5:30 p.m. update:
David Dunn, former labor relations director under Mayors John Mandanici and Tom Bucci, has been appointed by Mayor Bill Finch as acting personnel director for civil service replacing the fired Ralph Jacobs.
Finch can appoint him on an acting basis pending approval by the Civil Service Commission that blowtorched Jacobs for not playing ball with Finch over job hires. The specified reason for firing Jacobs–he didn’t seek commission approval over a letter he sent to an attorney representing a city employee–is bullshit. The mayor wants someone who’ll accommodate his political peeps. Dunn’s former boss Bucci is representing Jacobs in his court challenge.
Dunn meets the experience credentials for personnel director specified in City Charter language. David knows his way around City Hall, he’s smart, chain-of-command oriented, and will serve the mayor well. That means working with the mayor on political hires.
Here’s where Finch is missing the train in this fight: better to blow out Jacobs as part of a cure message to modernize civil service. If I’m Finch I’d have immediately issued a news release explaining the civil service vote was the first step to rectify antiquated and rigid civil service rules. The next step is formation of a Charter Revision Commission to fully review civil service rules and regulations and let voters decide if the reforms are warranted.
Example: modify the rule of one (the top testing person) to a rule of three.
At least then there is some kind of method to the madness. What Finch and Chief of Staff Adam Wood have done instead is say Jacobs was a big pain in the ass, he would not help us with jobs for political supporters so let’s hire a law firm, no wait, let’s hire two outside law firms, one to allege and one to prosecute to soil this guy for a firing.
Finch and Wood would rather shoot the guy in the head and figure out the rest later. Their attitude is we’re smart and everyone else is stupid. Yes, the two guys who promised a $600 tax cut and then raised them by $600, the double-dip strategy that failed, lies, lies and more lies about the Bridgeport Port Authority bullshit, lies about “let the people decide” about a library referendum, and there’s a lot more where that came from.
Finch and Wood have no cohesive message, no rational strategy, no plan, no economic development initiative to call their own. These are the two guys in charge of government.
Sometimes you can shoot someone in the head and end up with blood on yourself. (Don’t get excited, I’m talking in political terms.)
This is a power grab to control jobs and nothing else and the five members of the civil service commission were snowed into supporting the termination. I must give Finch and Wood credit in one regard. They don’t have a history selling much. But they were able to manipulate civil service commissioners that this was the right thing to do. At what cost to taxpayers?
One way or another this decision to fire Jacobs is going to cost the city a pile of cash, probably hundreds of thousands of dollars before it’s over as a result of legal fees and a settlement with Jacobs. Or maybe the court orders the city to give Jacobs his job back? That would be fun.
Finch and Woody are political animals. That’s fine. But strategically they stink.
Meanwhile where are my friends at the Connecticut Post hardcopy edition covering this story?
News release from Mayor Finch
Mayor Finch Appoints David Dunn as Acting Civil Service Personnel Director
BRIDGEPORT, CT (August 25, 2009) – Mayor Bill Finch today announced that he will appoint David Dunn as Acting Civil Service Personnel Director and will submit his appointment to the Civil Service Commission for ratification.
“David Dunn brings more than 30 years of experience in human resources, personnel and labor relations, and has worked with the City for more than 22 years. I fully expect that with his experience in Civil Service and personnel that we can continue to move the department forward until a test for a permanent director can be held,” said Mayor Finch.
“As Acting Director, I plan to work with labor and management to bring greater efficiencies and modern operations to the office, completing tests in a timely manner and, to help implement structured employee performance evaluations,” said Dunn.
Dunn’s 30 years of experience includes senior and corporate level human resources work for international companies, and he has managed personnel departments from 800 to 1,250 employees in size. He has twice served as the City’s Director of Labor Relations – from 1975 to 1981 under Mayor John Manadanici and from 1986 to 1991 under Mayor Thomas Bucci. Since 1997, he has served as the City’s senior labor relations officer.
Dunn is a management member of the Connecticut State Board of Mediation and Arbitration, appointed in 1990 by Governor O’Neill. In 2001, he received designation as a Certified Professional from the International Personnel Management Association, a national organization of personnel management professionals.
His professional affiliations include, past President of the Connecticut Public Employer Labor Relations Association (CONNPELRA); and membership in the Industrial Relations Research Association (IRRA), the International Personnel Management Association (IPMA), Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and the Bridgeport Regional Business Council.
