Mary-Jane Foster, petitioning candidate for mayor, is planning a rally on Wednesday, 6 p.m. at her campaign headquarters, 300 Fairfield Avenue Downtown. She was a keynote speaker at Sunday’s March for Education rally on McLevy Green where Mayor Bill Finch graciously acknowledged the University of Bridgeport executive as a community leader.
“Whatever you are, be a good one,” Foster quoted Abraham Lincoln to the crowd at McLevy Green. Foster hopes she can coalesce an organized opposition against Democratic nominee Joe Ganim who defeated Finch in the primary. Finch, lacking a ballot spot, is weighing his options with five weeks left until election day. Court action to land a ballot spot would take another week. A long-shot write-in candidacy is possible. Or perhaps throwing his support behind Foster. What will the mayor do?
What Will The Mayor Do? If he were smart he would be looking for a job in the private sector instead of trying to pimp off one of the other candidates.
Bridgeport Kid, I couldn’t have said it better! Then again, you couldn’t pimp off a candidate unless he/she was willing to be pimped.
Hopefully the Mayor will do the right thing, and throw his support to Mary-Jane Foster.
How delusional are you off the Colombian hot dogs? How would Finch win by a landslide if he could not even win the primary?
What will the Mayor do? This could get interesting or just a another boring election cycle. Is Bill Finch willing to hand over the most prosperous time in the city to Foster? Can Foster crush Ganim??? Four years ago I thought she could. I cannot even imagine Mayor Finch having to deal with this. I do not think Mary-Jane Foster can deal with this. I wonder if Ganim will continue to treat her like she is invisible or is Charlie Coviello rethinking his stand? Only In Bridgeport!!! One thing for sure, Bridgeport Kid is going to be very disappointed either way!
Must admit Steven, I’m curious (not causing any trouble). If Finch backs out and endorses Foster, are you following Finch to Foster, backing Ganim or just unsure?
I for one don’t know who, what or where my vote is heading, to be honest!
Deep down, I don’t believe anyone stands a chance against Ganim. I think Ganim has won this city over, and if he’s going to do everything he’s saying, then yeah, he’s the #1 choice. I’m not a person who lives in the past, so every time Ganim’s name is brought up I don’t repeat in my head, “he’s a felon, he’s a felon, he’s a felon.”
I constantly read on here and it’s like Ganim’s middle name is now “convicted felon.” Kind of f*cked up I truly believe. The man served his time, he f*cked up. It’s over, done with.
My 2 cents anyways.
Given how you’ve been saying Foster, Torres and Charlie have no chance, it’s a valid question, Steve. Will you follow the mayor’s lead and support MJF?
Not sure where this ends up on the all-time hypocrisy scale.
Mary-Jane Foster please, we realize you have nothing in common with Finch, whom I see as a person (Finch again) who would praise the ass end of a bull as it was having a “a-ha” moment” and find it to be an enlightened moment in his brain.
Could I say “shit for brains,” Mr. Moderator?
Bpt Punisher,
That is an extremely weird situation for me personally. I have given all my time and energy to Mayor Finch’s campaign. I really believed Foster should not have run this time around. I am disturbed by most of Foster’s closest allies, but I couldn’t stand most of them four years ago either and I still worked my ass off. I feel so terrible that people from the Mayor’s inner circle put him in this very strange position.
This brings us to Joe Ganim. I have been aweful to him on this blog and he forgave me. 🙂 Politics you know. Everything I said on this blog I do believe. I will say Joe Ganim was the only politician who asked for my support when Mayor Finch lost the primary. I was clear I would continue to support Mayor Finch no matter what it takes unless I hear from his lips he was no longer running. I have not heard that. It is also not my goal to see anyone but Joe in office. If the Mayor would decide to back Foster, I would respect his actions. I will refrain from supporting any other candidate other than Mayor Finch until that time comes and when I do, I can only assure you I will work to get them elected. 🙂
Finch needs to man up and try to save any last bits of pride he may have.
Consolidation with the Finchettes!
So who needs whom? Does Mary-Jane need Billy and the Finchettes?
Or the money Finch can bring to her do-over twice-baked campaign?
Maybe Bill’s looking for a job with UB? Sure!
Here’s how I see it, from the Governor down to Tommy McCarthy and every Finchette with bloodshot eyes who can’t sleep, Joe Ganim will take no prisoners when he enters the office of Mayor.
The city books have been baking for eight years, Finch and company need to cover their asses, from Manny’s driveway to Uncle Sal’s tax breaks and so-called New Railroad Station.
Steelpointe was a total give-away deal, just like the East Side 170 housing units with a 35-year tax abatement program and a 60-year land lease for one dollar.
Mary-Jane is being set up on this one! Talk to a few inherently omniscient guys like Greenberg and Rose.
Just remember what Tonto always said. “Finch speaks with forked tongue!”
I’ll leave you with one of your famous words, Mary–Jane–transparency!
