In the last days of the mayoral campaign, candidates have kicked out final news releases, mail pieces, charges, counter charges, including attempts to correct the record. Democrat Joe Ganim, Republican Rick Torres and petitioning candidate Mary-Jane Foster, the big three of the race, have full daily schedules leading to Tuesday’s vote in this historic election that has gained attention from The New York Times, National Public Radio and Connecticut statewide media outlets.
The Foster campaign asserts the Ganim campaign has misrepresented her position on what is a responsible fit to replace the closed Stop & Shop on Madison Avenue, a controversial development during the Ganim years built in the heart of residential North End. Foster’s Campaign Manager Tom Swan issued this statement Friday:
Ganim is trying to deflect from the fact that it was his corruption that shuttered the Stop & Shop. Joe Ganim insinuating that Mary-Jane is trying to push for subsidized housing on that location is about as truthful as his testimony in court. Mary-Jane has expressed a willingness to consider housing on that location, but never the type that the Ganim campaign is saying and would not do anything without involving the community–unlike what Joe Ganim did when he did his dirty deal.
Meanwhile Ganim, the Democratic nominee, is remaining positive in his mail campaign highlighting his record on taxes, public safety and development when he served as chief executive from November 1991-April 2003. Ganim issued his closing argument with a mailer “Who do you believe in?” He also conducted a rally Friday night at Vazzano’s Four Seasons in Stratford, the scene of his first fundraiser in the spring that raised more than $50,000.
Republican Rick Torres, outflanked in registration but not in desire to become mayor, draws a contrast with Foster and Ganim in this mailer.
The weather outlook for Tuesday’s vote is sunny, in the high 60s.
It’s not my fault that everybody is busy at 10pm and I get the first crack at this. When I went to the council swearing-in two years ago, it was a moment for the neighborhoods, some smiles etc., then Finch gave his speech and the room went cold. Mind you, I was just watching, fairly neutrally, so I was surprised and definitely noticed the ice in the room. Afterwards I told him he got the cold shoulder, his response, “got to have a thick skin in politics.” I said, “and you do, right?” I told him the people want to see some heart and I knew he had one in there. Of course, to most politicians, that is pure bullshit, what does heart matter? Well, he was regarded as indifferent, antagonistic and arrogant in the neighborhoods. Definitely during the school takeover, whether right or not, I don’t know. My point is this primary vote was not necessarily a vote of confidence or love for Bill Finch, it was a vote of people who don’t want to see Joe Ganim back. He is going to deliver 8000 votes? He couldn’t deliver 6000 in the primary, under the conditions above. I know it was a primary, but Finch does not have a vote to deliver. That vote belongs to many people who will do their picking in the hopeful privacy of the voting booth. All the reps up the state chain who worked against Finch in his Caruso primary were backing him because of Ganim as well. So, in the booth, I hope they make a clean and strong choice to send a message of renewal of this city with Rick Torres as an honest broker. That whole thing of supporting people in the chain just because they are Democrats has left Bridgeport in the dark and at least in the council swearing-in I mention, cold and indifferent. You will feel a burden lifted if you elect Torres and get Bridgeport government out of lockup. No time to make sense of that metaphor, but it makes sense in a city in political jail.
When I learned (second hand) on OIB Mary-Jane Foster declared “affordable housing” was an appropriate replacement for the now-closed Stop & Shop store on the former Dewhirst site, I contacted her campaign office to verify. “Yes,” they said, as if I would find that position to my liking. I asked if they could have Mary-Jane call me at her convenience so I could speak with her. Sure, they said, and took my name and number.
Three weeks go by and no call from Mary-Jane.
A few evenings ago, I hear my wife lambasting a Foster campaign worker who was actually calling me. The caller confirmed Mary-Jane supported “affordable housing” at the now-vacant Stop & Shop site. My wife advised the Foster campaign caller there would be no votes for MJF in this household due to her poorly advised position to support “affordable housing” on the Stop & Shop site.
Still no call from Mary-Jane.
You’re right, PC too. The inability of most of the city’s electors to look past the letter next to one’s name has kept us in political jail!
I don’t want to blame that on the people of Bridgeport. They have assumed the Democratic line is a familiar place to be, where my own family has always been. The days of pulling the party lever are over. Most people are voting for the person now, not just a party line. That idea was never in the best interests of people and definitely not in Bridgeport. It is a snake-oil sale to assume people cannot think through choices and need to be told to vote the top line. There is a percentage vote relied upon, just in that unconscious mantra. Don’t believe the hype.
Park City, some snake oil salesmen sold harmless tonics to cure ills that could even have a placebo effect and still make people feel better. But other snake oil salesmen sold toxic tonics that would exacerbate the person’s illness or create a new illness. I believe the MJF/Finch team and Ganim are snake oil salesmen who are selling toxic tonics, since they are all part of the same machine; and when dishonesty is embedded in the system so thoroughly, an honest system and honest broker will always be rejected in that system–pure poison. The honest system Rick Torres will oversee will reward honesty, efficiency and integrity and will outright reject dishonesty and greedy manipulations. The machine candidates must, and will always feed the machine at the expense of the ill patient.
