What mayoral candidate will be the best caretaker for taxpayers? Bill Finch, Joe Ganim, Mary-Jane Foster?
Just about a week away from the September 16 Democratic primary, CT Post reporter Brian Lockhart examines taxes as a campaign issue.
When he first ran successfully for mayor eight years ago, Bill Finch boldly offered residents a $600 tax break before taking over City Hall.
People are still waiting.
As he pursues a third term, a more cautious Finch has put nothing quite so sexy on the table.
Full story here.
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If you ask my parents who own a house in Bridgeport, they will tell you taxes were down under Ganim and high under Finch. Someone told me Bridgeport is basically run by out-of-towners under Finch.
That’s fairly close to the truth. Out-of-towners want to develop Bridgeport but don’t want to pay taxes. So Finch says “OK!” and raises them for everyone else.
And the city budget was managed by a state financial review board under Joe, because the city was in financial ruins. Much like it is now. I wish we could give credit to (any) one candidate for being able to reduce taxes.
Jennifer, how long have you been living in Bridgeport? It sounds like if you were living here at the time Joe Ganim was first elected, you were far away on an airplane, out of the country, and staying away days and weeks at a time. The FRB turned control of the city of Bridgeport Budget over to Joe Ganim. It was the brains of a man Joe Ganim selected to keep control of our finances that made everything possible. He was none other than the late Jerry Barron. HERE IS THE MAN EVERY SINGLE TAXPAYER SHOULD REMEMBER:
www .facebook.com/jerry.baron1?fref=ts
Too long is the answer.
JB, let’s talk about “give credit to.” Not too long ago we had a conversation on the subject of Real Estate. I told you about a property I was pursuing and ready to do a major rehab on. During the conversation you told me some statistical facts about real estate in Bridgeport. No secret you know a lot about real estate. The other day Rick Torres wrote that article about the East End property value compared to Black Rock. No secret you are very close to and a supporter of Rick Torres. What struck me so odd when I read the article was the statistics Rick was pointing out were very similar in fashion as the ones you had told me about in our conversation. I noticed Rick Torres at no time gave you credit for doing that research and donating it for his election effort. Don’t deny it, I wasn’t born yesterday nor was I on some airplane far away.
I am not the mayor, running for office or taking credit for non-original ideas. Is the attack the messenger and do your best to discredit, spin and deflect coming from campaign headquarters?
I heard if Ganim were mayor he would give every man, woman and child a $1400 rebate to pay back every taxpayer in the the city of Bridgeport including children for the lawsuits we engaged in during all the trials for our disgraced Mayor Joe Ganim. The most popular being Conroy and Steelpointe. That lawsuit alone cost the city years of lost progress on Steelpointe as well as every corner of the city.
I do not think Bridgeporters are interested in bringing back a corrupt 12-year Mayor who took 10 years to apologize when Mayor Finch has brought solid development to every neighborhood in the city that will pave the way for bigger projects that will eventually alleviate the tax burden from the homeowner. Under Ganim do not count on any major projects or support from anyone in Hartford or Washington.
Finch’s babbling ignoramus!
Steve, I have to disagree with you on this one. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, business will come when it is in their best interest. Politicians in Hartford will be around Ganim like white on rice if he wins. I’m not agreeing or disagreeing with what I’ve observed in the past, but it never changes, only the names and faces. You seem to me to be idealistic, and that’s a good thing in life, just not in politics. Most end up with their ideals in their back pockets if they stay around long enough. I know what you’re thinking, how about me; I try real hard to keep it real and stick to what I believe and whom I support. I hope I’m not jaded.
“You seem to me to be idealistic, and that’s a good thing in life, just not in politics. Most end up with their ideals in their back pockets if they stay around long enough.”
Bravo! Lisa, that’s the reason why Steven is so “jaded.” You see Lisa, Steven had planned to stay around long enough. Joe Ganim (he’s the one Steven blames) fired Steven Auerbach. I have no problem pouring salt on that deep wound.
