Approaching the midpoint of his mayoralty, Bill Finch has a lot of work to do to position himself for reelection in 2011.
An OIB poll administered by Connecticut-based Merriman River Associates www.merrimanriver.com shows Finch trailing his Democratic primary rival from 2007 State Rep. Chris Caruso by roughly three percentage points with former Mayor John Fabrizi running just four points behind Finch. Both those numbers fall within the poll’s margin of error of three percent, according to Matt Fitch who supervised the poll at Merriman River Associates.
But margin of error is the least of Finch’s worries. The universe selected for the poll? Democrats that voted in the 2007 municipal election, a voting constituency Finch won overwhelmingly, and should be in his back pocket. The poll sampled 350 Democrats, a sufficient universe to gauge a snapshot.
Example is the following question: Do you feel that things in Bridgeport are moving in the right direction, or have they gotten off on the wrong track?
45 percent answered wrong track, 32 percent answered right direction. Roughly 20 percent were unsure. Finch needs to do something to turn that number around.
On the question of job approval 43 percent approve of the mayor’s performance, 39.5 percent disapprove. Hardly a strong review.
The poll queried voters in Finch head-to-head matchups with Caruso, Fabrizi, former Mayor Joe Ganim, retired Judge Carmen Lopez, Probate Judge Paul Ganim and State Rep. Andres Ayala.
Finch 36.71 percent, Caruso 40.19 percent
Finch 40.19 percent, Fabrizi 35.76
Measured against Joe Ganim, Finch secures 46.52 percent of the vote against 33.86 percent for a former mayor who’s been incarcerated for six years and has had no contact with the city. Not good.
Finch does better against Lopez, Paul Ganim and Ayala, but in the case of Lopez and Ayala most of that is the product of a lack of name recognition that can easily be made up. Against Lopez, who has taken the administration to task in it’s handling of fired Civil Service Personnel Director Ralph Jacobs, Finch cannot crack 50 percent. Democratic operatives pushing Lopez to run should find comfort in those numbers.
There is some hope for Finch in the survey: a wide Democratic primary field suits the mayor. When all matchups are grouped Finch runs ahead of the pack with just 27 percent, followed by Caruso, Fabrizi and Joe Ganim (equal), Lopez, Ayala and Paul Ganim. If I’m the mayor I say “Come on in, the water’s just fine!”
OIB sampled lesser-known names with Democrats to provide context with pols with higher name recognition and measure Finch in relation to a 50 percent threshold.
Poll shows property taxes the biggest issue followed by education and jobs and (surprisingly) crime.
The poll also asked: If the Democratic Primary for Governor were held today, would you support Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz or Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy?
Bysiewicz 31.44 percent, Malloy 14.56 percent. Malloy lost a close gubernatorial primary to New Haven Mayor John DeStefano in 2006. He has been somewhat out of the public eye statewide while Bysiewicz has relentlessly leveraged her public position to build voter identification. The gubernatorial election is next year.
What does all of this mean? Finch is damaged, but still not fatally wounded. He can turn it around but has a lot of work to do to rebuild his standing with Democratic voters. The poll did not survey Republicans and unaffiliated voters because recent history of mayoral elections shows that the primary is the deciding factor for chief executive. But maybe these results perk up city Republicans. If he’s not in good shape with Dems, where is he with Republicans and unaffiliated? See entire poll here:
Next: what Finch must do to turn it around.
Betsi Bets On Russo
News release from Rob Russo campaign
Betsi Shays Contributes to Russo Campaign
Wife of Former Congressman Supports Russo in Primary
Congressional Quarterly wrote this article on the donation: Ex-Rep.’s Wife Picks a Side for Connecticut Race by Shira Toeplitz
blogs.cqpolitics.com/eyeon2010/2009/10/exreps-wife-picks-a-side-for-c.html
Former Rep. Christopher Shays has not endorsed a candidate in the crowded Republican primary for the Connecticut seat he lost to Democrat Jim Himes in 2008. But Shays’ wife has a dog in the 4th District fight.