Yes, and we also need their votes and cooperation. We are not the odd man out, but a true alternative who has been to the Bridgeport Mayoral World Series before and can win this one. This is not a two-way race, but a split one. Come on with Torres for an ethical start to this mayoral term. At least your vote will feel right. Torres is the right person for this election.
www .facebook.com/CouncilmanEnriqueTorres/videos/vb.1386117188299606/1669523316625657/?type=2&theater
Mary-Jane Foster is, whether she cares to acknowledge it or not, a freshly-minted, card-carrying member of the fabled Bridgeport Democratic Machine. And she has the goons to prove it. Let’s see how well she can spin this one. I took this video today of a gentleman who got in touch with our campaign due to alleged absentee ballot voter fraud. Lennie, I believe this deserves its own post.
Yawn.
Well well well,
Looks like Mary-Jane Foster is not pure as the driven snow after all. First there’s a mailer claiming an endorsement from a community activist who is on record endorsing another candidate and now there’s documentation of absentee ballot fraud by the Foster campaign. One thing Ms. Foster has not disputed is she is now a member of the corrupt political machine. Her credibility was teetering up to now. After this man came forward it has fallen off the fence to the slag heap.
The Democratic party machine has two names on the ballot. The one is a crook, the other a liar. Neither has the morals of a snake. Vote Torres, line B, for honesty in City Hall.
Has Foster given away her values for power?
As a taxpayer and a Democrat, I think Mary–Jane Foster should be honest with the people of Bridgeport and tell us what kind of deal did she make with ex-Mayor Finch and John Stafstrom.
The backdoor deal with Finch and Stafstrom is just the kind of thing Foster has been complaining about for the past four years!
Now that the shoe is on the other foot, transparency be damned!
Now that Mary-Jane is in with the Finch, Strafstrom, Pullman & Comley Machine, she can care less about the taxpayers of Bridgeport.
Now she wants to have a conversation with city employees/city councilmen like Tom McCarthy about sitting on the city council, or her dear good friend Sal DiNardo’s millions of dollars in back taxes! A conversation?
95% of Mary-Jane’s campaign money comes from people who live out of town!
Stop Mary–Jane from giving Finch and Stafstrom a job!
Vote Joe Ganim on Tuesday November 3rd.
You should be ashamed of yourself for posting this obviously fraudulent video and claiming it’s MJF. First off this guy knowingly signed an absentee ballot knowing his choice was not the name checked off. Bullshit. He committed a fraud just as you did by recording and posting this bullshit. BTW, your interview skills suck.
Can the guy see or not?
Well, Derek Brown. First, the man sounds like an idiot. Why? Because for someone who could not see, he saw Foster’s name on the ballot, he knew he wanted Rick but still signed his name. He did not know this woman’s last name and yet he signed the ballot and gave Torres a call. Does this sound pathetic? Yep, only from your typical Torres supporter. Derek Brown, to even suggest any wrongdoing on the part of Foster is just pure disrespect and desperation. But with three days to go. Rick will enjoy his time back at Harborview. This post by John Torres will resonate with, hmmm, nobody. The guy is full of shit if I may channel Andy Fardy for just a moment. Good luck finding Mary. Gee maybe MJF went there and she was the Mary. Next he will give a full description after Torres gives the guy a picture and he can describe her. If he can see Mary Foster. This is absolutely silly.
On an upbeat note. John Torres and Bridgeport Kid, you guys missed a fantastic rally this evening that included so many Black Rockers, Republicans no less. All for Mary-Jane Foster. She has raised over $200,000 over the past two weeks. Maybe once this video hits the major news stations and CT Post, Republicans will open their wallets to Rick Torres. Most likely not. Foster is the ticket to beat Ganim. Black Rockers are not going to waste a vote to get Ganim in office. But hey in three days anything can happen. Torres really should smell the coffee, give a damn about the city and endorse Foster. Saturday would be perfect. Foster will be an amazing leader and I am very proud of her. This evening was very exciting. You could feel the electricity in the room. Maybe an endorsement from the Post would be nice.
Methinks thou dost protest too much.
How long have you waited to use that line? Jennifer, no offense, you guys for Torres are desperate. Your candidate Rick or Enrique will most likely be sharing votes with that other candidate who runs every four years for the past 20, what’s his name? You know, the other candidate Finch did not endorse.
We learned from the primary endorsements don’t amount to much. Your man crush had a boatload of them and he still lost to a criminal. At this rate Tony Barr could be elected.
Foster has been co-opted by the machine, demonstrated a clear willingness to bend over when she issued an amended 50-day plan that did not include an earlier pledge to trim the bloat from the municipal payroll. As an attorney she knows that the appearance of impropriety is more than enough to blow a case, more than any impropriety. Ms. Foster aligned herself with Bill Finch’s campaign apparatus, a piece of the machine that includes nefarious characters like Lydia Martinez, Wanda Jeter and John Stafstrom. While you have questioned the validity of the video you are not in a position to deny its import. You are, after all, just another campaign volunteer, not an integral member of the inner circle. Your allegiance is fickle; two months ago you were boasting of Bill Finch’s virtues and successes. He blew an opportunity to run as a third-party candidate and you were traumatized. Now you’re dialing for votes for a petitioning candidate who has been endorsed by Finch. It would surprise no one if you supported Chris Taylor or Tony Barr should Bill Finch had endorsed either of them.
