From Republican mayoral candidate Rick Torres:
Finch is finished. Torres Topples Finch. Torres takes Bridgeport by surprise.
Just watch and see …
It has been difficult not to tip our hand in our sneak attack against the Bridgeport political machine. Knowing that this machine puts forth only enough effort to beat their opponent we knew we had to sit on our attack plan. Fed Up? Stand Up!
Because we waited this out, time has run out for our dirty Bridgeport political machine opponent to react to our strategy.
Here you go …
The vast majority of good Bridgeport residents are fed up with the way this city is managed for a list of reasons that goes on and on. Agreed?
Finch has failed us! Finch disrespects us! This heartless mayor boots our cars! What is wrong with us?
Are You Fed Up Yet? STAND UP BRIDGEPORT!
If this sounds like a commercial that is hard hitting and right on target, it is.
We will wake up and energize real people who vote with messages tailored to fit each community based on the city’s failure to serve its people.
By design, we have Finch right where we want him and we will now hit hard.
A well planned, four-day media blitz will support our Fed Up Yet Bridgeport? Stand Up! plan to an election day win.
Blitz: radio stations, television stations, newspapers galore, billboards, e-mails, internet search engines, phone calls, blogs, endorsements, and did we mention protest signs? Is anyone excited yet? We promise you will be.
Our city hall will serve its citizens again and very soon we will be proud to say that we are from Bridgeport.
Be part of the fun; vote Torres on November 8.
Let’s Un-Occupy Bridgeport together.
Your Friend – RT
I personally will not be voting for Torres. Give him credit though he is the only Republican I have seen work hard in Bridgeport to get votes. I predict Torres will break the 20% of the vote mark which Republicans have had a hard time breaking since 2006. Lennie can you post the 2003 results by precinct? I would love to see where Torres ran strong in 2003 because he ran very strong. I will be voting for Finch or Kohut at Black Rock.
donj,
I will defend your right to post your opinions on OIB any day. But I draw my line at listening to you re-post the same unknowing declaration again and again and again. Get over it!
Do you have any idea how recent administrations have changed the intention of the Charter, ignored ordinances, and generally have done what is quiet, comfortable and serves their interest alone, as we came out of the Bridgeport Financial Review Board period 20 years ago?
Well if you don’t, go to the library as I have done recently and look at the comments of the various Boards and Committees and their recommendations from 20 years ago. We are not paying attention. And failure to learn the lessons available from history will force us to repeat those lessons. A vote for Finch at this time will force us to repeat this lesson. He may revere JFK, but he is forgetting our own history as a City, our financial desperation, the State-backed recovery, and then a slow Ganim, Fabrizi, Finch slide into our current unwatched and poorly managed fiscal morass. When the next audit appears, we shall be able to better see how four Finch years have added to City debt and obligations. When you subtract that from City assets, mainly land and buildings that have generally lost value since the 2008 revaluation as we have seen in home values, our City net worth has taken a hit. Real City expenses continue to increase each year, and a property tax increase is in the cards with a revaluation not far behind.
Take out your crystal ball. Get your head out of your navel or wherever … If you have time on your hands to write, attend a Council meeting, a Longfellow meeting, any meeting and listen to your neighbors talk about what is bothering them. What goes on at campaign time is not the big picture!!! Get the big picture … read some history … listen to the people who go to work daily, whose kids are in the schools, who pay increasing property taxes, who feel services are slight for taxes paid, or who feel they get no respect from local government for their real problems. Finch is not cutting it and he doesn’t listen. Instead he tells you what he thinks he is doing well, and stops when he has your attention. How many half-truths do you have to debunk to get to the point there is no mastermind behind the screen in the land of Oz? And if you don’t agree with Bill and his cadre, they create fear by what they do or can do to you if you are an employee. That is poor for City morale for starters, and to the extent it is grieved or fought, it adds unnecessary costs to City budgets.
