Oh, this news release from Mayor Bill Finch is a beauty.
“We’ve lowered spending two straight years in a row; the only U.S. City to do so, by not raising taxes,” the mayor claims. Really? Didn’t raise taxes? Oh gee, the mayor forgot to mention he promised a $600 tax cut as a candidate in 2007 knowing full well he couldn’t deliver on it, and then raised taxes by that amount. As for the last two budgets in which he claims to have lowered spending, that’s because he delayed pension obligations and who knows what else. And what about the tax increase in this budget year? Oh that’s right, it was really for the library fund that the mayor publicly supported.
Ladies and gents get ready for a classic election year budget from the mayor loaded with fairy dust, baloney and lards of BS. The mayor’s release:
Mayor Finch on State Budget:
No easy options, but doing what’s right
Mayor Bill Finch joined Mayors and First Selectmen from around the state at the state Capitol Wednesday to hear newly elected Gov. Dannel P. Malloy unveil his 2012-2013 budget.
During his speech Gov. Malloy detailed how investments in job creation, spending cuts, concessions from state employees and tax increases, in approximately equal measures, would help close a $3 billion dollar state budget gap, while keeping the safety net intact and supporting business and industry as they work to create jobs.
In his press release, Gov. Malloy said, “This budget’s main focus is job creation. It’s balanced honestly, with no gimmicks and there is no new overall spending in the general fund. Moreover, it preserves the safety net and protects local services by actually increasing aid to cities and towns. I’ve spoken at length about shared sacrifice, and I think this budget explains what that means – I’m asking for a little from everyone to avoid overburdening any one group. And I refuse to balance the budget on the backs of local taxpayers.”
“Gov. Malloy’s plan is reflective of the budget crisis the state is in, and while there are no easy options, he is doing what’s right, even if it’s not popular,” said Mayor Finch.
“We’ve already made a lot of the tough decisions at the local level during the past two years. We’ve lowered spending two straight years in a row; the only U.S. City to do so, by not raising taxes. I appreciate Gov. Malloy’s plan to have everyone share the sacrifice, rather than overburdening one group. Keeping the safety net intact is especially important to big-City Mayors since we often shoulder more of the social services burden than the suburban towns and smaller cities. I am also pleased he has included new tools and resources to increase brownfields remediation, transit options, magnet schools and housing,” the Mayor added.
I can’t wait for March 13th to come so Bridgeport can Spring Ahead with Mary-Jane Foster. We can not afford to Fall Back another 4 years with Finch in September.
Clearly Bill is suffering from Elective Amnesia. Sad thing is he actually believes his own hype. Voters will not forget his $600.00 promise and will stamp his check NSF for Non-Sufficient-Finch in September!
Mayor Finch you are completely and 100% full of shit. My taxes did go up although not a lot. Hey Bill I remember you telling me on election day that you did not know how you were going to be able to come through on your $600 promise. I remember telling you that you better spend a lot of time thinking about how you were going to tell the people you could not do it. YOU DID NEITHER.
You have blown through the rainy day fund and deferred over $25 million in pension contributions. Still have not balanced this year’s budget even though you screwed the city workers. Bill, you want to know how you screwed the city workers? You got the givebacks you requested from the lower-tiered employee and yet you and your staff quietly took pay raises you said you would not take. Liar.
You have hired a ton of political friends to bullshit jobs and you did it as recently as last week. Please tell me what the hell the Conservation Department is and what they do? Tell me why we have a construction czar at $93K to oversee city construction projects. What projects?
Bill, tell me about the city cars everyone still takes home to Newtown, Monroe and Oxford.
If you don’t sell out our sewage treatment plants for $40 million what are you going to do next year? If this piece sounds like I am pissed, you are 100% right. I am tired of career politicians like you and Dan Malloy peeing on my shoes and telling me it’s raining.
Bill, if I were you I would look to get the Rain Barrel franchise because you will need a job come November.
TC, I will never say another negative thing about you on this blog. That was your best post to date. I agree with you 100%.
Hey! TC, you can’t make this stuff up!
Bill never met a Lie he didn’t Like.
TC, have you heard anything about AFSCME and their GOTV drive for Reverend Stallworth?
No, I only received one call from the Stallworth camp and one mailing, other than that nothing. My sources haven’t said anything about this but anything AFSCME does is of no surprise. During my failed attempt for the council they were very active against me and Ann. They do what Finch wants, Stallworth is a pick by Finch.
My sources did tell me he was trying to gain favor with the Black Ministers by pushing for Stallworth.
My sources must be crazy or Finch and his advisers are NUTS. They are backing Liza P who I am told already has her district’s votes for the council, she will run with her old friend Walsh. That means Brantley is out. Why would you dump a Black council person if you are seeking favor from the Black ministers?