The video may not be admissible in a court of law but it is more than enough to pique the interest of the FBI and the Department Of Justice. It goes without saying both law enforcement agencies are paying close attention.
Kid, that video is not worth squat. I am sure Torres Jr. showed this character a photo of MJF and could not get an ID. Do you really think MJF would waste her time doing this? If you do, you are dumber than I thought.
He didn’t identify the person as Mary-Jane Foster. He said her name was Mary and she claimed to be a sister of one of the other tenants. You didn’t listen to the whole thing. If you did, you didn’t listen closely.
Mary-Jane Foster is a mere mortal, Andrew. She cannot walk on water, heal the sick, raise the dead or part the waters of Long Island Sound. She IS aligned with a political organization that is widely known for underhanded and illegal campaign tactics like absentee ballot manipulation and buying votes.
The video is legitimate. So far all you and Steven Auerbach, Foster’s self-appointed mouthpiece can say is it doesn’t mean anything. You are both wrong. This man’s statement is on the record. Unless and until the Foster campaign offers evidence to refute him it will stand up. The criticism of a grumpy old man and a second-string substitute teacher is not going to persuade anyone this man is not telling the truth.
Why is it legitimate? Because Torres Jr. took it? Is it legitimate because a person named Mary
was identified by this person? What happened when he was shown a picture of Mary-Jane? He could not ID it, could he? Why should the Foster camp say anything just because the Torres camp tried to push this crap? Try a little harder next time. Amateurs, what pains in the asses!!!
You say, Andrew. Until the video is challenged by other facts, it is on the record as fact.
By the way, Steven. Ms. Foster has shown disrespect for the intelligence of the electorate by cynically misrepresenting her past and not directly answering questions about Bill Finch’s continued employment with the city of Bridgeport.
Kid, I wish Foster would give Mayor Finch job, but there really is no place to put this seasoned and respected leader of this city. It wasn’t like John Fabrizi who walked into a perfect situation. Other than a Torres supporter, would anyone even question Foster for exploring a place to utilize Mayor Finch? However, no promises were made and thousands and thousands of Finch supporters will not have a problem. Why is a Torres supporter concerned Mayor Finch has employment? Was he a disgraced Mayor? Are you guys just at a loss? Are the Republicans paying you to help Ganim win by attacking Foster? Me thinks thou dost protest too much. 🙂 By the way, Torres signs still decorate the North End but thankfully Ganim did us a favor and had the decency to remove the litter from public properties. North End residents would appreciate it if Torres would do the same. Apparently, a gas station on Main Street is giving away free Torres signs. It would be nice if those taking them would put them on their own private property. It would show respect for the neighborhood.
MJF will be endorsed by the Post. I’m not saying she deserves it, but she will be endorsed.
Lisa Parziale, I was walking Hooker this afternoon, North End this morning and at 6:47 calling it quits. I want you to know after such strong Foster support, a gentlemen begged me to get him a sign. This same gentlemen used to serve on the town committee and he was such a huge fan I felt bad telling him you were supporting Ganim. 🙂 Only kidding, I didn’t feel bad at all. 🙂 The man wanted you to be the registrar and had an awful lot of respect for you. I had to steal a sign from Fardy but just replaced it. Today was a great day and Lisa I was happy to publicly share this with you!
I also want to publicly state I apologized personally to Carolanne Curry whom I called on this blog the ugliest word know to man! I apologized. We are good. When I am mean-spirited, which is totally against my nature, I do hold myself accountable and it has bothered me all summer.
Steve, I have grown to know you on this blog, and when you want to, that heart in you comes out. Thanks for sharing. It’s been a long run, and sometimes emotions got out of hand, by all of us who care, but it will soon be over and we should accept the outcome and move on. There will be plenty more for us to become emotional about.
Republicans, LOSERS.
Spoken like a true gentleman … NOT.
Ganim–who do you believe in? Are you kidding?
I believe in Mary-Jane Foster.
You haven’t offered any documented proof this man is not telling the truth. Until you do, fuck the fuck off. His statement is on the record, unchallenged by other evidence. The authorities may wish to speak with this man.
You have not offered any real proof with this fucked-up and made-up video. Get real. The Torres campaign is making all this shit up because they are desperate. Take this video whereever you want and you will get laughed out of the office.
Whether the man is true or not, the campaign would be an entirely different one making things up. That would be a complete break from the way Rick Torres has plainly spoken in debates in person and in his public pronouncements through video, radio, interviews, etc.
Unless and until someone from the Foster campaign offers solid proof to dispute the allegation of AB fraud, the Torres campaign will stand by this. Criticism from a couple of low-ranking volunteers does not a denial make. Given Ms. Foster’s track record, all anyone can expect from her or Mr. Swan is a non-denial denial.
Bridgeport Kid, you are ridiculous!
I’m ridiculous? You’re the dumb ass who predicted Finch would win the general election “by a landslide.” When it comes to picking mayoral winners, you are 0 for 2.