Elizabeth Shays donated $500 to former state Sen. Rob Russo on Sept. 30, the last day of the third-quarter reporting period, according to federal campaign finance information.
While the former congressman, a GOP moderate who served from 1987 until this January, isn’t taking sides yet himself, there is a clear connection to Russo. A former aide to Shays, Russo also currently is his lawyer.
National Republicans say they will stage a targeted effort to oust Himes before he can get settled comfortably into the seat in the 4th, a mainly affluent district located in Connecticut’s suburbs of New York City. But it won’t be easy.
SBI News release about Congressman Himes
Small Business Investment Companies Praise Rep. Himes
Himes Adds Public Protections and Protects American Small Businesses
Washington, DC – October 27, 2009 – The National Association of Small Business Investment Companies (NASBIC) praised Representative Himes for standing up for small businesses. Today Rep. Himes worked on a bipartisan basis to pass an amendment to protect small business investment companies (SBICs) from double regulation. NASBIC’s President, Brett Palmer, said “Rep. Himes has again proven his pragmatic approach to regulation and to small businesses. He works for effective regulation of financial firms, but also wants to make sure that double regulation does not cut off vital sources of growth capital to American small business. Congress could use more small business advocates like him.” SBICs invested over $250 million dollars in Connecticut small businesses over the last 5 years, creating thousands of local jobs.
The Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) Program is a unique public/private partnership that has provided $55 billion in financing to more than 106,000 small U.S. companies since the program’s creation in 1958. SBICs are privately organized and managed venture capital firms licensed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to make equity capital or long-term loans available to small companies. These small companies often require financing in the critical $250,000 to $5 million range that is generally not available through banks or non-SBIC private equity firms. 100% of investments by SBICs are in domestic small businesses with 25% of investments in very small enterprises. This 50 year partnership has helped many small businesses grow into major American employers including: Federal Express, Callaway Golf, Staples, Intel, Outback Steakhouse, Apple and many others. The National Association of Small Business Investment Companies (NASBIC) is the professional association for the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) and private equity industry and the oldest organization of venture capitalists in the world. For half a century NASBIC has played a pivotal role in building and promoting a strong and profitable SBIC industry to better serve the growth-capital needs of America’s small businesses. For more information, visit: www.nasbic.org or call 202-628-5055.
Mayor Finch’s job approval rating (performance) of 43% is impressive considering the awful economic backdrop in which this poll was taken. That more people approve than disapprove is indicative of the upward momentum his mayoralty has obtained–numbers don’t lie and the campaign hasn’t even begun.
Anybody’d come up weak in an election that’s 2 years away against a field that doesn’t even exist. This poll is structurally biased against the sitting Mayor of Bridgeport and if you played a role in the actual field polling, you and the blogosphere should question its validity.
Local Eyes, you are right! I question the validity of a 43% performance rating for Mayor Finch–it’s too high.
Whatever the poll says, I don’t care. Finch is doing a lousy job period. Will he turn it around? I don’t think so because he really believes he is doing a good job. Can he turn it around with the proper guidance (minus Adam Wood)? Yes he can. He can win the North End big if he takes on the SHU student problem and rectifies it. He won’t because his liberal bent won’t allow the students to be arrested and tossed out of those illegal houses they rent.
It would be interesting to see a poll after his union salary giveaways kick in in 2011. Where is the money coming from? Taxes?
The candidate list was interesting. Assuming the numbers would hold in a larger poll I would say Ayala, Paul Ganim & Fabrizi would be wise to stay on the sidelines. Lopez is building name recognition almost on a daily basis. Like it or not Joe Ganim will be amongst the public in a few months and then let’s see where he comes out (I have no feelings either way on him).
The Republicans are just sitting on their hands when this could be the election where the Dems are vulnerable. There are bound to be a lot of pissed-off Dems after the primaries who will be looking to screw the candidate that wins the primary. As usual no one from the Republican party is stepping out trying to get name recognition. Looks like the same old BS.