Dunn holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Sacred Heart University, and has undertaken graduate level work in labor relations and human resources at the University of Connecticut. He holds Advanced Arbitration Advocacy Certification from the American Arbitration Association; Certified Professional designation from the International Personnel Management Association (IPMA-CP); and National Public Employer Labor Relations Association Master Certification in Labor Relations (pending).
In addition to his professional work in Bridgeport, Dunn has consulted on projects for numerous Connecticut towns, cities, or housing authorities.
Library Referendum
Bridgeport Superior Court Judge David Tobin has sided with the Liberate Libraries Committee request to place a budget referendum question before voters pending certification of signature petitions by the town clerk.
This sets up a voter referendum in November. “Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus and a Town of Bridgeport,” said Library Board Director Jim O’Donnell, an attorney who assisted in arguing this first-of-its-kind case in state history. This was the first time that the state statute cited by the library committee has been used.
The judge made a factual finding: that the City of Bridgeport assumed obligations of the Town of Bridgeport. Bridgeport was initially established as a borough, then a town in 1821 and a city in 1836.
The judge set a hearing for Thursday morning to clear the way for a Nov. 3 referendum after the town clerk’s office has certified the 50 petitions necessary for ballot qualification.
The presiding statute:
Sec. 11-36. Town or borough tax. When fifty electors of any town or borough present a petition to the clerk of such town or borough, asking that an annual tax be levied for the establishment and maintenance of a free public library and reading room in such town or borough, and specify in their petition a rate of taxation, not to exceed three mills on the dollar, such clerk shall, in the next legal notice of the regular municipal election in such town or borough, give notice that at such election the question of an annual tax for the maintenance of a library is to be voted upon in the manner prescribed in section 9-369. The designation of such question on the voting machine ballot label shall be “Shall a …. mill tax be levied to establish and maintain a free public library and reading room?”. Such notice and such designation of the question on the voting machine ballot label shall specify the rate of taxation mentioned in such petition. If, upon the official determination of the result of such vote, it appears that a majority of all the votes upon such question are in approval of such question, the tax specified in such notice shall be levied and collected in the same manner as other general taxes of such town or borough and shall be known as the “library fund”. Such tax may afterwards be lessened or increased within the three-mill limit, or made to cease, in case the electors of any such town or borough so determine by a majority vote at any regular municipal election held therein, in the manner hereinbefore prescribed for voting upon such question; and the corporate authorities of such town or borough may exercise the same powers relative to free public libraries and reading rooms as are conferred upon the corporate authorities of cities.
An attorney for the city urged the judge to find for another state statute that gives the City Council authority over libraries. Judge Tobin saw it differently. Mayor Bill Finch is on record saying the voters should decide. Of course that did not prevent him from having his city attorney oppose the library. So, now the question: will the mayor unleash political operatives to defeat this referendum?
Assuming the petitions are certified, this is going to be some battle over the following question: “shall a one mill tax be levied to establish and maintain a free public library and reading room?”
The firing of Mr. Jacobs was a disgrace. Shame on all the civil service commissioners. Let me remind McBride you were the employee representative not the Finch representative. I guess in McBride’s case you do what you have to to keep relatives employed.
Shame on the council for never standing up to Finch & Wood.
Shame on Mario Testa for not standing up to Finch & Wood.
Shame on all of us if we reelect this nasty individual to the mayor’s office.
Out here somewhere there has to be someone with balls and brains that can run this city the right way.
Being involved in Bridgeport Politics for a long time I can’t think of anyone at the moment. Can You???
Ayala
Bruce Hubler
Town Committee,
Do you ever sleep?
Hopeful Yes about 6 hrs a day. It’s easy to be up early when you go to bed at 9:30 PM. Being retired also gives you time to take a nap in the afternoon. Life is just one big bowl of cherries.
So what did the mayor really gain here? He gets to hire some of his political flunkies who may or may not be qualified. You have long-time employees resigning/retiring all over the place and now they could potentially be replaced by unqualified appointees. So now your depts start to fail because they are not adequately staffed. Ralph and Bucci will no doubt prevail costing the city tons of money. And the gain here is what? Oh yeah, the politicos get jobs. OIB
Potentially?! I’d guess that they will definitely be replaced by unqualified appointees. Mr. Jacobs and Attorney Bucci will prevail in any court case, there ought to be no question about that. It will cost the city some elephant-sized dollars to defend, but then city officials have no qualms about pissing away the taxpayers’ money in pursuit of a Pyrrhic victory. According to Edmund H. Mahoney’s article in the Hartford Courant,
“The former mayor is responsible for two post-conviction suits, both of which have proven to be expensive losers.
