From Brian Lockhart, CT Post:
Though he left his municipal job and seat on the City Council amidst a sexual harassment probe, prominent Democrat Richard Paoletto quickly landed a private sector position with a politically connected construction firm.
And Mayor Bill Finch’s office is not saying if anyone there put in a good word.
“We’re glad that Mr. Paoletto is doing well following his retirement from the city,” Finch spokesman Brett Broesder said when asked if the mayor or his staff helped Paoletto obtain his new manager job with Bismark Construction or recommended him to the Milford company.
Full story here.
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Interesting that he landed a job so quickly. Lightning strikes in the most obscure of places. He must have just been in the right place at the right time, right? What a talent Richie must be. What a plethora of skills he must bring.
In talking to lots of folks who know a thing or two, there are lots of decent, non-sexual-harassment-complaint-plagued folks who really need work.
This will not stop until the voters make it stop. We need to make it stop.
There is always an advantage to being well connected when searching for employment. That seems to be one message of this story.
However, I am surprised at the comments of the City “flack” Brett B. Has he said one word about how the sexual harassment probe is working out? What has it or will it cost the city in time lost and money spent? Will there be a settlement? And how does this speak for the City as a whole when it comes to offering positions to young interns pursuing their education? Time will tell.
Let’s save our city right now. We have a right to know the legal strategy from the lawyers involved in this Paoletto case. They won’t be sabotaging our treasury if I’m the Libertarian mayor of Bridgeport. Is there an insurance policy? I suspect there is. Who knows who the next nut will be to sexually harass a lady working for Bpt? Lennie needs to investigate and report if there is insurance to prevent getting screwed. If not, countersue Paoletto for the damages he caused.
JML made an important point.
This is an informative article by Brian Lockhart, but what is the status of the sexual harassment complaint? Is there a civil suit? Will Bismark be pressed to comment on hiring someone politically connected with a record of sexual harassment complaints?
Also, there was no mention that Paoletto’s wife landed a city job.
Let’s clean the slate right now. Snap out of the media propaganda trance and everybody register Libertarian this week. Elect me,the first Libertarian mayor in America and Bismark will get no business in Bridgeport.
Good luck to Richie on his new position. I do hope all issues that forced this situation gets worked out and all parties can move forward. I cannot imagine why anyone would wish Richie and his family any unnecessary hardship.
He brought any and all hardship that manifests itself because of his unchecked behaviors on himself. Period.
Steve, I cannot understand where you see “unnecessary hardship” for Rich in these comments. Rich got the benefit of a lengthy timeout, while paid by the public. There was not a rush to judgment and though I do not know the details, some panel does know and felt the allegations were substantial enough to terminate him.
In the meantime what expense did Rich’s actions cause the taxpaying public for the loss of time, the legal representation, and whatever extra funds were spent to assist the victim of the unwanted behavior by Rich? I have watched more than one challenge to City actions and I note Rich did not choose to challenge this City action. That may mean something or it may not in this case.
But what about the intern, presumably a college student, female, younger than her predator, and inexperienced in the workplace culture of the City of Bridgeport? Who has her back? Who speaks for her experience of victimization and harm? Steve, she would be a natural cause for you or you were thinking in human fashion rather than from your political position?
In these days when 1 of 4 females and 1 of 6 males suffer some form of sexual abuse on their way to adulthood, we can observe in social dysfunction, substance abuse, marriage breakups and other indicators the signs of our failure to stand for the victims of abuse, in the workplace, home, church and other sites to call for consequences to the predator abuser and healing assistance for the survivor of the behavior. Can you see that, Steve? Time will tell.
JML, let me be clear. I do not condone sexual harassment in any way, shape or form. I think Paoletto did the right thing by resigning from the city. I do care about the harassment lawsuit and I am not judge or jury. I do not know if Richie made a comment or physically assaulted the “victim.” My point is apparently some bloggers are not happy with his new position and if Finch helped him get a job. That was my point! I do not condone harassment and I do not know if this woman was harmed mentally or emotionally or an opportunist and Richie’s just dumber than a box of rocks. I am just happy he landed on his feet. Nothing more, nothing less. He is no longer part of the Finch administration. And Finch is not the guilty party. Richie made a lot of contributions to the city and it is too bad he screwed himself. I will say in most interviews, one of the first questions asked is if you have ever been involved in sexual harassment situations. JML, with me it’s not political connections. I have none.
