It’s bound to come up in a mayoral election: Mayor Bill Finch once again snubbing the University of Bridgeport’s contributions to the state’s largest city, especially with Mary-Jane Foster, vice president of University Relations, poised to enter the mayoral race. The school’s nationally acclaimed gymnastics team did the city proud. And once again City Council President Tom McCarthy paid tribute to the kids with the mayor absent.
From Brian Lockhart, CT Post:
What do a centenarian, an actor, a retired cop and a pre-teen pageant queen, among others, have that a group of University of Bridgeport athletes do not?
A public show of respect from Mayor Bill Finch.
Proving he still harbors a one-sided grudge against UB, Finch on Monday failed to join the City Council in recognizing the school’s women’s gymnastics teams’ continued national success.
Not only was the mayor absent physically from the brief ceremony, but unlike other occasions when the council has honored individuals or groups, Finch did not complement that with a mayoral proclamation.
“I feel badly,” Mary-Jane Foster, UB’s vice president of university relations, said Tuesday. “The notion that whatever feelings he (Finch) has about the university take precedence to honoring the achievements of students who are working really hard and doing good things is juvenile and profoundly offensive.”
Post pay wall story here
In his nearly eight years as mayor, Finch attended one University of Bridgeport event on UB soil — last year’s opening of the Ernest C. Trefz School of Business. Finch’s presence was about saluting Trefz rather than a regular practice of supporting the university. Mayoral staff has prevailed upon Finch often to embrace the university including honoring the gymnastics team at City Hall ceremonies. City Council President Tom McCarthy, in lieu of Finch, most often takes on the role of supporting and attending university events.
Finch, once employed by the university, was a city councilor in the early 1990s when the university was bleeding badly during the New England financial collapse. An arm of the Unification Church that Finch viewed as a cult group invested in the university. He boycotted university events irrespective of overwhelming evidence the Unification Church posed no threat to his concerns about university influence. Several Finch friends and supporters even sit on the Board of Trustees of the university.
He is an Egit!
He had no problem taking $500 in a campaign contribution from Neil Salonen!
A real Mayor for all the people of Bridgeport is on his way!
What a disgrace, here we have right here in Bridgeport a nationally acclaimed gymnastics team the city can feel proud of. Here we have these young ladies who are also students and future leaders being disrespected by Mayor Finch, what does he have against women?
Oh snap!
So how is he going to treat us,
When Bridgeport fires him as well?
Not a peep from Brett Boaster! Guess he’s not a U.B. booster either.
Mayor Finch, oh no, you didn’t! Who in hell are your advisers? This was a very poor ill-advised decision. Sending Mr. McCarthy was equally misguided given the angst with the past bill. Were the council members of the district there? I have to agree with Mary-Jane Foster here, this behavior is juvenile and profoundly offensive. Mayor Finch, honestly, what could you be thinking? Very disappointing. Disappointing to the city, the South End and these young adults who live in Bridgeport and patronize local businesses. The University of Bridgeport is an anchor in the South End. UB is coming back and getting better every day. Unfortunately, you cannot say you contributed to any of that success and that is profoundly sad. It is also a shame the views of UB are not used in our marketing. That is also a huge mistake on so many levels.
On a brighter note, I am happy my councilwoman, Michelle Lyons was there and Tom McCarthy, I am certain, represented the Mayor well as always. This is still no excuse. It is time to embrace the University of Bridgeport and understand how very important it is to the city’s present and future. If I were the Mayor, I’d be bragging about UB at every opportunity. In fact, UB should take center stage on all marketing efforts. In fact the councilman in the UB district should take a page out of the 134th Lyons-Paniccia playbook in getting the North End involved with Sacred Heart University. Bridgeport is fortunate to be anchored by two universities, the difference is UB is our namesake.
The difference is UB is in Bridgeport and “BRIDGEPORT” is in UB.
Write On, Steve!
Stevie, is that Finch Kool-Aid running down your shirt?
Steve, that’s the attitude most of us posters on OIB has been talking about, he’s arrogant, vengeful and replete with pomposity. His actions are shameful. This is the leader the residents of Bridgeport deserve?