Governor Malloy will take care of Bill Finch with a position so he can pay his bills.
Maybe the Gov will give Finch Chris Caruso’s job.
Now that would prove:
1) Payback IS a bitch.
2) What goes around comes around.
3) In politics, it’s not what you know but whom you know.
4) The enemy of my enemy is Chris Caruso.
I really like MJF but I feel as if she just wants to be known as Actress, Businesswoman, Mayoral Candidate. Something for her memoirs.
I feel as if she’s SATISFIED with running and not winning.
I don’t know. At least Finch has been keeping his name relevant when it comes to the upcoming election, but for MJF to back out publicly and then want to jump in because Finch doesn’t have a ballot spot. Something isn’t right. I would’ve voted for her before, but after playing the “I’m gone/I’m back” card, I don’t really believe in her.
BPT Punisher, you are so right. Mary-Jane will lose all credibility and will appear to want to win at any cost. Before I write her off, I have to hear her decision.
Lisa,
So you wouldn’t consider Finch’s actions to date “want[ing] to win at any cost”? Since when was the desire to win something negative?
Booty there is nothing wrong with wanting to win. Why would anyone run for office if they didn’t want to win. There’s nothing negative about it. This particular situation would give the appearance of wanting to win at any cost, and that’s negative.
Exactly my point. Both Finch and Ganim appear to want to win “at any cost.” You sound like you’re espousing a double standard. If it’s negative for Foster, it’s negative for “the boys.” You can’t have it both ways.
Okay Booty, my point isn’t coming across the way I intended it to so I’ll defer to you. Just one more thing, Finch and Foster (if it’s true) are going above and beyond to try to win. What has Joe done that gives you reason to believe he has also? I sincerely want to know what you think. Maybe I’m missing something.
Finishing second looks better in a memoir than finishing third! Let me run for mayor AGAIN because Finch is dropping out!
So Finch is backing MJF. That makes her the other candidate representing the DTC. Foster or Ganim. Cancer or polio.
I think what Lisa and the Punisher don’t get is for MJF this is not the lifetime defining moment. For career politicians it is always the next office, the next election.
Mary-Jane believes she can do more for Bridgeport than either Finch or Ganim can. It is not something at any and all costs.
Ganim and Finch will sell their souls to be mayor again. The same with Fabs.
But since Mary-Jane does not go that far other career politicians cannot comprehend this.
MJF misses her name up in lights, she could care less about the little people of Bridgeport, she just wants to be a headliner again.
BPT REBEL,
Certainly you are being a tad sarcastic, no?
Mary-Jane Foster was a respectable actress in commercials. She was hardly a headliner and I am certain she did not view people like yourself as little people. Unless of course you are a little person in which case it would be politically correct to refer to you as a little person rather than a midget!
Maybe someday Foster will figure out this election was as much anti-Finch as it was pro-Ganim. Go ahead and align yourself with the idiot the voters wanted out and see what that gets you!
Okay, here’s my point of view. First let me preface, I’m fond of MJF, but she procrastinated so long before deciding to run again for Mayor, she lost supporters. She did the right thing when she came in third with embarrassing numbers; now she may be reversing her position, dragging out the drama, all in the name of what she thinks is right for Bridgeport. When she ran in the primary she made her feelings regarding Bill Finch very clear. (Nothing positive or redeeming.) It’s clear Finch will not be on the ballot in November, and because he “hates” Ganim so much, he’s offering to support MJF who denigrated him in the primary. Here’s the rub. What makes Finch think the support he received in the primary is transferable? Maybe some, but never enough to beat Joe in November. I know some of his supporters are already jumping ship and courting Joe. Bubba, if the characters in this scenario were different, you would be agreeing with me 100%. If you care about your choice of candidate, you should be on the phone advising her not to make a mistake. It’s never going to happen! Joe will be able to pick off her supporters, because they will be disappointed in her, and her sincerity will be questioned. I hope all this is just a bad rumor.
If Foster is aligned with Finch, that means Stafstrom is lurking in the wings, Svengali-like, to work his evil magic with absentee ballots and bought-and-paid-for voters. What kind of Faustian bargain has been struck between Ms. Foster and the Machine?
There is just a little bit of hypocrisy here, a losing candidate suddenly endorsed by an incumbent who has been vilified.
The Bridgeport Kid // Sep 28, 2015 at 6:49 pm
To your posting
Bpt Kid,
There is more than a deal going on here. There is a collapse of any moral integrity or even the pretense of moral integrity if Bill Finch and Mary-Jane foster have allied their campaigns in yet another Machiavellian move by Finch to keep his office. This is stunning hypocrisy, and loss of respect and credibility on the part of both candidates.
Voters across the city of Bridgeport will respond with an equally stunning repudiation of these insulting tactics.
This kind of bitter, retaliatory anger by Bill Finch doesn’t surprise me, but the same kind of action by Mary-Jane foster, does.
It is unnerving.