Joel Gonzalez, I voted for Ganim. Twice. I thank G-d every day I was not part of his administration when he betrayed the oath of office and every taxpayer in the city of Bridgeport.
Joel, you may have your head stuck up your ass where the sun don’t shine. If you cannot see what most voters see, it is painfully sad. Steelpointe, Downtown revitalizing, Green technology, Steelpointe, 336 units of housing, charter school and Grocery store on derelict properties lining I-95, waterfront apts at UB, a new train station. Stratford Avenue affordable housing, State Street affordable housing. Amazing endorsement from 333 State Street gorgeous housing, revitalized Mechanics and Farmers, Downtown housing by Eric Anderson, Spinnaker and Forstone, new Parks, Schools and Athletic fields in every corner of the city. Joel, like most Ganim supporters you are delusional, during Ganim’s 12 years there was nothing but Mary-Jane Foster’s ballfield and the relocation of Housatonic and oh yes the city hall annex. Steelpointe was part of Ganim’s huge corruption suit with an additional 150 pages. There is not one educated voter who will allow Ganim to get back in office. Only friends and former city hall employees.
Ganim cannot escape his past. Separating me from the city was the least of his “mistakes.” I think it is sweet Ganim imagines the city is going to rally around him to get his old job back. Most convicted felons in Bridgeport are not that lucky. I am glad the Mayor and the Governor signed a bill supporting second chances. Most Bridgeport residents believe that second chance does not include the top office in the largest city in the state.
Now Joel, Mary-Jane Foster would have been a more honorable choice, or Republican Rick Torres.
Joe Ganim is just bad news for the city. He has no support from any elected officials. No developers, the FBI agent has got to be the biggest joke going. Did he interview Bill, Mary-Jane and Torres before he decided on Ganim, the very man he sent to prison for seven years, would be the best choice for mayor?
Joel, you are such a motivator, Thank you. I could go on and on and on and on about Joe Ganim but why bother? He is toast! He is done. Stick a fork in him and call him Nancy!
Joel, you made my day. You have been missed on the blog and btw, salt has many good qualities especially when you are canvassing. It’s been 12 years for Joe Ganim. If the courts believe he is not worthy of receiving his law license, why would anyone believe he is worthy of taking on the most powerful position in the city???
I agree with Ms. Parziale. The people of the city of Bridgeport have been badly served by a corrupt political machine that refers to itself as “Democratic.” This organization makes Tammany Hall look like a Cub Scout pack. They lumbered us with Joe Ganim. He was a crook and went to prison. Then we were stuck with John Fabrizi, a drug addict and an alcoholic. He blew his re-election chances by testifying as a character witness for a convicted child molester. They recruited Bill Finch, a man who had been fired from at least six private-sector jobs. He didn’t want the mayor’s gig at first and now the DTC can’t get rid of him, so we have to.
The businesses will come to Bridgeport no matter who is in City Hall, as long as the city is made attractive to investment and becomes much more livable. People are moving out of town.
Curious. What job was Finch fired from?
Only idiots make promises they can’t keep during an election cycle, much like your candidate did during his first election.
Hey, Steven. The reason why Bill Finch promised a $600 refund was because he wanted to pay back the taxpayers for being the real person primarily responsible for negotiating, vetting, and getting approval of all contracts (no-bid contracts included), especially all the contracts Joe Ganim signed after Bill Finch and John Fabrizi sent them for the signature of Mayor Joe Ganim. Notice not a single newspaper reporter has ever raised this fact and questioned Bill Finch about it. I’ve been repeating it time and time again and when I tell people this, they are shocked. Those who know Bill Finch was the Chair of the BA as I point out immediately say, “I never thought of it that way, wow!”