Glad to see Susan B did well. I like her and I will not vote for a lower Fairfield County Democrat as they could give a shit less about Bridgeport. Susan B has been in Bridgeport many times even during the off-election years, that’s more than can be said for the lower Fairfield County Dems.
Run, Susan, Run!
Pizza at Two Boots in 20 minutes for all Liberate Libraries fans!
Lennie, what are a Filipino’s chances for State Rep in the Cheshire, Wallingford, Woodbridge, Orange, West Haven or Milford areas? Are they ready for a 130th Democratic State Rep East Side-South End style “Drug-free zone” yet? I know it’s a stretch to Cheshire, but I’m being stretched out of the East Side in these last few days. Nice work on the polls. Interesting snapshot, a real Kodak moment.
Interesting poll Lennie. I think you crowded the field with too many candidate names to choose from. Finch, Caruso and Lopez should have been the only ones to consider. Paul Ganim or Andres Ayala would not dare to challenge an endorsed Democratic candidate for mayor–they would risk too much.
Notice that I left Fabrizi on the sideline. Why? Before I answer I must say, Lennie, you are an asshole. You always put stuff here that forces me to “Pry Open The Juicy Stuff.” Fabrizi may be thinking that the voters have forgotten about the Coca-Cola stuff and that he spoke on behalf of 22-year-old Carlos Camacho, convicted of having sex with a 13-year-old girl and impregnating her twice. If you think that was bad, get a hold of this: Remember Thomas Bavedas? Bavedas is the former Bridgeport school teacher who is facing charges for videotaping young girls (his students) with a hidden camera placed in a classroom closet. So far, the city is facing one lawsuit in regards to the above allegations.
What does he (Bavedas) has to do with Fabrizi you ask? When I first read about Bavedas’ arrest, his name rang a bell. Most of the documents I have and tend to search for are related to politics. One day it hit me. The name Thomas Bavedas was in documents connected to Bridgeport politics. In documents having to do with the campaign contributions of the 2003 Fabrizi campaign, I found the name of Thomas Bavedas, a teacher in the City of Bridgeport who resides on Brooklawn Drive in Milford. The document shows that on December 16, 2003, Mr. Bavedas donated $100 to the Fabrizi campaign and it shows $200 on the aggregate box. There is nothing criminal about this. But it doesn’t look or sound good.
Before Fabrizi decides to enter the race for mayor again, he must first make a $200 check out to Thomas Bavedas or donate it to charity like Obama does when a potential scandalous situation comes up.
Thanks for the compliment, Joel.
Don’t flatter yourself Lennie! It wasn’t a compliment, it was an observation on my part.
Here’s a link related to Democratic supporter Thomas Bavedas:
www .connpost.com/ci_13608761?IADID
Lennie … was it just the DTC members who were called???
I am a prime plus voter in the Hooker School district and my phone never rang. Just who got called???
BF, we surveyed 350 Dems that voted in the 2007 municipal election, a sufficient number to provide a snapshot of what the electorate is thinking. You might have gotten a call when you were on duty.
I disagree with Joel about the list of candidates. I believe Joe Ganim is certainly a contender and is Mario’s first choice. Yeah I know he’s a convicted felon but he’s the best mayor I’ve ever worked for. Lennie agrees. I am watching Judge Lopez, though. She’s kicking some Anastasi ass!!! Finch may be next.
How does Finch turn it around? Clean house and do it now. Get rid of those dept heads who don’t know their jobs and are mistreating the employees. We all know who they are. Stop making up jobs for people’s kids and stop giving your political cronies raises while the rest of us take 0 increases and furlough days. This will gain you the trust of the employees which is a damn good start.
