. The last time the full City Council met the day after July 4, it was fireworks. Angry residents jammed the council chambers (see video) to vent about their July 1 tax bills. It had been a long time since residents came out in force to air out their lungs. Was it a one and done event?
Members of Citizens Working For A Better Bridgeport are trying to rally crowd support for Monday’s council meeting. The speaking portion of the session starts at 6:30 p.m. prior to the 7 p.m. meeting at 45 Lyon Terrace.
A primary goal of the group is to apply pressure on Mayor Joe Ganim and the legislative body in a call for creation of a state oversight board to control city finances. Ganim, who opposes the move, governed under a review board the first 4.5 years of JG1 that had been created in 1988 under Mayor Tom Bucci who requested state assistance to close an accumulated $55 million deficit.
Ganim and city finance officials say the budget year that began July 1 with the implementation of revaluation of city property had a mixed bag of some residential tax bills going down, some going up and some staying the same based on a 54 mil rate. Commercial properties and various pockets of the city such as Black Rock have taken the largest hit.
Calls for a financial oversight board also came up during the early administration of Ganim’s predecessor Bill Finch. But without the support of the mayor and City Council, or in lieu of that a weigh-in by the governor and state Office of Policy and Management, it’s not going anywhere.
Right now, the most important and effective action you can take is to continue to attend city council meetings. The mayor and city council did not expect over 450 voters to attend the last meeting, they are counting on you staying home and silent this meeting.
Monday August 1, 6:15 pm, 45 Lyon Terrace–City Hall
Dave Walker will speak in detail about a financial control board. Bridgeport is by some measures the highest taxed city in America. Our schools are underfunded, the administration refuses to seriously cut wasteful spending budgets, and homeowners are being unfairly taxed. A financial control board will impartially address and seek real solutions to remedy these issues.
Show this administration you are serious about real tax relief by showing up in force once again. Bring a friend and neighbor, forward this information to everyone you know.
Bring a sign, Financial Control Board Now!
Here’s my sign:
Review Board?, NO, Control Board.Local Eyes,
If you are against an Oversight Board with strong restructuring authority then you are pro-bankruptcy, which will be much more costly and disruptive. A single judge will make the key decisions in bankruptcy. The numbers are clear and compelling. In addition, any Mayor or City Council that raises total spending in the face of a 15-20% decline in the tax base is incompetent and out of touch with reality!
Dave, that’s it, keep scaring people.
That is total nonsense.
I have signed up for CW4BB notifications, but I feel there are a lot of people who visit OIB who feel this is for the sole benefit of Black Rock. Can anyone explain how a Control Board will benefit the city as a whole?
DC Faber,
The reason CW4BB supports a Financial Oversight Board is because it would benefit the entire City. City leaders have failed to grow the tax base faster than the budget for many years. Now we are experiencing dramatic declines in the tax base and yet the spending continues to rise. And it is set to get worse absent a rightsizing of City government and a restructuring of the City’s retirement plans. Bridgeport will have to file bankruptcy on its present path. Restructuring through a Financial Oversight Board is clearly preferable to bankruptcy for all parties. Come the evening of 8/1 to hear more.
That’s it Dave, keep trying to scare people.
Give me a break. Growing the tax base faster than the budget. Instead of driving into Fairfield for all dinner and entertainment needs, drive into the East Side and come back to us with a plan that has some teeny tiny details. It does not need to be pages and pages. Maybe a few words about growing the tax base in Bridgeport. But you need to stay out of Fairfield.
NOW. NOW. NOW. NOW we are experiencing dramatic declines in the tax base. Where have YOU been the last 50 YEARS??? I WILL TELL YOU ABOUT TAX DECLINE AND WE CAN DRIVE AROUND BRIDGEPORT AND TALK ABOUT TAX DECLINE. Some people don’t have a clue whatsoever.
Frank Gyure, good observation. Donald Day and myself would like to see Bridgeport to do the same thing that Hartford has already done and that’s to have those taking entry level exams for City jobs must have lived in the City to be able to take the exam, now they don’t have to stay in the City. This is a win-win for the City because it allows new City employee to pay taxes, to shop and to be a part of the community where they are employed.
Frank, I agree with Ron, both your observations are spot on. Ron spells out the benefits of new City Employees required to live in the City. That would accomplish not only increasing the tax base, but it would expand the voter involvement, and that could result in Bridgeport having a larger pool of people who might be interested in serving our local government. It could possibly or eventually put an end to recycles, and party-chosen individuals who start out knowing whom they must serve. Local, small business i.e. food establishments, etc. would be utilized keeping a flow of employment in Bridgeport, albeit at a smaller scale, but work is work.
I am sorry to everyone but I need to clarify my statements. My two above statements referred to two comments made by Dave Walker. Mr. Walker states something learned in Economics 101: grow your tax base faster than your budget. DUHH!!! This has been the central problem of Bridgeport for 50 years. We have had a DECLINING tax base and have not been able to turn it around. The reasons can be an entire other post. My cynically ironic comment is many Black Rockers shop and wine and dine in Fairfield. So the invitation to the East Side (or even the West Side) is an invitation to REALLY get to know and see the problems in Bridgeport. The second comment by Mr.Walker, “Now we are experiencing dramatic declines in the tax base and yet the spending continues to rise.” I emphasized the word “Now” by repetition and capitalization because our fiscal ills did not just start NOW, but again, it’s been brewing and boiling for 50 years with the first major crunch with the Bucci/Moran fiscal crisis. NONE of this is new. I do agree with Mr. Walker, a Financial Control Board is necessary because our City’s fiscal management is one part of the total bad governance in Bridgeport. But more needs to be done to turn this city around. I would also like to know very specifically and in detail what is meant by “rightsizing of City government and a restructuring of the City’s retirement plans.” Vague statements lead us nowhere.
