Coming into 100 days of office, perhaps JG can tell us what he has in mind, specifically as in priorities he will highlight, dedicate himself to, and live or die with. Is that too dramatic or pragmatic? How to be accountable unless you draw a line in the sand and indicate where you stand?
Some of those who sat in City jobs before are gone, some because they did not earn their pay, some because the were for Finchdom alone, and others because the new broom sometimes makes mistakes. However, in terms of access to information, I find it has become a new day for requesting and receiving public information (without FOI).
For those who have thought the $20 Million operating budget deficit is trumped up, a look at each item in Flatto’s calculation seems to bear up as a troubling legacy from the pompous practitioner formerly in the budgeting chair during the Finch years. He is no longer “controlling” the fiscal world and he left too many messes to be cleaned up in too many aisles of our municipal shop. That takes time.
But if cleanup comes through kicking more expenses down the road without telling the taxpayer, he will not be showing us a good answer. Perhaps a retrospective look at how each part of the operating budget changed in recent years, with action to cut, trim and limit those which grew without long-term value to the taxpaying public, it might be a credible start. Might point to where attention, reforming and negotiating will be most productive. Time will tell.
In addition to the operating budget that will come to the City Council in early April, City work is done with Capital and Grants budgets though we have precious little insight into these funds that come from borrowing approvals (but not real oversight by the City Council) or grants approvals that are not later reviewed regularly with any public documentation except for the external auditor-prepared Single State Audit and Single Federal Audit contemporaneous with the CAFR. Unfortunately these two audits that provide some detail into the $379 Million Bridgeport received in the 2014-15 Fiscal Year, an amount greater than what we raised from Bridgeport taxpayers in property taxes, have not been made available along with the CAFR. Perhaps that will change so the City Clerk’s office is not the only place to source that info. That is a lot of “other people’s tax money” that gets spent in Bridgeport. For how long will that continue? And is it spent on resident priorities?
Meanwhile the CAFR also showed for the first year in my memory, City liabilities (including long-term debt and pension obligations) are greater than City assets. We are standing in water that is red. We find ourselves both on City balance sheet and in annual operating budget short of balance, in deficit, or with a negative variance. Not good. Who will go to Budget and Appropriation meetings and attempt to speak up? Will the co-chair allow questions from the public to be a part of the public record? It is their right and privilege to do so. What would hold them back from facing reality? Time will tell.
He never mentioned while campaigning what he was going to do to improve Bridgeport. Why do you think he now has a plan all of a sudden? Bridgeport already learned this lesson once, but seems pretty hell-bent on learning it again: Joe Ganim does not care about Bridgeport. Joe Ganim cares about Joe Ganim.
Andrew C Fardy, do you know what canobeano means in Spanish? Cano = A Hispanic man with blond hair or graying hair. Be = sometimes used as (See or you see). Ano = Anus or asshole. Canobeano is Spanish for Cano sees an asshole. Looks like you were the motivation for the canobeano handle.
canobeano,
He has a plan for Capital Spending for the next five years. See, a planned budget is called for and the Mayor provided one. What is missing is how this fits in with the rest of the “bad news” that is on display and will continue to bleed red until thought, planning and action become part of the process. Time will tell.
What’s you guys’ take on the rumor Joe Ganim has been trying to buy Mayor Finch’s ex-Chief of Staff’s house in Black Rock? I guess he has no need for an address on the East Side/End anymore. Wonder where you can chat with Joe Ganim after hours? Take a seat at W+C in Black Rock. You stand a pretty good chance. He’s got a singular vision, I’ll give him that.
canobeano,
About that rumor about the Adam and Kerry Wood residence on Midland in Black Rock. Very interesting. With Rick and Michele Torres and family next door to that rumored residence and Dan Roach and family a few houses north on the other side of the street it certainly has more than its share of those who are politically active. Where is the Chief of Staff these days and what is he up to on the political front? It would be a shame for him not to hold onto the house, pay increased taxes for the can kicking down the road behavior he supported, wouldn’t it? Time will tell.
This poll was a farce. When Ganim’s lackeys saw the poll going against him they flooded the poll with Ganim votes. Anyway who cares? He is the mayor for almost four more years.