So Steve–you support the born liar over the convicted liar? Respect, Take another look at Ms. Honesty, Energy, Intelligence, Success in the private sector, Respect from regional CEOs, True respect from statewide Democratic officials, a Winner not a loser–and you’ll see Bpt truly, not artificially, turning around.
Sourbach isn’t supporting anyone. He’s just angry Joe Gsnim fired him from a cushy municipal job a long time ago. Steve has forgotten the old saying “Never hold a grudge for more than 20 seconds.”
Lisa, why would any politician in Hartford or Washington be on Ganim like flies on feces? (I didn’t understand the white on rice.) I respectfully disagree. No developers are banging down the doors to come to Bridgeport and after we become again, the laughing stock of the country, I hardly see any excitement to come to Bridgeport. We will be bypassed as we had been when Ganim was first in office.
We weren’t bypassed until Joe left office.
Excuse me, Hector. There were no developers here when Joe was in office, every derelict property being developed now is happening during the Finch administration with support from the Governor. Ganim has no support from the Governor or Washington.
Steve, do you really believe Finch is going to win?
donj, I absolutely believe Mayor Finch will win reelection because in the end voters will not waste their vote and as cynical as many people are, they genuinely do want the city to succeed and Mayor Finch has most definitely put us on the right track!
The problem with politicians is they’ll say anything to get your vote and do nothing to maintain their integrity. Politicians since the beginning of time have been saying nothing and talking loud. Having said that, it’s time for Bridgeport to move forward without the benefit of a politician, but instead with a proven business leader, Mary-Jane Foster. Bridgeport, how has continuing to elect career politicians working for you? Bridgeport will/can get better if only you decide to say enough is enough, no thank you Joe and hell no Finch.
Donald Day, not too long ago MJF stated pols in Bridgeport “play rough.” I was one of the City Councilmen of the 131st district where the Bluefish Stadium is located as well as the Arena. Since you know MJF so well, explain to us how was she able to push out another group of developers who wanted to build the stadium at their cost? MJF had to deal with Bill Finch, the Chair of Contracts and Appointments first to get that stadium contract. Building the stadium wasn’t enough for her and her partners. She wanted the Arena too. The last time we sat together, I asked why she hates or doesn’t trust Joe Ganim. She said because he promised me the Arena and he lied to me. The original developers for the stadium had reached out to me as the councilmen for the district. MJF never reached out to me for neither the Stadium nor the Arena. That was one big mistake for MJF the politician. Had she reached out and I was allowed (I would have forced the issue of inclusion) to participate in the process, she would have not been so jaded today. That’s what happens to politicians who deal with politicians like Bill Finch. Ever hear of the politician disguised as a businessman or businesswoman?
JG, speaking of jaded, it sounds as if you are jaded, angry or disillusioned. Could it be because according to your tale she got the job done without the benefit of your input and/or assistance?
As a good business person, should her concerns be with the other entity that wanted to build or should she have done what she did, build it herself? That’s part of the problem with doing business in Bridgeport, everyone wants to say look what I did as opposed to look what was done in the best interest of Bridgeport and its residents.
Joel Gonzalez, and yet you were on Foster’s slate four years ago and supported her candidacy as well as stood on the median on Boston Avenue with Foster signs. Joel, you are an oddball! I have no problem adding salt to the wound. Foster has finally been replacing Ganim signs with Foster signs but it may be too late.
Joel, are you also angry with Mary-Jane Foster because she did not support your candidacy when you ran?
Joel–you are so incredibly wrong on the facts regarding the Bluefish stadium, I don’t know where to begin to refute them. Please tune back in when you’ve done some research.
Land use tax, which Finch is now “exploring.” Bridgeport was eligible for a state-approved pilot program years ago, all they had to do was apply. No one on city council or the Finch administration even considered this until Torres spent months researching, attending seminars on the program, then more time convincing the administration this was a viable option for Bridgeport. Give credit where credit is due, Mr. Mayor.
See what I mean in regards to my comment above?