In one, Bridgeport argued that it should not have to pay a developer about $8 million for building a city sports arena because Ganim rigged the contract. A state Superior Court judge disagreed. In the second, Ganim was found personally liable for $182,000 to a developer who sued Bridgeport, claiming the city awarded his marina and hotel project to a developer who was paying bribes.”
How much money was spent on these civil suits? And now Bridgeport’s taxpayers will have to foot the bill for the city’s defense in response to the lawsuit being brought by Mr. Jacobs. After the city loses and the appeals route has been perfunctorily traveled the citizens of Bridgeport ought to give serious consideration toward filing a class-action lawsuit against Mayor Finch, “Pecker” Wood, and all of the myopic advisors that suggested firing Mr. Jacobs.
*** Why don’t you apply, you seem to know everything, or so you blog? ***
Read Lennie’s CT Post blog today. Well done. Finch should have hired Lennie as his political strategist. At least Lennie would have spun this mess to Finch’s advantage.
Thanks for the plug Smoker, but I’m not interested.
Lennie, are you sure the DTC hasn’t hired you to beat Finch up on OIB on a daily basis?
My feeling about the next candidate for mayor is that they should be out front now. I mean if you are a relative unknown or known only in your district you need to establish name recognition city wide.
Coming out 6 months before the election just is not enough time.
If you are an established political name and sit on your ass while the city is being dismantled then I don’t need you 6 months in front of election time.
Someone has to take on the role of a leader. Someone has to take on the role that shows the people of Bridgeport and the good city employees that there is hope and that the winds of change are coming.
Someone has to say to Finch and mayor Wood enough is enough. Its obvious that the DTC is not going to do that.
IT’S IS TIME TO THINK OF A CHANGE.
Do I hear “Fardy for Mayor”?
Someone has to de-throne Mario.
City Hall What you say is true but fortunately or unfortunately replacing Mario with Danny Roach is at best a status quo move. Last time I checked Roach and Finch were good buddies (that could have changed). I am not aware of anyone new interested in going after that job.
Mr. Testa may have the ability to get the vote out on Election Day but he does not, nor will he ever, possess the necessary political skills to do the job in a fair and equitable manner. According Wikipedia, “… the [Democratic] party has adopted a centrist economic and more socially progressive and social democratic agenda, with the voter base having shifted considerably. Today, Democrats advocate more social freedoms, affirmative action, balanced budget, and a free enterprise system tempered by government intervention (mixed economy). The economic policy adopted by the modern Democratic Party, including the former Clinton administration, may also be referred to as the ‘Third Way’. The party believes that government should play a role in alleviating poverty and social injustice and use a system of progressive taxation.” That does not sound like a description of Mr. Testa’s political philosophies. The Bridgeport Democratic Town Committee’s leadership hasn’t done much, if anything, to alleviate poverty and social injustice. Under Mr. Testa’s leadership, and that of the various district leaders that answer to him, the Bridgeport Democratic Town Committee has advocated balanced municipal budget and a free enterprise system so long as it benefited the chosen few. The city’s budget hasn’t been balanced in at least twenty years, despite Johnny Fabs’ claims to the contrary. Free enterprise has been effectively stifled in Bridgeport.
As for this can of worms that Mayor Finch and his chief of staff Adam “Pecker” Wood opened with the firing of Ralph Jacobs, well … Something is definitely not quite right here. This behavior on the part of the mayor and his major dumbass is distinctly UN-democratic. Does anyone have Nancy DiNardo’s telephone number? How ’bout Tim Kaine’s? The party’s leadership at the state and national levels ought to know exactly what sort of “trickery by artful subterfuge or sophistry” the mayor and the town committee chair have been up to.
How ’bout Eric Holder, the United States Attorney General? Mr. Holder has an impressive track record prosecuting corrupt politicians. After graduating from law school, Holder joined the U.S. Justice Department’s new Public Integrity Section during an interval lasting from 1976 to 1988. During his time there, he assisted in the prosecution of Democratic Congressman John Jenrette for bribery discovered in the Abscam sting operation. In 1988, then-President Ronald Reagan appointed Holder to serve on the Bench as a Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
Holder stepped down from the bench in 1993 to accept an appointment for U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia from then-President Bill Clinton. He was the first black American U.S. Attorney in that office. At the beginning of his tenure, he oversaw the conclusion of the corruption case against Dan Rostenkowski, part of the Congressional Post Office scandal. Representatives Jenrette and Rostenkowski were both members of the Democratic Party, by the way. I seriously doubt Mr. Obama would consider the party machine in Bridgeport a part of his electoral base since all of the DTC’s candidates in last November’s election pimped off his coattails.