Bridgeport Kid, you are ridiculous. I am not a paid fortune teller and we are not talking about our beloved Mayor, we are talking about the woman who will become our next Mayor and she is looking real good. You should get out of this OIB bubble, you were invited to the Foster party the other evening. We can all be civil. I am on my way to a Halloween party with all Ganim people. We are friends, we need not attack each other. There will be a Foster sign among the 10 Ganim signs while I am in attendance. There are only three days to go. Let’s have fun.
My thinking has been not to degenerate into a room full of people yelling at each other. “Who do you believe in?” Priceless, to borrow from you Steven. Who on earth would think to use that one as your slogan? It is very well a case to be suspicious over absentee ballots. This is always a question in BPT. No matter who is running. Let’s keep the eye on the prize and ask nicely to get a clean look at Bridgeport government with Enrique “Rick” Torres. I think the alliances are already known, so, rehashing them will only inform new readers. I have not watched the video John posted, but I believe people can get a sense of real or not, without a cheerleader’s take on it. On the Bill Finch note, I do not remember too many posts singing his praises lately. I say that somewhat reservedly, because I did like him. But not necessarily to be permanent Mayor.
Vote Torres, LINE B.
Because Torres DOES walk on water, right? Just ask Jesus, He will tell you.
None of these candidates have the momentum Foster has. I’ve never seen an independent candidate raise so much money in such little time. People are banding with Foster across the city and state–vote for the girl on row G!
Frank Underwood, nice to see another Foster supporter. I think Torres has earned what that other candidate who runs every four years and sadly both are connected to Ganim in a very strange way. Too bad you were not at the rally yesterday. It was like winning an election. Food wasn’t too bad either! It was great to see Foster with all those respected elected officials as well as Chris Caruso, a Bridgeport icon. Even Ganim supporters were caught up in interesting conversations and optimism of a Foster City Hall. Imagine, no baggage! It is nice seeing our Mayor and former Mayor hitting the North End. Has Len Paoletta endorsed anyone? I know he was a Finch supporter as well as Bucci. I certainly haven’t heard of a Ganim Torres endorsement.
Wow guys. I hope the good voters of Bridgeport are seeing these comments. They are truly telling.
Yes they are. The story told depends wholly on the perspective of whom is doing the reading, as it were. There appears to be no slander coming from the Foster camp.
No, no slander from the Foster camp, just lies and misrepresentations and implied threats of physical violence. I’m sure she’s proud to have goons and dumb asses posting on her behalf.
You have absolutely no dignity or class, do you?
Much more than you do, dearie.
TBK–you are one sick puppy.
Oh, did you get nervous when someone (not me) called you out? Grow up, this is Politics 101. You and Torres can take that made-up video to the Secretary of the State and you will be laughed out of the office. You guys made the video, it’s up to you to prove it is real.
A vote for your daddy is a vote for the crook.
The Crook changed the zoning in the North End to make way for the now-closed Stop & Shop on Madison Avenue. (One of the roadblocks was a farm house that mysteriously burned.) The project went to a connected developer. Now there’s a vacant boarded-up building and massive parking lot where once stood the Dewhirst Dairy. Mary-Jane Foster has proposed affordable housing for the property. Given the political company she has been keeping as of late she’d likely offer a multi-decade tax abatement, no strings attached. If The Crook is elected he’d probably sell the property to SHU and the university would build multi-story dormitories, further marring the formerly bucolic quality of a beautiful neighborhood. Neither option is in the city’s best interest. Foster and The Crook would use it to repay campaign favors, not to benefit the people of the city of Bridgeport.
Apparently the Foster campaign has become desperate enough to employ AB fraud as an electoral tactic.
I know Foster would be asking the neighborhood what they wanted. That of course is my neighborhood. Mary-Jane Foster is extremely popular here as the Ganim entourage discovered last week. The people here know how Stop & Shop got here and everyone here knows Mary-Jane Foster misspoke with the housing. How do they know? I told them! She will not be the first politician to misspeak. Look at Rick Torres, a white Cuban Republican telling the black community what their problem is. The black power tattoo is just the icing on the cake. Republicans are supporting Foster. I would have thought Foster or Ganim would have sent the pic that appeared on OIB with Rick or Enrique showing off his black power tattoo. He may as well be wearing a swastika on his forehead. It is as offensive to the African American community.
PC, Derek and John, who are you talking to or are you just talking to be talking? Accusations and counter-accusations, point and counter point, misrepresentations and counter misrepresentations. The fact is virtually everyone on OIB had made up their mind on whom they are voting for, almost without exception.
Do you think, feel or believe a myriad of Bridgeport voters are reading OIB and deciding which candidate to support? Trust and believe, there is nothing emanating from you three on this forum that will change the course of this election or lead to Ricky being elected as Mayor of Bridgeport. C’mon fellas, do yourself a favor, cut out the hyperbole and go knock on some doors and take your message to someone who can make a difference to your candidate, the public. You sitting home writing vitriolic bullshit on this forum will not get Ricky elected, so do that which will.
