Connecticut Post editorial:
It is beyond tone deaf, in this time of record unemployment, municipal layoffs, concessions and struggle for the average working taxpayer that Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch would propose pay raises for his inner circle.
It’s particularly staggering when you consider that this plan must have been part of the pre-Nov. 8 municipal election discussions behind the closed doors of the mayor’s suite of offices.
Keeping this plan on the down low until after the election ought to raise some questions in the minds of Bridgeport voters.
The mayor boasted through his campaign of having wrung concessions from city unions, from the ranks of $30,000-a-year civil servants, including zero raises, increased health care cost sharing and give backs.
Now he proposes a “restructuring” that ultimately will give increased paychecks to his inner circle?
And with the president of the Bridgeport City Council one of the intended beneficiaries of the mayor’s proposal, Bridgeport residents can rest easy in the knowledge that there won’t be much standing in the way of this stinker sailing through.
This proposal went to the City Council on Dec. 5, will be considered by a council committee next week, and then move on to the full council.
Is a stealthy Finchian pattern of Holiday Surprises developing here? We had the dissolution of the Bridgeport Board of Education somewhat drowned out by the fireworks of the Fourth of July long weekend, and now, proposed raises for six-figure employees as eyes and minds are drawn to the year-end holiday season.
What’s coming for Three Kings Day?
Lennie, I am all for a strong turnout of disgusted citizens at the City Council meeting. When will it be?
I have one word for Finch and his gang of thieves–PIGS.
I made an attempt to show my disgust with Finch last night, he is not my mayor as you can notice no title before his name and his band of bandits Nunn, Charlie, McCarthy, and the real mayor Adam Wood. But I was edited by Lennie or his gatekeeper, these people who I accused of pillaging and I used the word raping the citizens of Bpt maybe rape is a strong word that describes a horrible crime perpetrated on not just woman but men and children but I wanted to express my disgust with what these people do to the people of Bpt without any shame for their acts. Also I mentioned the wife of one of Finch’s inner circle is on the payroll of a prominent developer the city has helped with financing. Last but not least three city employees were suspended because one inner circle person was guiding Minority Contracts to a city employee, one of the suspended people, but again the gatekeeper edited my post, what a shame, it feels like North Korea with our Bill Kim Il Finch and his fat little son Adam.
*** Bpt is to be renamed “Zombieland” after the redistricting changes are done and approved next year! All thanks to local voter activity during this year’s elections, no? *** It is what it is! ***
Can citizens attend that council committee meeting next week? When is that?
Okay Lennie, I know this is a slow news season and you are trying to be funny and brighten the season with this fake news story. Lennie, leave the fake news to Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show and Stephen Colbert’s The Colbert Report. The only reporting the Connecticut Post has done on Mayor Finch is to give him a comfortable pillow to lay on. This story must be fake.
Ron, Lennie is dodging the real stories, c’mon Lennie put on the reporter’s trench coat and hat, dig into these allegations, they are the truth. Don’t wait for Ms. Keila Torres Ocasio to spoonfeed you half-truths, c’mon scoop her. There are some terrible things happening to our city, speak up, we need a voice. Remember, Only in Bridgeport doesn’t have to happen to Bridgeport. We need to expose this crap, you can’t depend on the CT Post. You see their circulation, only a small number of Bpt people can afford this rag, word of mouth is better, let those who are in the know be heard. city hall smoker, pigs is not bad enough of a description of these bloodsuckers because pigs at least serve a purpose, they eat our garbage. They can start with Finch and his inner circle.
Ron,
There is nothing funny about the CT Post editorial. And it does not go far enough because this is the same CT Post that supported the incumbent throughout the primary and election season. The CT Post had so much coverage last year of Governor Malloy’s first year, they are not able to cover in any meaningful way the local activity of City departments that are not serving the public, of Mayoral statements that are less than truthful (including his use of words like OPEN, ACCOUNTABLE, and TRANSPARENT), of City Council members serving the wishes and wants of a narrower group than the people in their District, of City practices that allow the public no meaningful part in the formation of good decisions, and no public scoreboard for ‘financial metrics’ that would shout to the world whether our trends are healthy or declining to dire??? Go to the City web site and refer to the Mayor or City Council tabs for info on upcoming meetings. Hope to see more people at different meetings in the New Year. Engage your representatives and ask them where the discussions are held. Where are the reports they studied to come to their conclusions? Where are the minutes where plus and minus of upcoming votes were discussed in detail? When did they hold a meeting in their District to hear community response??? Talk about necessary reforms … but how about some that allow the public an opportunity to confront the awesome power already granted to any Bridgeport administration to rule without attending to the Charter, to operate outside historic process and to budget so there is adequate money to do what you wish, even if the public screams, while not paying attention to the results of past labor negotiated settlements that have costs continuing to be deferred today??? Perhaps the City Council needs to have more “five minute speakers” at Council sessions than spots to take the temperature of taxpayer mood? Time will tell.
