Governor Dannel Malloy was in Bridgeport Monday night at the home of city bond counsel John Stafstrom who hosted a fundraiser for Mayor Bill Finch. The mayor raised more than $100K the past week from fundraisers at Testo’s Restaurant and Stafstrom’s home. Not bad! That’s a mighty chunk to spend in the final two weeks heading into a sleepy general election.
Maybe the mayor’s get-out-the-vote mailer will include packets of coffee to wake up the electorate. But that’s just the way the mayor’s operatives want it, nice and quiet, identify Finch voters and drag them to the polls. Here’s hoping the governor’s First Five program makes its next stop in Bridgeport. From Malloy:
GOV. MALLOY ANNOUNCES NBC SPORTS GROUP IS FOURTH “FIRST FIVE”
Move Will Consolidate CT Workforce and Create 450 Jobs
(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Dannel P. Malloy today announced that NBC Sports Group will be the fourth company to take advantage of the “First Five” economic development program. NBCUniversal’s NBC Sports Group will consolidate much of its northeast operations, including its existing Connecticut workforce, at new studios and offices in the former Clairol factory in Stamford. The project, slated to start in September 2012, will create 450 jobs and allow room for the company to grow in the future.
“This is a terrific project for the city and state, and one that I am proud to support as the fourth ‘First Five.’ The companies that are participating in this economic development program are job producers, and NBCUniversal has been doing that since it first arrived in Connecticut,” Governor Malloy said. “Stamford has been home to NBCUniversal television production since 2008 when it retrofitted the Rich Forum Theatre in downtown to create the Stamford Media Center. As Mayor of Stamford at the time, I was supportive of the city and state assistance for the project because I understood its potential. I am strongly supportive of this expansion in Stamford because we continue to see the positive impact in the local economy and on the workforce.”
The 32-acre site will house office space for NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, NBC Sports Digital, VERSUS (to be renamed the NBC Sports Network on January 2), and the Comcast Sports Management Group, which oversees the NBC Sports Group’s 14 regional networks. The NBC Sports Group will also use the site to construct numerous state-of-the-art studios to house the company’s growing need for studio content.
“This new campus is about bringing people together to maximize production, creativity and efficient teamwork,” Mark Lazarus, Chairman of NBC Sports Group, said. “We are creating one 32-acre unique location that allows us to build numerous state-of-the-art studios, house more than 450 employees, and prepare for anticipated future growth. However, this initiative would not have been possible without the financial support of Governor Malloy’s ‘First Five’ program and the local support provided by Mayor Pavia, who we look forward to working with for many years to come.”
In addition, as part of its 10-year partnership with the National Hockey League, the NBC Sports Group will build a state-of-the-art studio for the NHL Network that will house most of the network’s personnel and will create additional jobs in Connecticut that are not included in the 450 amount.
“This collaboration with the NBC Sports Group, including the construction of our new NHL Network studio in Stamford, will give our fans unprecedented year-round access to the game,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “NBC has been a great partner and has played a significant role in our strong growth over the past five years. We look forward to building on our relationship.”
In support of the NBC Sports Group’s capital investment and the commitment to retain and create full-time jobs in Connecticut, the state will provide a $20 million loan through the Department of Economic and Community Development, which administers “First Five.”
The “First Five” program is designed to attract large-scale business development projects by augmenting and combining the state’s best incentive and tax credit programs for the first five companies that create 200 new jobs within two years, or invest $25 million and create 200 new jobs within five years.
The first three companies to take part in the “First Five” program — CIGNA, TicketNetwork, and ESPN — were announced over the summer.
“The new NBC Sports Group presents a tremendous opportunity to build and develop this sector of Connecticut’s economy,” DECD Commissioner Catherine Smith said. “The state is increasingly seen as a great home to television, film and digital media, and this project – in terms of jobs and infrastructure – will help us create the needed critical mass that can successfully attract new industry players to Connecticut and the greater Stamford area. We thank NBC for making this large investment here in Connecticut.”
For more information on Governor Malloy’s “First Five” initiative, visit governor.ct.gov/FirstFive.
As I have been posting since this news started leaking out, this should have all happened in Bridgeport at Steel Point. But our inept city administration and Economic Development Office as well as a lack of friends in Hartford did not even consider this as a viable option.
Governor Malloy does not give a damn about Bridgeport. And in spite of what others may think, I still believe Ned Lamont would have been better for Bridgeport and better for CT.
Bob Walsh: I’m sorry reality interfered with your fantasy.