The Torres Army is on the march, knocking on doors, making phone calls, meeting and greeting all over town. The response has been overwhelmingly good. Dozens have stopped into the market to make donations, pick up signs and offer encouragement.
I’m posting because a heart condition prevents me from treading the pavement for long periods. You’re quite wrong about one thing: people do log in to read the comments. I do not engage in hyperbole, sir. My opinions are fairly well considered, unlike the comments of Steven Auerbach or Andy Fardy.
Kid ,you make me smile. But Rick or Enrique is lucky to have a passionate supporter like yourself and his son. I just woke up. Exhaustion and this five weeks of bronchitis have slowed me down. But it is a spectacular day to walk and talk about my candidate. Foster, Row G. She will make history on Tuesday evening at 9:15 and the front page across the state will be hopeful about our future.
Donald Day, that comment was perfect! If you aren’t knocking or calling you are wasting your time. The only person on this blog who is a questionable vote is donj, who always says he is on the fence and he just can’t make up his mind.
Don, you are right on point, they truly do believe what they are writing is reaching a large percentage of voters and their comments are changing voters’ minds to vote for Rick Torres. Derek Brown wrote, “Torres Army is on the march, knocking on doors, making phone calls, meeting and greeting all over town. The response has been overwhelmingly good. Dozens have stopped into the market to make donations, pick up signs and offer encouragement.” Dozens, dozens, now if he had about four to five hundred stop by and most of them are black or Hispanic, then I would say they are on the move.
Don, as for DB, all he does is sit home writing vitriolic bullshit and getting pissed off at whatever I write about Torres instead of being out in streets going door to door trying to get voters to vote for Rick.
Ron,
All you do is spew misinformation and spite toward Rick Torres simply because he is a registered Republican. The privileged princess you’re rooting for is on East Main Street talking shit. Can’t run with the facts so she’s resorting to mudslinging and lying about the opposing candidates who threaten her vanity campaign. I have said it before and will remind you one more time: I am not a member of the Torres team. I will be volunteering Monday to work in the communications center. You ought to drop by and join the team. On second thought, don’t do that. There’s no place for a short-tempered person like you. We are going to move the city forward. Mary-Jane Foster will perpetuate the stagnation; she is a part of the machine now, the corrupt DTC that has been exploiting the city’s poor and disadvantaged for its own benefit. You support the corruption. Maybe you ought to consider retiring to Fort Lauderdale.
Torres and Ganim both spoke out against SHU dormitories on the Dewhirst Dairy site. MJF was conspicuous by her silence.
As Jessie Jackson would say, keep hope alive, not Bob Hope.
Whatever! Fire Marshal Bill. Vote Torres, line B.
You don’t smile, Steven. You smirk. There’s a difference. No one needs to pay me for doing a public service.
Ganim is a crook, that’s common knowledge. Anyone who would vote for him will be exercising extremely poor judgement, allowing the weasel to re-enter the henhouse after he stole chickens.
Mary-Jane Foster is up on East Main Street at Compare Foods talking, and lies about Rick Torres to anyone who will listen. Turns out not many are. Not surprising but disappointing a woman who has promoted herself as “the honest choice for change” would stoop to spreading misinformation about the candidate with the greatest chance of being elected. What else can be expected from a person who sold out her integrity to a corrupt political machine in order to satisfy an itchy ego?
Bridgeport Kid, seriously? Mary-Jane Foster uttered the name of the man formerly know as Prince? I mean Rick? I mean Enrique, I mean Rick. I have never heard Foster mention a word about Rick. That would be the equivalent of mentioning Charlie or Tony. It is only about her agenda and Ganim. There is nothing else to say but line G. She is an independent Democrat. She will make history. I wish I had known about her appearance at Compare as I enjoy vising the East Main Street corridor. The only thing Black Rock Rick the Cuban has in common with anyone on East Main is the language. Culturally, they are so far apart.
Since Mary-Jane refused to take a stance on the abusive, disruptive behavior of SHU dorm and off-campus students in the 134th and 135th when requested to do so by a coalition of neighbors two weeks ago, it is my suspicion she has probably given her assurances to SHU, through their City Council (de facto) lobbyist, Tom McCarthy, that she will not interfere with their plans to put a new, multi-story dormitory on the old Dewhirst site. (It was probably on their dorm-site list going back to pre-Stop-and-Shop days when the Dewhirst family was marketing the property – SHU had started targeting dorm sites in the late-80’s/early-90’s…)
Both Joe Ganim and Rick Torres met with the coalition of neighbors and News 12 two weeks ago and took a stance against the neighborhood-busting behavior of the SHU students; Mary-Jane refused to speak with anyone about the issue.
It is suspected by the neighbors Mary-Jane wouldn’t touch the SHU issue and take the part of the besieged neighbors because of her personal relationships with members of the SHU BOD.
What a surprise … NOT.
Jeff, I have no idea what Mary-Jane thinks about a dorm on the Stop & Shop site. I will tell you it will never happen in her lifetime. I will say here in the 134th we know Ganim was responsible for forcing the Stop & Shop through for his friend Al Lenoci and the folks a mile up in Fabrizi territory credit Joe Ganim for destroying the upper North End with highrise dorms that have overshadowed the lovely neighborhoods up by Doreen, Folino, Heppenstal, Saxton etc. They were all Finch supporters now supporting Foster. They remember very well. Ganim didn’t care, he lived in St. Mary’s in Black Rock and had very little respect for the neighborhoods.