“… until Torres spent months researching, attending seminars on the program, …”
Thank you for helping Rick on the research. Thank God for Google as I always say.
I did not help Rick with this. He found it on his own once he was elected to city council, where it had been sitting, unaddressed and not researched for about two years. I was brought into the process after Rick had done his due diligence. Any reason in particular you wish to start rumors and discredit Rick?
I’m not discrediting Rick. Rick is fortunate to have you around and very wise to bring you into the process. If only others did the same with some of us here and recognize we are much smarter and committed than those dead weights they’ve selected. It isn’t a rumor as you admit you were brought in. Kind of disappointing to hear you were not included earlier. Trust me, if I wanted to discredit Rick I would have pointed out flaws in the research. I would have not considered doing so as an attempt to discredit and I’m just using your own interpretation of my comment.
Do not make me come over there and … Smiley face inserted here. I am simply a voting citizen who believes in working with and for candidates who put forth great solutions and ideas. Glad you understand. As to flaws in the research, Pittsburgh PA adopted this policy after their one industry steel company was in decline, and that city is making a tremendous comeback.
The Devil is in The Details!
From WTF 06/05/09
Finch blames Fabrizi for high taxes, not Ganim but when you’re broke you don’t hire 20 people for your staff with a salary of 4.2 million dollars now do you??? Finch continues to attack the working man and ask for concessions with Unions whose contracts aren’t even on par with Fairfield County wages. The City employees can’t stand him, most notably the P.D. and the only people who adore him are the ass kissers trying to save their jobs. He has done a lot of damage. And we won’t even talk about the money wasted on that Vazzy’s Christmas party, City Hall flowers and that stupid ad in the paper. I think it might be ILLEGAL to have people work for free and the City is not bargaining in good faith but with threats coercion and intimidation. ‘Nuff said.
Read this: Last week, I noticed my wife was slacking in her responsibility to pay the MV taxes on time.
I told her to go pay the due amount with the late penalty (Mo Money). When she came back she told me that the cashier told her she had to pay the delinquent amount due with the late penalty and the amount not due yet. She was told this after she handed the credit card and received the receipts. She asked why and was told because you’re late in paying. When she came home and told me this I flew to the tax collectors office. I knew they were wrong in doing this. I demanded to speak to the boss so she could show me under what statute, charter rule or resolution she was doing this. She did not come to the window and gave the cashier a business card that read: We are invoking Jeopardy Collection under State Statute Sec. 12-163.
I looked up the statute and read it carefully. She was wrong in doing this to me and thousands of taxpayers, I bet. You see, there is a statute that allows her to do this. But there are other steps she must take before invoking Sec. 12-163.
She never made any other attempts to collect before the invocation. She never sent any notice with a self-addressed stamped envelope, didn’t call or knock on my door nor had any of her staff do so as required by law. This is a very interesting activity conducted by the tax collector. Why? Had I been a person of meager means (poor or broke, couldn’t afford to pay at the time) I would soon be put on the booting program list. I would not had been able to renew the registration as all taxes must be paid before DMV processes a renewal. When or if the vehicle is booted one must pay everything related to MVs registered under my name: Insurance; all MV taxes (taxes on home may apply too, not sure yet of this yet); all traffic tickets; if towed away, boot removal fee; towing and storage cost; and register the vehicle before it can be released. Now I can clearly see how the Bill Finch/Charles Valentino scam works. I’m positive the State Police investigating the Valentino complaint missed this important part of the scam. Let’s see if Brian Lockhart gets back to me as he stated when I called him. Pry Open the Juicy Stuff.
www .cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_204.htm#sec_12-163
WARNING: Pay close attention to this statute as it can be invoked on real estate and MV taxes. Imagine the outcry when the revaluation kicks in. Rest assured, after the Finch administration reads my comments, they will stop for the time being and/or make sure from then on the tax collector follows the proper procedures before the invocation of Jeopardy Collection. Watch the Birdie!
www .youtube.com/watch?v=MWpW0ugETDw
I’ll bet Ganim would not have made you pay your taxes. He is the man!!!