Another big corporation going to Stamford. What do we get, 2 million yards of dirt for steel point. This steel point is the biggest bunch of bullshit and it would have made PT Barnum smile. Twenty freaking years of promises and still nothing. Two trips to Florida by our dumb-ass members of the council, still nothing. Thousand of dollars of taxable property off the tax roles thus making us dumb asses who stayed in Bridgeport pay extra taxes.
I guess that is to be expected when you have a mayor at a dinner for the Barnum Museum and the circus saying in a speech to that group he loves the zoo and takes his kids there all the time, he goes on to say how well the animals at the zoo are cared for. It takes a staff member to whisper in his ear he is addressing the museum people and their guests.
This kind of stuff is common for mayor moonbeam so why should I expect him to do something about steel point or for that matter any new development in Bridgeport?
I understand that for the second time this month the phonies forked over big bucks to kiss the mayor’s ass and replenish his war chest. Keep up the great work of screwing Bridgeport and its residents.
tc and others, I just received an email from a friend who described a new form of government: (Lennie, please take note!)
Ineptocracy–a system of government where the least capable are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services (and in Bridgeport’s case “jobs”) paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.
Something to reflect upon and discuss …
As to the board of education:
Hot off the CT Post website
The board at Monday’s meeting also came no closer to plugging a $6.6 million gap in its 2011-12 operating budget. The board plans another meeting Thursday on the budget.
The inability or unwillingness of the Bridgeport BOE to come to grips with the budget was one of the compelling reasons for the state takeover. So we are now quickly approaching November and this extremely competent, businesslike, qualified state-appointed BOE cannot pass a budget over a quarter of the year in.
You will have your say. Come Thursday morning, I hope to serve you well.
It’s all about school contracts, that’s what the City of Bridgeport lives on, school contracts.
$150 Million here, $200 Million there, that’s the industry that pays the most in kick-backs to the DTC and Mario Testa/Bill Finch and the Machine.
Fixing up schools, replacing schools, that’s the ticket!
NBC moves to Stamford with 500 jobs so who cares, right Mario/Finch?
NBC, GE, Modern Plastics, Derecktor jobs, who cares?
And CT Post feeds off the Machine, and the FBI sits on their ass …
Control the BOE and you control millions.
That’s been the industry of Bridgeport for the past 30 years.
Keep the taxes high, you keep manufacturing out of Bridgeport, right Mario/Finch?
See who’s writing checks to the Finch Camp & DTC, the same venders, contractors that work on the schools.
If you control the BOE Members, you control the school bids, right Mario/Finch?
DTC needs State BOE to get out of the way before the next school project.
It would be great if the State BOE controls all the school bids.
What Bridgeport taxpayers need is the State Department to come in.
Finch is a birdie. Stamford gets the Peacock and Bridgeport will get the Shuttle … Cock! Badminton, anyone?
Jimfox,
Although most of your post is on the money, do not forget the close relationship between Bob Trefry and the BRBC. And if we are to believe what you posted, why would the city be putting up such a fight with the lawsuit before the CT Supreme Court?
Something doesn’t add up.
Bob, it sure doesn’t add up.
Sure it does. Lawsuits = higher fees. They add up.
I am convinced the current BOE deficit could be eradicated if ALL of the contracts for goods and services were entered into under fair and equitable guidelines requiring a competitive bidding process.
That’s right, Mario!
Why don’t we publish the list of all contractors who are providing goods and services just to the BOE? It sure would be an interesting read.
yahooy, your convictions are worthless.
And this is what the state BOE gives us:
(Again courtesy of the CT Post)
BRIDGEPORT — The city school board has made itself the search committee that will pick the district’s next schools superintendent, but it remains unclear just how open the process will be.
More shutting out of Bridgeport residents so the out-of-towners will have their way.
To the geniuses who think NBC chose Stamford over Bridgeport for its proximity to Manhattan I say you are wrong.
ESPN chose the Waterbury area. Quite remote and not commuter friendly to NYC. Yet that’s where they ended up and thrived, BTW. The boys from the Waterbury area were masterful in creating a welcoming environment up there.
There is no one on the payroll in the city of Bridgeport who could have successfully brought that NBC contract to this town.
Mario wants a Walmart.
OMG! Collectively all of you guys ought to either move out or commit suicide and in your suicide note blame Finch for that as well.
Walsh … You can’t get out of here fast enough as far as I am concerned. Ned Lamont–You & Finch are more alike than different.
FBD, you are perilously close to the F Bomb.
And it’s very apparent you cannot teach stupid.
