Modern Plastics: Business Retention As A Campaign Issue, Plus: Jim Carbone Shares Thoughts

Institutions such as Modern Plastics bailing out of  Bridgeport are toothaches in a reelection cycle.

Mayor Bill Finch hopes he doesn’t field anymore of these company defections with all the other issues he must deal with in 2011. When a company says sayonara after 65 years of doing business in the city, especially when the company president says the city was unresponsive to his call, it’s a punch to the gut. That’s what Bing Carbone, president of Modern Plastics, says occurred. He called, no one from the city responded. Okay, he said, I’ll go to Shelton.

That’s, of course, if mayoral challengers know how to take advantage. If State Rep. Chris Caruso gets into the race, he’ll pounce on the Modern Plastics decision to move to Shelton. “Knock, knock, anyone home at City Hall?”  So far the only formally announced Democratic mayoral candidate is John Gomes, former Finch administrative official who had a falling-out with the mayor.

I don’t know John Gomes well. I interviewed him, he seems like a good guy, but he’s shown no real substance on issues in his early going. He’ll need to very soon, otherwise he’ll not connect with voters he’ll need to become a relevant candidate. As some posters debated on OIB the past few days he authored an opinion piece in the Connecticut Post on education. The article had no specifics. When a candidate authors one of those op-ed pieces you want the reader to come away with something that will stick.

Caruso, who is well known and brings a voter base to the table, can afford to sit back until early 2011. An unknown candidate such as John Gomes, lacking financial resources, must share some specificity to cut through the static. If he’s all about ideas, what are the ideas? His campaign handler Carolanne Curry is a veteran political operative who appears to be coddling her candidate.

At some point soon Gomes must share his rationale for running, what he stands for, why he’ll be better. Saying I’ll demand an inclusive administration won’t work. And saying what’s wrong with government won’t work. It doesn’t resonate. As a candidate you must have a basis: what you’ll do that the current occupant of City Hall isn’t doing. Every opposition candidate has the same challenge.

The Modern Plastics departure throws open the door for the opposition to begin a discussion about business retention, business recruitment and paying attention to the little things that mean a lot. We’ll see who can make that argument.

Speaking of Modern Plastics, Jim Carbone who served as company president for many years, shares his observations about his commitment to the city in response to comments by Joel Gonzalez.

OK, Mr. Gonzalez and anyone else who may want to hear the real story from the guy who owned and ran Modern Plastics for over 35 years and who lived on Howard Avenue above a small glass company started by my dad Joseph Carbone in 1946. I worked in that glass company for all of my young life as we lived on Pembroke St. and later East Main St. We grew away from glass in the late ’60s and added more and more space and of course more and more jobs. As the West End of Bridgeport fell apart I started to suffer nightly break-ins and a arson fire or two, but as everyone left I stayed. In an effort to help I worked with Mary Moran, later served on Ganim’s transition team, became the President of the West End business association, also was chairman of the West End CC. I spent lots and lots of time trying to turn things around in the West End. I also served six years on the board of ed.

In 1990 I went to the bank and got a 1.5 mil. loan and built the finest and only new building in the West End, in spite of everything around me falling apart. The land on State Street that you talk about was sold to me at fair market price and it took more than 8 years for me to get the land. Then at the end of 2004 I received news that I had a problem with cancer and decided it was best for my family and myself to sell the company that I loved so much.

The decision to move the Company out of Bridgeport was not mine, I own the buildings and had plans to develop that whole block on State St. I stayed in this city through some of the worst times. I spent money and hired many many great people most of whom spent 25-35 years working for a company that treated them with respect. It has been a very sad day to hear about them moving out in spite of my many offers to lower the rent. I live in Bridgeport and God help me I still love and care about the place.