See, that’s what I’ve been saying for months, you can’t take information without the benefit of a snide remark. The information Joel so graciously gave to the residents of Bridgeport is priceless. One can safely assume wasn’t the only incident of this nature. You may not like him, but everything isn’t about who you support, or you want to be Mayor or who you like.
Dr. King said “conscience asks the question, is the right.”
Donald Day, see and I have been saying for months you are as useless as two tits on a bull and when the numbers come in my point will be proven. For months I have been saying this. Months!!!
It must be realized (and many voters do) our $7 billion grand list (for a city of nearly 150,000 mostly poor people) is absolutely inadequate. Our state and federal handouts, given only grudgingly, don’t come close to filling the gap. To have a reasonable tax rate (say, around 25 mils, applied to an honest assessment, like Shelton or Stamford), robust education and public-safety spending, and proper maintenance of our infrastructure and parks, BRIDGEPORT NEEDS ABOUT $12-$13 BILLION DOLLARS IN NEW TAX BASE. (Compare our grand list to Stamford. $7 billion vs $24 billion.)
There are a few million dollars that can be saved in the budget, and a few million more that can be squeezed out of Washington and Hartford. But that isn’t going to shrink our mil rate enough to let taxpayers breathe again. (It might keep our school spending even with inflation.)
None of the mayoral candidates besides Joe Ganim has a plan for bringing about significant tax base growth and tapping overlooked sources of revenue. (In addition to the utility ratepayer relief plan for energy infrastructure host towns his campaign has formulated.)
The Ganim plan, once fully implemented, will be capable of giving Bridgeport homeowners real breathing room. This could happen over as little as two years.
There is a lot of overlooked revenue the city could be gaining from sources that are effectively bleeding the city while they prosper in the only place in the region that would consider hosting them. Joe Ganim has a plan to create a fair deal for the city in this regard, a plan that would create the financial leverage to provide some tax relief for Bridgeport resident homeowners and some basic incentives to create an inviting situation for high-value, TAXPAYING businesses to originate and relocate here.
And, as veteran politician/political strategist/political observer Lisa Parziale has pointed out, if Joe Ganim wins this election and sends the Connecticut Washington-Hartford establishment a jolting, political shock in the process, high-level politicians with deep connections to state and federal funding will be tripping over themselves to please him (in time to collect the Bridgeport votes they depend upon for reelection).
Imagine how fast a powerful, comprehensive, Ganim Economic Development/Tax Relief plan will be put into effect once the Establishment’s anointed candidate gets sent packing by Joe Ganim on September 16. (If Finch remains, the Establishment gets even more comfortable and Bridgeport gets even less and goes further down the tubes.)
Think about it, Bridgeport homeowners and renters. Are you better off now than you were eight years ago? Who do you think has a real plan, and a real chance to really change things in Bridgeport? WE ARE BEING TAXED TO DEATH AT ALL LEVELS, ESPECIALLY FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING BRIDGEPORT RESIDENTS.
THINK ABOUT NEXT WEDNESDAY’S DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY FOR JUST A FEW MINUTES. YOU’LL REALIZE ONLY JOE GANIM HAS A CLUE ABOUT TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR US.
Most people will vote for Mayor Bill Finch. They will vote for the future. Jeff, stop looking backwards.
People are going to vote for the candidate who appeals to them. I’ve heard from several of the people you canvassed here in Black Rock. All of them said “I told him I would vote for Finch just to make him go away.”
They approach me at Harborview Market, Whole Foods, Fairfield Circle, Stop & Shop, to ask “Who the hell is that guy Steven Auerbach? He gives you a hard time on the blog and now he knocks on my door.” What can I say? You turn people off, man. We could be discussing the Yankees’ World Series prospects or crude oil futures and you would find some way to insert Joe Ganim’s name into the conversation. What did he do to you, Steven? Did he beat you up in eighth grade, flush your lunch down the bog, what did he do?
