Let’s Reminisce About The Future

Here’s to a kickin’ and healthy 2011. Oh, the January thaw comes soon and with it a mayoral cycle, baby! Where did the time go from the 2007 primary dogfight between then State Senator Bill Finch and State Rep. Chris Caruso? Finch defeated the Big Wave by a measly 270 votes, after Dem party regulars threw incumbent Mayor John Fabrizi under the bus for his indiscretions.

What’s key in 2011–I know I’m a broken record on this because it drives most everything else in government–the budget, the budget, the budget. Finch has a cranky budget ahead and he’s trying to figure out how to plug a hefty hole in the election-year budget while trying to close a hole in the current year budget that ends June 30. Lotsa luck.

I could on and on about the personality dynamics involved in Finch’s budget-year wish list. Will his budget be real or fairy dust? Depends, depends, depends. Big item number 1: a proposed regional sewage authority between Bridgeport, Trumbull and Monroe that would purchase the wastewater assets of Bridgeport and Trumbull. It could mean upwards of 40 million clams for Finch’s budget. That’s the good news in an election year. The bad news, will it happen in time for Finch to include the dough in his election-year budget he submits in April to the City Council? From what I can tell that’s a super ambitious timeframe. The approval process involves the state DEP and local legislative bodies, and those things tend to drag on. Oh my, I can just hear City Councilman Bob “Troll” Walsh railing about jamming a regional authority in an election year, especially after the mayor swore off one-shot revenues (unless an election year).

Trumbull First Selectman Tim Herbst and Finch don’t get along. Finch has a way of dictating what others should do to aid his cause not necessarily in their best interests. The list of folks Finch has pissed off (for no justifiable reason) runs out the door of Bridgeport City Hall and into the suburbs. Their relationship has gotten so testy that the city has hired former State Senator Rob Russo, an attorney and friend of Herbst, to share city dialogue on the regional authority with Herbst. If Trumbull says no, the deal is dead, or if a decision is delayed for the next several months it provides no election-year relief for Finch’s budget. If the Bridgeport City Council says no, the deal is dead. Finch floated this regional sludge idea a few years ago to the City Council and received resistance.

If the regional authority poops out Finch has two choices, a large election-year tax increase or submitting a budget with a gigantic hole with a disclaimer: the budget is balanced assuming city employee concessions. Sound familiar? And then he’ll deal with the budget hole after the election, or leave it for his replacement.

Life for a Bridgeport mayor has changed since the days of Joe Ganim, 1991-April 2003, who never had even a hint of a primary as an incumbent. (Then had much larger problems when the federals marched in.) State Rep. Chris Caruso is seriously considering another run. Twice he has jarred the hinges to the mayor’s office door. Can he break down the door? Mary-Jane Foster, vice president at the the University of Bridgeport and co-founder of the Bridgeport Bluefish, has made the rounds the past two weeks meeting with a number of key political figures including several Democratic district leaders. Former Finch administration official John Gomes is the only officially announced Democratic candidate. Others could jump in.

Finch could still win reelection. Depends, depends, depends. Certainly enough potential candidates that hope its the deep ends.

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37 comments

  1. If Finch wins reelection, I’m going to be wearing Depends for the next four years! I guess Rob Russo has been rewarded for helping to keep Caruso off the ballot in 2007. Sorry Rob, I couldn’t resist. You too, Marc “Steak” Delmonico well done on the ethics charge.

    Will MJ Foster run on the NO LABELS line and Caruso run on the Working Families?

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  2. The Oracle of Omaha Steaks!

    What no Lentil Soup story on this Auld Lang Syne’s Eve? Throw in some ‘shrooms and it would be a magical mystery story.

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  3. Birdy ~~~ No chance

    MJF ~~~ Chance is only in Len Bias’ mind

    CC ~~~ He ain’t runnin’ ~~~ loves Hartford ~~~ his chance is only in Len Bias’ mind to sell blog space

    John Fabs ~~~ too healthy now ~~~ pay cut as mayor

    Ernie N ~~~ Any Ganim ~~~ No can do

    Who do this leave ~~~ The deli dude ~~~ Gomes is gonna win 2011 ~~~ memo to Johnny ~~~ buy some ad space on here so you can get your love from the Biased one ~~~ please.

