Could City Council President Tom McCarthy and Bob Keeley, the longest serving legislator in city history, jump into the special election for the State House seat being vacated by Auden Grogins? And maybe even former State House members Lee Samowitz, Edna Garcia and Hector Diaz?
So far former Democratic City Councilman Steve Stafstrom and current Republican councilor Enrique Torres say they’re in. Grogins is accepting a state judgeship appointment from Governor Dan Malloy pending approval by the state legislature, creating a special election for her seat, presumably in late February. Big Mac lives just outside the district but he tells CT Post scribe Brian Lockhart don’t count him out:
“Whenever an opportunity comes up like this it’s important I consider any contribution I might be able to make to help the city out.”
Is Big Mac serious? One issue he’s worked hard to block is the reform measure backed by many activists in the district to enforce the City Charter that prohibits city employees serving on the City Council. Big Mac, at least on this issue, is not a big proponent of checks and balances in government. He’s the City Council president who works at the pleasure of Mayor Bill Finch as deputy director of Labor Relations.
In just about any other form of government in America, be it local, state or federal, it’s illegal for the head of the legislative body to work at the pleasure of the chief executive. But in Bridgeport, it’s perfectly fine because Bridgeport City Attorney Mark Anastasi, who works at the pleasure of the mayor, rationalizes that it’s okay through a loophole in state law that reformers want to close.
Stafstrom and Torres are both on record supporting State Rep. Jack Hennessy’s bill to enforce the voter-backed provision in the City Charter prohibiting city employee councilors. State law blocks municipal employees from serving on boards of finance, but the City Council serves a dual purpose as legislative and budget-making authority. Hennessy wants to extend state law to include all municipal bodies that function as a budget authority.
McCarthy does not agree with the City Charter even though he’s supposed to uphold it. Let the people decide who should serve, he argues, forgetting that the people have decided. The reason the City Charter forbids city employee councilors (to avoid conflicts of interests) is because voters approved it.
Meanwhile Keeley is considering a run for the seat he had occupied before he was knocked off by Grogins in a 2008 primary. Also pondering a jump into the political pond former State House members Samowitz, Garcia and Diaz. That standing ovation you just heard was from Enrique Torres supporters. Yeah, baby, split up that Democratic vote!
Connecticut’s 129th State House District covers Black Rock, the West Side and portions of the North End and West End.
Is he not the least bit concerned this looks like exactly what it is, a retaliatory move? This is just shy of ludicrous. Honestly! You live in Hennessy’s district, Mr. McCarthy. Are you going to move to the 129th to attempt this? Just save what is left of your dignity.
Beyond the prize-winning arrogance exhibited by McCarthy in even hinting at attempting this, I have to ask:
Might serving in the statehouse in Hartford draw McCarthy away from his current professional six-figure salary job for the city of Bridgeport and his current five-figure- tipend-supported duties as president pro tempore of the City Council?
OIB and oy vey!
McCarthy isn’t running if he isn’t guaranteed to win, which he’s not. Just political bantering at its best. Why would anyone in this city vote for a Finch puppet to represent them in Hartford, where Finch is thought of as a buffoon?
Like rats leaving a sinking ship, McCarthy knows his time is up, this will be his only hope to save his job with the city. Even if it means moving out of his district.
Finch, McCarthy and that half-assed city attorney will be out of a job come November and McCarthy is just covering his ass for the last time.
The handwriting is on the wall and McCarthy can read it, that’s why he’s jumping ship with both feet. He knows he can easily win another two years on the City Council, by then he’s a sitting duck with no future and the numbers keep going down on Finch.
The people of Bridgeport can’t take the lies and corruption any longer, these clowns have fucked over everthing from the BOE to the Charter, Library, and the Seaside Park land grab.
If I were McCarthy I would be looking over my shoulders too.
Finch can build 10 more Solar Farms, and 15 more Bass Pro Shops, the Taxpayers of Bridgeport can’t wait 20 years for a return on our money, this is a poor city, soon to be another Detroit, hemorrhaging tax dollars.