If Finch is your answer, you do not have a serious question on your plate, I suggest. Get serious, if that is possible for you, please. Time will tell.
donj: Vote for Kohut. A vote for Kohut takes one from Finch. Although I don’t really understand why anyone who is not on the payroll or otherwise tied to Finch via political deal making would vote for him, do us all a favor and stop posting the same incessant and uniformed nonsense. If you owned a home and paid taxes, watched your streets go unpaved for decades, had children in the City schools, fought to get your stinking garbage collected, watched your home value drop like a rock, or battled on the MJF campaign and watched helplessly while these scoundrels stole votes from the elderly, I may consider you someone who has some foundation on which to build your soapbox. But since you will likely not even settle in Bridgeport once you graduate college if you have any brains, I say quit your unnecessary and (yawn) boring regurgitations and help the rest of us out by voting for Jeff.
Then there was no reason for you to respond. Vote for Kohut. He’s a good guy. A vote for Finch is a vote for the status quo and the continuation of the malaise in Bridgeport.
Vote for Kohut and you might as well vote for Finch. What is the problem with Torres? I’ve seen no love for the guy on these posts, I think he has some great, new ideas for this city of tired and tried ideas.
That was my point. Rather he not vote for Finch since he doesn’t want Torres. At least that’s 1/2 a vote swing. I supported Rick in 2003 for mayor and I support Rick now. And I’m a registered Democrat who was on the DTC, but they dumped me as I wasn’t “controllable” and claimed I was out of town too much.
Fact was I attended more meetings than Lisa Parziale and I was on the same district and she initiated my demise.
Here is a man, a Democrat, who saw the demise of the political process with the strengthening of the “machine,” and abandoned the party. Great idea! Then, as a Republican, endorsed a Democrat for the same damned reason. Bridgeport needs a non-partisan individual like this. He is thinking like a citizen, a business owner, a taxpayer … not a recipient of favor. He deserves every Bridgeport resident’s vote … Republican, Independent, Democrat or unaffiliated! Please … isn’t it clear???
This is an easy choice–Debate airs on News12 at 7:30 & 2:30
www .news12.com/index.jsp
A vote for Torres
My wife and I are lifelong Bridgeport residents. We are raising our seven children in Bridgeport. I am not a politician. We are good citizens of Bridgeport. I work a couple of days a week at a Bridgeport food pantry I helped to open. My wife has worked as a nurse at St. Vincent’s Medical Center for over 30 years and is the parish trustee at St. Ann Church. We have instilled that same spirit of helping others in our children who can often be found volunteering in our community at various events. We do this because we feel a moral obligation to our neighbors.
We feel this same moral obligation to Bridgeporters who suffer at the hands of our city government. We have had enough, overtaxing our residents, failing our school children, booting our neighbor’s cars. This has got to stop.
Once every four years we have the chance to Stand Up to this self-serving government.
I know the good people of Bridgeport outnumber the bad. I ask you to stand up with me on November 8 and cast your vote against the political machine, for a good family man, Rick Torres. A man who is not afraid to stand up for the working people of Bridgeport. Together we can bring heart to this city and make our home a place we can all be proud of.
Thank you for listening.
So many of us support the ANYONE BUT FINCH ideal. If enough of us got out there and voted against Finch we could get him out of office. We have two candidates, Kohut and Torres, either of whom could do it. Regrettably, each has a strong following which means neither could garner enough anti-Finch votes to rid us of this Calamarian plague. I would not be surprised if the total votes cast for both Kohut and Torres outnumbered the total votes cast for Finch. Too bad. Isn’t it?
What Bridgeport needs is the State Financial Review Board to take over like it did 20 years ago no matter who is elected mayor. Those in power do not have the will, courage or desire to make the changes that are needed to turn Bridgeport around.
Ron,
Do you think Bill Finch will go to Hartford once again to ask for a Financial Review Board?
