You don’t want to terminate the bus driver escorting veterans to the VA hospital in an election year, do ya? Especially if the mayor’s dad is a rock-solid veteran himself.
Sometimes I wonder if anyone examines the easy stuff in City Hall. Laying off employees, especially in this economy during the holidays, rots. The Veterans Affairs bus driver initially listed on the city’s layoff list has been restored. The Finch administration has a history of floating these layoff notices and then pulling back a few. (Oh my, we didn’t know you’d be angry.) Really?
Bridgeport government is experiencing one gigantic swirl as Mayor Bill Finch enters an election year. Mayors, for the most part, live and die by their budgets, and Finch is fighting two fronts, the current budget year that’s millions in the hole and the one on the horizon for his 2011 reelection. None of it is pretty.
It appears State Rep. Chris Caruso is gearing up for a rematch against Finch. The Big Wave is making the rounds, speaking out at public forums, meeting with political operatives for support. Unless something kooky happens Caruso will be a formidable Finch foe. Right now it’s Finch and Caruso with a variety of potential factors.
John Gomes, Finch’s former deputy chief administrative officer, is the only formally announced Democratic candidate for mayor. He’s smart, speaks a half-dozen languages, brings public/private experience to the table. None of that matters unless he gets in the game, arms, legs, body and soul. You cannot tip-toe around the edges and be a serious player, especially one so underfunded and unknown. Now if John announces he has a rich uncle, that’s another story. I’d be issuing news statements two or three a week, about the budget, layoffs, crime, education, economic development. You don’t have to share full-blown policy positions at this point, just let people know where you stand. The comprehensive stuff can come later.
A well-known candidate such as Caruso can afford to sit back until 2011. John Gomes cannot. The mayoral field could become larger. Will Probate Judge Paul Ganim jump in, or instead his big brother Joe?
If she decides to play, Mary-Jane Foster would become an instant factor. She’s smart, well-liked and can raise money. But she enjoys her executive position at the University of Bridgeport. Why leave that for the headaches of managing the city?
Somehow, some way former State Senator Ernie Newton will be a factor in the mayoral race, whether he becomes a candidate for mayor or supports a candidate.
Come next month all of the above will begin to sort out.
Yo Lennie +++ I gots a rich uncle +++ can I be a playa???
You keep talking about money but remember those with the most money don’t always win. I realize a candidate does need a certain level of funding but no one knows what Gomes has going on unless, of course, he has had to file some sort of disclosure or return as to his campaign finances. My point is if recent politics has taught us nothing it’s don’t count out the underdog. Gomes is a smart guy. Goliath has gone down in many instances the last couple of years.
This city is a mess on so many levels I don’t know where to begin. My vote will go to the candidate with the skills, tenacity and vision to break the cycle of misery. And eliminating patronage positions that do nothing to benefit the taxpayers would do a helluva lot to painlessly plug holes in the budget.
John Gomes, for someone as well educated as himself is, frankly, an idiot.
Lake Forest Guy, in response to your posting … Just pondering what makes you say such a thing?
Please visit this link to see John Gomes’ email to me and posted here originally on July 22nd.
the-soap-opera-taste-of-honey-blonde-banshee-and-the-supers-ed-contract/#comment-21966
Lake Forest Guy, his answer was good. Why would you speak of him in such a manner?
Those who keep voting in the same people go beyond the gullible category and become idiots.
I agree that if the patronage jobs were eliminated, the city would not be in a deficit. I hear that Finch the Grinch has told a recently laid-off employee that he has to make these cuts to save the budget. But that is a slap in the face since it’s BS. He has hired sooo many people to new positions and created new departments to hold these people that the real reason for the layoffs is to cover the cost to pay his friends!
Prime example: CitiStat. What was a promising program has gone to a dumping ground for political patronage.
*** CitiStat was a political crony dumping ground from the beginning with no real admin. clout to make a difference, that’s why it’s still a failure! *** FORGETABOUTIT ***
Lennie, Nunn says it was clerical error; it was no error it was just plain stupidity he gave the order because he also rescinded it, they did not figure the firestorm. Also he his now threatening Union leaders through dept heads to be controlled. These people are out of control, if they were intelligent they wouldn’t be so dangerous but they are not just the spell of power alone makes them dangerous. More grants have been lost in last few months major grants due to Alana and clueless running of central grants state of CT feels she has no clue the city is up shit’s creek without a paddle in a chicken-wire canoe.
