44 comments

  2. This does not look good for Bill Finch. Too bad it is not an accurate barometer of the electorate. Doesn’t account for absentee ballot manipulation. You know, you just know Lydia Martinez is going to work overtime on that front.

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  3. A day in the life of Mayor Finch

    Mrs. F: Honey, come to bed!

    MF: Did you see me on Channel 12 News today? I mean here we are, doing a ramp-up at Steel point and flucking McCarthy was a no-show!
    You know, it’s not just my ass that’s on the flucking line here! Hamilton Burger’s ass and all those flucking suits on Bond St. are toast, too! Timpanelli is flucked, Johnny Stafstrom and P&C Llc. will never see another TAN bond deal in his lifetime. Malloy can wash the black dye out of his flucking hair if he thinks Ganim will ever speak to him again if he becomes Mayor. I’m their only hope in keep us alive, shit! If I go down the tubes, I’m taking a lot of people with me!
    The little poor people will string me up by my nuts when they find out the City went bankrupt three years ago! I can’t blame Fabrizi now, it’s been too long!

    Mrs. F: Honey, you should never call them little poor people! That’s just like the time you called everyone a bunch of yahoos during the blizzard of 2013. When you let that asshole Charlie Carroll run the public works department, you even said at the time Charlie knows less about removing snow than he knows about beach sand.

    MF: I got $400K in the bank and I come in last, Channel 12 TV news does a mayor’s poll, do you believe this shit? Ganim 45, Other 28, and I come in with fluckin’ 27! OTHER? Who the fluck is OTHER?

    Mrs. F: Honey, that means it can be anyone else, other than you.

    MF: I’ve been calling all those DTC members and it’s like talking to a bunch of zipper heads! “Hello! This is Mayor Bill Finch, is Bob home?” And they hang up on me! I call back and the line’s busy!

    Mrs. F: Maybe they think it’s another one of your snow emergency Robo calls? After all honey, you did overdo it!

    MF: So now I’m really screwed, I can’t do Robo calls anymore! DiNardo’s train station to nowhere is on the rocks. Ganim and Other are out-polling me on local TV! McCarthy’s hiding under his desk at work! Someone said he pissed his pants the other day! And now you’re playing devil’s advocate, honey! Honey! Do you hear me?

    Mrs. F: ZZZzzzZZZzzz ZZZzzzZZZzzz ZZZzzzZZZzzz.

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          1. Lennie should have Finch ahead on this poll by Friday folks, so you have to wait for all city hall union members to get back to work!

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  5. Maybe someone can give an honest answer. Ganim a second chance? WHY??? I don’t want to hear everyone deserves a second chance. In politics, NOOO. YOU DESTROYED THE TRUST. GREED. THE NEED FOR POWER NEVER LEAVES.

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  6. I think the simple answer to your question is “anybody but Finch.”
    I believe the public is so turned off by the lack of progress under Finch, they are willing to take a chance on Ganim again. The times were different. The circumstances different. The city finances initially under the suspicious eye of a Financial Review Board. The financial spigot was unleashed when the FRB left town. And we had a Governor who truly cared about helping Bridgeport.
    The public remembers the city looking cleaner; looking better. The ballpark and arena being built. Pequonnock apartments being demolished. The city building pocket parks; landscaping esplanades. The image turning around. People feeling better about Bridgeport.
    The circumstances will be totally different this time around but people don’t want to hear that. Don’t want to believe it.

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  7. Santa Finch waits seven years to tell us how great everything’s going to be after November’s election!
    He created four thousand jobs and three thousand housing units.
    What’s next, Bill? Bass Pro not moving in if we elect Ganim?

