In campaigns there’s the game within the game of voter persuasion. As elections officials review signature drives of challenge candidates trying to qualify for a September 16 Democratic primary for mayor, a number of campaign operatives for Joe Ganim have both signed the petition sheets of Mary-Jane Foster and are encouraging electors to vote for her if they cannot vote for his baggage as he seeks a political comeback.
Political operatives for party-endorsed Mayor Bill Finch, trying to offset Ganim’s strategy, have one of their own, telling Foster supporters in her Black Rock neighborhood base that a vote for Foster is a vote for Ganim.
It goes to the heart of a central question of this campaign: if Foster were not in the race where would her majority vote land, Finch or Ganim? Most political operatives believe it would go to Finch.
Both Ganim and Foster are awaiting word from elections officials about officially qualifying for the ballot. They need roughly 1900 certified signatures of voters for approval. School board members Howard Gardner and three-time mayoral candidate Charlie Coviello are also in the race, but they lack the financial firepower and campaign organization required to both make the ballot and, even if they do qualify, wage a spirited battle.
As an example of the Ganim strategy, over the past couple of days relentless campaigner Maria Pereira who’s running on the Ganim slate for school board, has been making that pitch, sharing her strategy on recent OIB comments, following her voter outreach in her Upper East Side neighborhood.
I walked a little over 6 hours straight today. Only one person was considering Finch. I have to continue working on him/her. If I cannot convince them to vote for Joe, I will move to Plan B which is to convert them to MJF or Howard Gardner.
And, in another comment:
I have been on doors since 11:00 am. Only two people have said they are not willing to vote for Joe, however neither will vote for Finch. I convinced them to vote for Howard Gardner or MJF.
Foster supporters publicly scoff at the notion of Ganim’s strategy arguing her best path to victory is grouping the two “boys” as one to draw the sharpest contrast. Where would Finch and Ganim votes go if they were not in the race? they wonder.
Three campaigns, three strategies, which one comes away a winner September 16?
With all due respect, I think it is a little silly to imagine any Ganim operative finding a non-Ganim supporter would take their advice and vote for Foster or Gardner as they were the sloppy second choices.
Foster’s biggest problem is she did not reduce Ganim’s candidacy immediately and came out as the clear alternative to Mayor Finch.
Mayor Finch will have the endorsements and the votes. The same Ganim ghost supporters will stop writing checks when they realize the polls don’t lie.
Foster has everything to lose. A single-digit showing will make her future runs null and void. That is painful. Joe coming in a distant second makes him a viable candidate for future runs. I have yet to speak to anyone who needed an option of whom to vote for.
If Foster is perceived that she cannot win, Finch will get her votes simply because those people also believe in the future, Ganim supporters are looking for the good old days when Testa ruled city hall and a chosen few got jobs.
Of course this is my opinion. Apparently Ganim and Foster do not believe in polls. Then again, the Finch campaign could fall asleep at the wheel. I do not think so. I have seen it happen. I knew this election was going to be a sleeper.
Bill Finch showed up late to the City Council meeting last night. Several aldermen gave him a hard time. His tardiness may also be explained by not wanting to be confronted by Joe Ganim and a bunch of voters angry at his complacency.
Polls don’t lie, Steven. Torres, Foster, Garner and Coviello know this is a race between a lame duck and a convicted felon. I’m not supporting any candidate. Unfortunately the only candidate to mount a serious challenge to Bill “Rubber Ducky” Finch is Joe Ganim. Say what you want about his criminal record. There are more than a few people who believe he was good for Bridgeport. He increased the size of the police force, brought down crime, created jobs, submitted balanced budgets.
He took bribes, sure. It was “pay to play” here during his tenure. People who live in cities take it for granted there is going to be some corruption in City Hall. It’s tacitly accepted, same as a certain amount of vice–illegal gambling, prostitution, street-level drug sales. I’m not saying any of that is acceptable because, morally and legally, none of it is.
Bill Finch abuses the power of office whenever he wants something from the City Council. Many aldermen are employed by the city or related to someone who is. Finch uses that as leverage, threatening termination or reassignment to a less desirable position. I’m not making this up, the stories leak out of Morton Government Center all the time. Just as the stories of Finch controlling the flow of law enforcement information until after the election. Those stories were leaked out and confirmed by reporters from the Connecticut Post.
I don’t think you really give a rat’s ass about how this election turns out. You just like to annoy people.
Bill Finch supports:
• Stealing the automobiles of the working poor via the questionable “boot and tow” program. This program was instituted to collect delinquent back taxes. The end result is most of the vehicles seized, often in disrepair and not the best condition, belong to the working poor who live paycheck to paycheck. The tax debt is one thing. VioLert, the Georgia-based company that boots the cars, charges $95.00 to remove the boot, on top of the tax debt. If the tax debt (as little as $100) is not paid in a timely fashion, the vehicle is towed, incurring more costs to the registered owner. Most of them abandon the vehicles. The city receives little if any money from this unfair process. Anne Kelly-Lenz, the city’s finance director, defended this by saying “We can’t police every contractor” doing business with the city of Bridgeport. As a tax collection mechanism the “boot and tow” program is a failure. The mayor has to be aware of this but has chosen to build playgrounds. Let’s not forget he tried to sell a 35-year tax abatement for $4000, a fairly cheap price.