There’s only one thing we can all count on, and that’s another Finch, Sherwood and McCarthy tax increase.
Is it August yet?
Simon says … no tax increase this year.
Lennie,
How can there be no tax increase in the coming year? Will the State make up all negative variances? Will our bills payable get pushed back 30 days or more further? Will the ghost positions finally be eliminated from the budget for a year? Will we pay only a portion of pension contributions of all kinds? Will the Internal Service Fund increase in size? Time will tell.
JML, it’s an election year!
Lennie,
I know it’s an election year, and as Bob Walsh kindly provided instruction, it’s a multiple election year, with the upcoming Special Elections keeping the pot stirring in different parts of Bridgeport.
I was looking for more comments from those tax-affected readers into how an operating budget may be handled such that with automatic increases due to union contracts, health plan inflation, etc. increased spending requirements can be handled without tax increases? Will purchasing procedures allow items from the electronic highway, available at one-third to one-half the cost of buying local to be so purchased? Time will tell.
If McCarthy does in fact run it will be the second time he has had to move so he lives in the district he wants to run in. He must really be afraid of the Hennessy law that would stop city employees from serving on the council. If that happens and McCarthy becomes just a city employee, he would then have to work for real and kiss Finch’s ass more than he already does to keep his job.
Many years ago McCarthy lived with Stafstrom and Murphy, so running against Stafstrom’s relative is a real desperate move. Bye, Tom.
Lennie, you framed the issues accurately and concisely. Well done. Not so the CT Post.
I’m not in that district but if I were my vote would go to Bob Keeley.
I’m voting for Tom Kelly as a compromise candidate between Tom McCarty and Bob Keeley. Run Tommy, run.
Bob Walsh, Tom Kelly would make a GREAT candidate! I do not know one person who ever had a negative thing to say about Tom.
Has Tom Kelly expressed any interest to run?
Bob, Steve and Ron! Thanks for the kind words, but No Thanks!!!
Who are you? We are talking about Tom Kelly. Not up yours, Bridgeport!!!
🙂
Why are these people coming out of the woodwork? When they see changes for the better happening due to the diligent and relentless work of current and available activists, they now want to ride on the coattails? Sounds like a recipe for sabotage. It’s enough to make those who actually have boots on the ground consistently want to draw back. That will NOT be a good thing.
Tom McCarthy, independent and fearless, elected leader of the Bridgeport City Council is looking elsewhere for challenges in performing public service? You don’t say.
My goodness, will he have time to complete his section of the report detailing how Moutinho Way in Stratford came to be paid for by Bridgeport taxpayers? Or the Ordinance update on Stipends that have allowed him to collect more than $9,000 in a given fiscal year, something seemingly impossible under the pre-debit card, and still existing, Stipend Ordiannce? Perhaps it will be a special opportunity for Tom to tell the taxpayers what he has accomplished in his day job, in labor relations, where his salary has risen quite handsomely but nary a word about what he does to earn his keep is ever heard.
Perhaps his most closely held municipal secret is how and why he stripped the City Council of both its two staff positions, only one of which was filled 30 months ago such that those members who do not have the time for personal research are left in the lurch at voting time and give in to urgings to go along to get along. City employees with integrity are fought and succumb, internal auditors are eliminated and their work goes undone, and a raft of well-paid administrators with no ties to the voting public do the Mayor’s thing. The City Council is the sole structural check or balance (since we have no finance board) and it has been further compromised by ‘smiling Tom.’ Aren’t you happy he can still find the ‘good things happening in Bridgeport’ though they usually has nothing to do with anything involved with City governance? What will Tom do? Time will tell.
Well said, JML!
We all know why McCarthy is making noise. That is a given. What do the rest of these Dems want to do? The business of getting elected is most effectively carried out for the benefit of the many, not the few, or more succinctly, the one. Rallying behind the most electable candidate whose voice will reflect the needs of his or her constituency. The operative word is ELECTABLE. That means MONEY, ORGANIZATION and MESSAGE. It does not mean “Hey, I want to win an election, I’ll show them.”