*** You’ve been there a long time Kath, 12 if able to finish with Ganim, 4 with Fabrizi, 2 with Finch and ? before all of them. No wonder you’re so stressed out with work in general, etc. ***
I have to question the wisdom of fielding Joe Ganim as a mayoral candidate next year. The man will have paid (most of) his debt to society by then, financially and penitentiarally (if there is such a word). In the eyes of the criminal justice system he’ll be born again. Go your own way, Joe, and sin no more. Rival political candidates will most likely see it differently, which ought to be something to consider by former mayor John M. Fabrizi; he’s got a couple of skeletons in a closet with an ajar door.
*** Blah-blah-blah-blah, Same B/S, different day! *** “Who” did it, “What” happened, “When” did it happen, “Where” did it happen, “Why” did it happen? By the usual same bored, unhappy, disgruntled, wannabe, rumor spreading, resident & non-resident “?” voters, undercover, spineless, political know-it-all, forum blogging “Condor Vultures”. *** Forget about it! *** Get a Chevy, have some apple pie, watch the ballgame, eat a hotdog & drink a beer! ***
Has anyone called you an asshole today? My guess is yes. But just in case, “Mojo you’re an asshole.”
CHS
You owe assholes an apology.
*** She’s also -1 apology, herself! *** Notice 1 of the “Condor Vultures” didn’t take long to swallow the bait either. *** Isn’t it “Smoke Break Time” again? ***
OH Cigarette stuck in your ass? my, my temper temper. Boiled down they’re only key punched letters across a computer screen.
DARN Phillies just tied it up. I wasn’t fully concentrating on this reply earlier so I’m posting it again to the correct OIB member; here ya go city hall smoker and sorry MOJO if you thought it was directed to you.
OH Cigarette stuck in your ass? My my, temper temper. Boiled down, they’re only keypunched letters across a computer screen.
Great, great, great … GO YANKEES 4-3 bottom of 8th.
Got my beer, that’s the only self-serving act we should carry out … getting our own beer. Go ahead and share your wealth with your friends or make a new one, YOU GO MOJO.
You are so right MOJO – – – SAME BS EVERYDAY with this CROOKED administration. What Carmen needs to FOI request is ALL OF THE NEW HIRES brought in secretly by Finch. The jobs are NOT being posted and he is stealing from the poor to give to the rich!!! Dedicated employees were laid off, made to give furloughs and take no raises so that Finch and Co. could use that money to hire, hire and hire day by day.
New employees in almost every office. While “friends of Finch” who already had since last year were given HUGE undercover raises.
You seen the article in the CT Post about Anastasi’s son … and CitiStat. All the employees there were given a political hookup. I hear that political friends of Finch also recently got hired in the Engineering Dept and into Central Grants. How did these people get union positions when these jobs were not posted? Hmmm? Oh yeah because the most “transparent” employee Ralph Jacobs was terminated for being too clear. This admin is a secret society and they think they can do whatever they want. Well one day it WILL catch up to them. Everything done in the dark comes to light. And there is a record of everything. It’s just that it will take a looong time for anyone to see the records due to the lack of respect that this admin is giving to the FOI act.
Politically Un–have you participated in the new QAlert classes being conducted by CitiStat (staff of 4 appointees including Chris Anastasi) to teach us all how to answer the phones? I heard yesterday that QAlert is run by a company owned by Pete Finch’s college friend. Mayor Finch entered into contract with him without going out to bid. He circumvented Purchasing altogether. Add this to your list.
Why are they giving classes on answering the telephones when nobody is calling?
The one way to get at Finch is to get rid of the union presidents who by and large have been bought and paid for by Finch. Why do you think they are not making a fuss over these illegal political hires? It’s time for the union members to take back their unions and their rights.