Coming into 100 days of office, perhaps JG can tell us what he has in mind, specifically as in priorities he will highlight, dedicate himself to, and live or die with. Is that too dramatic or pragmatic? How to be accountable unless you draw a line in the sand and indicate where you stand?
Some of those who sat in City jobs before are gone, some because they did not earn their pay, some because the were for Finchdom alone, and others because the new broom sometimes makes mistakes. However, in terms of access to information, I find it has become a new day for requesting and receiving public information (without FOI).
For those who have thought the $20 Million operating budget deficit is trumped up, a look at each item in Flatto’s calculation seems to bear up as a troubling legacy from the pompous practitioner formerly in the budgeting chair during the Finch years. He is no longer “controlling” the fiscal world and he left too many messes to be cleaned up in too many aisles of our municipal shop. That takes time.
But if cleanup comes through kicking more expenses down the road without telling the taxpayer, he will not be showing us a good answer. Perhaps a retrospective look at how each part of the operating budget changed in recent years, with action to cut, trim and limit those which grew without long-term value to the taxpaying public, it might be a credible start. Might point to where attention, reforming and negotiating will be most productive. Time will tell.
JG? That’s me, I’d say it’s premature. Let’s wait for JPG’s proposed budget.
In addition to the operating budget that will come to the City Council in early April, City work is done with Capital and Grants budgets though we have precious little insight into these funds that come from borrowing approvals (but not real oversight by the City Council) or grants approvals that are not later reviewed regularly with any public documentation except for the external auditor-prepared Single State Audit and Single Federal Audit contemporaneous with the CAFR. Unfortunately these two audits that provide some detail into the $379 Million Bridgeport received in the 2014-15 Fiscal Year, an amount greater than what we raised from Bridgeport taxpayers in property taxes, have not been made available along with the CAFR. Perhaps that will change so the City Clerk’s office is not the only place to source that info. That is a lot of “other people’s tax money” that gets spent in Bridgeport. For how long will that continue? And is it spent on resident priorities?
Meanwhile the CAFR also showed for the first year in my memory, City liabilities (including long-term debt and pension obligations) are greater than City assets. We are standing in water that is red. We find ourselves both on City balance sheet and in annual operating budget short of balance, in deficit, or with a negative variance. Not good. Who will go to Budget and Appropriation meetings and attempt to speak up? Will the co-chair allow questions from the public to be a part of the public record? It is their right and privilege to do so. What would hold them back from facing reality? Time will tell.
He never mentioned while campaigning what he was going to do to improve Bridgeport. Why do you think he now has a plan all of a sudden? Bridgeport already learned this lesson once, but seems pretty hell-bent on learning it again: Joe Ganim does not care about Bridgeport. Joe Ganim cares about Joe Ganim.
I AGREE.
Andrew C Fardy, do you know what canobeano means in Spanish? Cano = A Hispanic man with blond hair or graying hair. Be = sometimes used as (See or you see). Ano = Anus or asshole. Canobeano is Spanish for Cano sees an asshole. Looks like you were the motivation for the canobeano handle.
THAT IS JUST MARVELOUS.
canobeano,
He has a plan for Capital Spending for the next five years. See, a planned budget is called for and the Mayor provided one. What is missing is how this fits in with the rest of the “bad news” that is on display and will continue to bleed red until thought, planning and action become part of the process. Time will tell.
What’s you guys’ take on the rumor Joe Ganim has been trying to buy Mayor Finch’s ex-Chief of Staff’s house in Black Rock? I guess he has no need for an address on the East Side/End anymore. Wonder where you can chat with Joe Ganim after hours? Take a seat at W+C in Black Rock. You stand a pretty good chance. He’s got a singular vision, I’ll give him that.
canobeano,
About that rumor about the Adam and Kerry Wood residence on Midland in Black Rock. Very interesting. With Rick and Michele Torres and family next door to that rumored residence and Dan Roach and family a few houses north on the other side of the street it certainly has more than its share of those who are politically active. Where is the Chief of Staff these days and what is he up to on the political front? It would be a shame for him not to hold onto the house, pay increased taxes for the can kicking down the road behavior he supported, wouldn’t it? Time will tell.
*** WHERE JOE LIVES IN BPT IS HIS BUSINESS, NO? ***
This poll was a farce. When Ganim’s lackeys saw the poll going against him they flooded the poll with Ganim votes. Anyway who cares? He is the mayor for almost four more years.