Kohut: GE Property For Road And School “Subversive Planning”

Jeff Kohut, independent candidate for mayor, isn’t bashful when it comes to his take on city development. Here’s what he told City Council members Wednesday night during a public hearing on the proposed city budget:

As a citizen of Bridgeport, I feel compelled to address our budget situation in terms with which the general public might not be familiar, but about which they need to be fully informed.

It should be known that current Bridgeport development policy–which determines grand list and revenue growth–is being driven by a regional plan concocted by our wealthy regional neighbors to perpetuate the exploitation, impoverishment, and lack of viable options for our city and our people.

This regional plan–a long-standing plan–is now defined in terms of the state-endorsed regional plan, “One Coast, One Future” (it can be Googled and perused on the Internet). In this plan, Bridgeport plays host to the regional labor force as the regional “housing hub,” while also playing host for the regional “transit-oriented” development that supports this situation, such as new roads, train stations, and feeder-barge ports–which will provide few jobs while having a negative affect on Bridgeport municipal revenue (roads and municipal train stations don’t pay taxes, and feeder-barge ports use valuable land at a low tax rate while clogging and grinding up streets with huge trucks that belch diesel fumes that ruin neighborhoods and cause infrastructure damage not covered by the paltry taxes generated by such operations …)

This plan is the reason why the Finch Administration, at the behest of the Stamford-based, Fairfield County Business Council (FCBC) and its stepchild, the Bridgeport Regional Business Council (BRBC) are waging a frantic behind-the-scenes battle and diversionary maneuver to assure the $600 million, 2000-job, solar-panel manufacturing plant GE would like to locate in Bridgeport can’t be located here. That adds up to the rejection of employment for much of the East Side/East End neighborhoods bordering the property, as well as the rejection of about $24 million in annual taxes (on the $600 million manufacturing facility) … (A move reminiscent of the Ganim administration rejections of the 1000-job Ford/GM shipping port at Steel Point and the 500-job Lionel Train Company relocation on the ballpark parcel at Harbor Yard due to conflicts with the city development agenda for those sites … The travesty lies in the fact not a finger was lifted to accommodate these high-value development offers on other, uncommitted space in our vast industrial wasteland…)

In 2001, then-Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy, and FCBC Chairman Chris Bruhl lobbied against a Bridgeport casino because it would–and this is a quote–“…take away our cheap Bridgeport workforce…”

This is behind what is happening now with the GE opportunity and other potential opportunities for the re-industrialization of Bridgeport.

We are frantically rezoning industrial property to residential designation in order to make sure we won’t have the option to reindustrialize and once again have full employment in Bridgeport at living-wage jobs. (We are fulfilling the Stamford-Norwalk/Gold Coast Dream!…) Instead, our leaders are taking us down the (Seaview Avenue Corridor) road of no return, where we have only low-value tax base options that can’t support a healthy school system and adequate city services–tax-negative options such as housing, roads, and train stations (that offer no real job growth), as well as large-footprint schools we can’t support on this type of “negative” tax base (non-tax base…).

The use of the GE property for a road and a high school is extremely poor–actually, subversive–economic-development planning. The road will only result in the destruction of a valuable urban forest, the Remington Woods, vital to our environmental health and well-being, while adding only tax-negative housing and transit-oriented development, requiring more unfinanced services and infrastructure at taxpayer expense … Despite what Paul Timpanelli, Mayor Finch, and the BRBC keep saying, the development of the Remington Woods will not create more jobs or increase our tax base–it is all being done for the benefit of Stamford, Norwalk, and the other Gold Coast towns, as well as the suburbs to our north.

Bridgeport provides the workforce–housing, municipal services, and schools, and Stamford, Norwalk, et al., get the lucrative tax base and the advantages of a commuting, non-local workforce … This is the plan for Bridgeport endorsed by our own mayor, congressman, senators, and present governor, and which is being strenuously promoted by our regional business council …

We need the GE factory and its 2000 jobs. Harding High School could get a nice, new location along the Pequonnock River, near the new waterfront park …

In closing, I would like to mention Stamford’s budget is about the same size as ours–about $470 million–and they have 20,000 less people for which to provide services … Furthermore, their municipal pension plans and bonded debt obligations are in the black … How do they do this? It’s easy; they provide an attractive business environment to retain high-value tax base and a large grand list, by keeping tax rates low and the physical environment attractive by passing off workforce expenses and the hosting of obtrusive infrastructure on Bridgeport … One Coast, One Future, indeed! …

Now, if you’ve read the Connecticut Post of late, Mayor Finch, with the help of an obviously biased media, has been flaunting his greenness while pushing ahead, full throttle, to clear-cut one of the last great urban forests in the country–the Remington Woods–while making plans to pack 300,000 people into tiny Bridgeport … (Also note, besides the opportunity costs of the lost GE manufacturing facility, the Seaview Avenue Corridor project, needed for the development of the Remington Woods, will pave over many millions of dollars of tax base along Seaview Avenue, displace hundreds of units of housing, and will otherwise cost about $350 million that could be better spent rehabilitating true brownfields in Bridgeport …) The rhetorical questions must be asked: Is this madness?! Is this green?! Is this sound economic-development planning?!

