George Steinbrenner RIP
What did the City Council’s Budget and Appropriations Committee do Monday night to address the $8 million budget gap? Not much publicly. Sounds like it was a briefing from bean counters. See comments for more info.
Four weeks from today is Tsunami Tuesday. Lots of primaries and some tough talk out there. Like GOP guber candidate Tom Foley calling the state’s public financing system corrupt. And Foley’s chief primary opponent Lieutenant Governor Michael Fedele castigating Foley’s character.
Foley has called the public financing system corrupt. Some of his supporters, including those running on his line, have embraced the system. Fedele has a problem as well. He allowed Jodi Rell to lock him in a closet for four years, and now he professes to do all the things as governor he didn’t have the guts to say as lieutenant governor while Jodi, his lame-duck leader, was running budget deficits. Such big balls, eh? Fedele expected an endorsement from Mother Rell but Jodi’s Chief of Staff Lisa Moody fed Fedele to the woodchipper, but first jammed needles into his eyes. For whatever reason she doesn’t like Fedele. And from what I hear a lot of pols don’t like Lisa. So it goes.
Yes, all this time we thought Jodi was running the state she was really a puppet of the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Can someone force-feed Jodi a pound of No Doz before she bails?
On Monday I heard from Fourth District Congressional candidate Rick Torres, former Bridgeport GOP town chair, who’s engaged in a three-way primary for the Republican nomination for the right to face Democrat Jim Himes in November. Republican-endorsed State Senator Dan Debicella looks to be in pretty good shape. He’s well funded with two opponents who appear to be splitting the GOP conservative vote. Yes, Debicella looks moderate by comparison to Rick and the other Republican in the race, Rob Merkle of Norwalk, founder of a Westport executive search firm, whose dad was a player in Florida politics years ago including a stint as a Ronald Reagan-appointed drug-fighting U.S. attorney.
Rick is a classic conservative in many ways but a little more reasonable than Merkle, he says. Rick supports decriminalization of marijuana and backs its use for medicinal purposes, whereas Merkle might lock you up for walking into a gin mill and inhaling deeply. Okay, okay not that drastic but from chatting with Rick he doesn’t have great affinity for Merkle.
So do any of these candidates inspire you? Democrats Dan Malloy and Ned Lamont for governor? (If Lamont becomes governor do you want Mayor Bill Finch to join his administration?) The GOP guber candidates? How about Democrat Dick Blumenthal for U.S. senate or the GOP U.S. senate candidates Linda McMahon and Peter Schiff? Have you received their mail? Jesus, I received a mail piece from McMahon the other day and thought I was being mugged by the Redwood Forest. The thing opened up into a near life-size image of Linda in 12 panels. I was hoping for Cheryl Tiegs (yes, I’m that old) and ended up with something like this …
From Debicella campaign:
Debicella Fundraising tops $725,000, Raises $285,000 in Q2
State Senator Dan Debicella reported today that he has raised $725,608 in his campaign for Congress in Connecticut’s Fourth District, with $504,121 in cash-on-hand as of June 30.
Debicella is the Republican party-endorsed candidate for Congress in Fairfield County. He faces a primary on August 10th from two challengers, and hopes to face Congressman Jim Himes in November.
“Washington is leading us in the wrong direction, with a record of failure on the economy, enormous deficits, and out-of-control spending,” said Debicella. “Fairfield County needs a Congressman with ideas to get our country moving in the right direction again—not a rubber-stamp for Nancy Pelosi like Jim Himes has been.”
Debicella noted that he has raised more than any of his Republican challengers, with almost 2,000 people donating to his campaign. The campaign received $285,515 in donations in the second quarter and all contributions to the campaign have come from individuals.
Debicella is one of approximately forty “Young Gun” candidates for the GOP nationwide. These are the candidates that the national GOP believes are the most likely to defeat incumbent Democratic Congressman.