My boy Caruso is too quiet, I want an OIB-sponsored debate. Get out the facts in public.
Chris got nooo game *** hate ain’t nooo platform ***
All of the political cutlers are busy cleaning, polishing and sharpening their dining instruments for their holiday feasts. After Jan. 1, they can use them on each other.
OH NO ***Caruso could swallow all of Bpt *** and fit it.
Found this blurb interesting as I was doing my due dilligence surfing the info highway:
John M. Gomes for Mayor Do you know if the City of Bridgeport was to get rid of 50 of its take-home cars today for city employees there would be an immediate estimated savings of $358,123.00 not including gas usage and maintenance? Bridgeport voters it’s our dollars and it’s our city along with its front-line workers who continue to pay the price for poor decisions.
14 Bridgeport city workers given layoff notices
www .ctpost.com
According to union sources, among those who received the layoff notices were LIUNA vice president Lynn Haig and executive board member Sam Shaw, both city planners in the Office of Planning and Economic Development. Layoff notices also went out to five administrative assistants, an information tech
Not one car has been taken away by the Finch administration. I wonder if those using the company car full-time are claiming it as they should on their income tax. Maybe the play is to get the IRS to look into the use of company cars by employees who pay nothing for the use of these vehicles.
HAH ~~~ half those city take-home vehicles have private plates dude ~~~ get the vin ~~~ check the plate ~~~ bracelets for the in crowd.
I don’t need to do that an IRS audit will do that. Here is an excerpt from one small section covering take-home company cars by employees:
Personal use of employer-provided vehicles is a non-cash fringe benefit, so its value must be determined at least once a year. The FMV of the benefit is subject to tax withholding at the time the value is determined by the employer. It may be added to the employee’s regular compensation and the necessary taxes withheld from the employee’s regular compensation. Some employers may choose to determine the FMV more frequently, such as monthly.
Now how many city employees taking cars home have been paying the taxes. I bet None.
town committee // Dec 3, 2010 at 5:37 pm
to your point
No, my guess is no. The IRS is not going to hear from honest Bridgeport City officials honestly claiming the city car that they are honestly entitled to use on a full-time basis and take home (said with heavy sarcasm).
When you look overall, it’s more than 50 cars.
Maybe it’s time for the union or their members to start playing hardball with these people. The city is certainly playing hardball with them. Maybe it’s time to inform the IRS just what is happening with these cars; after all these are not the people fearing the loss of their jobs and it seems to me they are flaunting their political clout by the continued use of these cars.
It’s not just the unlimited use of the cars. You also need to add in the endless supply of gas, maintenance and carwashes. Plus they pay no property taxes and no car insurance. Big perks for people already making over $100K. Since most of the cars don’t have municipal plates, they can be taken anywhere out of state and not be identified as BPT vehicles.
If you receive the benefit of a 24-hour city-owned car, the benefit is factored into your salary and is taxed. Here’s the kicker. The $5k benefit is factored into your pension. For example; this $5k benefit for a 30-year employee equates to an additional $3k into the individual’s annual pension.
Daaamn ~~~ Gots to love these CROOKS ~~~ adding on to the old pension bottom line ~~~ swapping plates ~~~ how’s about all them retired folks coming back as consultants ~~~ and little $30,000 peoples gettin’ the pinks ~~~ and average Joe citizen got no idea what their hard-earned tax buck is being wasted on ~~~ looooooooosers.
“… Come next month all of the above will begin to sort out.”
There isn’t much to be sorted out. Only Chris Caruso has the best chance of beating Finch and I’m talking about a primary. However, I’m not too sure that Caruso has a strategy to generate a buzz–it’s a must-do. Come next month? Lennie, I get the feeling you know some interesting things are going to start happening soon. What would you do if you were Caruso, Lennie? I know what I would do!
Paging Chris Caruso:
If I were Chris Caruso, I would sit down with my buddy Dan Malloy and say. “Hey Danny boy, I have a big problem in Bridgeport and I need your help.” “Anything that’s reasonable Mr. Caruso, what’s the problem?” “For the last 3 years, the City of Bridgeport has been having huge budget deficits. The big problem is I can’t really prove it. But there’s a reason why I can’t. Mayor Bill Finch–the guy who endorsed Ned Lamont–is not being honest with the taxpayers of Bridgeport as to the true budget numbers.” “How can I help there?” “I’d like you consider the formation of a Bridgeport Financial Review Board, Governor Malloy.” “You can call me Danny boy!”