Here is one for the CT Post. BEACON2 and I spent nearly 2-plus hours with their investigative reporters last year giving them documentation on Finch’s false budget. We detailed the dog and pony show that was going on, all to no avail.
The Post endorsed Finch and company and did nothing about the financial condition of the city.
Now this editorial, what happened? Did Mike Daly run out of family members or old friends to write about?
The Post, after more or less endorsing financial decisions driving the city into the tank by the first Finch administration, more or less promised the mayor he was not going to get a pass the second term. This is consistent.
The editorial on staff raises jostled a word in my mind from long ago: WEO!
Perhaps some other senescent somebody can refresh my recollection.
WEO! Where Economy Originates!!! Old A & P advertising slogan.
Guess the Post Toasties missed out on last year’s Epiphany Sunday!
Will you love me in December like you loved me in September?
Jim, so during his first term the Post was turning a blind eye to the financial BS this administration was engaged in even though they had documentation as to what was going on.
Maybe the Post should have had the reporter covering Malloy covering things that really affect the taxpayers of Bpt. BTW do you know how many more of these Malloy stories we are going to see? Enough is enough, already.
SEEC continues investigation into Finch and Friends PAC until 01/18/2012.
2. In the Matter of Complaints by Tom Kelly, Bridgeport
File Nos. 2011-090 & 2011-097
Proposed Recommendation of Counsel
Attorney: Kevin M. Ahern
Lead Legal Investigator: Charlie Urso
The matter is continued.
Latest city hall gossip has the new public works deputy’s salary being paid by the BOE. Fed funds, no?
BEACON2, with all due respect, the CT Post editorial is a joke and this is one reason why. BEACON2, look at the information you and town committee provide the Post and what did they do with it?
BEACON2, you said, “the CT Post had so much coverage last year of Governor Malloy’s first year, they are not able to cover in any meaningful way the local activity of City departments.” The Connecticut Post is still trying to be a statewide newspaper but it’s not.
Bill Finch has been the mayor of Bridgeport for over four years now and what has the Post done as far as investigative reporting of the Finch administration with information that has been given to them?
The Connecticut Post is more concerned about having access to the Finch administration therefore they will not criticize the mayor, that’s the sad joke.
We really need to start a powerful independent party right now. During the next four years we could start to nibble away at the humps Testa has put on the Common Council. The we would be in a very strong position to kick them out in the next mayoral general election. Forget primaries.
Finch and his cronies are very arrogant now. They think they can do anything and no one can stop them. Well they are wrong. The council elections are in less than 2 years. Figure out the weak links now, pick some credible candidates and start hammering away. All these raises and the 2012 budget need to be approved by the council. I daresay there will be lots to criticize. We need to start positioning now for the 2015 mayoral election.
Oh Grin: Dig a little deeper into the back of the ol’ cranium … You are SO close to connecting the dots.
Then again, it’s a long holiday weekend coming up. We could have a lot of fun on the right thread.
All you bloggers are like dogs that chase cars, what are you going to do with the car when you catch it? F..k it gotta be in city hall biting at their pant legs and pissing all over the room marking our territory. This is our city, not Nunn, Charlie, Adam “pecker” Wood or Finch’s; he is still from Trumbull in his head which is empty. You don’t just move in to Bridgeport and say you’re from Bpt you have to have Bpt in your BLOOD, you have to live BPT you have to love the South End the East Side the West End and the North End, hunk town, the hollow, whiskey hill, yellow mill. You got to love this city to say I’M FROM BRIDGEPORT and never forget where you came from and where you’re gonna be buried. So let me say “I’M FROM BRIDGEPORT AND I WILL BE BURIED IN BRIDGEPORT BECAUSE I LOVE BRIDGEPORT, BE A GIVER NOT A TAKER. MERRY CHRISTMAS. Be proud to be from Bridgeport.
bpt guy.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you too! Shame on these disingenuous carpetbaggers who use the rules of dirty politics as their moral compass. The real salt of the earth people of Bridgeport need more of a voice, for sure.
*** OFF TOPIC ***
Is there anyone who is planning to head up North to the Hartford/Wethersfield area today?
I have an acquaintance who was not, due to unfortunate circumstances, able to buy her three little girls anything for Christmas. She was going to tell her 2-, 6- and 8-year-old daughters there is no Santa today. Well I am not having that so I went out last night and bought the gifts, and Santa left one or two here as well. When we tried to meet up so I could deliver the booty, this young lady ran out of gas and could not meet me. I am not able to make the trip all the way up there today, as I am otherwise committed. I figured, hey may as well try to see if anyone from this lovely blog was going that way …
From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU TOM KELLY!!!