Now, we know he knows the way to Hartford because he served in the legislature and has friends there and in the State bureaucracy. But will he ask them for “special financial oversight and control?” And give up his control over the Bridgeport way of doing things?
I know he asked them quietly and privately in multiple years to find a cheap way to circumvent the sound instructions of the actuarial firm regarding annual funding levels for Pension Plan A in excess of those he wished to afford. And he got what he wanted with a State sign-off. BUT NO STATE MONEY. Bridgeport is still on the risk and market volatility with remaining funds and steady payout to entitled retirees makes the Pension assets less likely to last for the duration. Then we pay plus pay the cost of the Pension Obligation Bond.
And he went to Hartford to collaborate on a plan to eliminate the BOE as we knew it, with people who were elected by the people. Again he was quiet and secret until his plan worked its way into reality. Again, no money came with the deal. So what is Bill’s interest? I imagine it will take some serious views into how the money is spent by BOE, where the jobs are, and the financing involved in the multiple school projects where State taxpayers are on the hook for the majority.
I wonder if taxpayers outside Bridgeport will have more interest in checks and balance, watchdogs, etc. to look over the way money is being spent. How do our City processes around money compare to other towns and cities and to State government operations in terms of spending approvals, oversight, compliance with Charters, laws, regulations, etc??? Possibly not very well? But how would you know? Your Council members do not address the subject. Neither does the Mayor. Do you begin to wonder why not?
So Ron, please ask Lennie G. how to contact me directly and do so. I respect your experience and your voice on OIB. I would like to discuss matters where that experience can benefit the community at large. I have info from the Financial Review Board time and the MAC group as well. Hope to hear from you soon.
Just heard the public works trucks have been authorized to remove all manner of Torres signs wherever they are posted in the City, whether they are on public or private property. Now I did not see this with my own eyes, but heard it from a reliable source, so you may class it as a rumor at this moment. However I am headed out for two meetings in two parts of the City apart from my home, so I will be on the lookout. Why would the Mayor feel the need to do something so obviously illegal? What type of concern or fear would such an action betray?
Hope it is only a rumor, but as I have learned living in Bridgeport for a quarter century, rumors in Bridgeport are a reliable form of prophecy! Time will tell, once again.
It’s only okay for Finch to have his signs on public property. This year he is using his “Green Monster” signs posted all over town with council member names included.
I post anything I want and not because you guys hate Finch does not mean I do too. OIB does not reflect Bridgeport as a whole, a lot of you bloggers do not live or vote in Bridgeport. If MJF won what would you guys be saying, vote Torres? I don’t think so!!! My vote is my vote and it will not be going to Torres. Finch or Jeff will get my vote and I can bet 75% of MJF voters will not be voting for Torres and I am one of them. I do not have a problem crossing party lines for a candidate I like ’cause I will vote for John Slater.
donj,
In an educational spirit I write to you again, as a Bridgeport voter, taxpayer, volunteer and quarter-century resident. Where did the word hate enter the discussion? After supporting MJF, being party to the sense of what she supported and what Finch and the machine represented, I do find it difficult to see Finch as anyone’s second-best choice.
So as I said before I suggest you take that vote for Finch, just as a little kid would with a lollipop, and suck on it real hard while you still can taste a good flavor. Put that in your memory bank, because your disappointment when the flavor departs will be profound. But you will have learned from the experience.
And by the way, a person’s vote is personal, so your curiosity about how others vote may get as frustrated as my desire to get you to post on what you see the Finch next four-year term is expected to do for you and for the rest of the City, based on his first four? Still waiting, and this is not a “personal” question. Just trying to make for a governance or political discussion or dialogue with your participation. That is what folks do on subjects additional to sports scores, celebrity romances, Wall Street excesses and natural calamities (even those aided and abetted by failure to be prepared for the rare snowstorm of last weekend). Perhaps you would like to tell us how John Slater and Bill Finch compare and contrast as to intentions? Hope to see you post a response on this one. Time will tell.