Frank, if you notice that Walker, JML and those with them never mention anything about Jacob Ukeles and the Management Advisory Committee Report, which along with the financial review board helped Bridgeport get on the right path. Controlling something is one thing but what direction do you go is different, you still need a plan to run the City and that’s the Ukeles Report.
I agree.
NEWS ALERT: Dave Walker has finally agreed when I mentioned the Jacob Ukeles and the Management Advisory Committee Report, BUT Dave has NEVER mentioned the Jacob Ukeles and the Management Advisory Committee Report, never.
Frank,
Let’s clarify your clarification. Dave Walker has been stressing the one-liner, “You have to grow the tax base (taxable grand list) faster than you grow the budget,” for several years currently, before you were a regular blogger. Perhaps it is too simplistic for you to utter “DUH” and call it Econ 101, but our City Council does not get it and has heard it for years. Just imagine the voting public does not understand it either, yet keep voting for folks who ignore the simple truth.
Your other quarrel with Walker has to do with the word “NOW” that you wish to stretch to the past 50 years. NOW is a great word to use, because the City “leaders” hid the truth about the Grand list in various ways for years. Ganim in his first term did not regularly revalue, and Finch did not mind paying for two revaluations (but only making the latter one public), going to court over a wildly wrong valuation and assessment of the City’s largest taxpayer for almost a decade, and showing no metrics on economic development to show where trends were heading.
Indeed, Frank G., “vague statements lead us nowhere” but sometimes they are general statements that a few wish to be more specific to see whether their personal ox will be gored, or whether pain will be shared with the community.
I have been away from Bridgeport and OIB for ten days. It is good to return.
Has Mayor Ganim published a complete list of positions paid for by taxpayer dollars (local, State and Federal) across all departments, including the Board of Education, yet with salaries? Time will tell.
I have a new name for Mackey. Righteous Ron!!!
Ron,
With all due respect, I know a lot more about public finance than you, the Mayor or any City Council member. As Harry Truman said, I just tell the truth and some people thinks it’s hell. However, I also offer solutions!
Ron,
I was not agreeing with you and the report you mentioned. I was agreeing with Frank’s comment.
Dave, excuse me for my error. I see you have no interest in Jacob Ukeles and the Management Advisory Committee Report? That’s interesting Dave, you don’t want to know the items on how to restructure Bridgeport. Dave, when do you take your show on the road into other districts beside Black Rock and the other areas in the 130th district?
Really, Dave? I don’t remember any solutions you offered other than attacks on public employees past, present, and future?
Did you notice, Ron? It is no longer a financial control board, it’s a financial oversight board. That is a oversight board that can break contracts, change retirement plans, take away basic powers from the city but no control just oversight.
Bob, oh yes I noticed it, that’s what Walker’s mission has been since he first started to post on OIB. I’ve asked Walker before, if his plan is so good then why isn’t he on the Republican Party’s platform national committee to influence America’s financial problems and isn’t Walker in high demand to reshape policy all over America if he’s so smart.
Ron, I have a question. If Walker worked for the Federal Government for 10 years, is he entitled to a a pension? NO?
Andy, of course Walker is entitled to a vested pension but he doesn’t have to worry about his pension being reduced even though America is broke but maybe Dave will show some leadership and reduce whatever pension and health benefits he receives from the federal government.
Bob,
A bankruptcy judge can do all you mentioned and more. It’s time wake up and get serious.
Andy and Ron, Dave worked for the federal government more than 10 years. He has stated publicly, more than once, he declined to accept the pension he earned.
It may be that he declined it until a future date. Nobody walks away from a pension, including all politicians.
Some random thoughts. I love that all-time catch-all demand; REDUCE WASTEFUL SPENDING. But the other shoe does not drop. There is NEVER a detailed listing of all the “wasteful” spending. There might be a few examples. So can anyone list all the wasteful spending in Bridgeport which would reduce the mil rate by, HOW MUCH??? 5, 7, 10 or possibly even 20 mils if we rid the city of all the pesky wasteful spending. Given the billion dollar drop in the Grand List and a budget that was slightly increased, IT ALL BECOMES SIMPLE MATH. So if a Financial Control Board is put in place, do you expect a drop in the mil rate? I know Dave Walker has been the leading proponent of this board and given his expertise in accounting, I would think he would be able to look at the Bridgeport budget (it is available to ALL OF YOU) and maybe give all his supporters a sense of how many mils would be reduced if a control board is put into place. I will certainly admit that Bridgeport is a poster boy for bad governance (fiscal and procedural). A Control Board may give us some assurance of better fiscal practices but I really do not believe a result would be a dramatic drop in property tax rates. I also believe a Control Board would be severely limited by the fiscal structure of the State Of Connecticut. Many people are running around thinking it will be some type of panacea for all that ails Bridgeport but no one is giving any sense whatsoever of what it may result in. If my recollection is right, the review board we had in place from the Bucci/Moran Crisis insisted at that time for a large property tax increase which did happen.