The choice is becomingly more and more clear–the criminal who repeatedly lied under oath to a federal judge; the hot-headed passionate polarizer who has lost all but one of his many, many runs for office and public acceptance; or the spectacularly talented, honest and energetic unifier who is the only woman running for mayor.
Well. Now that that is over, I wonder how Lennie keeps this blog going with the horrible lack of substance on it. Yes you, Auerbach, Day, Mackey, Fardy. I have been trying to reason with you for weeks. We even had Rick Torres answer questions directly that you have posed. Yet you give no reply to the answers, just continue on with temper tantrums. You must be brighter than this at various points in the day and throughout your lives. You have not so much as offered one single sentence of a platform idea from Foster. What will she do anyway? I do not have any feel for her. I started out weeks ago saying she is a nice woman, but has no record to run on. Now, I think I would vote for Ganim first. At least his supporters somehow believe his money schemes were also attached to positive development for the city. So he was not happy with his mayor’s salary and wanted a piece of the action. They have a criminal agreement he can steal his part as long as he delivers. In Bridgeport, I get that. But you all do not impress me. You have barely gained my attention. I can tell you of two people whom I could put on the line who support Rick Torres for mayor. One, an organizing member of C.O.R.E., Congress of Racial Equality, who has made a full life of people’s rights, went to Baltimore to get his head split open pressing for black voter rights in the south. Personal friend of Mickey Schwerner, one of the Mississippi three, murdered pressing for those same black voting rights. He knows only Torres is not corrupted in this election. Another, a well-known musician, who is so far to the left I did not even tell him I was working with a Republican this time. He lives in Bridgeport now. When the conversation finally came out, he said,”of course I am voting for Torres, who else?” If you want to quote Jessie Jackson, Ron, I like one of his songs about Jackson. “A poet and a man of vision, another rainbow coalition, on our way back home.” Your posts remind me of the potty-mouthed drivel on the bottom of YouTube videos. I am actually starving to hear an intelligent sentence. I have come to see Mary-Jane Foster is on a quest for power. She will show up at Compare Foods on East Main street and lie about Torres to people he addresses in fluent Spanish. They know the Ganim, Roach, Testa team is famous for stuffing the boxes with absentee ballots, however they get them. So they don’t want to be left behind. You can scream as loud as you like, anyone who knows Bridgeport politics, knows that is true. I have a friend who is such a master in a certain martial art, he quit studying it, because he was saying his training was becoming too automatically lethal and he did not want to go there. He is a bodyguard for a billionaire and trains the state police in martial arts. He says, about confrontations, they can scream all they want, just don’t get too close. That is what your arguments sound like to me, just the noise without the delivery. I was on the streets today in the North End. I received 50% Torres, 50% Torres or Foster and a Ganim guy whom I may have talked out of it. Yes, I know, that is more than 100%. I lived in the North End for 30 years. I know most people do not know anything about whom to find on what line. They hopefully will not reflexively vote the Democratic line out of habit. I spoke with a city councilor today who told me most people might vote Democrat. But he meant top line. He did not even realize the distinction between Ganim and Foster, both playing Democrat. Good Luck.
PC, if you look back at all our comments, you will see we gave our opinion with no temper, it’s your friend Derek Brown who rejected what were saying with a temper. As for CORE, that organization has really changed with Roy Innis and his son running the organization now, they are now a conservative Tea Party organization that is always attacking President Obama. It’s not about being loud, it’s about knowing the voters needs and concerns but to know what they are you have to listen to them. Rick Torres wants to preach to them and tell them what they need instead of listening. How many community meetings has he had in the East End and the East Side, how many black and Hispanic churches has he attended? Rick Torres is running a campaign for those in Black Rock.
Thank you for your reasonable reply. Whatever C.O.R.E. is now, it was a fighting organization in the ’60s, when people went to their deaths for political freedoms. Bridgeport has a top-down political structure. The blacks and Hispanics you mention don’t mean anything to it after the election is over. My opinion. I know the town and enough of the playas. He is far from running a campaign for only those in Black Rock. He is running more of a campaign for the underserved in Bridgeport, sorry you do not know that.
If you close your eyes, Rick and Charlie are the same.
PC, what underserved, those of Black Rock? I’ve asked before what community groups, churches, organizations in the black and Hispanic communities did Torres go to hear what their concerns are instead of telling them what their issues are? Rick seems to believe people of color in Bridgeport are like what Mitt said they are, the 47% always needing government handouts but he doesn’t talk about the government bailout of Wall Street, the bailout of big banks, tax cuts for the rich, big farms that are paid not to grow anything; no, Rick Torres wants to talk about social programs but he has NO answer on how he will bring good-paying jobs to Bridgeport. Rick Torres needs to spend time in those communities starting Nov. 4th after his loss to let those voters know he’s a Republican and he wants to listen to see what he can do.
VERY UNIMPRESSIVE.