Is this an act of concurrence?
Frustrated Bridgeport Democrat is hereby nominated for OIB blogger of the day! FBD rightfully points out the DoomFreaks and gives ’em their marching orders. All the usual suspects showed up today but none of them understand politics in The Park City except FBD, whose stature on this blog is rising.
What LE doesn’t seem to understand is that we OIB bloggers understand all too well the gross mishandling of our TAX dollars by the the present and past administrations. This is our sounding board and many times, an information source.
I say vote for Rick Torres, if nothing else he will clean the house. Otherwise, expect a state takeover when the pension fund is emptied (imho, a state takeover is our best option but I will cast my vote for Torres and his entire slate).
Mishandling tax dollars pales in comparison to wealth creation. Redirect your energy there for better results.
SUICIDE?
Here’s the guy who was talking about vitriol on the blog last month. Hate to burst your bubble but very crude and uncaring remark considering there was a Suicide Walk last week at Sherwood Island.
Maybe we need more people like us and Walsh and less go-along-to-get-alongs like your mob.
Maybe you were talking about taking a Sue-A-Side 🙂
Many expected Governor Malloy to favor Stamford, where he served as mayor and say this is now proof of this, bypassing Bridgeport, which needs development more. One more business moving really doesn’t make a difference in Stamford. So little activity we can count every single move … United Rentals in, the boat company out, this store closing, etc. No, one thing the city could clarify, is its regulations on entertainment so business can have a better sense of the regulations. I think there is a committee working on this.
I say again, loudly, Stamford has a more welcoming environment for meaningful business relocation. The probable fact of the matter is the further Malloy was from this deal, the easier it was for all involved.
May I please see a show of hands from all of those whom reside in Bridgeport who have experienced the ‘creation of wealth’ referred to by Local Eyes?
You may use a comparative analysis of your current property valuations to assist in determining the value of the wealth you created recently.
I attended the bull$hit fest at Stafstrom’s, and I am shocked Joel hasn’t posted how he sucked up to the mayor and handed over a huge check. WTF Joel, inquiring minds want to know how a Republican turned Dem can hand over such big bucks while the talk of the night was MJF went Dem to Republican and is pushing hard for Torres. OIB, baybee.
Wow! What a crock of crap. I have not heard Mary-Jane say anything about Rick Torres AT ALL. I mean, not a single solitary word. But it appears she does not have to, the good folks over at the Casa del Bull$hit are taking that off of her hands. Won’t she be relieved. Don’t they have a pension payment and Board of Education to discuss? Get a clue goons, you have a City to run into the ground.
Zena, the idiots who attended the BS session at the Casa Del Bullshit were so busy kissing ass I don’t believe they could have talked about MJF backing Torres. If they were talking about that then they are more clueless than I thought. The biggest problem they had was removing lips from Finch’s ass. Everyone there was there for one reason and one reason only, “future city business.” Even though they have almost milked the city dry they want to finish the job. Lawyers have no scruples.
Joel,
Did you give a check to the Finch campaign?
tc–Ain’t that the truth!
LE–point taken but in the meantime, while we are waiting for the creation, can’t we please expect retired cops on full pension aren’t hired as BOE consultants for $500 a day? Can we at least see the “open bid requisition” processes? Might we expect our council people acknowledge city ordinances and not be employed (or have close family members) by the city?
Would it be asking too much of these “elected” officials to show up for the meetings and understand the content, particularly the budget?
Just a few of many questions I have.
Just sayin’ …
All the rose-colored glasses, MJ people need to get a life.
Fact, she was running due to her hatred of Finch, she has admitted that and said she was angry. Ask her.
Fact, she is making CALLS on Torres’ behalf.
Fact, Joel sucked harder than anyone there and handed over a $500 dollar check, admit it Joel. You saved your job last night.
SS-DD: is that all ya got? Why are you here?
Well I haven’t received a call, so who is she calling??? Some more facts please? A few thousand people? If MJF wanted the change she would be on the write-in ballot. Finch will win big and nobody is interested in the other candidates. End of story.
SS-DD, to put it mildly you are full of shit. MJF did not hate Finch. She thought, and correctly so, Finch was incompetent and needed to be replaced.
I have talked to MJF several times and at no time did she suggest she was pushing for Torres. This is another rumor being spread by the Finch ass-kissers. By your posts I take it you are the chief ass-kisser for his campaign.
BTW look up the definition of angry and hate.
SS-DD need not justify his position here and certainly doesn’t have to answer to you.