Save Bridgeport! Reconstruct our tax base! (Reindustrialize!) Bring GE manufacturing back to Bridgeport! (Bridgeport resources for Bridgeporters!)

Vote for change and real ($green$) economic development in November!

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35 comments

  1. I agree with Mr. Kohut’s comments. The city and this administration and Flush Timpanelli keep selling this bullshit idea of a Seaview Ave corridor. It cant be done. No one in their right mind is going to pay $55-plus million to re-engineer the railroad bridge at Seaview and Crescent Ave. Even if they did that means the tracks would be at grade level and pass through the streets of the East Side.
    It seems we always have these pie-in-the-sky projects that are impossible to do and we walk away from doable projects as pointed out in Mr. Kohut’s article.
    It’s time for all of these bums to go. Timpanelli can start a plumbing business and Finch can sell rain barrels and Bridgeport can then move forward.

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    1. Bridgeport has been gifted with dreams, schemes, fantasies, and fakeries by different parties for many more years than OIB has been available. I think Barnum had a word for some of the least worthy concepts that have been hyped and it was “bunkum.”

      But last night at the Budget and Appropriation hearing Jeff Kohut and Barry Piesner used their time to promote ideas that would create real businesses that offer real jobs and challenge the actions and words of Mayor Finch. He has been in office for over three years using City funds from taxpayers and other sources to produce attractive videos but not the long-term necessary results.

      Jeff’s broad view of where Bridgeport stands in the region is especially helpful and compelling because it differs from Mayor Finch in important long-term ways. And Barry Piesner’s green or environmentally friendly manufacturing ideas should have received real hearing and support as well.

      What’s the matter with Mayor Finch? I sense at least some of the candidates might let the Mayor take all the bows at the many photo ops (he does it anyway) and take the credit for these real ideas that produce jobs and profits and increased tax payments to the City. But instead he gets in the way or fails to acknowledge or guide city support if it is not his idea, it seems, and nothing is executed with the speed demanded in the business and financial world. And that fault can be assigned directly to city management.

      Productive dialogue is important because it depends less on talking than on listening. And it can lead to real support for practicing the art of the possible, which may accomplish less than what everyone expects but more than what we are getting today with the current administration.

      There is a real ongoing campaign including challenging and stimulating ideas being discussed and more people pushing for real change than have appeared in many moons. It’s a good time for the city.

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  2. It’s time for a reality check.

    When a city will jeopardize its own future deliberately as appears to be happening with the GE property, it’s time for the whole cast of characters who are participants in this effort (to of life so enjoyed by her sister communities) … to deny to Bridgeport the economic growth and quality, go. As soon as possible.

    Every candidate for mayor this year, except for the current mayor, sees the disaster awaiting Bridgeport.

    Mr. Kantrowitz thinks an endorsement from Working Family officials would help in the Mayor’s race. He must understand the first priority: it is the 30 years of the Democratic Party under one individual who has changed the face of what the Democratic Party SHOULD mean in this City, and these disastrous results say he must go and take his minions with him.

    We can return the Democratic Party to its true roots if we depopulate its current group of those who would subvert planning for true growth and sustainability in Bridgeport.

    The current crop of Bridgeport elected “leaders” are not friends of the city, they are friends to the wallet in their back pocket.

    Perhaps One Coast One Town works for most other communities in Fairfield County as the One Debt One Huge Burden will be be on the shoulders of this city and her taxpayers.

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  3. Jeff,
    You brought up some very important facts about the local governments in the “Gold Coast”. The traffic patterns prove it every morning and evening. I-95 Southbound in the A.M. is crazy, I-95 Northbound in the P.M. is crazy. We are literally “Leaving Town” for employment. We have become the poor side of town for all of Fairfield County. BPT manufacturing spawned the wealthy suburban neighborhoods that are exploiting us now. The GE buildings were built like fortresses and should not be demolished. They could be refurbished for industrial, commercial or even residential use. Fairfield County’s “Illuminati” will continue to exploit us as long as we continue to be exploited by our “Owned” politicians.

