the City best???
Forget corruption if the word upsets you. Focus on the many conflicts in the City where people are not free to vote as stewards with a City-wide constituency, but rather for themselves, their job, their fear of loss of position, etc. Sad situation, no doubt, but conflicts are what we are facing. If I have missed some you see, post them for all to see and hear.
BEACON2 // May 2, 2011 at 6:02 pm
To your posting
B2,
While others may never get to understand on their own so well the elements of corruption, you have shown the way for us at OIB. Keep it up … we know this is NOT information people inside 999 Broad want us knowing.
tc GIVE ME A BREAK. Obama-led administration did it, Bush could not do it in 7 years. Any hope of getting Obama out in 2012 kiss it goodbye. I am happy I voted for Obama. All over New York last night all you heard was screams and chants, Obama Obama yes we did!!!
Lennie,
I will peg the machine vote at 4,000 tops. Take a look at whatever results you want to and that is about it.
Finch’s election, Fabrizi elections. Just like you point out, the anti vote has lost its steam, so has the machine.
It will be a lot harder for the machine to maintain that level.
Union cutbacks, NAGE employees losing their jobs, rising co-insurance costs for the jobs that used to at least get you good health insurance cheap.
Bridgeport is headed in the wrong direction even for city employees. And do those employees believe that all is well going forward or do they believe if Finch is re-elected the concessions will start all over again?
But yahooy is wrong to a large degree. Votes will turn out if they hear and believe a strong positive message. The voters always thirst for hope. For a new beginning. That is what would really drive voters to the polls; even apathetic ones.
Good points, Grin. If the primary turnout hits 20 percent that would be roughly 9,000 Dem voters. At 25 percent (roughly the turnout in 2007) it’s about 10,000 voters. The average between Fabs in 2003 and Finch in 2007 was roughly 4300 votes.
John McCain said he wouldn’t go after Bin Laden in Pakistan. Good thing Obama won.
I’m surprised at both of you. The primary is the most important election this cycle. Testa will dilute the vote with worthless candidates and still maintain the “regular” vote for his boy. 4000 in a primary of this magnitude is outrageous but it is highly likely. At 4000 Finch is an assured winner. Clear message to MJF and Gomes. They simply have to create voters out of the apathetic.
That would be 4,000 votes for the machine candidate Finch; not a total turnout.
A challenger would need 4,000-plus to win.
yahooy // May 2, 2011 at 11:23 am
to your posting
yahooy,
“simply have to create (actual) voters out of the apathetic (registered) voters.” You’re right … that’s the task. It would be futile to think the known Democratic base in each Mayoral primary is going to move away from the Democratic Town Chair’s directive.
Let’s see who Testo brings out to dilute the vote. I am sure OIB posters can spot that action …
donj, I applaud Barack Obama for approving the raid that killed Bin Laden. That was a tough political decision because of the location where Bin Laden was reported to be. Obama kept up the search for this guy. This operation took 4 years to put together. Remember the guy in charge of the Bin laden task force has been chasing Bin Laden for years. A job well done.
But before you get all warm and fuzzy remember gasoline is $4.25 a gallon. Unemployment is hovering around 9%. The debt is in the multiple Trillions and people are still losing their homes. So not everything is wonderful.
BTW what’s your take on the upcoming city election?
I firmly believe the world is in the state we are in because of radical extremism. Oil has dropped because Bin Ladin is dead. Good. Seek out all these extremists who want to do us harm. Kill ’em hard. Make them know they are dead.
tc true about gasoline but right now I’m glad we got the bastard and it took Obama to do it and he will win 2012. As far as the city election goes to tell the truth I just feel tired of all these politicians in the city, that’s why I have not been on here in a few months ’cause how I look at it other than Ganim the whole bunch of them could care less about the city and every one of them has their own motive and personal reason why they want to run some want to get back at Finch etc. I know you’re going to say Ganim is a crook but he did more than any one of the clowns running now. And to be honest I might not even vote, I have lost interest in this race. Now I understand why Bridgeport stays home on election day and the only time they got up was when they came out in numbers to vote for Obama ’cause he was a great candidate and every other election we have weak candidates that don’t give a flying fuck. All of these candidates for mayor are full of bullshit and I have transformed into a regular city voter, I will stay home until I find a candidate who is worth voting for. One example of a candidate who I will get up and vote for is Obama. If Ganim runs then I will vote if not I’m not voting because it does not make sense.
My sentiment exactly, donj. The candidates presently in the mayoral race all have a personal agenda and/or an axe to grind with Bill Finch. Not one of them have the vision, aptitude or the fortitude required to move Bridgeport forward. It appears once again Bridgeport voters will have a choice between not good, bad, horrendous, and atrocious for Mayor. I’m done. Adieu!
*** No doubt “political change” is needed in this city; from the 10 district town committees to the BOE & Mayor’s office. However without some type of commitment from “some” of these people and also minority voter support, nothing will happen. The challenging candidates have all been too laid back in their political campaigns towards real change. Good guys finish last in Bpt politics, so it’s time for aggressive straight-to-the-point campaigning on how change will be brought about! I don’t want to hear about the past & future unrealistic hopeful ideas! I want to hear about “how” to go about it, a plan, what’s working now & what’s not, etc. It’s time to break down this administration’s failures & make them public info for all to see, hear & read. Time to draw a line in the sand & make some damn noise, “please!” *** HERE WE GO! ***
You guys …
Get a grip
In 30 years you haven’t had this caliber of candidate material.
What’s the matter with you? Everyone is angry with Finch. Some have the cojones to step forward and take him on.
Once more, the feeling towards Finch is universal anger and some good people are putting their anger to healthy use.
Get a good night’s sleep and think when was the last time a good candidate was on the ballot in Bridgeport?
*** Are these “caliber candidates” going to send the voters in high numbers to the polls just on anger & the usual pipe-dream speeches? Good guys wear black & angels have dirty faces, no? Time to really get the playbook out! *** HERE WE GO! ***
All political candidates must take care to avoid being corrupted by popular perception. After Jean Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier was run out of Haiti and the people were allowed to vote in free elections they grew frustrated very quickly, many of them saying “We’ve had democracy for seven days! When is it going to get better?”
I’m still not satisfied the “caliber candidates” Gomes and Foster get the message the very people who will ensure an election victory are the people who typically sit on their ass on election or primary day then gripe about the sad state of affairs.
MJ spent a couple of hours on WICC virtually extolling the virtues of the way the city is being run. According to her, when you take into consideration the “empirical” obstacles (what’s an empirical obstacle?) that face any obstacle, she claims she can readily understand how the current and past administrations have failed in their duties. OK, MJ. What’s your plan?
Why can’t MJ and Gomes just stand up and say Mario Testa and Paul Timpanelli have ruined this city because they simply do not know how to orchestrate the fix? Both men are power-hungry narcissists who revel in their own self-import while we suffer. They have to go. They have to go now!!! The candidates better get a platform together with a bigger “caliber” stick or we will be stuck for another 4+ years. Ganim polling well … screw every one of you who think that thief and arrogant shithead should return to office. Where did this polling company get their list? From Ernest “T’s” rolodex?
We all had better pull our heads out of our asses. We are blessed with two qualified candidates who can defeat Finch. If they join forces we can beat this corrupt regime. If they go head to head in the primary Finch will win. I have a bad feeling personal glory is more important to both of the contenders than winning for the people of BRIDGEPORT.