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  9. My name is Doug Wade. I don’t live in Bridgeport, but I have managed my business (Wade’s Dairy Inc.) in this city since the summer of 1992. I didn’t seek any cover using the banner of “Milkman” for voicing my opinions on OIB. It didn’t take a whole lot of research to know who I am. I am the only milkman in Bridgeport (to my knowledge).
    There are no political home runs to be hit in Bridgeport. There are a few singles, some stolen bases, an occasional walk and a whole lot of bunts. There is a world of grunt efforts to move things forward, but I see the efforts being made currently in our city. Bridgeport is the definition of municipal bankruptcy (David Walker, please speak up if you think differently), however we continue the good and honorable fight to dig ourselves out. I believe this is a worthwhile battle.
    Bridgeport taxpayers (Wade’s included) have felt abused and abandoned for many years. We sit here smack in the middle of the “gold coast” of Connecticut and nothing ever seems to change except rising taxes and decreasing property values. We all take pride in being survivors and often lash out at anyone who might be the current leader in the political arena. The latest boogey man to receive our wrath is Bill Finch.
    My thoughts on Bill Finch: Bill has skin in the game. His children have or are attending the public schools of Bridgeport. He desires that they achieve the best educational outcomes. The children of Bridgeport unfortunately do not have this opportunity due to inequality in the current funding of our public schools. Inner city children don’t experience the promise of equality (educational opportunity) in America. Our mayor took a whack at this problem and came out with egg on his face. The problem needs resolving, however it needs the voice of reason (Maria Pereira, are you listening). I personally believe the position of Mayor of the most populous city of Connecticut should pay a much more competitive wage than it does. There’s an old adage that states: You get what you pay for; don’t expect honesty from your officials if you pay a salary that begs for corruption. We have a mayor who stresses “green” initiatives to a fault. My younger brother Bernie went to junior high school in Trumbull with Bill Finch. He related a story to me how Bill Finch convinced the kids at the bus stop to walk to school on the first earth day (1970) instead of taking the bus. This guy, Bill Finch was born “green.” He is personally motivated to protect our environment and respect natural resources. This is no act. I only wish more of us were wired this way. Now: a reality check. Is Bill perfect? Does he walk on water? NO!! He’s human! He makes mistakes. He has inserted his foot into his mouth more than once, but to the best of my knowledge he is as honest as the day is long! Bridgeport needs honesty, more than it needs any promotional charades.
    I am personally pleased the citizens of Bridgeport have said goodbye to the likes of Christina Ayala and Ernest Newton who had brought shame and dishonor to our city. I hope they both learn from their experiences and subsequent punishment, but not at the expense of Bridgeport. I am however dismayed the “Only in Bridgeport” community voices approval for the mayoral ambitions for the likes of Joe Ganim, after the shadow of corruption he cast upon the city. I am a big believer in giving people second chances (ask Charles Grady) and my feelings for Joe Ganim are no different. Mr. Ganim has a road to forgiveness, but it doesn’t include being the mayor of Bridgeport.
    Please consider the possibility Bridgeport might actually be on the cusp of much more than a transformation, we might actually be “born again” (some of you will know that terminology didn’t come easily from my lips). I want to keep our past where it belongs; in the rear view mirror. I believe in the future of Bridgeport and corrupt politicians will find no place to make their nests here. I am one business owner who is truly up on Bridgeport! I hope you will recognize the same.

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  10. Mr. Wade, I don’t believe we have had the pleasure of meeting, however you clearly felt it necessary to reference my name regarding your “voice of reason” comment.

    You wrote “is Bill perfect? Does he walk on water? NO!! He’s human! He makes mistakes. He has inserted his foot into his mouth more than once, but to the best of my knowledge he is as honest as the day is long! Bridgeport needs honesty, more than it needs any promotional charades.” If Bill Finch is “honest,” then you probably believe Bernie Madoff is, too.

    Mayor Finch has illegally underfunded the Bridgeport Public Schools for three consecutive years in violation of the CT statutes that govern the MBR. However, he submitted a letter to the SBOE that the City of Bridgeport was willing to pay up to $500,000 for a specific charter school lease costs. He attended an event at Park City Prep Charter School where he stated “I love Charter Schools.”

    If he is so concerned about the environment and health and well-being of our children residents, please tell us what he has done to close down the coal plant which certainly contributes to the high rates of asthma in children within Bridgeport? I know the answer. Absolutely nothing.

    If you recall, Mayor Finch testified before the SBOE in July 2011 that “democracy doesn’t always work,” yet he constantly speaks about the “civil rights issue of our time,” and clearly believes in tyranny. He plotted a behind-the-scenes coup of the BBOE with the likes of Governor Malloy, a Greenwich billionaire and his Fairfield employee.