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    1. While the GE buildings are indeed fortress-like, today’s manufacturing is geared towards a horizontal facility not vertical. No longer do you make a piece, place it on a dolly or forklift and then bring it to a higher level via elevator or other means, add another process and send it to another level or back downstairs for more process. Unfortunately, for modern manufacturing they must come down.

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  4. Mr. Kohut has many valid points. It is time to vote Bill Finch out of office. His association with BRBC is taking far too great a priority.
    I’ve heard some voters are suspicious of Mary-Jane Foster’s business acumen. There is some concern she will continue catering to the business community over the needs of the people who actually live here in Bridgeport. That’s a valid concern. I’ve thought about that. I’m sure she has a cordial relationship with Paul Timpanelli but I doubt very much he will have the same unfettered access to the mayor’s office under a Foster administration.

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  5. To post: The Bridgeport Kid // Apr 28, 2011 at 12:20 pm

    “I’ve heard some voters are suspicious of Mary-Jane Foster’s business acumen. There is some concern she will continue catering to the business community over the needs of the people who actually live here in Bridgeport.”

    There is absolutely no doubt about that, BK. Just take a look at where her financial support hails from. Don’t let the Kodak smile and the Barbara Bush pearls fool you.
    Mary Jane Foster–NOT GOOD FOR BRIDGEPORT.

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    1. Wow. I don’t know Mr. Kohut’s present or past political affiliations, but if he isn’t already, he should register himself as a Republican and seek that party’s endorsement as a candidate for Mayor in the City of Bridgeport. Or the Bridgeport Republican Party should approach him to that end. Either way, I think Kohut has some real fire in his belly, and if given a major party endorsement with the support of others who really want to work hard with him, he could do an awful lot to bring about some real change in this city.

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    2. I’m sure she has a cordial relationship with Paul Timpanelli but I doubt very much he will have the same unfettered access to the mayor’s office under a Foster administration.

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    3. Valkyrie–This is a real Kodak moment.

      You are off base with your assumptions. Approximately 27.5% of Foster donations came from Bridgeport people during the exploratory phase before announcing for Mayor. Finch’s numbers are about 16% of Bridgeport residents. Foster’s fundraising efforts show she casts to a wide net of supporters. This is because of her record of relationship building in a regional arena. Finch’s donations are coming from the Maley-Beccaro PAC search engine, Machine Money Mechanics, city employees and questionable arm-twisting tactics to small and large business owners in Bridgeport.

      Also those pearly whites have spent years of advocating for those less fortunate and creating jobs in our city. We are rich in our Oyster history and I’m glad we have a cultured pearl running for office.

      Mary-Jane Foster, John Gomes, Jeff Kohut and Charlie Coviello are good for Bridgeport.

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    4. Yeah I am sure you and your friends are sitting around a table drinking Thunderbird and discussing MJF’s business abilities.
      If you had a clue you would have talked about all the jobs that went to Bridgeport residents when she and her husband owned the Bluefish. You would have talked about the millions that were spent in Bridgeport by people attending ballgames here in Bridgeport.
      The business community is important to Bridgeport’s development but you are right in that the people of Bridgeport can’t be pushed aside. I know that won’t happen with MJF. I know where her financial support comes from, also read the post by Up on Bridgeport.

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  6. This is very reminiscent of the battle for the casino in Bridgeport. The people in lower Fairfield county did not want it since they would lose their cheap labor supply. As long as Bridgeport can stay as the slave quarters for their workers, and be sure to leave their town by night they will be happy. Those who dwell in lower Fairfield county who have this mentality are the lowest form of life there is.

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    1. Kid,
      There would have been hundreds of jobs that would have helped many impoverished families here. Even if they were minimum wage that could have kept many folks from going under.

      Let me ask a question here. Why couldn’t BPT run its own Casino? Reno Nevada can do it, why couldn’t we?

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      1. I will address your question as to why not. Unfortunately the state of CT is one of the most corrupt states in the country. The people in the lower part of the county need the cheap labor, so no jobs in Bridgeport, you have cheap labor. Secondly Nevada has legalized casino gaming, sorry we don’t. This could be done if there were some legislators and a mayor who had a set of stones. The legislators who represent the city would have to demand the legalization of a casino in the city with the nayor in full support. When this fails the mayor would then call for a referendum on seceding from the State. This would bring enough national attention that the Hartford legislature would approve the measure. Another possibility is the city to get behind the Paugussetts for their recognition. Charlie Brilvitch wrote a history of the Paugussetts which documented their legitimacy and showed they met every federal qualification for recognition.

        The minimum wage at the casino was going to be $15 an hour with full benefits. I know this as a fact!!!

