Mayoral Candidates: You Want My Support, What’s In It For Me?

City government engager John Marshall Lee has issued a challenge to three mayoral opponents, John Gomes, Marilyn Moore and Lamond Daniels, all of whom, he says, have solicited his financial support.

Mayor Joe Ganim was also included in the email that declares, in part:

“I received fiscal requests from three of my public-minded neighbors, John Gomes, Lamont Daniels, and most recently, Marilyn Moore, each of whom has decided at this time to compete for Mayor this year. While you invite me to financially support your campaign, frankly, I am waiting to hear what you will say to the voters with the funds you raise, and the supporters you recruit. What is your message? Where are the most serious issues that you will pledge your determined attention over four years? How will you listen to the people and with your comprehension of municipal governance change our City to pursue a better path for all?”

It’s a polite way to ask: you want my money, what’s in it for me?”

How will they respond? Will they respond?

Lee is a master of producing props to make points: a shovel highlighting unpaved streets, red boots representing government red ink.

How about a tin cup for mayoral candidates’ tinny responses?

(Editor’s note: Gomes campaign disputes Lee’s claim of financial solicitation.)

From Lee:

Several of you have reached a point in your lives where you believe that you need to “throw your hat in the ring” to compete for election to the office of Bridgeport Mayor in the fall.

The incumbent, Mayor Joseph Ganim has indicated his interest in seeking a third term following a career interruption for municipal corruption, formal accusation (with others), conviction on multiple counts, and sentencing behind bars. He served only seven years getting time reduced by falsely alleging a drug addiction and entering and completing a program. Returning to Bridgeport without the authority to practice the legal profession, he sought votes from our “second chance” community, with the continuing support of the Democratic Town Committee.

Personal remorse, growth in public accountability, and changes towards more democratic practices engaging all community participants have not been part of Ganim’s recent seven years in office since he unseated Bill Finch in 2015. He quickly exercised a call to stitch his financial benefits from previous years as mayor to his new term to improve his future retirement. But that was before he demonstrated any learning that could lead to such reward, such as growth in youth education results, economic development, or citizen participation in self-government unfortunately for taxpayers. Open, accountable, transparent, and honest communication with taxpayers has not been a daily occurrence. Instead, communication comes through brief videos or photo ops. The local newspaper provides limited local coverage as subscriptions decline. Video coverage of City Council meetings is gone and fallout from the pandemic is a decrease of in-person Council sub-committee meetings where questions or comments from the taxpayer are not formally permitted. Where are his measurable priorities?

The City finds itself continuing with the largest population in CT, and by far, more residential homeowners than Stamford, grown to second largest, bypassing Hartford and New Haven. But we no longer can boast one hotel, nor a movie theater. We are growing more rental units, especially downtown, but at the moment without the other commercial development that would make a business district a destination for all people, unfortunately.

A responsibility of each Mayor is to appoint qualified residents who are registered voters to serve two, three, or four years or more terms on a variety of Boards and Commissions. Failure to appoint or re-appoint such members leads minimally to vacancies. But in the case of Fair Rent and Fair Housing, such mayoral failure has led to the ‘death in plain sight’ for over 15 years of these important land use groups while budgetary support for a full-time City responsible employee has also been also cut. (City assumes that on expiry, participants will serve until replaced, and there are more than 60 people “serving expired terms” at this time, plus 30 acknowledged vacancies with only 3 individuals awaiting Council approval. Where is training in Committee Mission and expectations or assessment of actual attendance and participation in this work? Should limits on service years to any one group be set?)

I received fiscal requests from three of my public-minded neighbors, John Gomes, Lamont Daniels, and most recently, Marilyn Moore, each of whom has decided at this time to compete for Mayor this year. While you invite me to financially support your campaign, frankly, I am waiting to hear what you will say to the voters with the funds you raise, and the supporters you recruit. What is your message? Where are the most serious issues that you will pledge your determined attention over four years? How will you listen to the people and with your comprehension of municipal governance change our City to pursue a better path for all?

Time will tell.