Raymond, the fact is Ricky never addressed my concerns. I asked, “Ricky knows the State has made it virtually impossible for a business to come to Bridgeport because of taxes and the high cost of doing business here. Manufacturing jobs aren’t coming back to Bridgeport and if they could get a large tech company to come, a person would need a degree to qualify for those living-wage positions. So where are those living-wage jobs coming from for the average Bridgeport resident?”
Ricky just told me how hard if not impossible it would be to bring in jobs for the reasons I stated. Again Raymond, what jobs is Ricky talking about bringing to Bridgeport that will transform a person’s life? Not those minimum-wage, no-future jobs Bill Finch was bringing to Bridgeport. Are those jobs he promised to bring real jobs? If so, what is his plan or are they just campaign promises?
Don, he also promises to lower taxes, so how many police officers does Torres plan on laying off and how many firehouses does he plan on closing in order to cut the city’s budget?
Again, thank you both for your reasonable answers. I thought his answer was what he could do, as he sat down to type it to you during this busy week. You personally. I will post it here for others to read. I also want to know that answer, at least you can tell from the tone of his reply, it is not just boiler-plate political diversion-speak:
Hey Donald Day–if you are going to question my ability to bring jobs to Bridgeport, let us at least first take stock of where we are. Actually, let’s just take the last eight years. How many living-wage jobs have been created in Bridgeport in the last eight years? Further, how many high-paying employers have run for the proverbial hills of Shelton and further up the valley? Lastly, when high-wage jobs were brought to Bridgeport, what was the cost to the taxpayer? An example of such a debacle was the Derecktor Shipyard. We spent MILLIONS in taxpayer dollars to build this facility that presumably paid a living wage for a few years. And then they were gone.
What was once a steady stream of jobs leaving BPT has become a mass exodus. The CT Post has reneged on its duty to report this, instead focusing only on jobs coming in. But nearly every job that we bring in is funded by the taxpayer and by the exit of another one. We need to stop paying people to come here.
By picking and choosing companies to get breaks we effectively have sacrificed our stock of existing companies along with many of our families, friends and neighbors. With no fanfare, these folks have paraded up the Housatonic River valley and settled in our competitors land.
So is there another way?
YES! Stop the frantic feeding frenzy by the machine and their connected companies! Our dear Mr. John Stafstrom is called the Rainmaker by the Hartford Business Journal. This title is earned because he has been able to get private firms MILLIONS of tax giveaways to come to CT. Again at what cost? We only look in one direction. Have we accounted for the thousands of jobs that have left the state? Yes, state jobs matter. Many of our city residents have lost jobs in other towns and cities from companies that have moved to greener pastures.
What you seem to not realize is businesses RESPOND to their environments. If their bottom line is affected without an added benefit to the company, they will seek new locations more amenable to their operation. We have been absolutely idiotic when it comes to this basic concept. We have created a business environment where the only possible way we can encourage people to take part in it is to give them 20-40 year tax abatements! We’re paying them to come here!
Sorry, that was Rick Torres writing above from the point that says, “Hey Donald Day,” I did not properly describe the fact. His post is at the bottom of the Torres video post a few days ago.
Raymond, it doesn’t say how he will bring jobs to Bridgeport. Hell everyone knows how we got here and who’s responsible, but we don’t know how Ricky would bring jobs to Bridgeport. Just saying he’ll bring jobs to Bridgeport is nothing more than a campaign promise and not a jobs creation plan.
Yes, I see that. Perhaps an honest man is saying we need to remove the obstacle and create a business environment for jobs to come to. You say yourself, minimum-wage or low-wage jobs are what has been created. What cruelty will drive an applicant to Bass Pro to fill out an application to work in the store, perhaps to be placed in the gun department stocking ammo, when a family member or friend has suffered from gun violence in the city? We, Torres says, have spent millions upon millions of dollars to bring Direcktor shipyards and other things that do not return the jobs in time for the wages to filter into the communities to provide housing and goods purchasing support before these tax abatements and giveaways bankrupt the city. When you have a bonding lawyer behind Foster, pushing tax abatements, and a backroom deal maker steering contracts on the other side, Torres is a clear choice. Who in the country tries to reduce taxes? Republicans, I am with one this time around. Torres is the right choice for Bridgeport. Your jobs answer is played in the mud, no easy question.
Donald and Ron,
All jostling aside, to state the obvious:
Rick has gone out of the way to explain how he will create jobs by attracting investment in the city and providing financial incentives to small businesses. Remember, small businesses create more employment opportunities. Industrial investment that creates living-wage jobs in manufacturing, shipping/receiving, transportation, construction, etc., stimulates the local economy and creates opportunities for ancillary businesses and retailers. With well-paying industrial jobs, the people of the city of Bridgeport will have the capital to make big-ticket purchases like housing, new cars, etc. It will foster revitalization in depressed areas like the East Side and the South End.
The revaluation should be adjusted to included foreclosed, blighted and abandoned properties. This will make rehabilitation or demolition more attractive to local developers. City development contracts and reasonable tax abatements should be given to Bridgeport residents and Bridgeport-based construction and development firms with a good percentage set aside for minority-owned businesses.