“Richie made a lot of contributions to the city.”
Please Steve, let’s see the list.
Steve, why don’t you shut the flock up. It’s Kool-aid time.
Steve,
I do not wish Richie harm. Let’s just make sure he does right by the taxpayers of the city. By my rough calculations he still owes the city money from his first suspension that he has not paid. Secondly as far as I am concerned he owes the city all of his pay from his most recent leave of absence.
If this represents a hardship for the Paoletto family it also represents a undue hardship for the taxpayers. So pay up, Richie. All will not be forgiven or forgotten but it is the least you should do.
I hope Richie endorses both Finch and Ganim and ignores MJF. That would be a political trifecta on this year’s election cycle.
Talk about trifectas, how about Richie Paoletto, Tommy Mac and Bill Finch? They have pretty much told the women voters in Bridgeport that you don’t count. Sexual harassment is a joke. Sexual harassment is funny. We as a city continue to take it seriously. And if you are a victim of sexual harassment in the city workplace, we will not lift a finger to see the predator is punished.
You Steve along with that trifecta are a real class act.
Bob, get off your high horse. Seems like you were in a racially charged dispute which is equally as repulsive. I wished Richie well. I did not endorse his actions. You stand alone, Bob. Richie will endorse Finch quietly. He has a lot of friends in the Beardsley Park neighborhood as well as his cousin. Your attempt to continue to rub his and his family’s face in it shows you are not a class act, but then again Bob, make no mistake, I do not think anyone would ever accuse you of being a class act. But Bob, as always, thank you for thinking my comment was worth attacking. Keep up the good work!
Steve, I left one one phone message with my council partner. I apologized to her in a phone message and with a written apology which she, Finch and McCarthy claimed was not sincere enough. I apologized again to her and the council in public.
I must have missed all of Richie’s apologies.
And while Finch and McCarthy wanted to crucify me ,their actions toward Richie encouraged his continued bad behavior. Grow up, Steve.
No, he does not stand alone, Steve. I am right there with him. This guy needed to go and did. No amount of subterfuge put forth by anyone can excuse this behavior. That’s how HR law reads, and the consequences can be really expensive. The City gave him a far longer leash than he should have had. Thank goodness they saw the light. Make no mistake, it was the City who saw the light.
The consequences are his to bear.
Gabrielle, I wished Richie good luck. I did not endorse sexual harassment. Why am I being attacked? Because I like Richie Paoletto? His stepping down made room for my friend Melanie Jackson. All I said was I was pleased Richie landed a position. That’s all. I am not aware of any money he owes the city. This was an albatross around the neck of the Mayor and Richie was wise to step down.
Shut up, Steve. If he were an albatross around the mayor’s neck it is because he, McCarthy and the mayor put it there. They are the ones putting out the message that sexual harassment is an acceptable practice by city employees, especially politically connected employees.
And he did not land on his feet, the Finch Administration got him this job. Even Brett couldn’t deny it.
Well how lucky was Richie!
Bob, could you possibly be a little less caustic to me? You know how sensitive I am.
Steve, you crack me up. 😉
Obviously Richie has a problem, he needs help, so what do Finch and McCarthy do? They cover it up by trying to delay, delay, delay, then when people start asking questions about the cover up, Finch and McCarthy tell Richie to resign, trying to distance themselves from this, in fear it will have an affect on their own political aspirations. So now, they get their buddy a new job with a construction company that does a lot of business with the city. So instead of getting their “buddy” help with his addiction, they enable him some more. Some friends Richie has. And no company would touch this guy with a 10-ft pole if it didn’t have something to gain from it, and this case, more city contracts, courtesy of Finch and McCarthy. C’mon Bpt, this has to stop.