I’ll give the Philistine Phinch one thing. He is not corrupt as defined by Convicted Phelon and Consummate Crook, Joe Ganim (You know, the guy some of you idiots think should be reelected upon his release from Phederal Prison). Stupid, regrettably, is not a punishable offense.
Phrankly, the most probable reason that Phinch and the Calamarians are not openly involved in corrupt activities is simply because there is absolutely no development going for which Phinch and his minions could shake down willing contractors. No contractor in his or her right mind would consider coming to Bridgeport so long as the present players are in power.
Sad state of affairs. I wonder if good ole Keith Cougar Rodgerson is still happy with his decision to deny Caruso his place on the general ballot 2 years ago. For $25 bucks an hour we the people get stuck with Phinch. Nice job Cougar.
“… the most probable reason that Phinch and the Calamarians are not openly involved in corrupt activities is simply because there is absolutely no development going for which Phinch and his minions could shake down willing contractors. No contractor in his or her right mind would consider coming to Bridgeport so long as the present players are in power.” Which confirms what I said about free enterprise being effectively stifled in Bridgeport.
Yahooy, remember that Joe didn’t have his hand out the first five years so there’s still time.
Lennie
Joe didn’t have his hand out for the first five years. Joe never liked a check he could pick up.
Vultures of a feather flock together.
Nothing against David.
However, this sounds more like a typical Finch DUMB DEAL!
I can’t wait to see how much this is going to cost us.
I’m interested in learning more about A Ayala; I’ve never heard a bad word about him and I’ve heard he stays away from all the bs. Is he a real candidate? This will be my first time voting for a mayor and I want my vote to count! Has he announced he is interested or is it just rumor that he is?
Now that Mayor Finch has blown up management of Civil Service, what does he intend to do with it?
His excellency has been quiet as (a rather thin) Buddha.
Finch loses this ploy in the long run unless some new interpretation of civil service regulations is ginned up. The reward is therefore in the short term.
What pray (or prey) is the mayor seeking?
“Yahooy, remember that Joe didn’t have his hand out the first five years so there’s still time.”
I sense Lennie is trying to appease Mr Ganim. Everybody understands why the current Mayor doesn’t want you on his staff. Why you don’t want to be on his is unimportant.
The Bridgeport Kid: free enterprise is not being effectively stifled in Bridgeport. You misread the picture. Keep your eyes and ears to the street before we label you a “library blogger”.
ojos locales,
Haz a los demás como te gustaría que te hicieran a ti, o:
Si usted actúa como un pendejo que no se sorprenda si la gente te tratan como un pendejo.
In other words,
“Vete a la mierda.”
The signs arise from around us in the curling clouds from the resource recovery plant that traveler Maior Phinchi–so has sought out the long-darkened and forgotten temple of Monk Guatama Johann Chuck and the spiritual guidance of Mahandy-Vu to guide his children to the submissive philosophy of “Let ’em eat their teeth!”
McLevy Still Getting Screwed By Bridgeport!
Naked teens charged with having sex on McLevy Hall steps
By Daniel Tepfer
STAFF WRITER
Updated: 08/25/2009 04:14:56 PM EDT
BRIDGEPORT — A naked teenage couple was caught having sex on the steps of McLevy Hall last Friday evening, police said.
The 16-year-old male and 15-year-old female, who struggled to put on their clothing when confronted by officers, each were charged with breach of peace.
Police received complaints about 6:30 p.m. from apartment dwellers overlooking Bank Street about a young couple “going at it” on the steps of McLevy Hall across Broad Street from City Hall Annex.
When officers arrived, they spotted the couple sprawled on the steps of the historic building, which still houses municipal offices.
They said the girl noticed them first and quickly nudged her partner, who immediately began grabbing for his pants.
Police said the girl assured them the encounter was not forced, but wouldn’t comment further.
The cops should have been charged with “Breach of Piece!”
Must have been a bunch of Peepin’ Toms!
“Police received complaints about 6:30 p.m. from apartment dwellers overlooking Bank Street about a young couple ‘going at it’ on the steps of McLevy Hall across Broad Street from City Hall Annex.”