Interesting points, Frank. The state-authorized review board that was in place from the spring of 1988 to the summer of 1995 instilled some financial discipline but also featured a number of head knocks between mayors Tom Bucci and Mary Moran and some of the board members, in particular then State Treasurer Frank Borges who for a time served as chairman. At times Bucci felt Borges was cold-blooded in his approach to cuts and unreasonable in his assessment of a balanced budget. Borges was willing to close parks and lay off cops during a period of seriously high violent crime. One spring day in 1989 at a review board meeting in the Hilton Hotel (predecessor to the Holiday Inn Downtown) what was determined as a balanced budget came to a head between Borges and David Carson, a review board member, who was also chief executive of People’s Bank. Borges had his number of a balanced budget; Carson, a trained actuary, had his number. “Accept the goddamn plan and stop trying to manage the city in a hotel room! You can’t do that!” Carson barked at Borges. The question of a balanced budget was moved and a majority of the review board members sided with Carson. It was quite a moment.
By the way, under that review board, taxes went up in 1988, did not in 1989, increased in Moran’s two years (she actually placed the city in federal bankruptcy court, it was opposed by the state, in 1991) and increased Ganim’s first budget year. Taxes did not increase the next three years and the review board was dissolved the summer of 1995.
Lennie Grimaldi, hope to meet you in person very soon.
Thank you Lennie Grimaldi to remind all those who feel some type of financial review board (OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, GIVE ME A BREAK) the last time non-elected officials were placed in charge of Bridgeport’s finances led to a LARGE TAX INCREASE. The DAVE WALKER solution will not lower your taxes.
Frank, refresh my memory. What is it you are doing to help any cause in Bridgeport besides YELLING IN F#@^*”$ CAPS THAT NO SOLUTION MEETS YOUR SOLUTIONS!!! Just sayin’.
So Bridgeport, are we ready to open the charter and establish an Elected Board of Finance?
Elected. Not Appointed!!!
Let’s put the Mayor’s feet to the fire and TELL HIM to put the charter question on this year’s November ballot!
The Question: Are you in favor of a Charter Change that will establish a new nine-member Elected Board of Finance?
Frank,
The last Bridgeport Board did not have the authority that is needed. David Carson agrees with me in that regard.
Frank, most recently the Ansonia mayor promised not to raise taxes, he mandated every department reduce their budget by 10% without cutting services. They did, and taxes were reduced. Every Bridgeport department knows exactly what is wasteful spending, they operate year over year with use it or lose it budget expenses. If the mayor mandated this, it would happen.
Jennifer. The Jacob Ukeles Report deals with that issue on how and what to do to downside certain departments but I don’t hear or read anything about that from those who want change. All I read is let a judge handle it.
I agree, with a review board taxes would go up. Taxes have been more fairly distributed than in the past seven years. Those who have had lower taxes have enjoyed lower taxes than other parts of the city. Please show me where substantial reductions in spending will reduce taxes and what items will be cut. Lay off firemen, teachers, policemen, who? Firing five or six new hires may reduce your taxes by $5.00, where are the savings coming from? It’s easy to get 400 people to the council but where is the plan?
concerned,
All good questions.
Even with the new tax increase, no one has yet to declared this budget as balanced!
But we can give billionaire Sal DiNardo of Fairfield a $10 million tax break and then put it on the backs of the taxpayers or sell off land to make it up!
That’s the kind of shit that pisses me off!
Jim, better to be pissed off than pissed on. Have a glass of whine.
Grow Up!
What’s the matter, Jimmie BOY?
WHERE IS THE PLAN??? What a great question.
Wrong. Taxes would go down with a real restructuring of the City’s finances. They will, however, go up without a restructuring until it results in bankruptcy. It’s not rocket science.
As I have been saying, many of the lessons learned during the tenure of the Financial Review Board have been unlearned. Other than the Finance Director, who was around and had interaction with the FRB? The city council has no clue as to what they should be watching closely, even when John Lee presents it to them.
Lennie, most OIB readers are not familiar with Dave Carson. He was so respected, when he spoke, people listened. I will never forget the review board meeting in which Mary Moran locked horns with him. That was a bad move. It was not pretty. I won’t repeat what he said.
Ganim has annoyed taxpayers with his first budget in which the increase in tax revenue will likely carry him through the next three years. He needs to get serious about hiring competent people, not rewarding those who supported his comeback.
Ganim is a lost cause. The big question is will the people of Bridgeport WAKE UP and change the city Council in little over a year. Whether the people of Bridgeport will get off their asses and throw Ganim and Testa out on the street in 2019.
Tom,
To the best of my recollection the only two current city officials who had any significant involvement with the review board were Mark Anastasi (then, as now, an Associate City Attorney) and OPM Director Nestor Nkwo, who was a fairly new OPM staffer.
The ghost of Machiavelli had enough foresight to predict Financial
ControlOversight Boards. He even speculated on their cause and ultimate outcome.“The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present.”–The Prince, Niccolò Machiavelli.
Lennie recounts the dark early days of the last financial review board, the creation of which was forced and imposed by the state (Governor Meskill?) after Mayor Bucci and his administration were forced to admit they were in the dark about the actual operational cash-flow needs of the city, as well as all the long- and short-term liabilities of the city. As Lenny recounts:
“… By the way, under that review board, taxes went up in 1988, did not in 1989, increased in Moran’s two years (she actually placed the city in federal bankruptcy court, it was opposed by the state, in 1991) and increased Ganim’s first budget year. Taxes did not increase the next three years and the review board was dissolved the summer of 1995.”