I hear crickets MJ, Joel, what say you? At least Gomes has stayed true to his Dem roots. Finch would be wise to offer Gomes a job to show Bpt he wants to really bring in the best and brightest to move Bpt forward. Torres has tried to sway Gomes his way to NO avail.
SS-DD, I have not heard a word of MJF supporting Torres and at this point how silly it is to suggest Gomes would support Torres. Like his followers would cross the lane to Republican? They went for Finch then MJF then Torres. Get real!!! And Finch would be wise to hire Gomes to prove what? Wasn’t Gomes’ whole platform to get rid of the “Machine?” What planet are you on???
I believe John Gomes would make a formidable candidate down the road. But since MJF didn’t get on the write-in ballot, it will be 8 to 12 years before Bridgeporters will elect anyone but Finch if the current projects finally make their way to fruition.
Somebody call the OIB clinic! WARNING: Keep your Local Eyes open for a new Stupidly Submited Deadly Disease spreading (one reported case) in OIB. Real OIB readers knew many days ago I posted my intent in attending the “love fest” at Stafstrom’s place. Before I continue, Happy Birthday to Dennis Murphy who was celebrating his day this past Monday. I had the opportunity to meet Governor Malloy and Senator Blumenthal among others. I enjoyed the introduction part and the one-liners between Stafstrom, Malloy, Finch and Blumenthal.
While the NBC announcement may not look or sound like something good for Bridgeport, it is good for Connecticut and what’s good for Connecticut is good for Bridgeport. Malloy will not leave Bridgeport out and he made mention of the elevator company moving to Bridgeport and a $500 job-creation plan he was going to push for in Hartford in the coming weeks. I’m the least impressed when I hear big corporations receiving assistance from the State and Federal government. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I have bigger ambitions than working for the City of Bridgeport or anyone else. If Governor Malloy can assist big corporations, I see no way he can justify not assisting start-up companies in every aspect necessary. I’ve posted how I would invest the money spent by McMahon, Lamont and other candidates–had I been them. I think the State of Connecticut should have a better avenue to promote and encourage the starting-up of companies with NEW creative products and services. Smaller grants of $300,000 to start-up companies selected in an open and competitive process. Even as I’m typing, I’m waiting for parts of my prototype to dry so I can continue to work from my basement.
Malloy can really brag if his administration can help start up 40 companies in 9 months. Five hundred dollars for the advice and contacts I made is not a bad deal at all–the food and whine was good. It was sort of like being in a Museum. I enjoyed looking at the photos of John and Dennis with Bill Clinton, Al Gore and Obama. The strangest Obama picture I’ve seen so far in my life is the one with Obama in the middle of John and Dennis. I couldn’t help but notice Obama’s ears cast two big shadows on his sides.
Nice collection of buttons: Kennedy, Eisenhower, Nixon(?), Clinton, Obama.
I’m calling the clinic to ask Dr. Mo if it’s possible to catch an SS-DD by sucking harder than anyone.
Shame on you. Happy birthday, Dennis. Jesus Joel, give me a break.
That’s a very nice dissertation, Joel. Not to be sidetracked by this noble attempt at misdirection, I ask: Did you give Finch a check or what?
I don’t blame you for sucking up just to save your job. There were a lot of people there doing the same thing. I just wish you and Auerbach were not so demonstrative in your iteration of fluid loyalties.
Steve,
I’m not suggesting Gomes back Torres, I am complimenting him for not selling out his Dem roots a la your idol MJ who behind the scenes is pushing hard for Torres. Everyone at Stafstrom’s knew this and talked about it.
As for Joel, that $500 had to hurt. We all had a good laugh at the stains on his knees.
SS-DD, your lies about MJF just won’t stop. I see you were at Stafstrom’s so that makes you one of the elite Finch ass-kissers. If you are going to continue talking about MJF at least get your facts right.
Ask her, tc. Call her up and ask. Then come back on here and apologize to me if you are man enough.
She ran out of hatred for Finch and she told me that.
Makes sense she pulls for anyone, but no?
Now let me set you straight, as one of the first to discuss with MJF whether she should run for mayor or not. I have spoken to MJF many, many times. I can assure you at no time did she express any hatred for Bill Finch. She did not agree with the way he was running the city and decided to run against him. Even during the heat of the campaign she did not express hatred for Finch. She ran an aboveboard campaign, that’s more than what can be said for Finch, Ford and some of the ministers.
I do not believe for a second MJF told you she hated Finch. If she felt that way it would have come up in one of the hundreds of conversations I had with her.