Statement from Mayor Bill Finch regarding Governor Rell’s FEMA appeal:
We are very grateful that the Governor has decided to appeal FEMA’s decision rejecting our state’s request for disaster assistance for Bridgeport residents and businesses affected by the June 24 tornado. Our residents are among the poorest in the region, who, in the wake of this natural disaster, are weighing whether to make repairs to their damaged homes and businesses, or buy groceries to put food on their tables. We will help the Governor, and our legislative delegation in Washington, in any way possible to continue to make our case for disaster assistance, and we won’t stop trying until we secure funds for those who need it most.
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The question here is where the hell are our 2 senators? Between these 2 frauds they have almost 70 years seniority in the senate. Where the hell is Himes on this rejection?
All our representatives on both the state and Federal level do zip point shit for Bridgeport. Couple that with a do-nothing ass-kissing council and you know the residents of Bridgeport are screwed.
All of our federal representatives have voted for ridiculous items that are tacked onto major legislation things like studying the sperm count of mice or the mating habits of the snail darter. But can they ever really help Bridgeport? The answer is simple, NO.
The Dems keep recycling the same old faces year after year and we like loyal serfs keep voting these assholes in. I guess we are getting what we deserve.
If we are some of the poorest people in the region then fire your no-good, do-nothing cronies in city hall and lower the taxes.
While your sucking up and sucking down at Testo’s there are people starving. You have no idea what it’s like to come from the streets. That is why I have followed Mr. Gomes and am leaning toward him in the election, after all it is about the people and Finch has never been about the people but about pleasing the master.
Who are you addressing?
Read what Finch said about our people being some of the poorest in the region. I’m addressing the lame duck, can’t win again mayor.
Thanks; I could not agree with you more.
And to add,
He is so loyal he changed masters once he got in, out was Mr. Stafstrom and in was Mr. Testa.
This is why I say he has never been in touch with those poor people from the region he now lies about caring about. Mr. Gomes came from the streets and has a code of loyalty and a stake in our city.
Make My Day // Sep 17, 2010 at 5:01 pm
To your posting …
John Gomes has more than a code of loyalty to offer to you as Mayor, he has a set of operating principles and a moral compass that scared the Hell out of the Finch Administration.
I saw the gang of parasites try cut him off from his work many times when he was Director of CitiStat-Bridgeport. They didn’t want accountability and transparency of City Government operations … they wanted John out.
John has a stake in this City that is pretty strong, father of four daughters in public school here, business owner here, home property owner here. Candidate for Mayor here. With his fluency in four or five languages, he’ll get to people in Bridgeport the Finch Administration wrote off long ago.
Watch what real care is all about …
With his fluency in four or five languages, how come he hasn’t addressed the current situation of the city on the blog, in community forums or via the press?
They should have called Nutmeg Adjusters in Bridgeport. They would have found the extra stuff that needed to be claimed.
Wounded dog baby–Don’t mess with a wounded dog–Gomes got a grudge against City Hall and gonna clean house. Slips are pink and they will be handed out in 2011!!! Not to the little peeps but to the losers who did the man wrong! Caruso is makin’ his deals and can’t be counted on to clean house man–the wounded dog will clean house.
WOW!!! You just gave me a reason NOT to vote for him … REVENGE …
That’s okay baby, we know you are one of the people who’s gonna be pink-slipped next year, don’t blame you for wanting the same ol’ stuff in city hall ‘cuz you are part of the problem. Lucky you a doctor ‘cuz your time in city hall annex is over.
Hijo de Puta // Sep 17, 2010 at 6:52 pm
Responding to your posting.
John M Gomes doesn’t have “a grudge.” What John has … is a real concern for the whole City of Bridgeport that is suffering greatly under the lack of leadership in the current administration.
Grudges are for Linda McMahon wrestlers, not for a mayoral candidate.
We’d be happy to have you come volunteer and see for yourself what kind of positive energy this campaign presents.
*** Though I feel more choices for city Mayor is better for the voters, a serious candidate must have the right reasons to run. Not merely out of spite nor personal revenge but for the people who make the city what it is, good or bad. A meaningful achievable platform that will address city revenue, city taxes, jobs, economic development, education in general & crime just to name a few. A task that will be challenged by the present status quo & their political backers no-doubt. Cut the city fat starting @ the top, dept. by dept. then working downward towards real savings without gutting the real city revenue-producing depts. Having a plan & not merely a political dream is a real platform! *** Good Luck ***
Mojo
A) Gomes ran CitiStat and knows the inner workings of running a city way better than a career politician with a hand out.