We should also recall when the city, under the Moran Administration, started to get a better grip on the numbers involved in Bridgeport’s growing cash-flow needs/receipts discrepancies, as well as some of our longer-term liabilities, it was determined (I believe, rightly so) that Bridgeport was indeed in a bankrupt state and needed to restructure its debt in that context.
Now, Bridgeporters should recall and/or do some research to familiarize themselves with the state/federal machinations involved in the righteous bankruptcy filing of Mary Moran. We found out who our friends in Hartford and Washington were after the Moran bankruptcy. We found out we didn’t have any friends in Hartford or Washington. (Still don’t!)
Our wonderful friend, then Attorney General Dick Blumenthal (with a capitol D) stymied the city’s bankruptcy attempt. No real $ was offered from Hartford or Washington to stabilize Bridgeport, even with the deadly crime wave raging in Bridgeport (gang-related shootings almost daily, and killings averaging about one every five days). Bridgeport was forced to live under war-like, third-world public-safety/services conditions.
We were forced to cannibalize our city assets (even after we had hundreds of million$/public assets of tax base/parkland seized for state road projects over the preceding two decades).
And then, the “wonderful” Clinton years arrived, and Bridgeport was designated one of Bill Clinton’s rescue cities. And we were rescued, indeed! We were thrown a $3,000,000 bone in a nation-wide, city-government redesign competition between American cities. All this “great Clinton initiative” did for Bridgeport was to pit neighborhoods against each other while creating tears in the political fabric of Bridgeport that are still expanding to this day. And the city was forced to use the $3 million bone to leverage projects and programs that wound up costing the city tens of million$ more than it would have spent had Clinton left bad-enough alone and done nothing.
Yes. Those were the days of scavenging used police cars from other towns and cancelling citywide events, including the venerable Barnum Festival Wing Ding, because of real fears of the invitation of deadly crime at such events.
But then the Clinton credit-bubble economy created some jobs down-county that helped to temporarily moderate Bridgeport’s sky-high unemployment (from the continued off-shoring of jobs and the Bush I recessions/savings and loan/junk-bond collapse, which was the prelude to the Clinton stock market collapse/recession and the Bush II worldwide financial collapse, which were all courtesy of Reagan-initiated deregulation/trickle-down economics).
So here we are, 25 years later, our municipal tire again deflated by a combination of “bad roads” and the forced use of cheap fiscal patches (cheap, as in poor quality) over the past 25 years of pretending that we, and other American cities, were poised for a comeback.
Yes. We need a financial review board, as part of a mitigated bankruptcy that doesn’t denigrate our city (while at the same time dismantling and corrupting our municipal governmental fabric, as happened during the last review board).
Bridgeport really needs, and deserves, a massive state-federal bailout that is managed in concert with an internally generated reinvention of the city, in terms of governance/tax base and economic description.
This is the perfect year to make the move to secure federal and state “cooperation” in this regard. This is the time for Bridgeport’s bold move. But it must be done more intelligently than last time, via well-conceived, well-considered plans. (And we must remember we have no “friends” in Washington or Hartford, only political/business partners.)
I do believe it was Lowell Weicker, not Tom Meskill, who set up Bridgeport’s Financial Review Board.
We have been TRULY bankrupt since then. The policy put in place was the finger in the leaking dike.
Jeff, as usual, encore! I read every word you write with never an urge to skip over anything.
Lennie. How about a little prescient preview of your updated, 2017 edition of “Only in Bridgeport?”
The FRB came in under Bill O’Neill.
AND let me say another observation made by David Carson. He said redevelopment/remodeling of Bridgeport would NOT happen house by house. It would require BLOCKS AND BLOCKS of Bridgeport being changed. We have not learned that lesson.
Let’s talk about learning lessons. Sitting at home and doing nothing results in zero change. Screaming in F@#$ING CAPS is annoying and makes sane readers ignore your posts. Knocking those who make any positive effort for positive change is giving help to those who create the problems. Let’s see if any lessons can be learned. Time will tell.
Mary Filo–why attack me???
Frank Gyure, that’s true and what happened was Bridgeport got caught up listening to Donald Trump and Steve Wynn with a one-punch look to solve everything with having a casino.
Thanks, lisawhite and Grin. How could I forget Bill O’Neill and Lowell Weicker?! (Well, easy to forget Bill O’Neill, but certainly not Lowell Weicker.)
In their respective roles in the B’port bankruptcy attempt, Dick Blumenthal kicked us down below, as AG, and Lowell Weicker kneed us in the chin as we buckled. Governor Weicker threw us a couple of bones just so we wouldn’t present as a complete embarrassment/catastrophe for the state and his administration. He made us sell off Beardsley Park and Zoo and other parkland as part of a cheap little deal on his part. Rather than seek some big bucks, long-term funding in Hartford and Washington on our behalf, he made the token gestures of locating/upgrading some indicated infrastructure in Bridgeport sooner rather than later (the state police barracks and HCC). Good moves, but really too little and not the best choices for downtown. (We did a lot better under Rowland, but still we fell far short of what he did for Hartford, Stamford, Waterbury and New Haven.)
What Jeff Kohut wrote above is exactly it. We do not have friends in Hartford and Washington has bigger problems than the biggest city in Connecticut. We are a divided city and in order to be the change we wish to see we need to at least try to come together as single group, supporting the needs of each other and looking out for the greater good of Bridgeport. If we can make the city financially healthy then we could stabilize taxes in Black Rock, invest in the East Side, improve schools in Bridgeport and make Bridgeport the city we know it can be. If the East Side, Black Rock and all other sections of the City came together in unity on Monday, I think Boss Joe and the feckless City Council would take us very seriously.