    If Bill Finch represents the “voice of reason,” then I have no problem being the “voice of the unreasonable.”

    If advocating for the needs of 22,000 impoverished urban students, their parents, dedicated teachers, and working on behalf of candidates who I believe are truly interested in the well-being of Bridgeport’s residents makes me “unreasonable,” then “unreasonable” I shall be.

    If you worship Bill Finch so much, may I suggest you convince him to move to your suburban town and seek the highest office in your town. In fact, I would be willing to start an online fundraising effort to raise the money to pay for all his moving expenses. I would think many people on this blog would probably be happy to contribute to such a worthy cause as well.

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    1. 1. Don’t have a cow!
      Telling someone not to have a cow is essentially saying, “Calm down” or “Don’t overreact.” Although Bart Simpson made the exclamation popular, it had earlier media appearances in Hill Street Blues and Sixteen Candles. Many believe the expression is an instruction for a human not to give birth to a cow. Considering that calves are 75 pounds at birth, that would certainly cause some undue stress.

      For the record, contrary to the phrase’s connotation, we think having a cow is a great idea (maybe via adoption rather than birth, however), provided you have the love and resources to care for one.

      2. ‘Til the cows come home
      Indicating that you’ll be waiting a long time, the expression dates back to at least the early 1800s when it first appeared in print.

      Because many cows won’t return to the barn until the morning when it is time for milking, in that sense, an event going “until the cows come home” will last for hours on end. In Scotland, however, where the phrase is speculated to have started, cows will graze all summer until the grass disappears, suggesting an even longer period of time.

      3. Like a bull in a china shop
      Typically used to describe a clumsy or destructive person, this idiom sure paints a picture. Back in the early 1800s when the expression began appearing, people would bring their cattle to open markets. Whether an actual bull-related incident spawned this saying, however, is unclear.

      In this case, it seems like bulls may be getting a bad rap. In 1940, Jim Moran brought a bull into a china shop as a publicity stunt, but the bull destroyed nothing. Mythbusters attempted a similar experiment and found the bulls were surprisingly respectful of the fine china.

      4. Cash cow
      Today a cash cow means a successful and stable source of income. The idea is a cow provides milk on a daily basis, a resource that will always be in demand regardless of the economy.

      The phrase is originally credited to business consultant Peter Drucker. He advised followers to pay attention to investments that can continue to earn profits without much work even when there is no growth in the market.

      5. Take the bull by the horns
      The expression, which means to confidently address a situation head on, appears to have a pretty literal origination. Ranchers who needed to control a bull could not safely grab any other part of the bull to get the job done–they’d have to build up the courage and grab the bull’s horns to get the upper hand.

      Seems a little rough, but at least these ranchers weren’t painfully de-horning their cattle like some modern farmers today.

      6. Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?
      This idiom began as a rhetorical question to point out it is difficult for someone to sell something after they’ve been giving it away.

      Over time, however, it has come to predominately be a gendered criticism for premarital sex. In other words, “Why would he bother marrying you if you’re already sleeping with him?” Let’s cut out this sexist, dated nonsense, and leave the cows out of it!

      7. Bullshit
      Did you know cows excrete an average of 60 pounds of poop each day? While bullshit can literally refer to the clearly plentiful cow patties, English speakers commonly use the expression to call something emphatically false or trivial.

      There are a lot of theories on the origin of the expression. Some say it is rooted in words that sound like “bull” but have no relation to the animal. Others suspect that soldiers mocking generals’ orders conceived the term. Another idea points to Obadiah Bull, an Irish lawyer who spoke nonsense. Whatever the truth is, that just means that other theories are–appropriately–just bullshit.

      Read more: www .care2.com/causes/7-cow-expressions-you-hear-every-day.html

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        1. Mr. Wade, I was just reading a fairly recent CT Post article regarding Wade Dairy. The article stated you employee 48 people.

          Can you please share with us how many of them are Bridgeport residents? In addition, can you share with us what the average hourly rate is of your Bridgeport employees versus your employees who reside outside Bridgeport?

          Thank you.