Rumor has it that AFSCME is walking the streets for the Rev at Finch’s request. Bad move for them if the Rev loses. Talk about burning bridges. They should stay out of it.
I don’t understand the Parziale thing either. But it’s no different than your district trying to bring back Marella to replace Curwen. They are so afraid of new people and fresh ideas. That’s why nothing changes in BPT.
City Hall: It’s not the entire 138th that is trying to bring Marella back but it is Martha Santiago who is pushing it. There are a few others on our town committee who are with her on this. Martha serves on the PAL board of directors.
The two people who have fought this behind the scenes are Ann Barney and myself. Martha has allowed the Marellas to basically take over her job as district leader. We documented that the Marellas were working for Malloy; they stated and allegedly worked for LaMont. Judy ran the phone bank in the 138th for this primary it was taken away from me. Malloy literature was found in one of their cars on election day.
Finch asked for a hit list of people who back-doored him during the governor’s primary. He got the list with their names on it and as usual nothing was done. I have proposed that we put young energetic people on our town committee as openings occur, all to a deaf ear. Yeah Martha railroaded the latest appointment to our town committee and it was Chris Anastasi, Mark’s son the vote was 6-2 with Ann Barney & I voting no. Curwen even voted for this nomination. All of the above is why I am getting off the TC after the mayoral election, another area where I will disagree with my TC as I will never support Finch.
Stallworth’s HQ is at AFSCME on Main St.
Talk about a Pipe Job!
PIO Tim Quinn on the job, but not available
February 16, 2011 at 5:39 pm by Keila Torres
We just heard about a possible kidnapping on the Bridgeport police scanner, so while our night cops reporter tried to get the information I called Elaine Ficarra, Mayor Bill Finch’s communications director, to ask when the city’s new public safety information officer will begin.
Ficarra tells me Tim Quinn — who was recently appointed to the position by Police Chief Joseph Gaudett at an annual salary of $69,909 — started last week. Huh? So, when were they planning to tell us … the press?
Ficarra was then kind enough to pass along Quinn’s city cell phone number. When our cops reporter called Quinn, however, he was polite but told her he couldn’t start for another two days because he didn’t have a desk phone yet. Umm … huh?
$70k for TQ and a revolution was started in Egypt with A Tweet Heard Round the World! A Desk Phone???
You can’t make this BS up … they take the cake. The library vote did NOT require a tax hike. It required the city bean counters to make an allocation from the existing budget. Instead of cleaning out the waste, they saw it as an opportunity for more smoke and mirrors on the public. Even if they didn’t want to make cuts to accommodate the library allocation, the library was already receiving enough funding to account for approximately 1/2 a mil. So what did they do, they lied to the public (surprised, don’t be) and blamed a 1 mil tax increase (maybe more, can’t remember the exact number) so they would have a little slush fund to hire more friends. People, we have an opportunity to put someone in who is fair, easy to work with, innovative, tough and experienced in office. Mary-Jane Foster will be a public servant first. This band of idiots is raping Bridgeport. Throw them out and give Bridgeport a chance to reach its full potential.
RedWhiteandBlue // Feb 16, 2011 at 9:25 pm
To your posting
RWB,
It’s raping, pillaging and plundering.
It’s an administration gone mad with greed and favoring the few.
Town Committed gave us a powerful litany of citizen betrayal.
The action begins DAY ONE with the removal of SHERWOOD, if the Feds don’t get him first.
We Must undo the damage first with a steady hand that may not make the new mayor popular, but the truth in our budget numbers is the first place to start. Why not Generally Accepted Accounting Procedures?
Shame on Red White and Blue and Carolanne for comparing bad budget practices to rape.
This is just a disgrace especially coming from women.
I am disgusted by this outrageous choice of words, all for political banter.
Shame on both of you.
Grin Reaper // Feb 17, 2011 at 8:05 am
To your posting
Grin,
You are right. Wrong metaphor.
You have never heard people use the term “raping the public,” come on, you self-righteous idiot. I am sure most women would understand the metaphor for what it is. It is all about the power.
Let’s hear the chant, One-Term Bill … OTB … OTB … OTB!
anna // Feb 17, 2011 at 10:04 am
To your posting
Anna,
Help me out here … Do you like “One-term-Bill” better than “Anyone But Bill?”
I want to get OTB or ABB pins for us.
Carolanne, how about “Bill Out Of Bpt”—BOOB
Antitesto // Feb 17, 2011 at 12:59 pm
To your posting
AT …
Are you trying to have Grin Reaper scold me again?