DC, so you want to leave out the East End like they are always left out until election time? The East End is always an afterthought.
No Ron, I want all groups to come together now. That’s the problem, most of Bridgeport is an afterthought but the East End consistently gets the short end of the stick. If all sections take part, then the movement cannot be discounted. I feel in order for things to truly improve in Black Rock, things must first improve in the East End. A rising tide could lift all ships, but we must all take a chance and work together or else we will once again be regionalized by section and neighborhood and Boss Joe and the city council are masters at divide and conquer. Let’s end the divide and make Bridgeport the city it is meant to be.
Bring a sign.
Come back to Bridgeport now, Jennifer!!!
I really had fun and learned much hosting that show. Always hoped someday you would want me!
What we really need is a financial analysis of the city’s finances and what the expected outcomes would be as a result of a review, control, oversight, whatever board.
Is this about reducing taxes now or staving off some sort of bankruptcy 20 years from now?
How do we expect it to get done?
Are the biggest problems in the operating budget or the capital budget?
Or is the biggest problem in the lack of structured controls in the budget and finance areas and an inability or unwillingness to enforce them?
It seems some people are doing a great job selling the concept without telling the concept.
Bob, you asked this question, “Is this about reducing taxes now or staving off some sort of bankruptcy 20 years from now?” Bob no, Walker from day one wants to destroy the pension system of those who are already retired without looking into anything else. Walker never even mentioned the Jacob Ukeles and the Management Advisory Committee Report in his six years here in Bridgeport.
Bob Walsh,
As an alumnus of the City Council (and someone who had reasons in the past to look closely at narratives and numbers issued by City Hall), you no doubt remember the City Council had its own budget for the Legislative Department. At one time it had two employees appropriated with salaries and fringes to serve Council members with research and info, but only one was ever filled. In 2012, Tom McCarthy was happy to see the existing legislative employee terminated (for asking too many questions about stipend balances, for example) and the ghost position that was never filled, eliminated.
But the Council continued to have a Line Item called Other Expenses budgeted and approved each year for around $90,000 and it was not used by the Council, nor by McCarthy as legislative leader to assist the major fiscal learning, analysis, and oversight necessary in Bridgeport. McCarthy, as a City employee until recently, was a loyal administration representative to the Council, and his conflict of interest was too much to ultimately ignore. Now he is attempting to take his act to Hartford. Shame on him.
In the meantime, will someone ask Scott Burns and Denese Taylor-Moye why those dollars are not being professionally used to provide an oversight narrative, through the year, not just at budget time? Why not get a professional firm used to the labor contracts that we have not been hearing about for ten years but are being expected to pay for, forever, after they are approved in a very quiet dance? (Here I am not attacking City taxpayer responsibility to Ron Mackey, Donald Day, or Andy Fardy who along with other OIB readers are beneficiaries of Pension Plan A Police and Fire benefits. As a matter of fact I have raised more concern about the handling of that plan, its stream of payments to the fund itself as well as payments to bondholders by taxpayers, and getting a real handle on those financial dynamics than any other OIB writer for years now.) Many parts of our civic body need to wake up, smell the coffee, and be present for some lifetime learning. Time will tell.
Here is your lineup of speakers for Monday evening. Should be quite a show!!!
John Marshall Lee, Fiscal Governance–A Road Map?
David M. Walker, City Finances
Douglass Davidoff City Council Process (Oath)
Peter Spain MPH, Finance Oversight Boards–The NYC Example
Mary-Jane Foster, Taxes
Bill Finch, Why’s everybody always picking on me?
Since it has come up.
I won’t be speaking on Monday.
I informed City Clerk Lydia Martinez on Friday I was stricken July 10 with sudden onset of Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a rare neurological virus which affects 20,000 Americans annually. (Rare as it is, I appear to be at least the third case in coastal Connecticut during the past few weeks.) Never heard of it? Me, neither!
GBS prompts the immune system to attack the nervous system. Leg and arm muscles are weak and painful if not paralyzed. My fingers barely function. Typing this note is hard work. Neurologists at Bridgeport Hospital used five daily IV drips of immunoglobulin fluid to end the symptoms and halt the virus. I am now at Yale-New Haven’s brand-new inpatient physical rehab unit at Milford Hospital re-learning how to stand and walk. On Thursday, I stood with mechanical assistance for five minutes, the ticket to begin re-learning to walk. On Friday, I stood using only my own strength at the parallel bars. It was the first time since July 10 I stood unassisted and pain free (though not drug-free!). Now comes walking, next week, God willing.
I will be here at least through August 10th (yes, I’m seeking an absentee ballot!). Any OIBer who would like to talk or visit may call my room landline phone (203) 301-6275. I’d be grateful for your calls or visits!–DTD
Let me be clear. Most GBS victims make a full recovery. I expect a full recovery but it will take some time.
Doug Davidoff, wish you well on your full recovery and I hope we will see you here on OIB. I always respected your comments and opinions.
I wish you well and a speedy recovery.
Doug, may God bless you for a speedy recovery.