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  11. By the way, as a suburban resident, you don’t get to decide if Mr. Ganim or any other candidate gets to serve as the mayor of Bridgeport. Bridgeport’s registered voters get to make that decision.

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  12. So Mr Wade, I am not sure what your point(s) are in your post.
    1) I served on the City Council when Joe Ganim was Mayor. I had a city job for a short period of time and was fired for speaking out against Joe Ganim. I was interviewed by the FBI during their investigation. I sat throughout the criminal proceedings. I not a fan of Joe Ganim’s. I will not be voting for Joe Ganim. But honesty or dishonesty do not go hand-in-hand with competency.
    2) Bill Finch has sold his to the charter school lobby among other well healed financial contributors. Although this may not be illegal it does not result in the best form of governance. And simply because Mayor Finch has not been charged with illegal acts in office, we will not know until or unless he is. His willingness to put the school system up for sale for the financial benefit of some and possibly the educational benefit of a few at a cost to the general population implies a certain level of dishonesty.
    3) I am not sure where you were going with your comment on compensation. Were you suggesting if we pay the mayor more we would get more qualified candidates? I don’t necessarily agree. If we pay more there is no need for corruption? I totally disagree. And all we might end up doing is creating more illegal acts in the process of getting elected than after taking office. I will not be voting for Bill Finch because I believe him to be a complete liar and an incompetent mayor.
    4) That is why I will support Mary-Jane Foster if she decides to run. She will not be in it for the money but for a genuine care and compassion for the city.
    Have a Happy Easter.

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  13. Hello Bob,
    Everyone is entitled to their opinion. It’s very good that we have a place to express such.

    I am simply a selfish businessman operating in Bridgeport since 1992. I share many of the same concerns about a lack of services, poor schools, high taxes, low property values, etc. I must however say I’ve never before seen the level of optimism in the business community as I do today. There are many economic expansion projects either taking place or planned for. The Bass Pro Shops, Chipotles, Starbucks are just the tip of the iceberg. Economic activity will bring a revival to the fortunes of the weary citizens of Bridgeport, however I fear Bridgeport will once again shoot itself in the foot by letting corruption show its ugly presence. I will be the first to jump all over our current administration if I see other than ethical actions.

    I’m speaking out as a member of the business community to honestly state Bridgeport is poised for greatness. Please check out the latest publication of economic development from the BRBC. Several years ago there wouldn’t have been much need for a publication like the Quarterly Review of Economic Activity. Worth a read.
    www .brbc.org/index.php/portfolio/the-qr-quarterly-review-of-economic-development/the-qr-for-bridgeport

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    1. Wade’s Dairy has been a contractor with the city of Bridgeport to supply milk for the public school system for many years. There is an annual bid process that Wade’s has unfortunately lost for three of the last four years to a milk distributor out of New Jersey. We are not currently serving the schools of Bridgeport. We look forward to bidding again for next year’s contract.
      It does however hurt my pride that we aren’t serving our hometown.

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  15. Doug,
    I have been hearing since Ganim was mayor how the BRBC believed Bridgeport was poised for greatness.
    All we had to do was help out this member with a tax break and this member with a PILOT arrangement. And this member with a zoning change. Greatness was right around the corner.
    Let’s not forget the Seaview Ave corridor. Where all we need to do is get the city or the state or the federal government to take all of the members’ contaminated properties by eminent domain so they don’t have to clean up their contaminated waste.
    I can smell greatness. It is coming right around the corner. Let’s talk about Remington Woods and how Stratford won’t take our traffic. Or an access way to Pleasure Beach through their property that they refused to cooperate with the city. The only GREAT in BRBC is the Greater Bridgeport Area excluding Bridgeport. Thank you Mr. Wade for all of your GREAT advice.
    And I guess the greatness around the corner is Trumbull, Stratford, Fairfield, Easton, Monroe and all of our great suburbs.

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  16. Excellent rebuttal, Bob. Please don’t intimidate Mr. Wade with the facts. After all, haven’t you heard only those who don’t reside in Bridgeport know what’s best for Bridgeport?