YES … FINALLY A GREAT SUGGESTION.
Joel “only Chris Caruso has the best chance of beating Finch” which is it does he have the best chance or is he the only one who can beat Finch (in a primary)? I believe any of the named candidates and a few unnamed could actually beat Mayor Finch including Rep. Caruso. There is one person who has run in the past and I believe if he wanted it he would be a very viable candidate … When he walks in a room he’s treated like royalty, his love for Bridgeport is unquestionable, he is a genius and has proven himself a player among both major political parties nationally … His name is MR. CHARLES TISDALE. Everyone says there isn’t a Republican who could win in this City. I say all Mr. Tisdale would have to do is … WANT IT …
Hector his time has come and gone. He really is too old for the job.
GOOD MORNING BRIDGEPORT!!!
Up On Bridgeport is up on his facts.
It was under the less than honorable Joseph P Ganim that the city instituted the policy of declaring taxable benefits on the W-2’s as well as reporting all City Council stipends as taxable unless the city pays directly for travel and seminars.
This was not done under the altruistic claim of what is right is right but since the IRS was all over the mayor he didn’t want any more problems than necessary. Right Lennie?
Up is also right on padding the pensions. One top admin person in City Hall told me the reason they give back vacation days is that it doesn’t change their gross incomes for pension purposes. Rolling back salaries would.
Now to send a wake-up call to everyone on the blog this AM about take-home cars, take a look at the Registrar of Voters budget and you will see the taxable benefit of a city car listed there.
So for the three or four days a year the registrars work more than 9:00 – 5:00 they get the benefit of a take-home car!
Only in Bridgeport.
Well Bob I checked the registrars’ office budget, it is there. I then checked the mayor’s office budget and it is NOT there. I bet it’s not in the FD or PD budget either.
Hector,
Sorry to inform you but Charlie T is now a D.
He switched two years ago to vote for Obama.
And although I agree with you about his love for the city, I think at this point in his life Mr. T would simply say “Thanks, but no thanks” when it came to running for mayor.
And for all of the posts about city plates, there is a city ordinance that MANDATES all city-owned vehicles be designated with LETTERING that it is property of the city of Bridgeport.
Maybe Lennie can put a call into City Hall to find out why the mayor and his staff are not adhering to city ordinances.
But then immediately the City Attorney’s office would issue an opinion that would say this infringes on the constitutional guarantees of Free Speech and Right To Associate.
Oh well, Surprise It’s Bridgeport!!!
Look Bob this administration does what it wants public be damned. The council is a paper tiger filled with people that have NBA. Just look at your fellow council members who are taking their $9,000 stipend (I know you don’t take it) while employees making peanuts are being laid off. I hope the 10 who went to Denver had a good time on our dime.
Yeah I know they put in a lot of hours but they campaigned hard for the job, spent a ton of money and a ton of time to win the position so they could give up the stipend after all how many computers does their family need.
I love this blog. I love that the experts know all that’s going on in this city. I love that Mr. Grimaldi is so tuned in he knows Caruso is the only one with a chance to beat Finch who couldn’t get one vote without the corrupt DTC’s help. I said it here first and you experts can say OMG in September of next year. It won’t be Finch and it won’t be Caruso. A TSUNAMI is coming and nobody can stop it. WAIT AND SEE. My next post will be September 14th of 2011 saying … I TOLD YOU SO.
Gee Hammer, when did I write that Caruso “is the only one with a chance to beat Finch?”
Tell us about this Tsunami, oh long-toothed sage.
WHY WAIT until September 14th?
Local Eyes can say I told-you-so right NOW.
Mike Hammer is a political charlatan who thinks he can predict the future.
What he thinks is a tsunami is just a few passing raindrops.
If anyone thinks Caruso is a dead-nuts certainty, they are badly mistaken.
yahooy, you were a big Caruso guy in 2007. What has soured you? Could you support him again?
I support Caruso for all the reasons I had in ’07. Decency, Honesty and Commitment. He made a lot of mistakes last time remaining mute throughout the primary campaign. Also, his cast of managers has to be expanded to include fewer hacks and more business leaders who want to put some real juice into this town. I bid Christopher to heed great caution this time around because there are bright pennies, some brighter than he, who are announced or are contemplating.
So my apparent negativisms regarding Chris are totally focused on the mistakes of past campaign which he shows no evidence of remediating. He should have beat Johnny the Nose and he certainly should have beat the current turd. Unless he gets off his ass now and starts telling people what he wants to do as mayor, he will be beat again.