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    1. HA ~~~ More like Wilt Chamberlain or Shaq ~~~ Haha ~~~ And fer da record ~~~ I ain’t fer No One ~~~ I’m all for equal footing on this blogosphere since da credibility comin’ out of the closet for the MJF by the Bias one ~~~ Not fair to da other peeps ~~~ call it Fox News Bpt ~~~ Tooo early for me to be for anyone ~~~ full disclosure ~~~ I like the Fabulous one ~~~ Mayor’s not good for the health or da waistline ~~~ hence no John Fabs ~~~ NO Caroooso ~~~ got to be young and healthy for this game!!!!!!!!!

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  4. Could someone please confirm that John Gomes was president of his 5th grade class? I would hate to think he hasn’t WON any elected position before running for mayor.

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    1. OOOuch ~~~ how did the last THREE elected mayors dooo ~~~ Hmmmmmmmmm ~~~ and as I says before ~~~ I am a Fabs persona ~~~ Grinny ~~~ bet those last 3 mayors won their 5th grade prez erections ~~~ forgetaboutit.

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  5. John Gomes’ most serious campaign opponent in this election cycle is John Gomes.
    We keep hearing about all of these wonderful things he would have done with CitiStat but couldn’t but at some point he has to do more than complain.
    If we are to believe that every major initiative that he proposed was met with opposition then he has a serious problem with compromise and negotiating. Not good character traits for someone who wants to be mayor.

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  6. Okay Okay Okay ~~~ I’ve a mada my choice ~~~ sorry Fabsy ~~~ sorry Deli dude ~~~ my vote in 2011 will go to ~~~ wait for it ~~~ Town Committee aka … aw shucks ~~~ you know ~~~ ’cause he can fix BPT from his ‘PUTER and never does he have to have the Balls to run and win. ~~~ TC ~ TC ~ TC “` 2011

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    1. Serpico where the hell were you last year when Ann Barney and I ran for the council seats in the 138th against Paoletto & Curwen … People stayed home for the most part. The administration had Anastasi & McCarthy at the polls all day and Anna Montalvo and her union members worked the polls all day. The thing that really beat us was the third set of candidates that entered the race late Morton & Bird it appears that they were asked to serve in the spoiler roll which they did. So before you start with tc can fix Bpt from his computer know your facts.

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      1. Anna and her union members worked the polls all day at the request of Tom McCarthy. Very intriguing. Is that why her union has not given any concessions like the others? Are they in bed together?

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      2. Hooold yer horses there TC—YOU were the one who called Ms. Curry “mayor Curry”—Why dontcha run yerself there partner?—Ya bitch and a moan enuff!!! And ifin ya notice I done said “Run and WIN” did ya win? Nooope—did ya ever run fer mayor there partner? Nooope—SO STOP YER BITCHIN’ AND RUN FER MAYOR SO I CAN VOTE FOR YOU!!!

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        1. Sorry pal not interested in the mayor’s spot too old and set in my ways. My referral to Carolanne Curry as mayor Curry was intentional. I want to hear from the candidate Gomes not a spokesperson. Now Ms. Curry has a spokesperson in you. What a web we are building. Is this how it will be if Gomes wins the nomination and the election? Let me ask you what you have done to try and make this city better. I throw this back at you “SO STOP YER BITCHIN’ AND RUN FER MAYOR SO I CAN VOTE FOR YOU!!!”

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  7. OMG!!!
    Did anyone see the city Council agenda? There are no actionable items on the agenda and only one referral to a committee. Talk about a do-nuttin’ administration and city council. Forget about City Hall closing early yesterday, it seems as if the city closed early this month/year.

    AGENDA
    CITY COUNCIL MEETING
    Monday, January 3, 2011
    7:00 p.m.
    City council chambers, city hall – 45 Lyon terrace
    Bridgeport, Connecticut

    Prayer
    Pledge of Allegiance
    Roll Call
    Presentation by the National Environmental Hall of Fame Honoring Mayor Bill Finch

    MINUTES FOR APPROVAL:
    Approval of City Council Minutes: December 6, 2010
    COMMUNICATIONS TO BE REFERRED TO COMMITTEES:

    18-10 Communication from Central Grants and Community Development, re U.S. EPA 2010 Greenscaper Grant Program, referred to Economic and Community Development and Environment Committee.