• The foreclosure on properties of homeowners who owe as little as $500 to the WPCA. These houses are not put back on the market. Instead they are left to rot and be vandalized until demolition is the only option. In the meantime people have been forced out of their homes by an unfair system.
Steve, I love it when a plan comes to life. Finch is on his way out in November 2015 and what’s so nice is nothing you post means anything, Finch is out. Hopefully Tippy can get him a job.
Ron Mackey, what plan came to life?
This topic.
At last night’s City Council public speaking forum there was a vocal bunch of city residents. One of them shouted “Four more years? You get no more years!” to loud applause. Another, a homeowner, complained her street had not been paved in years and was crumbling. She had seen other streets in more affluent neighborhoods had been paved.
Another addressed the fact Bridgeport residents pay the highest property taxes in the United States of America “but Bill Finch doesn’t know about that.” He went on to decry the “tow and boot” program “but Bill Finch doesn’t know about that.” Homeowners struggling to pay subprime mortgages and property taxes that have escalated beyond human reason are losing their homes to foreclosure. The city acquires these properties through the quitclaim deed process and then leaves them to rot into disrepair. “But Bill Finch doesn’t know about that.”
Bill Finch is cleaning up parks and building playgrounds that do not create jobs “but he doesn’t know about that.”
When Bill Finch loses the primary no one will say “We told you so, Steve.” I promise. It’s not about Finch versus Ganim. It’s a referendum on an ineffective careerist political hack.
Rumor Mill: It was while listening to Stairway to Heaven, in preparation for an upcoming speech, when one of his staffers was overheard to whisper in Joe Ganim’s ear, “there’s still time to change the road you’re on.”
What a laugh. Now Ganim is campaigning for MJ Foster?
How can ANYONE take him even remotely seriously.
I just want to clarify the strategy I am utilizing in my neighborhood is solely my decision. This is not a campaign strategy implemented citywide nor was it discussed or vetted with the leadership of Joe’s campaign.
There has been a lot to celebrate in the neighborhood recently. Lots of friends and neighbors celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, job promotions and embracing life.
As we have gathered for several occasions, the running comments have been regarding the loud, rude, obnoxious and unprofessional behavior of Maria Pereira.
She claims to have a lot of Ganim supporters up here.
Many I spoke to at these wonderful celebrations have told me they tell Maria they are supporting Ganim so she leaves their property and leaves them alone.
Barney, I guess we will have to wait until September 16, 2015 to see what happens in Thomas Hooker. I believe I have a perfect record at Thomas Hooker. We know you cannot say the same.
I have never been “loud, rude, obnoxious or unprofessional” with a single voter in our neighborhood. Even those who have a different point of view or are considering a different candidate.
It is clear you continue to be bitter over your town committee loss.
Maria,
Try a new tag line please. I ran for DTC and lost. There is no dispute there. You can claim it was a direct result of your efforts. If that makes you feel good, keep shouting it from the mountaintops. But long before you starting slandering me, look at my actions.
I handed in very few signatures. I missed several meetings, I was not at the polls on Election Day for more than an hour!
So what you fail to understand is I WON by losing.
As for recent events in the neighborhood. They are direct quotes from people. You and I have no interaction at all and I do not care what you do, say, or how you conduct yourself.
But these friends and neighbors are not making it up about you. One even complained you kept yelling in her window!
Well, anything is possible, however I have many neighbors who hug me, offer me beverages, offer me dinner, etc. when I knock on their doors. I have many neighbors commend me for my activism and knowledge on a variety of issues. You can’t win them all.
The loss by Pat Fardy and Ann Barney was a direct result of you standing outside the polls telling people not to vote for either one. By nature you are loud, rude and obnoxious. The one saving grace is you will sooner or later be leaving the neighborhood. Perfect record my ass, with Pat and Ann’s loss your record is not perfect. The only thing about you that’s perfect is ?????????
Now now, kids. Fight nice.
NO.
Bridgeport Kid,
There is nothing in my comments that is to be taken as a fight or trying to start one.
I have had the pleasure of enjoying many neighbors’ company recently. Almost all of them had negative comments about Maria. Pure and simple truth.
Doubt it.
That’s too bad Maria that you doubt it!
What is it you doubt?
Do you doubt your loud, rude, obnoxious behavior?
Watch the BOE meetings of yourself.
Do you doubt some neighbor’s opinions?
If you do, you might have a problem differentiating fact from fiction.
And please don’t doubt my intentions. They are not to start a fight. You would have to matter to me, for me to want to fight or debate you.
I have always praised you for your dedication and hard work. But as you reside two houses away from me I am concerned about your ability to separate the truth from untruths.
The Bridgeport Kid, having Andy Fardy describing anyone else as “loud, rude and obnoxious” is like Donald Trump describing someone else as a racist.
Maria, I am chagrined at your comments about me. You must have been looking in the mirror when you wrote them. BTW, saw you walking on Nutmeg Rd the other day, please please stop dressing like a bag lady.