*** Just where is the workers’ Union on all this anti-civil service hiring & firing, etc.? *** And if indeed all these events are taking place, are there any city, state or fed. guidelines, statutes or laws, etc. being violated which come close to resulting in a huge lawsuit of some kind? *** It seems like it’s only the tip of the iceberg we’re seeing @ this time, with who knows what’s brewing behind closed political doors? *** It’s got to get worse before it gets better, no doubt! ***
Not good for Finch. Very weak showing considering there is no campaign against him yet. At this point, what does he run on? He needs some accomplishments to call his own. Accomplishments that are meaningful to voters (not firing the civil service director that was trying to follow the rules) and can help relieve taxes or create jobs or improve the quality of education …
Joe Ganim was very smart not to create an us vs. them inside city government. Employees participated in decision making and felt they had some real input. Smart. How do you accomplish this? You need self-confident department heads that are not too insecure to empower their employees. You also need to set the example starting at the very top.
Joe Ganim in 2011.
CHS
Now you owe me an apology.
Below are the comments of Bill Finch that appeared in today’s CT Post as they relate to a detention center on Virginia Ave.
Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch, a former state senator, said Tuesday that DCF officials visited him about a year ago, but that at the time, the project was presented to him as more of a treatment center for runaways and victims of domestic abuse than a detention center.
Finch said that the site at 115 Virginia Ave. had been taken over by the city, which gave it back to the state under former Mayor John Fabrizi.
“We can make as much noise as we want, but the state can supersede zoning,” Finch said, recalling that the site previously supported about 80 employees of the former state Department of Mental Retardation before its name was changed to the Department of Developmental Services.
“This will be much-less dense,” Finch said of the planned DCF facility, “but I don’t make those decisions and the state doesn’t have to consult. If they do go ahead and build it, we’re going to try to make sure it poses as little intrusion into people’s quiet enjoyment of their neighborhood as possible.”
Hey Finch put this bitch on Crown St. This is the kind of BS we always get from Finch. Much less intrusive my ass. Much less dense? The only thing dense here is Finch’s leadership. Does he think a treatment center and a place for runaway girls is okay in a residential neighborhood? Why didn’t he notify our council people of this conversation?
It seems that the only one from the state delegation that gives a shit is Chris Caruso. The rest of our delegation has not publicly said a word. Where the hell are they?
Finch, don’t you think a flat-out statement that we don’t want this in Bridgeport would be the thing to do instead of wringing your hands and saying you cant do anything? Christ Bill, grow a pair.
*** As usual, out to lunch & when they get back, they have to be filled in on what’s going on & in what direction the “Dem. Party” will be going in, concerning whatever is presently on the agenda. *** 8 Bpt state legislators up in Hartford, yet the weakest in getting any type of respect, support, “$” or positive political action for the city of Bpt??? *** This is nothing new, either! *** WHY? ***
Seen on a T-shirt at Two Boots:
Jasper McLevy says
VOTE NO on NOvember 3rd
And the chant reverberates through the halls of City Hall and the Annex … ABF … ABF … ABF … ABF …
Anybody But Finch!
I’m surprised it took Caruso so long to get involved with the Virginia Avenue Detention Center. Had he addressed issues on a more urgent timetable during the primary we would not be stuck with Finch.
Overheard last night at Two Boots:
We’re doomed … referendum supporters want to turn their library cards into a country club initiation fee! Everyone who ever used a BPL computer got one under the current law. But we’re asking for the kind of special treatment even The Police don’t have. To make matters worse, we’re not offering new services for the 1 mil annual (remember, this is permanent) confiscation. We wanna do less with more and that ain’t The American Way … (Zen Moment) I’ve changed my mind. I understand allocations and I understand additions. The Liberate Library Committee wants more money. That means another tax increase. I’m voting NO on NOvember 3rd.
Best Kept Secret: increasingly, libraries are about computers not books.
Here’s my point: libraries are expensive, the internet (OIB’s progenitor) is almost FREE.
You are so full of shit your eyes are brown.
If there is an interruption of my electrical service, my pc would not work. With books, I don’t have to worry about electrical service interruptions. Please don’t try to send me to one of your websites to buy a power pack or a generator. Talking about generators, can Sly tell me if the libraries have power generators?
Progenitor?
You need to go to a library.