    THE FOLLOWING NAMED PERSONS HAVE REQUESTED PERMISSION TO ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL ON MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2011, AT 6:30 P.M., IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL, 45 LYON TERRACE, BRIDGEPORT, CT.
    NAME
    Helen Olga Losak
    Cecil Young
    Clyde Nicholson

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    1. There is no leadership on the council. The committees don’t meet. Check out the city’s website under city clerk under committee agendas. See how many times the committee meetings were canceled for lack of a quorum. There are items on those agendas but they are not acted upon. The council members don’t give a shit. You’d think they’d be embarrassed. Most of them have no commitment to their position. We need a clean sweep. Every district. It will be interesting to see if the mayoral candidates run their own people for each council district.

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  8. Riddle me this …
    Isn’t that the same grant on the agenda that provoked the F-bomb attack Mayor Green Jeans launched a little while back???
    Talk about Ground Hog Day all over again!!!

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    1. Grin, looks like you’re right. It’s being referred to committee. Wonder if they’ve identified the 50% match. Also wonder what district leader is being rewarded with the job!

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  9. *** Those who complained about City Hall closing early yesterday can complain about the same today only earlier this time! Why not close on Fridays as a cost savings from now on, 10-hour days Mon.-Thurs.? Trash has not been picked up yet in my district, must be behind still? And as far as Bpt’s future is concerned, it looks like more of the same, no? Time will tell. *** Happy New Year! ***

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  10. Talk about predictions … How about this one:
    Will we see a movement start to break up the one-party situation in the Bridgeport city council? Some say yes. Tune in next Tuesday at 8pm on “Bridgeport Now Live” to find out.

    It’s not just local politics at stake … Some in the Democratic Party seek an alternative these days since Jim Himes backed extending tax cuts for the rich. And why did Himes say he did that? He said was afraid of double-dip recession? Really? Even while printing money and in amount of $900 billion, in what they call QE2. Obama said the reason was ’cause of GOP “hostage taking” of the American people. So who is there left to defend the interests of working people if the Dems give in to Republicans?

    Time to take a look at an alternative to Democrats. We will have on the leader of the Working Families Party (WFP) next Tuesday on “Bridgeport Now” which will include a Spanish-speaking segment as well.

    There are many questions, such as does the WFP want you to register as that party or stay as Democrat? And how could they be a “real” alternative to the Democratic Party? Have they elected anybody already in the city? YES, at the BOE already. Tune in to find out more. Change is coming to this city and just in time. Fiscal year ends at state and city level in five months and stimulus money runs out then too!

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  11. IMO the WFP is a good thing if it stays on a good course. IMO they can be veering off to try for numbers and not their principles. Chris Caruso gets their endorsement because he will vote for what WFP says, not because he lives their principles. How can they not back him for mayor? If he loses he still votes their way in Hartford, if he wins they backed a new mayor. Gomes and Foster both have families and businesses in BPT, Gomes has children in the schools. Mr. Caruso has never had a job outside of the Hartford House and has never had children or his own family. What exactly does he bring to the WFP outside of a vote?

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  12. The latest tax grab by a city is taking place in New Haven. This is the latest proposal to screw the ever-burdened taxpayer with no accompanying cut in spending. Read below from CT Post:
    New Haven officials believe they may have found a new source of revenue: a fee for stormwater removal.
    A proposal would establish a Stormwater Authority that would charge residents a flat fee for the stormwater removal, while property owners that create more runoff — such as those with large, impermeable parking lots — would pay more. Now New Haven has a regional WPCA and the people pay for sewer usage. Can charging for sunshine be far behind?

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    1. town committee // Jan 2, 2011 at 11:11 am
      To your posting

      Wouldn’t you be surprised if it got to sunshine? Wouldn’t we all …

      A happy and prosperous new year to you, TC.

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    2. TC
      Caught the same news article. Certainly brought at least one question to mind for us in Bridgeport: if my home or business is served by Combined Sewer line, how will they separate charges for human waste from Stormwater?

      What is it about unelected Authorities that we like so much? Do they get rid of problems, hide them, delay their effect or confuse things so much we just shut up? And pay?

      At my last posting I cautioned us to be very aware of how the governance process for any regional authority is created and what representation the local ratepayer (formerly taxpayer) has for the programs embraced by the newly responsible parties.

      Final Questions: Is our City sewer system hundreds of millions and two decades behind in having sound sewer infrastructure? And while it would seem great by some to offload that burden and responsibility to an Authority, why should the Statutes be used to raise funds that are instead used in ways other than solving the sewage problem??? Forty million dollars may be a proverbial drop in the sewage problem bucket but why wouldn’t those become dedicated dollars to advancing infrastructure remediation schedules, rather than a shot in the arm to hard-to-identify priorities, poorly sold programs or hiring more friends of Bill?

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