Ron, who are you voting for ’cause you did mention you will not vote for Torres. Check out Jeff Kohut.
Some background.
I think Torres is a nice guy.
I supported MJF in the primary.
With that being said, I do not understand the vitriol towards Finch in the comments section. I do not claim to know much, I have only lived in the city a short time. In the short time I have lived here, I have seen improvements in the face of a nationwide recession. Downtown is far nicer than when I moved to CT. Black Rock has had a lot of work done on the streets (maybe wasn’t needed?) and sidewalks. We are supposed to be getting 40 more cops. I met Gaudett and McCarthy and they seem to be working hard and trying to do a good job with public outreach.
A major bone of contention on this comment section has to do with the public schools. I, unlike many others, am happy to have the state involved. The city has done a terrible job. Give the state a chance.
Taxes are very high, but Finch didn’t start from zero and raise them up this high. Maybe once we get more commercial development, that problem can be addressed.
Finch worked with Himes to get money for steel point but that got slowed down a lot by the Republican takeover in the US house of reps.
So my question is this: Why the major hate for Finch? It seems very personal. I am not saying he is without fault, but there seems to be some major dislike for an administration that can point to some positives in a very poor national and state economy.
With regard to the State taking over the schools, it is the manner in which Finch made the deal–he did not follow the rules of engagement in the process, and in doing the unseating of elected officials in the manner in which he did–without due process–he showed complete contempt for laws and rules put into place and now there is a very expensive legal fight because Mr. Finch acts as if he is above the rules and the laws. He just tried to pull the same type of stunt with a City Ordinance to prevent citizen participation in street abandonment–this is not the first time–or the only time he has acted outside the rules and the laws–at great cost to Bridgeport taxpayers.
Bridgeport Rising. It is not everybody on this blog who hate Finch. I do not. I myself voted for Foster just like you but do not hate Finch. That’s why I know for a fact at least 75% of Foster voters will vote for Finch.
You are so freaking wrong about this, donj. How do you even think you can speak for anyone but yourself? No you do not know for a fact 75% of Foster supporters are voting for Finch. Now STOP starting rumors and speak ONLY for yourself. It’s people like YOU who fuel the dumb-ass rumor mill in this city–KNOCK IT OFF. Learning we cannot speak for anyone but ourselves is a lesson in GROWING UP.
I cannot speak for anyone. I supported Foster. My vote will go to Finch, Lyons and Paniccia as well as Scinto. Usually in a primary people do come together. This loathing of Finch is a bit much. He is a nice guy. Besides if the sky is going to fall we are all going to feel it and let Finch be the one to answer for it. He will be mayor for the next 12 years simply because if any of these mega projects take off who is going to be interested in who is driving what car?!!!!!!!!!
Amazing.
I am sure I don’t know what you mean in the latter part of your post, but I did not imply you spoke for anyone but yourself. donj does. Unfortunately, lots of folks on this blog don’t see any value coming from Finch and don’t like him. It’s fair for anyone to post those feelings here, just like it is fair for you to post you are going to vote Finch now. I did not think he was a good mayor before, and I don’t now. MJF losing the primary did not change my stance. It changed yours, and that is your right. I hope he loses, and I will continue to look forward to the day he is no longer in office, and a new person takes Testa out, or I no longer live here, which could happen sooner than I had planned originally.
Hard to imagine those who were so recently railing against the evils of the machine fall right in line with it.
BEACON2, you are correct, Bill Finch will NOT go to Hartford once again to ask for a Financial Review Board to come to Bridgeport for a few reasons. First he cannot tell the public and the state things are out of his control and he cannot do anything to correct it and too many people are making money on this gravy train called the “City Budget.”
We can thank former Bridgeport mayor Mary Moran, with her attempt to balance the City’s budget by filing for bankruptcy (that would do away with the City’s pension funds.) In comes Joe Ganim and the City has no money and in comes the state.