What really pisses me off is how much of OUR money Finch/McCarthy gave Richie during the two suspensions. It’s disgusting and this sort of thing has to end. We need outside help here.
Not until the slate is clean by a third party who eliminates the never-ending glaring corruption from the Democrat Republican crime family will Bridgeport citizens decide we have had enough hypocrisy and corruption. The trance is so deep, nobody considers any remedy. The US Supreme Court ruling that bribes are free speech can’t possibly be more bizarre and absurd. They don’t need guns pointing to the heads of Americans in a deep trance with paralyzed minds from relentless vivid hypocrisy.
It’s 9/11 every day keeping us all safe from a few people provoked from drone attacks. The American culture of ignorance can’t discuss the evidence filmed on 9/11.
The opportunity to steer a new course in Bridgeport must begin with the reality of eliminating the political machine that collapsed a thriving city with a long list of spectacular entities into blighted social agencies on every block. Harvey Hubbell and GE get knocked down with Longfellow for contamination. Who got contaminated? NOBODY.
The media can tell their audience Eric Garner was being arrested for a crime when the video shows Eric standing alone on the sidewalk when five cops surrounded and jumped him. The video guy got arrested. The entire event was videotaped. The media repeats the story dozens of times that are glaring lies but nobody questions the lies. You are ALL in a trance you will ALL deny because you choose to lose everything rather than deal with the trance.
Nothing hit Building 7 but it collapsed at 5:20. It can’t possibly collapse unless there were explosives rigged before 9/11. The entire media was there but never reported the sensational collapse. To not be curious about that requires a deep trance.
On a sad note, I lost my best friend today, Tom Lombard who passed away this afternoon. We just were talking about starting up the old Jim and Tom radio show on WDJZ.
He was an avid reader of OIB and often a contributor under the name “AntiTesto.”
My heart goes out to his family, he will be greatly missed. RIP Tom.
Sonny, sorry to hear. Thanks for sharing.
Jim Fox,
Sorry about the loss of your best friend. My thoughts are with you.
So very sorry to hear this.
Jimfox, please tell me you are not serious. Tom joined me and others just four weeks ago in front of Park City Prep Charter School in support of placing a moratorium on charter schools.
I noticed nothing different in his appearance, he was joking and laughing. I am in absolute shock.
What sad news. So sorry, Jim.
Tom was a good man, may he rest in peace.
Hey Jim,
Sorry to hear about Tom. Another passionate Bridgeporter.
Very sorry Jim, posts like that put things in perspective. God Bless.
JF,
Tom’s contribution to gathering facts, sifting through them to form Bridgeport stories, and presenting them to the public along with his talented sidekick, Jim Fox, will be missed. May he rest in peace, and his activities be a lesson to all that each of us is called upon to recognize the OAR in our reach to become informed, to share with neighbors, to pull at election time and to support improved governance in our City. Can we accomplish with the humor so often a part of your teaching? Time will tell.
Sorry to hear about Tom. I always enjoyed his company and his stories. May he rest in peace.
We are lucky to have this internet blog to try to deal with important issues the media either lies about or covers up. It won’t help unless we begin to deal with reality and evidence.
I went to Joe’s trial. I know what the media didn’t report. I have watched many high-profile trials, hearings and documentaries for decades and then I watch the news lie to their audience.
I sat right next to Mike Mayko and showed him the lie he wrote about my case in 1995. He said he didn’t remember who told him the story he wrote about the Judge Alan Nevas Federal hearing. Mayko wasn’t in the court room. Somebody had to tell Mayko the lie he wrote. He didn’t dream it up all by himself.
You nice folks don’t have the experience and legal knowledge I have. It began in 1987 when I was the victim of a Wall Street fraud bigger than Madoff that was covered up.
Dear Tom Lombard, RIP. I remember you from all the meetings you attended, you will be missed.
And I enjoyed the recent Facebook documentaries about his grandfather “Good Luck Lombard.” I only knew Tom casually but he seemed like a fine fellow. Sorry for your loss, Jim.