All of the above is part and parcel of the Torres revitalization plan. Virtually all development contracts have been given to carpetbaggers from Stamford, Greenwich, Westchester and elsewhere. Time to keep it local, keep the investment in the city and stimulate the economy.
Attracting investment in the city and providing financial incentive, when you give an incentive you are taking taxpayers’ money to give it to someone else.
You said, “Industrial investment that creates living-wage jobs in manufacturing, shipping/receiving, transportation, construction, etc., stimulates the local economy and creates opportunities for ancillary businesses and retailers.” What a joke, those jobs have gone overseas. Why should any developer want to come to Bridgeport with Torres as mayor? What’s Torres going to do, say I’m Rick Torres the Republican mayor of Bridgeport, trust me?
Ron, I like your enthusiasm, defense of your beliefs and whatever else is going on there. But you really confuse me sometimes. Quite often you end up arguing our points for us. Like in saying, “when you give an incentive you are taking taxpayers’ money to give it to someone else.” What do you think the tax abatements are that Torres alone has brought into the public discussion? There is no time left to air it out again. We are now in the phase of trying to tell people on the fence, Foster has zero chance of winning this election. Most Democrats who do not read blogs or study the paper simply vote the top line. It is funny to see half the town’s political who’s who list trying to tell people not to vote the top line this time. Line G will be found by plenty of people, but nowhere near the average working, or not working, folks in Bridgeport who will go to vote. They either like Ganim for his past, one way or another, or do not like Ganim for his past. They have heard of Torres, on the next line down and will think all other candidates are afterthoughts. I am not gloating over that, it is a fact. The whole charge and apparatus, circus money and all will not work for Foster. She is not an agreeable candidate, not appealing, has minimal name recognition, outside of Mary-Jane-who (?) commercials. She is finished before starting. I have stood in line and lived with the people of the city. She means nothing to them. Ganim is a folk hero, like Jessie James or something. Foster is the pendulum in the election, the swing she will provide depends on whether she gains Torres or Ganim votes. Do you seriously think 7000 people will fill in a circle on line G? This is silly, and the whole bunch of political hangers-on are playing right along for the loss. Print this and hang it on your wall to remind me of on Wednesday.
DB, here’s what I do know. The large majority of blacks and Hispanics will NOT be voting for Rick Torres the Republican and in order for Torres to win he will need all 3500 Republican voters, another 5000 Democrats and Independent voters and for blacks and Hispanics to stay home and not vote in order for Torres to be in the race. Torres will lose both positions, Mayor and city council but he’ll still be the mayor of Black Rock.
Ron,
I hear what you’re saying but your pessimism is a bore. Why wipe your ass if you’re just gonna shit again? seems be what you are saying.
The harbor is going to be dredged, a deep-water port that will become a busy shipping port. That will create many many jobs. Aside from stevedores, heavy equipment operators will be needed to load and unload container ships. Merchant seamen will be needed. Truck drivers. All those jobs will be paying 2-4 times the minimum wage. That means more money in the local economy. All the dock workers will need to buy groceries, clothing, gasoline, cigarettes, booze, insurance, houses, cars, pay rent, etc.
Torres will give up his first year’s salary to provide grants to small businesses. $140,000 divided into $2500 grants.
Many manufacturing jobs have gone overseas, it’s true. To blame the GOP for that is uninformed. The Democrats on Capitol Hill were in connivance. The military-industrial jobs are still here in New England. Patriot missiles are assembled in Massachusetts but the parts are made elsewhere, in many locations. Some in CT, some in Rhode Island, some in Massachusetts. Smaller specialized manufacturers, machine shops, tool-and-die shops could thrive here, creating thousands of jobs for local residents. The secondary schools would be serving these businesses by training high school students to work with precision tools, heavy machinery, blueprints and schematic drawings. Bill Finch’s, and by extension, Mary-Jane Foster’s, plan is to create service industry jobs. Cooks, maids, janitors, baristas, movie theater ushers, etc. The people of the city of Bridgeport are much smarter than that, capable of performing beyond expectations in professional occupations.
We don’t need another hotel. No one wants to visit anyway. We don’t need a chain Mexican restaurant. Some of the best Mexican food in Fairfield County is right here, the mom-and-pop joints like Mi Rancho and Poblanita.
Whoever wins tomorrow should be obligated to nurture and promote the melting-pot culture of Bridgeport, the native intelligence of the citizenry. Also work to clean up the brownfields, fix the taxation system and attract serious investment in this town. Bass Pro will be pulling out in 5-10 years, and there goes Finch’s questionable legacy.
That was good BK, I might vote for you.
Ah, no, I mean the BK post that starts, “Donald and Ron, all Jostling aside” was good. Not the one above me here. That one stands on its own. I have said and will say again, I am proud of the fact we in the Torres camp have won the battle on OIB, at least as far as the poll can tell. But Torres is a decent and honorable man who will address each of you with concern and respect and that is the impression I most want to leave you with. Aside from this, may the best Torres win. He is the right choice for Bridgeport at this time. Ideas, passion and honesty look like they may carry the day, finally, in Bridgeport.
DREAM ON.