“People are frustrated with the direction Washington is taking our country,” said Debicella. “Instead, they are excited about my proposals to create jobs by replacing the stimulus package with a payroll tax cut, eliminate the budget deficit through a new federal spending cap, and developing true healthcare reform by reducing costs rather than expanding government control.”
Debicella is a second-term Republican State Senator representing the eastern part of Fairfield County, including Shelton, Stratford, Monroe, and Seymour. He is a lifelong resident of Fairfield County, and grew up in Bridgeport where his father was a police officer. He was the first in his family to go to college, attending the Wharton School and receiving his MBA from Harvard Business School. He has spent most of his career in business, having worked for management consulting firm McKinsey in Stamford, as Director of Strategy at PepsiCo in Purchase, NY, and as Assistant Vice President of Marketing at The Hartford Financial Services.
“As an incumbent, Jim Himes will undoubtedly campaign using millions of dollars from Washington special interest groups. Republicans will need to be unified to defeat Jim Himes in November,” Debicella said. “Our strong fundraising reinforces that I am the most credible Republican candidate against Jim Himes.”
The Fourth Congressional District comprises most of Fairfield County, including seventeen towns from Greenwich in the west, to Shelton in the east, and Ridgefield in the north. The seat was held by Congressman Christopher Shays from 1987-2009.
From Fedele campaign:
FEDELE CAMPAIGN RESPONSE TO HEARING ON FOLEY REQUEST TO OBSTRUCT CLEAN ELECTION FUNDS
(West Hartford) – Chris Cooper, Communications Director for Fedele 2010, today made the following statement after a hearing in Hartford Superior Court over Tom Foley’s request to obstruct the disbursement of up to $2.5 million in Clean Election Funds:
“Despite Foley’s attempt to obstruct the political process with a frivolous lawsuit, this campaign will be about more than who has the biggest checkbook, but rather a debate on the agendas and character of the candidates. It is no wonder given his history of arrests, imprisonment, business failure, misrepresentation of his foreign service record, and refusal to produce related documents that this is a debate Foley desperately hopes to avoid. We look forward to tomorrow’s decision, and are confident voters will have the opportunity to hear from Mike Fedele, a man of unimpeachable integrity and a positive, conservative agenda for Connecticut, and the choice in this election will be clear.”
Yes I have received mail pieces and not 1 not 2 but 3 already from Ned Lamont. You wanna know how much I have received from Malloy??? 0 yes that’s right I have received 0 mail from Team Malloy. I’ve been getting mail from Ned since late June! Say what you want about Ned but he is really pitching out to the Bpt voters this year. Has Malloy given up on Bridgeport? Every Democratic primary in Bpt has had at least 8k voters will this cycle be lower? Let’s go Ned Lamont!!!
Happy Birthday Lennie! Is that Mo in her Birthday Suit for you?
Ferry vote s(t)inks! Back to the Drawing Bored!
Budget meeting recap
blog.ctnews.com/connecticutpostings/2010/07/12/bpt-budget-meeting-yields-little-info/
These idiots on the council did it again. They advertised this meeting as a public meeting and instead of a public meeting they went into executive session.
They had every union in attendance. Did they speak to any of the union representative? NO. Did they ask any questions of the unions? NO.
This is a perfect example of municipal incompetence at its best.
We have a meeting of the same committee that did not cut $1 from one budget during their hearings. These are also the same brain surgeons who voted on a budget with an $8 million deficit built in.
You have all the unions in one room and do you talk to them? NO, you have them leave the room and wait in the lobby while you discuss what?
The people of Bridgeport need to wake up before these incompetents sink this city. Where the hell has this clean and green administration been? Don’t tell me I know they were all outside the entrance of the city hall annex painting the gold numbers and letter green.
Somebody please come forward and lead this city out of the depths it is sinking to. People please come out and run against these people who are ruining our city. People of Bridgeport wake up and take your city back. JESUS YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS STUFF UP.
Did you check out John Gomes’ web site?
http://www.JohnMGomes.com
This city is corrupt. And what he has to say about CitiStat is so true.