B) He owns a successful business in BPT.
C) He has a chip on his shoulder against the adm that fired him for doing his job well and WILL clean house of these corrupt do-nothings ruining this city. In no way can you count on anyone else doing that including Caruso.
D) A MINORITY CANDIDATE.
The perfect storm candidate, jump on board now Mojo, sign up at
JOHNMGOMES.com
Hey BiB? Why don’t you guys buy some advertising on Lennie’s site? This is not some free-for-all!!!
We don’t need a wounded dog or a guy with a chip on his shoulder. We need a mayor who will clean house and do the right thing because it’s the RIGHT thing. I think Gomes has a lot to offer and I want to hear more about him and his ideas. You guys are not helping him with your comments. You’re making him sound like he’s running just to seek revenge. I don’t think that’s your intent. You should think before you blog.
Nobody’s sayin’ he’s runnin’ just for revenge.
That’s Caruso’s game. Just sayin’ he will clean the house and can be counted on to do it. Period. Besides bein’ more qualified he got a chip and that chip means he will clean house!!!
Nobody??? You just said up above he is going after the “Losers who did him wrong.” Sounds like revenge to me!!!
Mojo // Sep 17, 2010 at 9:59 pm
To your posting …
You are 100% right and you can be assured the negative forces out there that would divide this City are not the forces that drive this campaign.
There are people too numerous to count in this City who have been made to suffer because the current administration knows nothing about real leadership for all 140,000 Bpt citizens … not a favored few.
So drop by anytime and see what we have found from our door-to-door canvassing. We’d love your help.
Look Lennie, my gang got busted. Lennie, you need to take a close look at the video you posted and see the ghost. It could have saved these guys a lot of time and money if only they’d check out the “Remington Demolition Ghost Video:”
www .ctpost.com/policereports/article/Ghostbusters-busted-at-Remington-plant-663300.php
I read with interest an article in the CT Post that was describing the new recycling program instituted by the city.
We are going to get these large ugly blue recycle bins that are the same size as our present garbage cans. We are going to get to keep our smaller bins for newspapers. WOW!!!
If we recycle we are going to get coupons to McDonalds and other local stores isn’t that wonderful?
Now this program is costing $300K seems like a lot of money in these hard economic times. Mayor Moonbeam believes recycling is more important than keeping people employed. How many jobs could have been saved if this $300K was used to reduce the debt instead of being wasted on this clean & green bullshit?
This is another example of where this administration’s priorities are.
If you read what’s in McDonalds food you wouldn’t eat it.
If you read at all you’d never vote for any of these people, more wasted money while good people are losing their jobs.
Why doesn’t the city council step in and be a checks and balances, oh right, sorry, McCarthy, what the hell was I thinking.
Who Is Lisa Miro? And what did she do for Finch that he owed her and is paying her over 80 grand a year to head his brand new Conservation Corp dept? Reliable sources tell me she is involved heavily in the Foley campaign. The new recycling project is actually just a pilot program or a test to see how it works and is only being done in the poorest East End where they don’t recycle at all. While the green initiative is a wonderful idea, it pains me to see people lose their jobs so that Finch can TRY to make himself look good. Also the 300 grand I believe was for the large containers only. The conservation dept had a lot and still has a lot of new employees on the payroll.
Here is another $300K that is about to be spent on remodeling the building the Police Department drug unit will occupy once the council goes through the motions of approving this new lease.
It seems their present site could be vulnerable to burglars and they need to protect all the highly technical equipment they get from the Feds.
Answer me this, since when did you need sophisticated equipment to catch a street-corner junkie?
Is this another building that will come off the tax roles because it is occupied by the PD?
I have a suggestion to pay for the $300K in remodeling fees lay off 6 cops that should cover the remodeling and first year’s rent.
People in case no one has noticed there is an $8 million deficit and we are in the process of laying off people who actually work. DUH!!!
If the cops are worried about someone breaking in to their present location let’s put the cops on light duty there as night watchmen it’s a win/win situation.
Isn’t it funny how people who don’t live here and don’t pay taxes here don’t mind spending our money deficit be damned?
Put it in the old FAA building at the airport. Use Homeland Security Funds for renovations. This way we don’t take another Bridgeport property off the tax rolls. We already own the property. Great access to I-95 and other parts of the city. It’s a no-planer and a no-brainer.