BEACON2, Bridgeport is heading towards bankruptcy again and it is people like you and others who MUST make the case of the City’s finances known to the media and the public.
Happy to make the case, but there are others who have seen history develop, who have been part of historic events in the City with credibility and integrity intact, and whose word and opinion means something in the community at large. I believe that describes how I have come to see you. I offer you the opportunity to meet, discuss, and suggest practical and timely advice about making the case. Please look me up. One or two voices in the wilderness are called prophets years in the future. But a handful of trusted senior adults with true lived community experience over decades can instruct and change the larger public’s impression of their future and the need for participation in the reformation of that future.
Hope to hear from you soon. Time will tell.
I like Bill Finch as a person, but I can’t stand that his loyalty is for a political machine he serves at the detriment of Bridgeport taxpayers.
A simple google search of “Bill Finch Election Fraud” would make anyone ashamed to cast their vote for the same system that exists here in Bridgeport for far too many years.
If you are fed up with this type of government, we must all Stand Up and vote for Torres because he is our only chance at a new direction.
Fact–There is no internal audit official in the City of Bridgeport. The City budget reports state they are audited by the City Internal Audit Officer; however there is no City Audit Officer. The City Budget report is therefore if not a complete lie; it is a misrepresentation of the facts. No City Auditor Officer has been employed in this position for the last four years. There are no fiscal checks and balance in our city.
Fact–More money per year of taxpayer dollars is spent on city employees and “volunteers” for meals at events than is spent in total on any program to feed the poor including children at risk and the aged in our city–and this total includes Grant Money.
Fact–the city budgets about $200,000 per year to the CT Post.
Fact–The City Attorney’s office consistently hands City Council members legal opinions and corrections on important items 10 minutes before a final vote is due–with the excuse I do not control your mayor, I only work for him. This impedes the process of having real fiscal and quality of life ordinances passed. This also shows a true lack of respect by the Mayor’s office and the City Attorney’s office for Citizens and for our City Council.
Fact–$180,000 of BOE Grant Expenses Item is listed for meals, restaurants and caterers–this is in addition to the City Budget for meals.
Finch says he is in favor of strong regulations of Spas and Strip Clubs–Fact again the City Attorney’s complete lack of follow through stopped State-proven constitutional city ordinance from being passed.
Fact–our former Democratic machine mayor has a paid position with the city that states no overtime, yet he billed the city and was paid 10 hours overtime at $499.00 per hour–yes, almost $5,000 in overtime. His wife is also on the City Payroll–blatant nepotism.
Fact–for every one new legitimate business that opens in Bridgeport, there are about 20 other business owners who look at the same site, do their due diligence and say, NO Thank You Bridgeport. However, we do have new Strip Clubs and Spas opening this month.
Our tax dollars are being wasted and used in a way that is not promoting real services to the residents of our City.
It is time for a change–I am voting for Rick Torres because he is a man who is passionate about our City, he has no ties to the past administrations that have worked to have our City tax dollars used to benefit the few and burden the majority. He is a good man with a social conscience and a sense of fair play rarely seen in anyone seeking public office.
I wish those rogue bloggers godiva and whoever else came on here in support of the chosen machine candidate would address each and every one of the above points–come on gals–let us hear your defense of your man.
I am voting for Torres. I hope donj votes for Kohut.
Flicka, that’s good, bring back godiva and his friends but they must be at a sports bar watching NCAA football and getting ready for tonight’s big game with the other guys.
I had a visit from Rick Torres this afternoon. It was a very good talk and I do believe I will be voting for him on Tuesday. I did put his sign on my front lawn. That should piss off my ex-TC members from the 138th.
What was neat about the visit was Torres was using a Segway to go door to door. I wish I had thought of that when Ann Barney & I were running.
Well now you will do that during your next campaign–get two, I’d like to ride one!!!
Hello Park City friends.