What an ass!
What a pompous ass!!
What a f’n pompous ass!!!
Yet you can be sure if anyone ever snubbed his kids the same way he snubbed these UB student-athletes you can be sure he would do anything and everything to extract an ounce of vengeance.
UBelong in hell, you ass, you.
And McCarthy is a little wuss for not having the balls to call the mayor out for his childish behavior. But what can we expect from a Council Prez who is owned by the mayor?
Every year the CT Post runs the same story; Mayor Finch snubs UB, yada, yada. Shallow, cheap reporting. How about doing a story on the South End NRZ and the role UB should be playing?
Steve, the attempt by SHU to make it appear part of the North End community is phony and contrived. SHU is neither part of or a friend of Bridgeport. Look at their marketing material. Any mention of Bridgeport?
Many of our resurgent cities capitalize on the brainpower of their universities. My alma mater, Pratt Institute is heavily involved in the resurgence of Brooklyn. It is Yale that lifted New Haven above the fray and it was the students at URI who started the resurgence of Providence. It is downright foolish not to engage the brainpower of UB in a resurgence of Bridgeport. Period.
Perhaps UB should throw some cash Finch’s way for his re-election, then I’m sure things would change. It’s how it works here in Bpt.
And to Bob Walsh, suggesting McCarthy call Finch out?? Haha, that will NEVER happen, truthfully I’m surprised McCarthy doesn’t hate UB also, he tends to adopt Finch’s opinions on everything, can’t believe this is different.
Tom treats Finch like he is “special.” Oh we have to let little Billy nurture his little grudge and we hope he gets over it!
Bob Halstead,
You are absolutely right about how Bridgeport is losing a great opportunity with the three universities in the B’port area. I always said the city should do whatever it could to nurture cooperation among the three schools and HCC, be it academics or athletics or vocational. Whether it be hosting events at the arena or ballpark, providing facilities or access along the waterfront. Anything to create a greater draw for students or businesses. A few years back Fairfield U wanted to locate its rowing crew in Bridgeport and the city did nothing to facilitate that effort.
We are not only missing a huge opportunity, Finch is destroying it by continuing to drive this wedge between them.
But all of this gave me a great idea. I think BEA and UB should submit a joint proposal to open a charter school on the UB campus.
Now that could really get inside Finch’s head.
Mayor Finch is telling the students of Bridgeport who are in high school if they attend the University of Bridgeport their hard work to further their education and to contribute to society based on the education they received at UB means nothing to the mayor of the largest city in Connecticut, Mayor Bill Finch. Plus this is the same mayor who is underfunding the children of Bridgeport’s education. This leaderless mayor must go.
Ask Finch what is Bridgeport’s kidnapping and brainwashing rate per thousand. I believe we have one of the lowest rates in the nation. Why isn’t he talking more about this?
Is it possible Mayor Finch was at Jettie Tisdale regarding the new park and playground? Could this be the conflict that prevented the Mayor from attending the council chambers for the UB students? If so, why no reschedule? The Mayor does have a scheduler I am sure. Could this have been avoided? If yes, why wasn’t it?
Steven Auerbach, the council meeting was at night, the new playground and park were done when school was in session.
Well, I like to see the best in people. It is not for me to rationalize this political suicide mission. I would like Mayor Finch to have the opportunity to publicly state why he was a no-show. He can control the narrative. He can also lose support if it is still an attempt to snub U.B. It doesn’t make sense since he broke the ice supporting Ernie Trefz. Why would he allow this bad behavior to start again? I guess we can wait for some reporter or press release to explain as I am very concerned and interested.
Very unwise, certainly in light of the fact one of the worst “opponents” anyone can face is one with nothing to lose.
In this case, Finch is facing two.
*** Whatever negative feelings citizens may have about Mayor Finch did not stop their local district town committees from endorsing him to run again, nor the same citizens from voting for him on election day! *** Made your beds, now lie in them, no? ***
*** A blind eye towards a Bpt. Gem that is tops in the small division-II college world. ***