Bridgeport certainly needs detailed financial analysis in order to create an accurate accounting system to track income, spending, and projected needs per a 21st Century system amenable to current IT capabilities. But our real financial dilemma is rather simple. We have a small-town grand list trying to pull a large, needy, urban, 21st Century population uphill. We need perhaps $10-$15 BILLION in new, taxable grand list in order to provide the revenue needed to ameliorate and maintain municipal services/modern public education for a distressed/needy population.
As Frank and others pointed out above, cutting “wasteful spending” will hardly move us an inch toward our 10-mile-distant finish line in this regard.
We should not even be considering tampering with employee pensions to which employees contributed $ over the course of many years of public service (per negotiated contractual agreements).
This seems to be among popular approaches (“easy fix”) to addressing the ramifications of Republican/Republicrat economic policies that have exported American prosperity overseas in order to procure slave labor and cheap resources for US/US allies multi-national corporate interests during the (especially) past five decades. (Even relatively prosperous places, such as San Jose CA, have been trying to squeeze givebacks out of municipal retirees, albeit without success.)
Bridgeport needs to drastically grow its tax base, in a hurry. Bass Pro is not the way to go.
This presidential election year presents an opportune moment to make a big noise about Bridgeport’s plight and trade votes for $/specific public promises. All persons seeking elected office involving Bridgeport votes must be made to ante up for this city. Big bucks and big promises for big Bridgeport votes. Let’s be the lead American city in forcing the hand of the Republicans/Republicrats seeking office in this election year. Let’s really put America first by doing what needs to be done to rejuvenate the US economy and US cities like Bridgeport.
A financial review/control board for Bridgeport? Sure. But only if accompanied by very big-$ commitments from Washington and Hartford. And let’s extract that big-$ commitment from the candidates who would get over the top in their election bids from Bridgeport votes. The federal and state elections could be very close this year. Let’s leverage $ for Bridgeport with our electoral power.
Have any big-name candidates for state and federal office been “invited” to Monday’s council meeting? Perhaps some “invitations” should be sent out, including invitations to Donald and Hillary (just so they might be made aware of what is on the minds of the 70,000 or so potential voters in Bridgeport).
Dave Walker. He ran for Lt. Gov.
Bob that’s right, but even the state Republican Party didn’t want Dave Walker. If Dave is so good in CHANGING things then what city or state did he accomplish this in? In fact how come Walker is not helping the state Republican Party or the National Republican Party to help write their platform on finance? Dave Walker is always saying no one here knows as much as he knows but he can’t give any examples of where he made changes in any state or city, now 60 Minutes sounded good but is Donald Trump and the Republican Party following Walker? No.
The federal government for 10 years, Ron. Seriously, when the city files for bankruptcy and the mayor writes an OPED piece saying Walker was right, just as Torres was right about the ticking time bomb, is that when you will stop fighting the one person in this city working to Stop bankruptcy and keep your promised pension paid to you per the promise made to you by this city?
Jennifer, address what I asked if you would, please.
All the states and cities for 10 years as Comptroller General. Does Trump listen to anyone? Walker says he knows more and has more experience in government finance, which is why and how one is asked to serve their country as the head of a Federal Agency. I believe Dave has answered you with regard to his current helping.
I am current doing work for several states, cities, countries and Federal agencies with PwC. How about you, Ron?
Dave, you are the answer man, tell us your success rate.
Very high and infinitely higher than yours.
Dave, since your success rate is higher then why don’t you share that information with everyone?
When this city files bankruptcy, the next words out of Mackey, Day and Fardy’s mouth will be “shine em up!”
Fox, what do you care you racist bastard? You don’t pay taxes anyway. Posting your racist BS sure looks great coming from a Black Rock denizen. Keep it up Jim, you never know what could happen.
GET WELL SOON, DOUG DAVIDOFF!
THANK YOU, JEFF! And please come visit! I’d love to talk with you!
Doug, I will be in touch soon. Incidentally, I knew of someone years ago who contracted Guillain-Barré and made a full recovery. It seems that a rushed effort to produce Swine Flu vaccine for an feared epidemic (when Gerald Ford was president) somehow resulted in the production of batches of flu vaccine that were connected to a mass outbreak of Guillain-Barré syndrome. My friend’s sister was a recipient of a dose of vaccine that triggered her Guillain-Barré symptoms. This happened circa 1977 or so. (My memory could be a bit hazy as to the connection with the Swine Flu vaccine, but the two situations are demanding to be connected in my memory. I’m tempted to do a little research online.)
Ron and Andy,
I do not receive any federal pension or retiree health care despite 16 years of full-time federal service and 5 years of part-time federal service.
I am sure you’ll receive it after you reach a certain age or when you fully retire.
Andy,
How many times do I need to repeat the same point? I will not receive ANY federal pension or retiree health care benefits at ANY age!
Ron,
I am flying back from DC on Monday after participating in a Presidential transition planning meeting to address the City Council. Will you be there?
Dave, that’s great that Donald Trump and the Republicans are listening to you but then again just because you were there doesn’t mean anything because who would know what effect you had on anything?
Dave, America is going broke, we need China to bail us out. Why isn’t Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell following your expert advice and if they’re not then why should Bridgeport?
Ron,
Your comments are really pathetic. I provide references to potential clients and you certainly are not one. You complain a lot but do little to nothing! I have asked you three times if you are coming Monday night and you have still not responded. I am tired of wasting my time responding to you. Believe it or not, both Trump and Clinton know me and my expertise. Do they know you and yours? You should be constructive or be quiet.
Dave, who in hell cares about whom you know or that they know you, that’s how you flow, name dropping like that means something to me.