Maybe it is fair to say we all wish to see the best quality of life possible in Bridgeport, for all of its people. But that’s not really true. Most people, especially now, would be happy to see their own family and friends do well.
When it comes to politics in Bridgeport, it is certainly true the politics of friends and connections has ruled for a long time. Now, after the past few elections, it has become a clarion call that insider politics at the mayor’s office needs to be broken, so the people of Bridgeport can have at least a fresh look at the town, its finances and just what is holding it back, beyond the present economy.
I also like Bill Finch as a person, but when I hear him take credit for the nice things happening downtown on Jim Buchanon’s interview, I wonder if he drives by there once in a while. Take a look up at the windows on the desolate buildings on Main St. There are 3- to 4-foot tall panes of broken glass right above the sidewalks. These would kill a passerby should a horrible timing occur with glass falling and someone walking by. So I have to conclude it is false to accept compliments on the downtown when very serious hazards are present. This is visible to anyone to see.
I have to conclude the Mayor has not been smart with the safety and welfare of the city residents from this small example alone. It is far too visible to be ignored, far too immediate to be unimportant. One can only conclude there exist countless examples of ineptitude from this one point. Simply because it would be so easy and important to correct this example.
Rick Torres is a man who supported the Democratic candidate against Finch in the last election, simply on principle. He lost his position as Republican Town Chairman as a result. A vote for Torres is a vote for principle over person or party. He has well-thought-out positions on many issues of importance in Bridgeport. He will receive my Democratic vote.
Bill suffers from “Greenish Envy.”
www .ctpost.com/local/article/Work-begins-on-new-green-space-downtown-2254111.php
A vote for Finch is a vote for the status quo …
A vote for Kohut is a vote for pie in the sky …
A vote for Torres is a vote for the citizens of Bridgeport and a chance to be rid the political machine for at least four years.
Who out there is anti-corruption?
Who out this is pro-economic development of a substantial nature?
Who out there wants a mayor of substance, honor, grit, and not controlled by the puppetmasters Testa and Stafstrom?
The only name that comes to mind is a guy who came up the hard way … Rick Torres.
*** 10 to 1 odds for “CHANGE” in “ZOMBIELAND!” *** FORGETABOUTIT ***
The odds are far closer than ten to one. That would be only 10% turnout for Torres. Kohut will take Finch votes, and Torres votes … Many Dems are not voting Finch, he also has pissed off more than a few who work for him. To simply state voter registration odds is not to have been paying attention.
The message vote is with Torres … The status quo vote with Finch … This city has not truly progressed in Finch’s term, while many conclude he is better than the last couple mayors, that is like saying being raped is better than being murdered … fill in your own analogy.
Bridgeport Rising, I’m with you. The vitriol and hate directed towards Finch seems personal. I’ve watched Finch and though I don’t think he’s the finest, he inherited what we have now and I don’t think he’s made it any worse. In fact, I’d argue by your example, he’s improved things to a degree.
What has always irked me about Torres is his extraordinary ability to run a hate-filled campaign while glossing over facts with huge campaign promises that are designed to trump Finch, but have zero substance. What they leave me with is the feeling that Torres has a personal agenda–and why do I care about that? I care about property taxes and schools in Black Rock. I have a daughter in first grade and that is what is important to me.
Torres is an outrageous outlier. He posted something with regard to Finch’s people taking down his signs–WHILE essentially and purposefully not telling the public those very signs were placed at the bottom of Finch’s signs, and the content, with arrows pointing up, was slanderous and preposterous anger. Hate.
For someone who pleads he’s just a Cuban guy, a Latino from the streets trying to make good, I see a lot of hate.
His campaign is run on negativity and I’ve never seen that pay off in the long run.
That’s who the guy is.