Jeff–why do you pick 25 mils? That is one of the lowest in the state. The average mil rate in CT is 29. This includes all the towns upstate that do not have trash collection, their own police force, fire departments, sewer or water. Stratford has a 36 mil rate and Trumbull 32. Bpt is currently 42.
City taxpayers put $300 million into the $522 million budget. $7,000,000,000 * 0.04228 = $300 mil. Now BPT pays 57% of its own bills. So for every $1 of new grand list, residents will see about a $0.60 tax reduction. Residents will see a dollar for dollar reduction in taxes when the city budget is reduced.
Regardless of how aggressive Joe’s secret plan to grow the grand list is, it will not mean as much as spending reductions. What is the chance Joe will enlighten anyone but you on his plan? PS–Our state and federal handouts–given only grudgingly–are most of what fills the gap. They give $1480 for every one of the 150,000 people in BPT.
All–aren’t we all forgetting one of the most key attributes of a successful CEO? Honesty, which inspires vision, energy, and achievement. Remember Billy Martin’s famous observation of the 1980s about George Steinbrenner and Reggie Jackson–one’s a convicted liar and the other’s a born liar. That shoe fits here in Bpt this year.
The fact Finch doesn’t know how the revaluation is going to impact the residents of Bridgeport goes to shows how incompetent he and his administration is. He should contact his assessor and ask for a report on sales in the city. Where are the reports? That’s their job to keep reports on how the sales are impacting different areas in Bridgeport. Some go up, others down and some stay the same. If the Assessor’s office knew what their job entailed, there won’t be any problems getting this information. But wait!!! Are they qualified to do their job??? So sad, the most important departments within the City are administered by the least knowledgeable. I truly feel for the residents of Bridgeport. Some employees should stop drinking the kool-aid.
Hartford handed Joe Ganim a bankruptcy package so good, it made tax increases unnecessary for ten years. The 1991 Savings and Loan bailout helped him, too. That’s what President Bush (41) did for Ganim. Then President Clinton’s robust economy made things even better for Joe Ganim.
If Joe Ganim couldn’t prosper under the ideal conditions that characterized his term, how could he handle the difficult and complex issues facing Bridgeport today?
We can handle it by kicking Bill Finch out and hiring another chief executive.
You could help us by going away, Trumbull Boy. There’s a liquor store on White Plains Road.
BOE SPY: Why not 25 mils? Don’t you want real tax relief? (We’d still be paying $5,000 in taxes for a $200,000-assessed home–isn’t that enough for you?!)
In regard to increases in the grand list: For the sake of argument, we’ll assume your figures of a $522 million city budget with $300 million from Bridgeport property assessment and $222 from state and federal contributions for education, et al., is “close-enough for government work.”
So right now, our 42.28-mil rate on approximately $7 Billion in grand list, together with $222 million in state and federal contributions, accounts for an approximate budget of $522 million.
Now, if we reduce the mil rate to 25, then we realize only about $175 million from assessed property taxes, and we need to make up about $125 million in new grand list, which at a 25 mil rate means we need about $5 billion in new, taxable development (about 40, end-product, TAXABLE Steal Points).
If we want to fully fund our pension obligations, education and city services, replace obsolete, inadequate infrastructure, and provide a few other indicated extras (e.g., free community college/technical college education for qualified students) and niceties (e.g., usable, accessible, all-weather public spaces), then we might want to budget in another $125 million or so, on an annual basis (to start approaching Stamford-like public provisions in the latter regard), which would mean adding another $5 billion in grand-list value.
So if we keep the $222 million from the state and feds (and we’re probably only getting about half of what they really owe us, considering all the non-taxable, region-serving properties and services we host), we now have an “effective” grand list of about $21 billion, at a 25-mil rate. (If we needed to make up the government contribution, that is what we would need. We now actually, in this created scenario, have about $12 billion taxable at a 25-mil rate.)