Happy Birthday Lennie. Not only to you but for 3 years of juicy stuff. When is the next party?
I am with you Lennie. It has been like an attack of the tree killers. McMahon and Lamont seem to be the worst offenders.
I am inspired by people with experience, plans, knowledge and ability to govern. The people who have this experience will all appear on the top line. In August I am supporting Malloy/Wyman, Merrill and Lembo. This is the group who has repeatedly proven themselves and can pick up the reigns and run the government from day one. We need to put together a budget 5 months from the election and we face an incredible deficit. We need people who understand their job, not people who don’t have experience.
I am dismayed by the large group of moneyed candidates who are trying to buy their elections. If money were the only qualification to run then we could run Paris Hilton. When you want to stop the bleeding do you use an untried, expensive band-aid or do you reach for reliable, proven stitches? I want to be on the ballot with Blumenthal, Malloy/Wyman, Merrill, Lembo and Musto in November. I think that will be a great winning team.
One more thing, Debicella doesn’t look moderate compared to anyone. This is a man who voted against rape kits in hospitals and giving the right to choose for rape and incest victims. He believes being a woman is a pre-existing condition and we should pay higher insurance. He is Sarah Palin in a suit. His tea bag is just as full as the others. The balance of Congress is changing and we need to send Jim Himes back to ensure basic rights, to fix the economy, and protect the environment.
So does this mean the MCAT will abandon her State Rep campaign once Ned Lamont wins the primary???
I don’t think so.
Jodi Rell was LT Gov for a decade before she became Governor.
So what did her experience give us???
I want a Democratic candidate who can beat Tom Foley and that candidate is Lamont. Plain and simple.
Gossip of The Rialto!
Bridgeport Herald breaks the news.
“George Steinbrenner, Yankees Owner, Has Died!”
George Steinbrenner, love him, hate him … he did tremendous things for modern-day baseball and the NY Yankees! A true boy of the Bronx, brash and always in your face! RIP George. Long live the king. We’ll miss you, George!
Hey, Harry Neigher! Write a good obit for the man!
The late James Clark could always tap out a good obit on a dime.
No Bridgeport Now show tonight.
Congrats Nancy on winning the Ferry issue. You put a lot of work into that one.
Ah, yes, James Clark … a damn good human being.
But if we’re talking obits, here’s some Bpt history.
As most people know, the NY Times obits of famous people (Presidents, actors, mobsters; you know, social elite types) are all written in advance, The newspaper simply tops off the obit with time, place and cause of death.
This was a process made famous by Alden Whitman, who traveled the world to interview kings and actors, what have you, for their obits, in the ’20s and ’30s. It was said when Alden Whitman came calling, your place in history was determined and secured.
Alden, a Harvard man, learned his craft at … wait … wait … wait … The Bridgeport Telegram! (Whew, almost choked getting those words out!)
Yes, Alden Whitman, formerly of The Telegram, went on to be the Father of the Modern Day Obit … now they are all gone, his subjects, Alden and The Telegram … but memories live on! Check out his book “Come to Judgment.” (A fitting title!!!)
For your summer reading you may also want to consider, “The Dead Beat.”
“town committee,” you make some valid points but we must remember this is politics. A large number of City workers do not live in Bridgeport therefor they pay no taxes and cannot vote here. There is no penalty for the City Council for not acting or hearing the unions. If the union leadership understood politics they would have already had meetings and their positions points with their own Councilperson if they lived in Bridgeport.
The unions must take their blame for not articulating problems they have with the mayor’s new hires and pay raises or the conditions they have with givebacks.
Ron let’s take a look at your points. First talking to the council person about position points was never done except on the night that a contract went before the council for approval and even at that it was political weight that was thrown around.
The unions discussing the new hires with the mayor or the council people is not the purview of the unions not affected by these hires.
The unions were supposed to be meeting with the city representative as it relates to givebacks. In the FD these meetings kept being canceled by the city thus no meetings.
The way this administration and the council are treating the employees of this city is disgusting.