If the Torres strategy seems hate-filled, then that is a mistake in transmission of the message. Finch is not hated, no reason for that, but he is the current face of the machine, therefore he needs to be the point of the message. Bill Finch is a nice guy, yes, but he also has the inside reputation for being vindictive and retaliatory. That belies the smile … sorry. As for the signs being taken down story, that comes from a public-works employee, saying it was a directive from the Mayor. As for Torres signs, there is no such sign with arrows on it and there have been only a very few Finch signs up until this moment, as they seem to be playing the election very quiet. Final analysis … you are right, it is about the education of the children and the ability for people to be able to stay in their homes. Some average homes are easily over twenty thousand dollars a year in tax in Black Rock. The property values with that assessment have people unable to maintain their home and simultaneously unable to sell it. Vote with passion not convention and best wishes with the rest.
Torres has no chance–but I see his overall return being somewhere in the 15-18% range. If he breaks 20% as you say, I’d be very surprised. But he has run a more public campaign this time around, his 40th time running.
From Bridgeport News April 13th 2011:
Subject: Torres 41% against Fabrizi
“Many who doubt these bold words might be surprised to hear Torres took 41% of the mayoral vote in 2003 against John M. Fabrizi. The last Republican to perform so well in a Bridgeport mayoral election was Mary Moran, who defeated two-term Democrat incumbent Thomas Bucci in 1989.”
I believe I am a good person. I work at a Bridgeport food pantry a couple of days a week. I spend a lot of my time helping others in our Bridgeport community. I own a Bridgeport business and I am raising my children in Bridgeport.
If anyone including Rick Torres is angry with Bridgeport politics they have every right to be. Bill Finch, a nice guy, serves the political machine at the expense of working citizens of the city.
Could these issues with our city’s management make anyone happy? I am sorry I am also angry maybe someone could help me feel differently.
Election Day choices I have to make, make your own list and decide for yourself.
My taxes have increased over 500% in a 10-year period. I cannot afford this kind of increase. Am I Happy? Angry?
I appealed my taxes two years in a row because two professional appraisal companies tell me my house assesses at half of what the city assesses it. The city throws my appeals out without considering the facts. Am I supposed to smile?
Watching my hard-working neighbors get their cars tax booted. There is no need for this since you have to pay your taxes plus interest when you re-register your car every two years. Do I vote to keep this going?
I have to privately educate my children because our school system fails 9 out of 10 children. Is this acceptable to anyone? Finch has had four years to improve this. Happy? Angry?
The Finch administration paints a rosy picture of success, they tout a new company coming in once a year and want you to ignore the ten that left.
Before you discount a win for Torres as I understand it he won over 41% of the vote the last time he ran. I believe, like me, good people of Bridgeport are fed up and will stand up on Election Day.
I would only guess if cars are being booted, there is reason for it. Unpaid parking tickets? Unpaid taxes? Liens? That’s a sweeping generalization. Cars are booted for any number of reasons and I don’t think it’s the “machine.” If I get arrested for speeding, the “machine” isn’t doing it, I broke the law.
You certainly do make sense. If someone doesn’t pay their taxes, exactly what other remedy is there to make them realize they are responsible for paying them just like everyone else? If you get a ticket in another city or a ticket from a trooper, exactly what do they think will happen if they don’t pay up? Taxes and tickets don’t just go away if people are irresponsible and choose to ignore them. How about people who register their cars out of state, they deserve to get caught. People of this caliber are scofflaws, I have no sympathy for them getting the boot. Equality for all; I pay, you pay, let everyone pay. Stop making them sound like victims, they brought it on themselves, the “machine” isn’t at fault.
