Mary-Jane Foster, awaiting word from elections officials if her signature hunt will qualify for the September 16 Democratic primary, appeared on Colin McEnroe’s NPR show. Check it out here.
Candidate Mary-Jane Foster is hoping to qualify for the Bridgeport mayoral primary on September 16. She thinks she’s got a pretty good chance.
Foster is in a tight race with both incumbent Bill Finch and challenger Joe Ganim, the popular former mayor who spent seven years in prison for crimes he committed while in office.
Finch narrowly won the nomination over Ganim from Bridgeport’s Democratic Town Committee a few weeks ago. But he has disappointed some Bridgeport residents unhappy with his policies. Add the frustration felt by residents tired of the political shenanigans that have dominated Bridgeport news.
Foster is not above the fray. She accused both candidates of inappropriately using campaign funds, and last month called for an independent audit of the city’s tax collector department. Each of them is using the violent summer in Trumbull Gardens as ground zero in the race to show who cares the most about the city.
I thought Mary-Jane Foster did a great job. I thought Ganim did a good job until I read the article in the Hartford Courant. I look forward to Mayor Finch’s interview next week on 90.5 NPR.
I thought there would be more comments on this especially from those who are saying Finch and Ganim are both corrupt. Obviously corrupt is a loose term in business and politics. So it seem settling for those who will bring some human dignity to the office, in hopes it might permeate though Bridgeport city politics and corrupting the corrupted. Whereas every decision would not be rendered based on corruption or self-interests but rather on sound prudent judgement in the best interest of the City of Bridgeport.
Has local politics evolved to that level yet? From reading most of the posts on this blog I would guess not. You know who you are. Keep your corruption and self-interest on a level where it doesn’t harm the city and its residents. Unless you have a better viable plan, don’t just stop progress. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. 🙂 PS: Windmills are still stupid. 🙂
Robert, I agree, at least from Andy, Bob, Ron and Don, Come Back Bridgeport and Frank the Cabana Boy. Maybe they feel her inability to go after Ganim has doomed her campaign or maybe they are working the field and strategy. Either way, if it doesn’t include going after Joe it’s over.
Steve–stay tuned.
Come Back Bridgeport–I will stay tuned and hopefully you will finally do what you must. I am going to hold you to that lobster dinner at Dolphin’s Cove. 🙂
Steve, the difference between Tax Bill Finch and Irregular Joe Ganim is Tax Bill hasn’t been convicted yet.
From listening to the Colin McEnroe interview, I think Mary-Jane Foster did an excellent job in explaining her positions on important policies, such as spurring economic growth, establishing an open and transparent budget process, funding our public school system to at least the MBR standard and supporting a moratorium on new charter schools, and prohibiting charter-violating conflict of interest.
Mary-Jane Foster also provided a strong critique of the Finch administration for its incompetence, deceit, lack of transparency, outright lies, its gross mismanagement of the budget and of the public schools, and Finch’s total disrespect for his former employer, the University of Bridgeport, MJF’s current employer. Further, she differentiated herself very well from Finch and Ganim.
I like what I heard: A pragmatic solutions-minded approach to real problems, no special interests, no baggage, no dingbat slogans or promises, and an impressive background including a real commitment to Bridgeport’s neediest, including through her advocacy work for public safety and for economically struggling women and mothers in our city.
Steve, excellent, well stated and right on point. Honesty and straight answers is what Mary-Jane Foster brings to the position of mayor.
Hi Ron, were you addressing me or Steve A?
I am in total agreement with Mary-Jane Foster on many of the issues she outlined, especially an independent audit of the tax collection department. The entire taxation schedule needs to be overhauled, desperately. “We have recently learned, only because of a police investigation, that the tax collector has a program whereby independent contractors are allowed to seize citizen’s vehicles, impound them, sell them at auction and keep the proceeds; doing so without turning any funds over to the tax collector and without detailed accounting for all these transactions. In a city where tax dollars are stretched so thin due to a stagnant tax base, we can ill afford this level of mismanagement,” Foster charged in a June press release.
She continued:
‘The city of Bridgeport, led by the Finch administration, is just as responsible as this contractor is for stealing personal property for financial gain. A man ‘of the law,’ who bragged about making $1M a year, charged with 18 counts of forgery and 21 counts of criminal impersonation is just uncalled for.”
Well said, Peter. Mary-Jane Foster is the only candidate who brings a strong business background to the Mayor’s office. Bridgeport needs jobs that will uplift this city and its residents and Mary-Jane has demonstrated the ability to do just that. A proven job creator is just what Bridgeport needs.
A NYrker writer used these words regarding Bernie Sanders: “Shamelessly Pandering to Voters Who Want to Hear Truth”
Yes. And I’d say the same for: Mary-Jane Foster
and for City Council where I live (130): Toms and Lee
Simply put, Bridgeport needs Mary-Jane Foster.