Hey guys just came from the gym and read yesterday’s post and the article of me supporting Ganim … Do I still support Ganim? … The answer is hell yes I still support a Ganim run in 2011. Some of you are living in la la land and don’t want to know the truth and the truth is if Ganim were to run he would win easily getting at least 60% of the vote and that is a fact not fiction. There is no one who could beat him!!! So just face it if he runs he will win and another thing is he will win every precinct in Bridgeport, that is how popular the guy still is. The only person to come close to Obama with the highest % of vote in city office is Ganim. He ran over 80% and not even Bill Finch could do that and nobody knew who the hell was Finch’s Republican challenger!!! So like I said face it, the majority of Bridgeport residents would vote for Ganim so the few of y’all who don’t like him I guess your opinion does not count at all because when voters goes to the polls and speak their minds that’s the only thing that counts in the end and Ganim would win so easily. He would win every race every ethnic group and every age group. I voted for Caurso in 2007 but he lost fair and square because the only message he had was corruption and that alone will not make you mayor of a big city. Ganim 2011!!!
donj is living proof that you should have to pass a test and get a license to blog … once again donj … I can turn you on to a great investment guy, his name is Bernie … just hand me your cash and I will give it to Mr. Madoff.
Geeze; y’know, you have to get a license to own a firearm, a license to operate a motor vehicle, a license to cut hair, a license to go fishing. Let the tyke have his shits and giggles. Sooner or later Mr. donj will learn that government and politics in Bridgeport is not a barrel of laughs. It does bear a similarity to a cross between a carnival freak show and a bad soap opera, however.
“la la land.”
We have your address; what about the house number?
Bpts Finest
Once again it’s a blog and I could care less. I bet you’re out of shape. Bpts Finest you’re in la la land because you are 1 of like only 10% of Democrats that don’t like him. I hope when he runs and he wins huge you can shut your mouth then because the majority of Bridgeport would vote him in again it’s a fact. So keep dreaming maybe one day it will come true. Ganim = safer streets, way lower taxes better school system you know what it just equals a better life for the people of this city and 9 out of ten people would agree with me in any neighborhood in Bridgeport and I will bet anything I have on that.
Bpts Finest
One other thing, where I’m from we don’t invest in those things we invest in putting money in shoeboxes, something ya don’t know about go around the east end and probably you will find out what I’m talking about ’cause you seem to lack some Bridgeport street credibility you must live in another city and don’t know shi* about the city at all.
Before one can put money in a “shoebox,” one must be able to afford to buy shoes in a box.
That’s right.
LMAO
donj,
It’s not a matter of “liking” Mr. Ganim any more than it is a matter of “liking” the DTC. Joe Ganim was a crook, and that’s how he is regarded. Sure he did some good, removing blighted buildings (71 or so), building the Arena and the Ballpark at Harbor Yard, etc., but his historical reputation will be that of a man who was (maybe still is) so unmitigatedly arrogant that he actually believed he could get on the witness stand in a federal courtroom and lie about his culpability in a racketeering case. He was eventually found guilty on 16 of 22 charges. According to Wikipedia’s entry for Bridgeport, Connecticut, “Its more recent mayors, including Joseph Ganim, have been plagued with corruption scandals, reflecting a similar pattern found in other urban centers in Connecticut. In June 2006, Mayor John M. Fabrizi admitted that he had used cocaine since taking office …
“Its status as a struggling post-industrial city marked by poverty is well-known within Connecticut, and stands out markedly from its Gold Coast neighbors.”
Bridgeport’s reputation as a crime-riddled, drug-infested city run by a corrupt one-party political machine wasn’t Ganim’s doing; he merely took advantage of the corruption for his own material benefit. He could just as easily taken the moral high road and labored to turn the city around. He didn’t, as we all know.
“… removing blighted buildings (71 or so) …”
Ganim and his clan received kickbacks from asbestos removal from just about every house torn down.
“… building the Arena and the Ballpark at Harbor Yard …”
Ganim went as far as scamming money from the contaminated dirt from the Jenkins Valve site where the stadium now stands.
The Bridgeport Kid’s posting from Wiki about Bridgeport begs the question: Which one of you wise guys is responsible for writing it?
Not I. The city’s tattered reputation is courtesy of the antipathy of Mario Testa and Joe Ganim and the incompetence of Johnny Fabs. The side order of contemporary malaise is a political concoction whipped up by Bill Finch and his partner in crime.
donj,
Ignorance is not a blissful state except for the ignorant.