Last night’s contract compliance meeting was another example. This was advertised as a meeting and was turned into an executive meeting thus barring the public and the union representatives who were left in the hallway cooling their heels.
I have to wonder if something sinister is happening here with the $8 million deficit intentionally left in the budget by the budget committee.
Could it be this deficit was left there intentionally to embarrass the mayor and force him to reduce city services or to raise taxes?
Could it be some council people with mayoral ambitions are doing this on purpose?
Is it really possible everyone involved in this fiasco is really as stupid as it seems they are? Does Bridgeport really have that many elected and appointed officials with TERMINAL DUMB-ASS?
“town committee,” I think you’re right. The main thing those in power want to change is the Fire and Police pension Plan A. Second, the medical cost the City pays, they want no part of that and to break the back of the union.
I don’t think the mayor was forced to reduce city services or to raise taxes, he agreed with the plan.
If this mayor were honest and smart he would not have promised the taxpayers he would give out $600 rebate checks, we all knew that was impossible.
Andy, you have been following this process for a long time and you know who is making decisions and it’s only a handful of people, council members are just window dressing.
Having attended a few meetings and seen a few news articles, it seems Mayor Finch, OPM leader Sherwood and Finance chief Feeney have settled on the fact they could not put together a budget with genuine revenue sources for the current year before the current year. So they enshrined their shortfall of $8 Million dollars “for future action,” and now the future is here.
Well the self-congratulations the budget was brought forth with included a statement that no other municipal leader in the region (or was it the State) had produced a budget for the year (or was it two years) that reduced the previous expenses. But probably no other Finance Board and municipal executive would have felt competent and professional using a revenue entry of nearly 2% of the total budget and over 3% of City supplied revenues that was fiction as of the day it was printed.
Who advised Bill Finch that creating this unique category of supposed financial effectiveness would bring him long-term support? My taxes still increased. And I am not sanguine that anybody has a handle on this. The big grins between Chairman Curwen and the three municipal representatives at last night’s meeting (pre exec-session) seeing as how they could get the little people, employees and taxpayers alike, out of the room and out of earshot and make no real statement to inform or indicate position or progress, show how much these men like theater and being center stage.
I hope these wasted moments which could be serious and indicate progress for the City are remembered by all of the prospective candidates for the 2011 campaign. The fact the Mayor wants to crow about the 220 (?) people dropped from City employment during his term while not providing detail on those hired, to do what, and at what salaries, and what increases during the same time period indicates his fear of sharing the same info. When it comes out, whether through FOI or other channels, it will appear worse than what it is because of the attempt to conceal.
Is it not fair to assume news must be bad or at least controversial if a leader won’t provide all the devils in the detail?
Great article BEACON2; Sherwood has been playing games with the budget for years. You are right he was smiling like a cheshire cat for awhile. Feeney is totally clueless and does what he is told. Curwen who I ran against does thrive in the limelight and in being able to control a meeting like he did last night. He is proud of the fact he sent back the mayor’s budget with the same $8 million hole that came with the proposed budget. Can anyone tell me why the $8 million could not have been eliminated or greatly reduced by cutting all proposed budgets? The PD could have had $2 million from the OT account as it was projected. The FD could have had things in their budget reduced. I am sure all other departments could have had their budgets reduced.
I prepared budgets for the company I worked for and you never submit a budget for exactly the dollars you need, you have to assume when you submit a budget the reviewing authority will reduce it. Not in Bridgeport.
Last night’s meeting was called as a public meeting and all the unions showed up to their credit. Huey, Dewey and Louie aka Sherwood, Curwen & Feeney enjoyed making them wait in the hallway and then dismiss them when their closed-door meeting was over.
Ron
This particular council is definitely window dressing they have to be or they lose their jobs or relatives lose their jobs.
The Unions should file a complaint with the FOI Commission and have this illegal meeting dismissed. You have to advertise that a public meeting may adjourn to executive session–if that was not done, the meeting is illegal.