Best-kept secret in City Hall, until today. The supervisor/city councilman accused of sexual harassment was suspended without pay for 55 days. He claims he didn’t do anything to his ex, but even the inept labor relations found proof he did. Me thinks he doth protest too much!
Not surprised at all regarding Rich “one of Finch’s yes men” slap on the wrist. If this was anyone else not connected they would’ve been fired. Look at the John Gomes situation. Fired for a breach of peace charge that happened out of city hall! While Paoletto did his dirt in city buildings and on city property in front of several city employees.
Just goes to show you the more you do your job with this adm the more you take it up the a$$.
This city benefits the screw-ups who can get on their knees properly.
*** Depending on what district you live in, the recycling program the city has now is not achieving much success. They don’t keep their schedule & in some cases don’t even bother coming anymore to some neighborhoods. Lately the garbage collectors more & more are going through the garbage & discarding items out of the cans they don’t take & then leave the items on the streets. It’s amazing all the new political depts made that end up doing really nothing to improve the city’s quality of life but waste money & bring no revenue to the city! What’s saved ($) from employees wages & give-backs is wasted on spirit of the moment ideas that achieve zero for city taxpayers. Regardless of how many P/R videos or speeches, the end results always seem the same, “wasteful spending!” Along with lack of real community-minded media & newspapers, nor radio advocates, nothing seems to be improving overall. *** What’s left in your wallets? ***
Hey Grin
You ever have anything to offer but negativity?
This is a political blog and the answer to Bpt’s problems in a growing amount of bloggers’ opinions is Gomes in 2011.
Instead of your usual dribble why don’t you go to his website and contact him and see for yourself?
“This is a political blog and the answer to Bpt’s problems in a growing amount of bloggers’ opinions is Gomes in 2011.”
It sounds like the same couple of people writing under a bunch of different names to me.
I stand for myself Marlys, I can’t speak for anyone else.
marlys // Sep 18, 2010 at 12:49 pm
To your posting.
Any thought as to how the same couple of people writing under different names sounds?
Perhaps that’s why you can understand now how I feel about the whole anonymous name business on OIB. It doesn’t make sense to me when the focus appears to be trying to accomplished something constructive for the City of Bridgeport, currently suffering under a very inept administration. Perhaps this makes sense in the OIB world.
That’s too bad because the OIB world has a better sense of what’s needed for the City than the Mayor and his minions ever will.
Hey BiB
I did check out John’s website. His video sucks! Most of the people he’s talking to don’t even vote!
Because he is a “Minority Candidate” and “has a chip on his shoulder” doesn’t mean I should support him. I think he’s another in a long line of peeps who got screwed by Finch. Some of his supporters are the same ones who gave us Ganim, Fabrizi and Finch.
Nevertheless, I still admire his story.
It’s a long road to Tipperary!
Well Grin, you got all the answers (and sound borderline prejudiced). So you make a website and run for office. Let’s see how you do.
Everyone wants to bitch and moan and here is a candidate trying to do something but people with hate in their hearts are going to hate to make themselves feel better.
BiB,
“Nevertheless, I still admire his story.”
I may be borderline nuts but I can assure you I am not “borderline prejudiced.”
If I were to run for office my videos would be broken down into several one-minute position platform pieces. Not some Boyz in the Hood video.
Capone
You would make a great Capo for a candidate. Peace Out!
I would have to agree with BiB that your post sounds somewhat prejudiced or at minimum borderline politically ignorant.
The fact that John Gomes is able to relate to and has the desire to reach out to the masses who you classify as “non-voters” only attests to the voting power he can display from a disenfranchised population come 2011.
In a city with low voter turnout, what would occur if those you classify as “non-voters” rallied behind a candidate they feel they can believe in?
On another note, your comments speak volumes about your character, thought processes and belief system. To liken these residents to Boyz in the Hood is absurd. While those video display glimpses of a subculture you obliviously do not understand, it does not glorify or look to promote what you referred to as Boyz in the Hood. A great leader has to be inclusive of all the people and lead for the people.
“Culture is simultaneously the fruit of a people’s history and a determinant of history.”–Amilcar Cabral
Wish I could speak like that; Capone, you da man.
“Nevertheless, I still admire his story.”
Capone
“Culture is simultaneously the fruit of a people’s history and a determinant of history.”–Amilcar Cabral
That perfectly describes the Obama phenomenon in 2008 and potentially the same phenomenon that could hurt Himes with the Tea Bag vote and low turnout in Bridgeport. Let me show you how politically ignorant I am. People who don’t vote don’t vote unless you are paying them to vote.
