UPDATE: Finch statement. While some politicians run for the holiday hills from Barack Obama’s coal-filled stocking approval rating, Mayor Bill Finch embraces him, so much so the mayor mailed a holiday card featuring his family in a photo taken with the president during his campaign stop in Bridgeport for Governor Malloy on the eve of the November election.
Mailed at a cost of less than $200 according the mayor’s office, the holiday cards made their way to a variety of constituents, business and elected officials.
Republican City Councilman Enrique Torres, pondering a third run for the mayoralty, says “It’s one thing if you send it out of your own pocket. To use city funds to do that is disgusting.”
What if it were Ronald Reagan?
CT Post scribe Brian Lockhart weighs in here.
The mayor issued this news release statement Friday afternoon:
Mayor Bill Finch – in wishing a vast array of Bridgeport business leaders, elected officials, city employees, community leaders, and constituents a happy holiday – distributed a card featuring him and his family, as well as President Barack Obama. In response to press inquiries, Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch released the following statement:
Click here to view the holiday card: http://bit.ly/1r8E32j (Names for people appearing in the photo from left to right:Christopher Finch, Sonya Finch, President Barack Obama, Mayor Bill Finch, Aiden Finch, Atticus Finch, Pete Finch.)
“In November, President Obama visited our state’s largest city. My eight year old son, Aiden, had an idea for the whole family to pose for a photo with our country’s chief executive while. We all agreed because President Obama is a strong friend to Bridgeport.
“As Mayor, it’s my job to make Bridgeport an even better city than it is today – a place where my kids, and your kids, will choose to live, work, and raise their families, too. That’s why I’ve been focused on boosting confidence in Bridgeport. This change is already happening – the reopening of Pleasure Beach after years of neglect, breaking ground on Steelpointe Harbor after decades of broken promises, improving downtown, and building a second train station. Putting this vision to work wouldn’t be possible without President Obama investing in it. He’s invested in the re-opening of Pleasure Beach. He’s invested in Steelpointe Harbor becoming a reality. And, he’s invested in bringing a second train station to our city.
“Bridgeport needs strong friends in order to bring about our vision for the city and its future. President Obama is a strong friend. He believes our best days are ahead of us. Together, we’re helping our city get better every day. I’m glad that he’s willing to pose for a photo with me and my family, and more importantly, he’s willing to believe in our vision for the future.”
Great picture. Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas and Happy Kwanzaa. Good day to everyone else. Let’s not get caught up in silly stuff! I wonder, does anybody in the Republican party question the president sending out Christmas cards with his family? Does the Mayor not deserve any perks? $200 for cards “disgusting?” It is only disgusting and petty talking about it.
Steve, $200 to send cards to his benefactors is morally wrong. He makes about $130K a year. Spend your own money, but then again Finch has always been the last to pay.
Oh I forgot. Do you think I can use the city print shop to print out my cards and letters? After all I pay over $7,000 in taxes.
You don’t pay taxes. Taxes pay you. When that’s not enough, Bridgeport and Medicare have shown the ability to borrow. After all, you’re protected by the rule of law. Conclusion: you put upward pressure on city taxes and because it’s a freebie, Medicare adds to the the federal debt. Readers should know what we call a national debt, somebody else calls an individual asset.
YAAFJ.
I’m surprised, less than $200.
I even received one of these cards.
On the topic of photos we taxpayers pay for: Why does the ad campaign, seen on this very page and across other media–“Bridgeport is getting better every day”–include a stock photo of workers installing a solar array NOT in Bridgeport?
This ad should include a notice: “Not an actual project in Bridgeport yet. Simulation of how a future industrial-scale solar installation at Seaside Park may or may not appear AND may or may not employ workmen who may or may not reside in Bridgeport.”
Pete Spain,
I am most happy you got such a card. Depending on the postage rate applied to the holiday greetings, you are one of fewer than 4-500 key “business leaders, elected officials, city employees, community leaders, and constituents,” in the State’s largest City in the 2015 election cycle. You may be proof just asking questions of the City does not remove you from such “special notice,” however please let us know when you get an answer to your twice-asked question on the new advertising campaign.
As for me, I am merely a taxpayer who asks questions, and speaks out (and writes too) about the connections I observe that hold the City down. Perhaps the few who object to this municipal expense as an example of spender attitude are too few to be concerned?
Of course, seeing the entire Finch family together brings to mind the Mayor’s oft-repeated and primary educational comment about his four children attending City schools. They are in the picture and smiling, mostly, along with the President of the US, an indication who you know in life (Dad as Mayor) may at times trump what you know in terms of what happens to you.
Too bad Superintendent Fran Rabinowitz is not in the picture smiling with news the Mayor has found a way to provide the additional $6 Million of cash for schools in the 2015-16 cycle. That would certainly make for a BOE Happy New Year! Time will tell.
Thank you Mayor Bill for my holiday Christmas card, I was very surprised to receive it knowing I said a few naughty thinks about you this season. I just couldn’t imagine who was ringing my doorbell when much to my surprise it was the mailman holding your holiday card in one hand and his open hand demanding postage due in the other, hey it’s Christmas!
Anyway, I know I was not so nice this year and I would like to make it up to you. So I have a few suggestions for you, Mr. Mayor for the upcoming season and your reelection bid.
If you do win reelection only stay in office for just two years, you’ll have a city pension by then, and the taxpayers of Bridgeport will have only the next two years of city taxes to worry about, next ask Gov. Malloy for a job with the State, so then you can receive a second pension plan.
1. Caruso runs for Mayor while Mario heads back to the mountains of Italy.
2. Sal DiNardo burns his house down in Fairfield by mistake, while lighting a yule log in his fireplace after using an accelerant Bob Curwen found at Remington. Then Fairfield Fire Dept gets the call and goes to Remington instead.
3. Your City Attorney loses another court case, when Manny Moutinho sues the City for letting him install a driveway below FEMA’s 100-year storm level.
4. McCarthy comes out of the closet.
5. Bass Pro Shops never comes to Bridgeport, but we can always use the building for your urban farmer friend.
6. The Solar farm at Seaside Park is killing seagulls by the hundreds, and we can see the smoke from I-95.
7. Trumbull starts its own WPCA and stops Paul Timpanelli from connecting to it. Then puts a poop pump station in front of his house.
8. McCarthy goes back into the closet.
9. A third person comes forward to claim Paoletto sexually harassed him while being removed from the speaker’s podium at a city council meeting.–Suit pending.
10. Happy new year Mayor, and by the way my holiday card has a horrible smell to it.
Terrible. Funny as hell, though.
Great post, Jim. Happy holidays.
Thanks Andy, happy holidays to you and your family.
Hilarious, Jim. May all your years be naughty! Poor Bill–someone needs to tell him Barack Obama doesn’t care about him or his tacky family. He came because he cared about reelecting a Democrat governor. Not about you Bill, or Bridgeport. And
For God’s sake stop spending our taxes on your inane mailings. Instead of holiday cards and all those other ridiculous pieces of propaganda, use the funds to prevent suspension of a successful needle exchange program for lack of $7000. Do something useful. It’s a concept.
So Mayor Finch, I guess the payroll costs for those who work in the print shop weren’t calculated into your estimated costs of $200.
We have the cost of creating the graphics, cardstock, mailing envelopes, stuffing the envelopes, postage, payroll, etc., and you expect us to believe this entire mailing cost less than $200. S_U_R_E!