Ron, here is a guy who paid a million-plus for a house in Bridgeport along with its high taxes. Not a smart move. Here is a guy who so busy he spends the day exchanging e-mails with a retired FF. Here is a guy who is now trying to sell his Bridgeport house and can’t. Why should we listen to him when he is leaving?
Ron and Andy, while you both have made it clear you don’t like Dave because you believe he is out to take away your pension no matter how many times he states otherwise, you then ask him why you should listen to him. He tells you, both presidential candidates know him, no doubt the Clintons far better than Trump since he served under Clinton, then you bash him for name dropping. I am quite frankly amazed he takes the time to communicate with you and answer your questions. He has shown he is open to dialogue with you both, knowing full well nothing he says will ever satisfy you.
You are doing Dave a great service on this blog, in showing everyone who reads this he is consistent and open to working with even those who are adamantly opposed to anything he says. Thank you both very much.
Andy, you are so right and Jennifer said he was looking for a beachfront house and was right there in the Virginia Beach area but no, he buys former Republican U.S. Congressman Chris Shays’ home. That’s why I said he’s a Trojan Horse who came here to destroy the pension system and health benefits system for working police and firefighters, then he can move to other states to do the same thing there. How many times have Bridgeport police and firefighters faced death in performing their duty to the residents of Bridgeport and now he’s upset his taxes are going up he wants to take benefits away from those already retired. But Andy, Walker was trying to destroy the pension way before any tax increase six years ago. He’s on a mission but needs to go back down South where he comes from.
Jennifer, I hope he doesn’t reply back because it will give an open platform to show what he is really about. Jennifer, really, he knows Clinton and Trump he should tell to somebody who gives a damn. Jennifer, I’ve worked alongside Donald Day and Andy Fardy and I’ve seen them risk their lives performing their duties for the residents of Bridgeport, what has Dave Walker risked? Jennifer, I remember like it was yesterday when a firefighter on his crew died checking for fire on another floor. I saw the pain and stress Donald had knowing a brother had lost his life and how that pain was shared by all of us. One moment you’re talking with someone and five minutes later your brother is dead. What is the price for that life, what is the price for the stress firefighters have to deal with every day. Then here comes Dave Walker saying guys, your retirement is going to be less than what you thought you were going to get.
Ron Mackey, you pose a question to Dave Walker. He answers. Then you slightly alter the question and demand another answer. If you feel the need to challenge Dave Walker, assemble some facts and challenge him instead of your silly, nonsensical banter. Perhaps you should reserve your comments to subjects you know something about. But then we would never hear from you.
Tom, thanks for nothing and perhaps you should take care of your own business and stay out of Ron Mackey’s business. I don’t care if you don’t like what I say and whom I say it to.
Tom,
Right on!!! Ron is all talk and no action.
Dave, you are truly the Trojan Horse who has come to Bridgeport, make no mistake about that. I see you have the time to visit other states and countries but you can’t find the time to take your road show to other districts in Bridgeport.
Ron,
I’ve been to other parts of Bridgeport plenty of times and I have not seen you once anywhere! I help CEO level government leaders who will tell the truth and and are willing to make tough choices. Unfortunately, they do not currently exist in Connecticut and Bridgeport. I hope that changes. In the interim, I have much more demand for my services than available time. As a result, I don’t like to waste my time.
Dave, what districts in Bridgeport have you had meetings like you do in Black Rock, have you had any of those same meetings in the East End and the East Side of Bridgeport?
Ron,
Unless and until I see you at a City Council or other meeting anywhere in the City in connection with this issue, I will not respond to any more of your posts. You truly are all talk and no action! By the way, the Greeks won the battle with the Trojan Horse tactic and David beat Goliath.
Dave, no problem, that’s no sweat off my back, but Dave when you have a meeting in the East End then I’ll be there but we know that’s not going to happen.
Tom, the same could be said about Walker. Other than saying Pension plan A will bankrupt the city, he has shown no figures because the city won’t release them. If you are talking about every cop and firefighter and their widows collecting what they are owed all at the same time then we have a problem. That can’t and won’t happen. Ask how many are retired on Pension Plan A and no figures appear. Ask how many are widows and there are no numbers. Ask how much money is collected from retirees for their health care and where does it go, no one knows. Ask how much was just spent by public facilities on trucks, dumpsters and the like and where does the money come from, nobody knows. Ask how much is still in Pension Plan A in dollars and no one is talking about that because there is a lot of money left. So Tom, take off the blinders.
Andy, thank you for just a few questions that are not being talked about by Dave Walker and that is just another reason I have no respect for him because he has no facts but he has the answer. He is leading people but he doesn’t have the facts. What has David Walker done in Bridgeport to make it a better place to live, what accomplishments has he made?
Andy,
I have focused my retirement plan comments on the over $1 billion in retiree health care benefits that are unreasonable, unaffordable, unsustainable and unfunded! As I have said before, we should eliminate pension abuses, keep legitimate pension promises, not cut anyone’s current pension check, and fund those plans adequately.
Dave, you know as well as I do, when a municipality files for bankruptcy everything is on the table including pensions. By federal law everything must be on the table negotiated off during the process.
Don, do notice Dave never gives any information about his claims and he never did answer Andy Fardy’s questions about who, what and when. I’ve been saying for years Bridgeport needed to have the same type of review board we had before because everybody knew Finch didn’t know what he was doing. Paul Timpanelli had way too much influence but the powers that be needed somebody, anybody because they were scared to death of Chris Caruso being Bridgeport’s mayor so we got do-nothing Bill Finch.