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  7. I remember that casino BS. So many people were pissed at Richard Blumenthal for fighting the Golden Hill Paugussett tribe’s application for recognition by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs. They bought into the line that an Indian Casino was going to solve all of Bridgeport’s problems and create millions of jobs. What a joke. There would’ve been jobs alright, plenty of gigs flipping burgers, changing hotel room bedsheets, parking cars, waiting tables and sweeping floors.

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    1. Hey Hector, how many jobs have you created? What did you expect at the ballfield? There were ground-crew jobs, there were concession jobs and there were maintenence jobs. What do you think they were doing at the ballfield, building Apple computers? Get a grip.

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  8. Interesting points, interesting comments.

    I doubt very much GE would ever put a new plant in Bridgepport …They have been shutting down all their Northeastern plants for years and relocating to Right to Work states or offshore … Energy, workman’s comp, housing costs, transportation, taxes are way too high.

    As to Bpt Kid, get real … We have a huge population of permanent, unskilled residents who can’t do more than Mcd-type jobs. The days when a HS dropout can go to Sikorsky, etc. and make a middle-class wage are long gone. Only thing that would help would be better schools and cohesive families that push education … And I do not see that happening.

    I don’t know why brownfields can’t be cleaned up more quickly … Often think the EPA and environmental whack-jobs regulate far too much … Look at the regulatory clean-up hurdles for HarborYard Steel Point, etc.

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    1. Well, that brings up another issue. John Ramos is an asshole who should not be in charge of the school system. He’s a hack administrator, a bureaucrat more interested in keeping his salary and benefits than furthering any child’s education. Bridgeport is churning out thousands of dropouts who can’t read, can’t handle basic math, are incapable of deductive reasoning. All the DOE can say is “Oh, the kids move around a lot, we can’t keep track of them, that’s why it looks as though more than two-thirds of our high school students drop out.”

      If we had a decent, functioning school system, one that encouraged the students to excel academically, more of them would be prepared to work at Sikorsky. As it is, with 68% of the freshmen entering Bridgeport public high schools not making it to graduation, there are literally thousands of kids pouring into the streets, unable to read and write, with only basic math skills, incapable of deductive reasoning and conflict resolution. Exhibit A: The two young men arrested and charged with murdering another man over a fake Rolex watch.

      Time to clean house.

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  9. Yes … thank you, Mr. Diaz.

    And, as far as I know, the Bluefish organization when owned by MJF did not have a single contract with any minority-owned businesses. Maybe WBEs, but not MBEs. If anyone knows differently, I stand to be corrected.

    Bridgeport doesn’t need a nanny or another plantation owner. That’s exactly what B’port will get with MJF as mayor.

    FYI–I am not playing the race card … just stating fact. Like it or not.

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  10. Valkyrie–Call Vernon Shanks, a minority owned business that had the cleaning contract. Call Josh Grant, a minority owned concessionaire who leased concessions in the ballpark. Call Career Resources about Bluefish outreach for jobs in the community.

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      1. Hector again!!! The question isn’t are they still minority companies, the question was answered. MJF owned the bluefish, they were minority owned.

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  11. Up On Bridgeport:
    I wonder whether Valkyrie can comprehend those facts? You certainly were able to supply them quickly. Perhaps V. will have a new necktie with the words AS FAR AS I KNOW printed on it to warn future readers of limited info on any subject discussed. Certainly more opinion than FACT.

    And V. when you talk about the “facts” (and blow it bigtime even with your AS FAR AS I KNOW qualifier), it casts major credibility on your other FACTUAL statements about plantations, etc. Think about it!

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  12. Mr. Kohut has provided a detailed analysis of Bridgeport’s condition and solutions to putting it into economic recovery. We don’t need Bill Finch, Paul Timpanelli, Don Clemons, Andres Ayala, Ernie Newton, Jack Hennessey, or even Chris Caruso. NOT ONE of them understand how to run a business or generate positive tax revenues.
    Bravo Mr. Kohut … there is life still in Bridgeport!!!

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  13. Jeff,
    Seriously consider becoming a Republican candidate. I see a bloodbath during the primary that will be divisive to the city. If Finch, MJF & Gomes run in the primary the advantage will go to Finch. Obviously that will leave us only one alternative. To get Finch out of office we will need to vote Republican. Whatever candidate that may be I will endorse with all my support. Democrats for the Republicans!!!

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  14. Where’s Ernie Newton on all this? Oh, he doesn’t understand anything about rehabilitating Bridgeport, only complaining and whining that “we’re going to go to the polls and defeat you!!!”
    Why would anyone with a brain vote for Ernie Newton except because they’ve been traumatized by his rhetoric and and bullying?

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