I hope she chooses not to engage in this kind of campaign deception.
Think it’s safe to say Joe Ganim has outsmarted the field and has been three steps ahead of them, this is the only choice to bring our city back.
We’ve has eight years of a boob whose little runt Dead Wood has been running the city as Finch is a figurehead not the brains of the operation. Sorta like Bush and Cheney.
It’s a good feeling to know the man who has outsmarted everyone will be bringing our city back, and it will be his doing not his underlings.
CT Post says Finch is considering dropping his bid and backing Foster, to that I ask, what did she offer him as nothing in politics comes for free?
And if she did offer to get in bed with the snake, she is every bit the scumbag Finch and the Finchettes are.
These are ifs, but if the ifs are true, go away MJF, you could care less about us little people.
While I think Ms. Foster would have been a good mayor if given the chance, now that she has aligned herself with Finch, I cannot vote for her, and I’m sure I’m not alone.
Harvey, that is so ridiculous. if Finch had a line on the ballot with the entire city voting , Finch would have had a landslide victory.
Would have, could have, should have. Very sad. I want to believe this is just a rumor!
Steve, again with the landslide victory? Please stop, it’s comical now.
Me too, Steve!
There’s that landslide word again from the man who hasn’t predicted anything right. How about if everyone voted, Ganim would win by a larger margin, Stevie?
Face it, your boy Finch went from a loser, to a fake party, to an Independent, to a Republican all on his hands and knees begging like a homeless man looking for spare change.
Finch is out.
Ganim wanted Finch to endorse HIM.
Finch said no.
If Finch endorses Ganim, GOOD.
If Finch endorses Foster, BAD.
Come on folks. You sound super silly this AM.
That is the magic question, did MJF ask Finch to support her? And if so, what did she offer him? I may have just lost some respect for her.
In my opinion, Finch’s disgraceful conduct over these past few weeks is not going to help with unaffiliated voters.
And I do believe the primary was not as much a vote for Ganim as a vote against Finch.
The mantra I heard in my neighborhood was anyone but Finch.
Who should our next mayor be?
To those who are not sure who to support, consider this from a far-left social justice person who believes we must properly take care of anyone in need.
At the same time I am just as far right with fiscal responsibility. I can’t stand watching politicians wasting our tax dollar as though we have bottomless pockets especially in a city like Bridgeport where these tax dollars are coming out of the pockets of mainly simple working people trying to raise a family. These dollars must be respected but have not been.
I am not going to make personal attacks here but I will critique poor management tactics by mayors of late.
Bridgeport politicians have disrespected us and our tax dollar for too long. We spend, abuse and mismanage tax dollars with no regard for the citizen who has paid into the system. This has been happening for many years through many consecutive administrations. They believe they can simply go back to the same well and raise taxes again and again. I believe we are at our breaking point, the well is dry. Many have lost their homes already. Why should we be taxed more to live in Bridgeport than in the surrounding communities?
We sit back quietly and just accept it or we for some crazy reason continue to vote in the same managers knowing our taxes will continue out of control.
• Foolish and unthoughtful fiscal decisions like the millions we have spent on parks may be a good thought but it is forgotten it is being funded by those who are already overtaxed.
• Telling building contractors you will only hire unions ruins the thought of “Competitive bidding” on building projects. Union contractors know they can overcharge for projects and are still assured to get the job costing the Bridgeport taxpayer millions more. Give the jobs to the unions if you want but don’t state in advance you will only hire unions.
• Big tax abatements allow big business to take advantage of Bridgeport taxpayers, allowing them to make huge profits for a lifetime while the Bridgeport taxpayer has no benefit and is burdened with the new costs of support services, which again will cost you and I millions more. Abatements could be managed better where business and resident benefit equally, we roll over and allow big business to take advantage of us and pay NO TAXES. These bad decisions are made for us and there is nothing we can do except to vote these self-serving idiots out when Election Day rolls around.
• Do-nothing city jobs are created, this may satisfy supporters of these administrations but again come at a cost to every taxpayer in the city. These political side deals with promises of city positions show a lack of integrity by these politicians and must stop because they come at the taxpayers’ expense. We must beg, “No more side deals.” By accepting a side deal from Bill Finch, Mary-Jane Foster just proved she would be no different, as she supports backroom “business as usual” for the park city.
Bridgeport has been in dire need of change, we need a compassionate and good fiscal manager. I know Enrique (Rick) Torres is as close to the perfect person for this job as there is. It is in his very nature to stand up for and protect those who need help. He is a bigger social justice person than any Democrat in the city and will stand up for those in need. He will at the same time respect our tax dollar and fight against fiscal waste lowering taxes. Yes, this is the change we need.
On Election Day we have the chance to end decades of failure and embarrassment. Don’t let this opportunity pass, let’s protest business as usual. Share this post with your Bridgeport friends and family if you are in.
Bill Pelletier
Fed up, Lifetime overtaxed Bridgeport resident and Bridgeport business owner.