So we have now depicted a scenario of real tax relief and a real service increase, but it took 40, TAXABLE, finished-product Steal Points to accomplish this. And mind you, we still fall far short of Stamford’s $24 billion grand list. And we mustn’t forget they get more than we do–when all is counted–in government aid every year. (The differences in their municipal quality of life is duly reflected by these considerations.)
So: To shoot for $12-13 billion in new grand list for Bridgeport still only puts us on a par with Stamford, with respect to tax rate, city services, and financial footing/long-term, municipal fiscal health. Not a greedy or outrageous goal for the mayor of the state’s largest city.
Joe Ganim’s plan–which isn’t a secret and is based on reindustrialization, re-creation of our once-storied arts and entertainment/leisure/hospitality, commercial/financial, and retail sectors–could take us to this level of municipal well-being. Steal Point and the Great Grease and Garbage Recycling Facility at Seaside Park (I think that it is referred to as the EcoTechnology Park or some such BS euphemism) will not do that for us (especially when hardly any of it is taxable!).
So BOE SPY, you need to brush up on your math skills, do a whole bunch of homework on how municipal government should work, and stay up for the next few nights between now and September 16 while you think about what Bridgeport really needs and which of the candidates might actually fight and work for it for us (successfully).
And I have to ask. Do you live in Bridgeport? Do you work here? For the City?
Oh, never mind. It doesn’t really matter. Does it?
But Jeff, you want to go from the 4th worse mil rate to the 4th best? And BPT is the 4th highest state-aided budget and keep that? Comparing BPT to Stamford is not fair. People live in Stamford because it is close to NYC. Bridgeport is too far for most to make that trip. Since BPT stopped being its own industrial center, Bpt is in a pickle. It is too far from the next nearest job center to be a commuter community and it no longer has its own industry. If you do want to compare BPT and Stamford, look at each city’s budget. BPT = 522 (taxes = 300, aid =222) and Stamford = 524 (485 = taxes, aid = 39). You can see Stamford and BPT are about the same in the budget department. Bpt gets A LOT more aid. Municipal government aid seems to work a lot like welfare. You get 800/mo. You get a job making 200/mo and your aid is cut by 175/mo. They give it out based on what THEY think your need is. We all think WE need more. I mean, you can never have too much money. The point is to become self-sufficient.
As far as 40 steel points goes, BPT would need tall buildings. Sprawling things like SP would eat up a very large area of BPT. Moving out people (a city cost) and moving in business (a city income) is not a bad plan. That is what Stamford did. Does Joe plan to do the same in BPT? Now, what company is Joe going to move here? It took 20+ years to get Steel Point. Mostly because of Joe. Now, he is going to move in copious amounts of industry overnight? Can you name the company or produce some documents or is this ‘plan’ more of a theory?
BOE SPY. You simply don’t get it. We need high-value–not high-rise–development. Of course 40 Steal Points is impossible. That was the point.
Not to impugn your character or virtues as a human being, but your posts under this topic sum up your cluelessness about Bridgeport, politics and economic development.
Indeed, you sum up the Finch Administration’s cluelessness in this regard (“Can’t do.” “Never happen.” “Not enough land!” “If you can’t tax it, paint it green!” “If it’s good for Stamford and the ‘burbs, it must be good for us!”). If your guy stays in office, we’ll never see better days. You are drowning in the Kool-Aid! Hopeless!
VOTE GANIM!–or get four more years of BOE-think in City Hall. (We can’t afford that!!!)
Yes Jeff, high value. You make the building go up. A high value with a small footprint. How else would you get high value? You could build the place out of gold. Have you noticed Stamford has all those tall buildings? What ‘high value’ development do you and Joe have in mind? Please, enlighten us.