Mayor Finch’s Olive Branch To The University Of Bridgeport

University of Bridgeport
UB's economic impact and brainpower should be embraced by the mayor.

The University of Bridgeport is an unsung jewel in the city: it employs hundreds, educates thousands with an economic impact in the countless millions. It’s the reason the South End of the city hasn’t imploded. The reason the annual Gathering of the Vibes music festival has an infrastructure for existence. The reason countless needy local kids have a higher education, a dental program, a chance for something better. Mayor Bill Finch, who worked at the university 25 years ago and resided in the South End for many years, has had cooled relations with the institution, but he has shown signs recently that maybe, just maybe those relations could warm up. Wishful thinking?

As an impressionable young man Finch began researching the impact religious cults had on young people. The Professors World Peace Academy, an arm of Unification Church which saved the university from closure during the torturous recession of the early 1990s, was within Finch’s cultish scope, irrespective of the fact there’s no evidence students, staff, administrators or board members are operating under some seduction. (Hey, how’s the Catholic Church doing these days?)

The mayor’s vitriol toward the university had students, administrators, business leaders, media members and residents shaking heads. What’s the point?

But lately the mayor has shown signs he may be taking steps to frame the university as an asset, even if he’s not yet ready to visit. His appointment of George Estrada, an executive at UB to the Charter Revision Commission he empaneled, is an olive branch of sorts after another UB executive Mary-Jane Foster had challenged Finch in a Democratic primary last September.

Finch needed a couple of Republicans on the panel. In Estrada he named someone intimately familiar with its infrastructure having served ably in two city administrations as director of public works. The business of reforming an antiquated charter is tricky business. What you want must be approved by voters. Sometimes things a mayor wants will live and die by his popularity. Finch clearly wants to keep the charter amendment focus on an appointed school board. Estrada is one of the panelists who’ll say okay mayor I respect your opinion, but there are other things we need to examine as well to present to the City Council for voter approval. Estrada tends to have a mind of his own, but he does so with the greater good of the city in mind.

Every week the mayor issues an e-blast that highlights his initiatives, visits of the week with a shout out to upcoming community events. The latest mayoral e-blast, Coming Up In The Park City, promotes Black History Month events including the Harlem Globetrotters to the Webster Bank Arena, as well as Mardi Gras celebration at Bijou Square, and Amazing Kreskin at the Downtown Cabaret this weekend. And then there’s this:

Senator Blumenthal to Host Job Fair Thursday, Feb. 23, 9:30 a.m.–2 p.m., University of Bridgeport, 84 Iranistan Ave. Arnold Bernhard Center. Join Senator Blumenthal as he hosts a free job fair to connect employers in Connecticut with potential employees.

Mayoral staff is well aware of Finch’s sensitive side when it comes to UB. They would not include it unless they thought he’d be okay putting his name on it. It’s not often the mayor puts his name on anything having to do with UB.

Sometimes pols need to save face in very small doses. Are we seeing a real mayoral olive branch to UB? Wishful thinking?

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19 comments

  1. This is just another chapter in Bill Finch’s screwed-up thinking. This is a university that brought itself back from near extinction to it present-day modern university.
    Finch is missing out on working with the university to help better Bridgeport. Here is just one example.
    Roosevelt school gets no substitute teachers so when a teacher is out sick that class is then split up amongst other classes and in many cases the numbers exceed classroom numbers for teacher/student ratio.
    Why couldn’t the city partner with UB and let their students get real classroom experience and we then have a win/win situation.
    What say you, Finch? Oh, why am I saying that! What say you, Adam?

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  2. The sad saga of the University of Bridgeport could have been done positively without the Unification Church. All the State of Connecticut had to do was to take it over and make it the University of Connecticut, Bridgeport. It was a turnkey operation. But no, who got the downstate campus? STAMFORD!!! It was a political decision all the way. It was because Bridgeport was and is still perceived as the stepchild of Connecticut. And they gave it to the most political of animals … Dan Malloy. And who do you think takes credit for that?

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  3. From my perspective, that was a nice primary to drop in and see old friends. Mary-Jane Foster scared the organization, which is always nice to see (sorry to my friends on that side) and I think the challenge would have run stronger if they had a longer time to plan it (sorry to my friends on that side).

    HOWEVER, from a strictly political standpoint, the mayor almost begged for someone to challenge him from UB after some of his comments. I think the mayor’s comments about the Moonies were a legit South End concern–more than 20 years ago. I think he probably should have gotten over them by the time he was mayor no matter how sincerely he believed them.

    Making nice to UB is good politics on many different levels.

    At the political self-interest level, the last thing I’d want as a machine politician is a political reform starting out of that college. The trouble with education is people start getting ideas. That’s the last thing any good Bridgeport Democratic committee member would want.

    Putting UB to sleep is a good idea for the mayor on many levels.

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  4. Methinks Mr. Grimaldi is reading way too much into this two-sentence blurb. I think this is more about Senator Blumenthal being at UB than Mayor Finch being nice to UB. It did not say to join Mayor Finch and Senator Blumenthal at UB. Now that would be newsworthy.

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  5. Police chief: Red-light cams would save lives

    HARTFORD — Bridgeport Police Chief Joseph Gaudett said Thursday there would be fewer fatalities if state legislation were passed to allow cities to install cameras at major intersections.

    This is nothing more than Bill Finch looking to raise money with high-tech tickets. The Bridgeport Police Chief should have more important things to do than to go up to Hartford lobbying for a budget item.
    He didn’t even state any specifics on how many traffic light fatalities there are in the state or what other states’ experience when installing these. NYC installed these and traffic cannot move quickly enough to cause any serious injuries.

    Read more: www .ctpost.com/news/article/Police-chief-Red-light-cams-would-save-lives-3336391.php

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  6. Lennie, you missed “the olive branch of sorts” Mary-Jane Foster has extended to the Finch administration. Has anyone noticed Mary-Jane Foster has been very quiet since the primary? Heck, she didn’t even comment on the Beccaro PEG matter. Once in a while I touch base with MJF and I can say she knows when to separate politics from her job. Mary-Jane Foster’s primary concern now is UB and its future in the City of Bridgeport. It’s time for Finch and the University of Bridgeport to start working together in the best interest of the City and UB. Bill Finch and Mary-Jane Foster belong in a meeting room together.

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    1. Joel (or I should say “Pollyanna”),
      You’re kidding, right? Only one of those people you want in that meeting room knows how to separate politics from the job. Only one of those people’s primary concern is the good of the people of Bridgeport. Only one of those people is not vindictive and doesn’t go after people’s jobs for voting the “wrong” way.

      It takes two. You’ve only got one.

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      1. Panel: PAC that aided Finch misused funds
        February 17, 2012
        Friends–As you may recall, one of my supporters filed a complaint with the State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC) and requested an investigation of the “People for Excellence in Government” political action committee. This week, the SEEC issued its findings. Here’s what the Connecticut Post reported:
        Panel: PAC that aided Finch misused funds

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    1. Don’t worry Wingnut, getting your head halfway up your ass will give you all the vision you need. If you get stuck, we’ll have a cookout and await the ambulance.

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