From Democratic mayoral candidate Mary-Jane-Foster:
Mary-Jane Foster’s Solutions for Bridgeport
Problem: Bill Finch Wants To Give Himself A Raise at a time when the 2010-11 budget deficit of $8 million has not been resolved, there have been no contributions to pension fund liabilities in three years, the fund balance is perilously low with no apparent plan for repayment, City Hall is for sale, and the City is borrowing to pay operating expenses.
What Finch Has Done: According to the mayor’s proposed budget, Mayor Finch wants to raise his salary from $126,538 to $129,862. He also wants to increase the mayor’s office budget by $26,258. Since taking office, the mayor has increased his own personal budget by more than $132,000 and this year is proposing a 3% increase in salaries in his office. At the same time, he is calling for union concessions and layoffs, is neglecting contributions to the fund balance, and asking to waive our legally required contributions to the pension fund.
Solution: The City Council must reject a pay raise for the mayor and increased expenditures for his office.
What Mary-Jane Foster Will Do As Mayor: “It’s impossible to maximize savings when the mayor is padding his salary while at the same time asking City employees to give back. If the mayor’s salary increase is approved, when I’m mayor I will return the pay raise to our taxpayers to show I am willing to set an example and sacrifice as much as anyone else. The idea that the Mayor’s office budget should increase by more than $132,000 since 2008, when everyone else is being asked to make sacrifices, is beyond imagination. It is either arrogance or ignorance and neither is acceptable.”
Give the guy a break, will ya?
He needs the extra few bucks. After all, he gave his Senate salary to somebody when he started drawing his mayor’s pay.
He did that, didn’t he?
He did that with the check he sent to Sal he said he was giving back along with the $600.00 credit he promised.
His pay is not all that is needed to restore Bridgeport financially. I really doubt the people who owe him their jobs will reject it.
If I were the mayor I would ask this Finch guy to take a 3 percent pay cut immediately, or 2 zeroes. If not, threaten to lay him off. Oh wait …
Will Mary-Jane support legalizing Mary-Jane?
Ask my pal Tom Lombard. BTW say Hi.
Here’s an additional thought. Perhaps the suggestion from the Gomes campaign that all appointees take no pay raise this year, increase their deductible and consider themselves lucky … as we know how attractive the salaries of the Mayoral appointees have become since this mayor came into office.
Finch is also padding his pension with this hike. I think he should take a long hike up into bucolic Trumbull.
Hey Lennie, what’s going on with DiNardo in the CT Post today? Cranberry Jam anyone?
Is Sal DiNardo subgenus Oxycoccus of the genus Vaccinium? In some methods of classification …
Mary-Jane is too much of a lady to name names. Here’s what she coulda shoulda said:
Mayor Finch and his appointees are getting between 3% and 5% increases at a time when union workers can barely pay their bills and put food on the table.
he Mayor is getting 3% going from $126,358 to $129,862.
Adam Wood, Andy Nunn, Tom Sherwood, Dawn (I don’t have a fuckin’ clue but I wear short skirts) Norton, Larry (who’s on first) Osborne, Charlie (what other family member can I hire) Carroll, Don (zzzzzz) Eversley are all going from $119,932 to $123,082–3% increase.
Adam Heller, ITS Director is getting a 5% increase from $117,206 to $123,082. He’s now on par with the Big Boys.
Elaine Ficarro is going from $73,131 to $76,927, another 5% increase.
Jody, CitiStat director is getting 5%–$92,000 to $96,445.
What is the average union increase? I bet a million dollars it is not 3% and nowhere near 5%.
What are these greedy raises based on? Certainly not performance or accountability.
And did you see the $495,500 in the City Attorney’s budget for “legal services?” More outside counsel. Did MJ ever get an answer to her FOI request? I think not.
Smoker, tell us how you really feel!
The mayor is full of shit.
Pretty neat trick that his teeth are always white.
*** Save money in budget concept but spend more in reality, no? *** HERE WE GO! ***
Bill Finch gets his fabrications mixed up. He meant to say “The check is in my mouth” and “I won’t come in your mail.”