The tax booting of cars costs the city money. The interest rate on the tax lien is 18%. Every two years the “scofflaw” has to re-register their car. At that time all city taxes must be paid. The city is acting in a punitive and mean-spirited way in immobilizing vehicles on the streets for as little as $150 or so dollars. In fact I have seen the tax sheriff trolling doctors’ office parking lots looking for cars to boot. I believe the city has finally decided these lots are holy ground so to speak and they stay out of them. Consider this, the American revolution was fought over taxes as a primary reason. All we say is collect your tax during the registration process with interest and stop being punitive in a way that leaves cars subject to vandalism, towing fees and other ills while further reducing the strapped owners’ ability to pay. One other point … There have been numerous examples of tax-delinquency breaks given to wealthy building owners in recent years. These have ranged into the millions of dollars. That would pay a lot of the missing car taxes at $150 to $500 dollars at booting time. If you want to be a Justice, then please consider being a fair one …
In agreement with you here Godiva. I see no value in making exceptions for folks who have been duly warned they are delinquent on taxes. This City does kill a lot of trees trying to communicate with citizens regarding delinquent taxes, and it is up to the citizen to communicate back and at least attempt a dialogue with the City regarding the status of their tax situation. I also agree booting is probably a less expensive way to get someone’s attention than setting some kind of absurd precedent by making exceptions and potentially increasing the dollars spent in legal fees by the city when the folks who don’t pay taxes get lawyers to argue the fact that “Joe Schmo” got a tax break and now I want mine. I would stop short of calling those folks names like scofflaws, though. I would stop short of calling anyone names. The lion’s share of these folks are not avoiding taxes because they are deadbeats. They simply don’t have the money. Generalizing is bad news, Godiva, you know that. BTW, still not voting for Finch.
Nothing would make me happier than to see my property taxes decrease. I have seen mine double and I agree, it’s highly suspect in how they are figured–it’s an obviously corrupted system–no one with any head on their shoulders could possibly argue with that. But what is Torres’ actual plan to change this? What is his plan, if he’s elected–that will lower my taxes? I don’t want his 20 year plan–I want his term plans for this term. If he can’t offer any real ideas in one term, then how can he hold Finch to the same expectation? What is he suggesting? Solicit the government to take over Bridgeport–and have them fire everyone on the city payrolls? That would be terrific. But it’s not a realistic scenario and I deal in realism.
Steven,
I don’t believe Torres is a liar … So, he does not say the mil rate can just go lower right away. He does say he will immediately hire a company that guarantees a 10% budget savings by rooting out municipal corruption … Call it simply excess if you like. Bridgeport has a budget of something in the neighborhood of $450,000,000 dollars and it does not have an oversight, transparent to the public. The budget should be absolutely transparent … These things would provide a start. Also, the tax appeal process on your property’s assessment has been run by people who are also politically connected in Bridgeport.
It’s refreshing to see someone with a sense of realism. Our taxes did not double during Finch’s term, they went up a mere pittance to cover the library budget. We had a state-mandated property reassessment, the city had no control over that. My taxes went up based on the figure the state assessors came up with, did I like it? No, but I don’t put the blame on Finch. Torres has no plan other than trying to get himself elected and realistically, that’s just not going to happen.
We pay almost twice that in property taxes and insurance as surrounding municipalities. When we fall slightly behind in keeping up with these high taxes this heartless city immediately boots our cars so the already struggling individual can’t get to work.
Two weeks ago, a good family man friend of mine that is a cancer patient and has also been taken care of his ailing wife gets his car booted. His daughter in tears pleads with my daughter not to tell anyone in school that her dad’s car is booted. I call my friend in support, he states that he was only $106.00 behind on his car taxes. Is anyone OK with this?
Bill Finch booted this man’s car, nobody else. Other municipalities don’t boot their residents’ cars. You have to pay your taxes plus 18% interest if behind when you re-register your car every two years, you can’t register another car anywhere else in the state until you pay up.
What is astonishing here is although the city may get their money sooner, we only collect a percentage of what we would naturally collect because we have to pay the company that administers the boot. So why does the city choose to do this??? There is speculation it is another kick-back scheme and to me it is the only thing that would make sense.
Rick Torres promises to stop this senseless and cruel attack on our citizens with the stroke of a pen on his first day in office.
Fed Up Yet Bridgeport? Stand Up for what is good and send a message on Tuesday!