Andy, have you ever heard Walker say this in his reply to you when he said this? “$1 billion in retiree health care benefits that are unreasonable, unaffordable, unsustainable and unfunded! As I have said before, we should eliminate pension abuses, keep legitimate pension promises, not cut anyone’s current pension check, and fund those plans adequately.” How does Walker know retiree health care benefits are unreasonable, unaffordable, unsustainable and unfunded? Andy he won’t answer your questions. He thinks he had a big crowd at the council meeting well he hasn’t seen anything if he changes the widows benefits and those who are receiving pensions thereby making Civil Service worthless.
Dave Walker, you may not see Ron at those CC meetings, but to insinuate or to intimate Ron hasn’t done anything in Bridgeport is totally wrong and without merit. Ron Mackey has changed the lives of many blacks, Latinos and women by helping them to become new firefighters here in Bridgeport. While you were working for Clinton, Ron was here working to make Bridgeport a better place to live, work and stay for about 50 blacks, Latinos and women who became firefighters and at least 30 to 40 more become officers there. Go down and talk to any black officers in the BFD and ask did Ron play a part in their careers whether it be hiring or promotions and you can start with the two black Chiefs.
Ron has changed generational lives by his actions. He helped individuals to become firefighters there by helping them to make a better life for their children and their grandchildren which will impact three generations of blacks, Latinos and women. Why do you think Ron fights so hard to see that these jobs go to Bridgeport residents, because he knows and understand these jobs can change your lives. One last thing Dave, Bridgeport residents get an extra 10% on Civil Service jobs, that too was Ron. Having said that, what have you done to make Bridgeport a better place to live other than offering lip service and trying to take away pensions of public-service workers who risked everything for the residents of our fair city?
Jennifer, I’ve worked alongside Donald Day and Andy Fardy and I’ve seen them risk their lives performing their duties for the residents of Bridgeport, what has Dave Walker risked? Jennifer, I remember like it was yesterday when a firefighter who was assigned to Captain Day’s company died checking for fire on another floor. I saw the pain and stress Donald had knowing a brother had lost his life and how that pain was shared by all of us. One moment you’re talking with someone and five minutes later your brother is dead. I remember Andy telling about the death of a fire captain who was killed before I came on the department and I saw the pain on his face as he talked. As a rookie firefighter my shift had ended at 4pm and as I was leaving my captain said to me as I was leaving, “see you in the morning, Ron.” Sadly that didn’t happen, three hours later I received a call that our captain had died in a house. What is the price for that life, what is the price for the stress firefighters have to deal with every day? Then here comes Dave Walker saying guys, your retirement is going to be less than what you thought you were going to get. Jennifer, Dave’s plan will also cut the benefits these hero’s widows will receive.
Entering a high-risk profession knowing what the worst outcome is, never really prepares most people for the devastation when it happens to someone we know. It is a loss always remembered and honoring their memory and sacrifice is something we all need to keep in our hearts and minds.
Walker has always maintained keeping promises of retiree benefits and obligations is first and foremost what must be accomplished. I am a bit confused as you have more than once asked for what his plan is, yet you end your statement with his plan is to cut current retirees benefits for both retirees and their widows.
Do you believe the current financial budget of the city is solid and going forward will be able to continue to meet their obligations to you and all retired city employees?
Jennifer, America is going broke, the taxpayers here pay their fair share to the federal government but we don’t receive our fair share back.
Jennifer, you said, “Walker has always maintained keeping promises of retiree benefits and obligations is first and foremost what must be accomplished. ” Really, when did he say that? And yes Jennifer I did get Dave’s plan when I said, “Jennifer, Dave’s plan will also cut the benefits these hero’s widows will receive.”
Ron, I would really appreciate it if you would be so kind as to answer my question regarding faith in the city to continue to meet financial obligations to you and all retired employees. I will send you links to Walker’s statements.
Jennifer, you have things backwards, Dave needs to provide the link to show us what he’s talking about. Jennifer, part of the problem of Bridgeport are your fault because you and others keep putting all your eggs into the Republican Party and into one person, Rick Torres. You and the Republicans have NO standing in Bridgeport so you couldn’t make the Democrats do the right thing, so you guys did nothing. What did past Republican mayors in Bridgeport do to change the Pension Plan A? Bankruptcy was their only plan back in 1990.
Dave Walker // Aug 1, 2016 at 2:28 pm
Andy,
I have focused my retirement plan comments on the over $1 billion in retiree health care benefits that are unreasonable, unaffordable, unsustainable and unfunded! As I have said before, we should eliminate pension abuses, keep legitimate pension promises, not cut anyone’s current pension check, and fund those plans adequately.
Jennifer, that’s a statement with nothing to back it up. If he has that information then he should make it public.
Jennifer, look at the date, Dave Walker // Aug 1, 2016 at 2:28 pm. Where are his statements?
Jennifer, you said “Walker has always maintained keeping promises of retiree benefits and obligations is first and foremost what must be accomplished.” Really, when did he say that? So this is the time I’ve made this statement and I don’t believe what he said until he provides the information to back up his words.
Back from the East End.
DW is like Paul Revere riding through the night telling countrymen “the losses are coming, the losses are coming.” While RM plays the status quo chieftain who has wine dribbling down his chin while he grabs another drumstick and tells his men they deserve better food.
LE, I blame your mother for the wine.