How come Hijo de Puta can say, “Capone, you da man,” and not get whacked?
Wassup wit dat???
Grin Ripper, in reviewing my post, while your post did come across as prejudiced, I should not have called you politically ignorant or attacked your character. Mainly because you have made valid arguments in the past and you are correct with the tea bag point …
Nonetheless, Bridgeport has a huge population of “that” which is depicted in the Gomes videos and while I no longer live in Bridgeport, I still care for the city and hope someday it will have its renaissance. I would like to see the Phoenix fly as I was not born when it once soared …
While I am optimistic, unfortunately you are correct; it seems a growing number of people really do not care to vote, and probably would if money were involved. This mentality is a result of something bigger than just voting and we could probably debate/discuss those issues forever. However I still believe some of “those” people would vote if they found a candidate they really believed in, refer to the Obama phenomenon you mentioned. The problem is keeping new voters involved and having them realize real change is not instant, it is a gradual process that requires commitment, determination and good old-fashioned hard work.
LOL, I didn’t whack Hijo de Puta because he bigged me up …
Grin Ripper // Sep 18, 2010 at 3:24 pm
In response to your posting.
My friend, I thought you know that even the voters who are registered in this City don’t vote … some 80%. And your point is …
Minority status is not the issue, qualifications to administrate a system that is meant to serve 140,000 citizens of this City is the issue. And certainly the “majority” elected leadership has screwed it up royally.
I think if you look closer at the “chip on his shoulder,” you will see it is a set of performance standards that need to be carried into City Hall on the day of his election.
City Hall Smoker: Rich P has been on paid suspension as they have not ruled on his case yet. I am told he will get 60-90 days without pay.
TC, you mean my city hall sources are wrong? How can this be? Rich has been out on paid suspension since before the primary. While he was collecting his city paycheck to sit at home, he was also working the Lamont campaign and getting paid for that too. Talk about a double-dipper. Did McCarthy set that one up? And the co-worker who filed the charge can’t even get help from her union because the union rep works with Rich and just got a salary increase. This administration sets the record for conflicts of interest.
TC is never wrong, he knows it all. But I think this time he may be wrong. Rich is serving a 55-day suspension (my sources tell me) and will be back some time in December. I’d like to know where he gets all his info. He makes it sound like he has a hotline to a direct informant just waiting for his call with all the answers. And from your comments it appears you either work for the City or have a friend or family member there.
Str8-Up It’s now September 19th, 55 days from now I make it would put him back to work November 13th. Somewhere the math is wrong. The word was that Rich was facing 60 or 90 days suspension without pay. If they have given him that then it’s the best-kept secret in town.
I don’t know it all and if I offend you so be it. People who work for the city like to tell me stuff because they know I give a shit and will write about it. Before this blog it was letters to the editor of the Post.
TC, I stand corrected. You do seem to have an inside track and understanding you have been involved in politics for a very long time and served the City respectfully until you retired. With all that said I would like your opinion on some rumors out there where the City is looking at selling 2 properties (City Hall and the Annex) and then leasing them back in an effort to save money. I can see possibly some up-front, early savings but this type of thing usually bottoms out near or at the end of any type of agreement as it comes to an end. Remember the sewage plant.
Weekend, nice weather, kick back, some thoughts … What was the reason given for turning down Bridgeport’s appeal (assuming the paperwork was filed completely and timely)? It helps an argument if the turn-down had some explanation. The “big wind” did come through the City that Thursday afternoon, trees and buildings sustained damage, utilities were down in a broad area, and we are thankful death and damage to citizens was not part of the story. So, why the rejection???
Another story from the week–assisting s__t from the suburbs to pass through the City and be treated. You know, we have problems in the City with adequate treatment facilities, that are important in keeping our coastal waters clean for people and marine life, and we also have problems with an antiquated unified system for handling sewage and storm waters. Did you know that in parts of town, City streets are not being resurfaced because there is fear that resurfacing will damage the underground sewer system? Heard that concerning thoroughfares in the West End! Kind of embarrassing, it seems to our long-term planning, capital improvement schedules and bonding.