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  18. Good morning Bob and Maria,
    I appreciate your thoughts and I know you have been dealing with the nitty gritty of Bridgeport on a much more personal basis than have I. I am the proverbial “outsider” sticking his nose where it might not belong. I have no axe to grind and no drum to beat for the current administration. I am however very optimistic at this time for the future of Bridgeport based upon the economic activity I see happening around me (my own expansion plans included). I’m attempting to share this optimism with a group of people who seem very pessimistic about that same future. I’m also very concerned about the black eye of Bridgeport politics we never seem to escape. The people of this city need to recognize business investors don’t like to take chances with political corruption. The thought of getting into a major Bridgeport investment and then finding out your project will be stopped dead in the water if you don’t grease a palm scares many. We’ve recently seen Bridgeport voters reject one office seeker who had a history of corruption and one who was clearly incompetent to hold office. This was good to see, however how and why did these people ever get considered for elective office? How could the Democratic committee even consider their names? This type of landscape is scary to an outside investor.
    I’ve been a little speechless watching the polls OIB conducts on Joe Ganim’s appeal to OIB readers. This fellow set the city back at least a decade by his thievery. I’m a firm believer in second chances; however serving in an office of public trust should not (in my opinion) be this man’s path to redemption or repeating his past.
    Wade’s Dairy employs 48 people including my two sons, my niece and my brother. We treat our employees as family and we do our utmost to pay fair salaries to them. No one makes less than $12 per hour and most are in the $14 – $22 range. I have been an active promoter of increasing the minimum wage and having it indexed for inflation. I’ve promoted this in Hartford, at the BRBC and in editorials published by the CT Post. I would guess half of my employees live in Bridgeport. We do believe in second chances and we have hired several employees from both Project Longevity and the Council of Churches.
    Please feel free to stop in for some conversation if you are passing Wade’s Dairy on Barnum Avenue. My door is always open. My email is: doug@wadesdairy.com

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  19. Mr. Wade,
    Thanks you for your detailed response. Although you are not a resident of Bridgeport, I do value your opinion as BPT business owner. Would be good to hear what other BPT business owners think of doing business here since our political situation does affect them and their livelihood. Kind of sad when a respected, taxpaying, business owner who employs Bridgeport residents has to defend his right to an opinion in the very community in which his business resides. In a city whose residents are pleading for more business, this is how we treat them? Bring your business, employ our people, pay your taxes, but keep your mouth shut when it comes to our affairs?

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  20. I appreciate your concern, but I haven’t yet been offended. I know it’s been painful for Bridgeport residents as there haven’t been many sunny days with regards to property values and mil rates. I’m just sharing what I see coming down the pike. I see a light at the end of the tunnel and I don’t want to see it again covered in the darkness of corruption.

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      1. This give and take will go down in the annals of OIB history. I’m entering it into Moo’s Who!

        Doug should brand his leche as the Udder Cola!!!

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    2. Lifelong Bpt, Mr. Wade felt compelled to take a shot at me although I have never laid eyes on him or so much as had any exchange with him in my entire life.

      I certainly know much more than Mr. Wade does regarding education issues in Bridgeport CT and the U.S. I also think it is fair to say Bob knows more about what has occurred within the City Council.

      If Mr. Wade wants to criticize Bridgeport residents for their support of particular candidates or their position on particular matters, then he has to be able to take criticism as well.

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      1. Hello Maria,
        Please accept my apology, as I didn’t intend to “take a shot.” You are a very strong voice for those most in need and I admire your passion and determination.

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  21. Hello Lennie,
    You’ve kept a very low profile being the moderator of OIB. I’d love to hear your take on what’s happening with the Mayor’s race amongst other issues. You have earned the respect of many in the Bridgeport community. Your thoughts would add a lot to the conversation.

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  23. What’s it like to lead the OIB poll for Mayor when you haven’t announced your candidacy yet?
    Answer: you could ask Joe Ganim, he’s an expert on that subject.

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  24. *** My horse is an individual with a realistic, sound, positive political city platform who is willing to clean house in city hall of the deadbeats who serve themselves and their party members and not the citizens of Bpt. Also move this city forward in jobs, lowering taxes and crime, better education and give everyone a fair shot when attracting new business to the city. Time to get back to basics and stop living and dreaming of the better years that have long passed us by! ***

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