Now Salcedo can get back to his assignment. He has a lot to Do-ritos. Congratulation on the round 1 win.
Now how does one sell a (1) mil increase to the voters?
Do you think the opposition will point out the city’s funding of the “other libraries” to the taxpayers?
“As Acting Director, I plan to work with labor and management to bring greater efficiencies and modern operations to the office, completing tests in a timely manner and, to help implement structured employee performance evaluations,” said Dunn.
Sounds fair to me! Now let’s see if Dunn will really complete the testing for a new CS Director in “a timely manner.”
Hmmm but I guess 80% of Bridgeport agrees with me and I sure bet Mojo agrees with me and city hall smoker too that Ganim was a great mayor and would have no problem winning again; face it. it’s a fact. Joel Gonzalez is so funny Mojo is correct Joel thinks he has all the answers lol. Well I am 100% sure that Ganim will win if he decides to run and it’s a fact. As for the shoebox thing if you live on the east end you would know what I mean. I’m not talking to the people that live on the border of Trumbull and Fairfield because if you know anything ’bout the east end you know it’s a way of life. Growing up on the east end you know what to say and what not to say to certain people. Growing up on the east end you learn to defend yourself because there must be a day where you will encounter a problem and defend yourself. So what I am saying is I could care less what anybody has to say on any blog because it will never be worse than the things I have seen and heard on the east so these little remarks don’t even make me mad they just make me lmao.
Hmmm …
***MoPho*** and donj think Ganim should be elected mayor when he is released from prison. Not surprising. Both are the type of people that are satisfied with the Calamarian rule that has ruined our city. Ignorance is not bliss, it is a hideous disease.
“Growing up on the east end you learn to defend yourself because there must be a day where you will encounter a problem and defend yourself.”
By shooting down the source of the problem and keeping quiet about it.
Now on a lighter note I made my decision and I will be voting yes. I will be voting for every Republican for BOE but I will skip the council race I am no fan of McCarthy.
My good Friend Joel:
Frito-Lay munchies are on sale at Stop and Shop this week: $10.00 for three bags. I bought two bags of DO-ritos. (Nacho Cheese flavor and the other, Ranch … they’re so yummy!) To cover all future contingencies, I got one bag of your favorite “Toast-titos” … do you think they’ll stay fresh until November 3rd?
I’ll start on my homework after the judge issues his final orders on Thursday morning.
Before you start on that homework, how about all the answers you promised in posts here and at ConnPost? Is it because you don’t know the answers (in other words don’t really know what is going on at the library), or are you hoping the comments and concerns will be forgotten so you can push through more tax, or more likely, do you not want people to know what chaos the library is in?
“There’s a sucker born every minute.” Finch proves this theory in spades. I don’t know if PT Barnum would laugh or cry. Finch got sold a bill of goods that he had to start campaigning for re-election the first day in office. He was proud of the fact that he hired his campaign manager to be Chief of Staff to guarantee his coffers would be full and his political contacts would be shored up in four years. What a crock of shit. Wood knows nothing about how to be a manager or an administrator. He is too arrogant and young to know that when you push hard on people they too push back hard, except for the weakest ones. They say yes to your face and screw you behind your back. Team building, making a big umbrella, listening to your elders and more experienced people was not a concept Wood got and he sold Finch on that. Too bad Finch is so insecure and unsure of himself he couldn’t see Wood didn’t know what the hell he was doing. Either that or Wood knew all his dirt. Now Finch is the man City Hall loves to hate. This thing with Jacobs is going to be the final nail in his coffin, the civil servants see this as an assault against them and he is going to lose in Court. Any attempts to reach out to the DTC, if he is, is out of desperation. Finch’s first mistake was to think that being Mayor made him titular head of the Democratic Party. Problem is that half the DTC didn’t think so, and he screwed his friends in the process. I don’t think Wood or Finch gets that once you screw somebody they never completely trust you or forgive you … unless of course there is something in it for them. If Wood really cared about Finch he would resign, ’cause god knows that Finch doesn’t understand why he should fire Wood. Run your office for the good of the people, let political operatives run your campaign not your office. Well Finch only did win by 270 votes and he didn’t so much win as Caruso lost and Finch had 3 times the money. Would somebody please tell Finch that he has to get people to like him and his staff? NOBODY likes his staff or him.