In any case while I would be favorable to a regional plan that provided access to our City handling and processing, with State or Federal funds in the mix that could bring Bridgeport’s infrastructure and capacity to handle up to speed, this City attractiveness for such a deal should not be exchanged simply for a lump sum, that is absorbed or diverted to areas other than the long-term needs of such a system. The deal should sustain the City’s responsibilities for the future from a revenue viewpoint, and also be used as leverage for other areas of regional cooperation. If Federal and State dollars will be dearer in the future, does everyone need a dog pound, a horse patrol, etc.?
Thirdly, where does the City and Board of Education stand relative to the final part of the audit procedure paid for by BRBC and State Funds primarily? Does the BOE know what its costs and expenses are across the board, or do they have to consult the City for this info? Do they know what funds they are to receive, and when they are to receive them? If 80% of the funds are from the State to pay for operating the schools, including salaries and benefits, how does the City provide the other 20%?? Does anyone understand the miscalculation last year that had the BOE refunding millions to the City? Would it have happened with the cash flowing differently?
Finally, for all those considering the November 2011 municipal election, I am happy to consider new candidates for Mayor, especially those who have a variety of experience, specifically of the executive and business type, but I would like to hear some areas started for discussion now, because I sense City finances are in such a mess at this moment that magic with lots of smoke and gigantic mirrors will be used to keep the eyes of the taxpayers from what is truly happening with the big financial picture. Take a look at what happened to the last big-dollar windfall to the City–bonding to borrow money that was used to increase funding levels of the retirement plans. Has the return on the funds in the plans been greater than the cost to borrow as we pay off the debt each year? When we borrowed the plans were at ? level of full funding. Today they are at ? level of full funding. These are important questions, that spend big budget dollars year-in and year-out. Shouldn’t they be on a SCOREBOARD for all to see? After all, as a Bridgeport property owner you are paying for the players, the coaches, and the elected management of this Bridgeport team, and at the moment they don’t seem to be making the fans happy, or leading the league in any positive aspect despite their very GREEN jerseys!!!
BEACON2 the streets are not being paved according to sources because they are waiting for Federal money. Ha!Ha!
Does anyone realize between the new quarters for the PD and for the great idea of new recycling program that 1/8 of the deficit could be paid for with these funds?
What a great idea and what an insult to the people on the East Side. Let’s start a “NEW” recycling program with larger containers in an area where they refuse to recycle. This time we will get them to recycle by giving them coupons to McDonalds.
TC it’s working days 11 weeks starting this week.
Gotcha.
Follow-up of previous posts.
1. I see Capital Ave still is not paved. We were told Federal money is involved; well where is it and why haven’t we paved the road if the money in fact is here?
2. Have any city streets been paved this year? I know there are none in my district that have been done this year. Are we waiting for next year so Finch can brag about paving streets in the city?
3. What’s going on at the former Bridgeport Machine complex? Sal DiNardo started to tear down a section of the building and was moving along pretty fast. Now the work has stopped, the machines are gone and we are left with a building that has been partially torn down. Building is wide open and could easily be hit by arson. Why are there 2 sets of rules, one for the little guy and a completely different set for the moneyed crowd?
TC
Just this past week sections of longer streets (Gilman) and shorter streets (Poland) have been ground up and then resurfaced. No Parking signs for September 17-19 were observed on telephone poles this morning in Black Rock. I have no full picture of what is happening or why.
However, I did raise the statement yesterday in a comment above about matters in the West End where neighborhood representatives have lobbied for road resurfacing on State Street. In response they have been told the unified sewer/stormwater system is so fragile that to resurface the roads might cause damage to the system. In non-technical terms, is there potential risk to auto drivers following a particularly heavy truck load on these streets? How many such streets do we have in the City? Where do these “fragile locations” rank in terms of the City plan for replacement/repair?
Maybe someone who reads OIB can provide some additional insight, direction, and/or information? Thanks for the kindness to the rest of us for this type of observation. It will ultimately move the City out of darkness into the light where more right things get done faster, even with limited resources, than is true today.
ReallyFrustratedBptDemocrat // Sep 19, 2010 at 12:18 pm
Response to your posting.
Don’t know if you live in Bridgeport or not, and I don’t know how familiar you are with the campaign process, but it’s about going door-to-door directly to the voters to hear from them, and to determine from them the issues that occupy their attention.
That’s the most valuable process in a City like Bridgeport for a first-time candidate as well as an experienced candidate. That’s the plan. Other aspects of the plan will certainly be implemented at the right points.
If you want to help out the Gomes for Mayor campaign, you would certainly be welcomed.