Yahooy, any chance Caruso will team up with John Gomes?
Right now, it would be a tough decision if I had to choose between the two of them on a ballot.
Here’s a documented certainty: www .MayorCaruso.com is already taken. No, it doesn’t guarantee victory in November but it’s not a bad place to start.
1. The veterans’ driver was taken off the layoff list because of public pressure. The vets called the mayor’s office and Jill Bruno the director was circulating petitions to keep her driver. Finch saw that this could hurt him politically so he blamed it on an error. Bullshit. He’s as stupid as he is dumb.
2. The unaffiliated/non-union/political appointees also have another perk. A long- and short-term disability policy which includes paid maternity leave. When any of them is out sick or having a baby, he or she is paid 66% of his or her salary tax free. The regular employees have to use their sick time and if they have none they ARE NOT PAID.
3. The unions cannot win with this administration because Finch and his people have no conscience. They only care about what they can get for themselves. This is proven time and time again: take-home cars, large raises, disability plans. The unions should get together and fight to kick these people out on their asses. Oh sweet revenge.
Woe is me +++ unions? The head of the Ffld county building trades and chief negotiating dude is none other than *** wait for it +++ Peter Carroll, brother of the Charles one *** used to negotiate across from him in the Fab one’s days *** now *** well *** Charles tain’t in charge, is he? Can you say ~~~ CONFLICT OF INTEREST eh? Does anyone wonder why the trades were the only union that offered give-backs??? Hmmmmmmmmm
And as far as the HAMMER +++ if that Tsunami is Mr. Ernie +++ that storm cooled off over the open waters of incarceration, dude. If the tsunami is Gomes *** he needs a rich uncle +++ right Leonard?
We’re gonna find out who’s naughty or nice in the very near future. So sorry Mr. Grinch, excuse me, Finch, haven’t you ever seen the movie? ‘Tis the season; if you haven’t heard, hear this; driver for the Veterans layoff this past week? Wasn’t the Director for Veteran’s Affairs, Jill Bruno just laid off about a month or so ago? That too was rescinded before D day. Is there a pattern of behavior here? What might the Grinch gain from these actions? Why is Mayor Finch targeting the Veterans of our City? And why has he rescinded both layoffs? Does he think this appears to be a hero tactic, a poor simile to the Whoville roast beast dinner, perhaps? Forget it; the Veterans of this city, along with any decent citizen, see this cheap ploy for the manipulation that it is. Looking for creativity points? Does he even think–ooops, so silly of me to start that sentence. Ms. Jill Bruno shows her passion and compassion in her position each and every day which includes advocating for the population that she was hired to serve. Morally, we should each of us who enjoy our freedom every day because of the bravery and personal sacrifice of our Veterans, stand in support. Forget the petitions! Let’s make a physical appearance and personally explain the plain truth to Mr. Finch. And to our Veterans, bless them, each and every one!
The Honorable Mayor Finch will be on WICC this morning at 9 am. Why don’t you call and ask him why he’s trying to get rid of the veterans’ office? I’m sure you’re not the only one who wants an answer to that question.
Cindylu you make a good point. Why does Finch target the veterans’ office and then rescind the layoffs after a public outcry? Is he so stupid to think the vets will actually thank him? They are way smarter than that. I hope the vets remember this come the 2011 election.
I have not publicly said anything about my experience in either administration since I left Bridgeport. However, this is one time I can’t help passing on an experience. Under the current administration, my position for the City was officially called Director of Legislative Affairs and Special Adviser to the Mayor. Big title, nice office … didn’t mean too much. Nevertheless, I did have the responsibility to commute up to Hartford during the legislative session and on many, many occasions I was there past 10pm and sometimes as late 2am and had to be back by 9 or 10am. I requested a car for use just during the session, but was told that I had to come from my home to Bridgeport get a car, return to Bridgeport and get my car to go home adding about 50mins to a 12- or 14-hour day, salaried, no overtime. I was dedicated, but I was not willing to drive to Bridgeport in the wee hours of the morning just because they didn’t want me parking it my driveway until 9am the next morning. So I chose to be reimbursed for mileage at a rate that was over 40 cents a mile. The City ended up paying much more to reimburse me than if they gave me use of a car for 4 months. What blew my mind was they knew it would cost more and did it anyway; I assume it was to keep me in “my place.” I did actually hear a few times; well maybe we can let you use a car when we find all of them. After that legislative session, I knew it was time to go.