Local Eyes stole Yahooy’s meds, or needs to.
(chuckle) I come here for the kind of abuse I can’t find anywhere else!
yahooy // Oct 28, 2009 at 8:42 am
Progenitor?
You need to go to a library.
****************************************
Take a lap, yahooy. Progenitor is spelled and used correctly. You’ve been identified as an unqualified snob.
And you have identified yourself as a fool, Punch The Clown.
We’ll schedule your appointment with the Wicker Man for May Day of ’10.
Phuck you Philistine. I am a very well-qualified snob.
Talking about Philistine, I heard that Mojo had recently posted that he was a Philistine fan.
Repeat: I come here for the kind of abuse I can’t find anywhere else!
Bonus: Jasper McLevy was a street-fighting socialist–not a layabout, surf-the-web kinda guy. Jasper McLevy was a grab-a-shovel, we’ve-got-work-to-do kind of socialist. Despite his political leanings, I liked his style. In his time he gave people a genuine choice.
But I doubt he would have approved of last night’s fundraiser.
I think he would’ve marveled at the internet and said:
REJECT a never-ending, mandatory, annual tax increase
REJECT favoritism and special treatment and
VOTE NO on NOvember 3rd.
The current system is fine and offers many choices.
*** Sorry I missed the fun L/E, always fun talking to you & some of the other cool guest. Besides, I’m sure the “Condor Vultures” didn’t show so I would have been a bit bored for a short time without seeing their shallow-minded Halloween Masks on as usual. Maybe @ the next “OIB” shindig we can catch up on some good conversation & “red vino”. ***
CHS
You owe assholes a BIG apology.
WTF is Mojo talking about???
Mojo—grab a crown and sit on your throne because you rule like a king.
I’m taking a lot of heat from unfriendly sources but my skin’s too thick to be hurt by their weak barbs. Are those guys wearing leotards? Or are they lost ballerinas? My agent is scratching his head trying to land them a job. It seems hopeless.
Yesterday’s poll was administered by Merriman River but conducted by our man on the scene, LG.
15 months ago I came here a political neophyte. But time has passed and now I know my stuff a little better. No matter who does the administering, Polling 101 says never conduct your own polls, no? That’s especially true if the poll-ee is a former client who no longer seeks your advice. Is he auditioning for a job with Finch?
Judging from their remarks, most of the posters here seem to be FOLs as in friends of Lennie.
Election Update: REJECT The ALPHA PLAN and vote NO on NOvember 3rd.
Local Eyes, did you really attend the Two Boots event last night? I was there and my Loco Eyes didn’t see your Local Eyes. My Loco Eyes were looking forward to watching over your drink. Just the thought that I missed you makes my Loco Eyes tear.
The library question is the second question on the ballot. It would be wise to take a look at the first question before Tuesday “shall the findings of the Bridgeport City council authorizing the City to exercise powers granted in the State of Connecticut City and Town Developement Act be approved”. With no information from either the council or the press I would have to vote NO. Maybe if this city were not so quick to take homeowners’ property in the past … On the library question I will be voting YES.
Hector, you make a good point about the first referendum question. Talk about “vague questions” …
H for Hooray!
H for Hector A. Diaz!
H for Hooray to Hector A. Diaz … a brave Latino community leader stepping out to do the right thing: VOTE YES on question 2. VOTE YES for the Library Referendum question.
No one else has explained question one to me, so I’m going to follow the lead of my good friend Hector A. Diaz and vote “No” on question one with him. But I’m all ears to anyone who wishes to explain why Hector and I should vote otherwise on question one…Election Day minus 6.
The word is that a majority of Democrats are against question #2 and that most of the Absentee Ballot chasers are making sure that the “yes” box is checked on ? #1 and that the “No” box is checked on ? #2.
Why would the city place a vague question? To confuse the voters! I would like to see the Library Board work with the Board of Education to allow the Library Board to manage or perhaps merge the School Libraries. But considering the fact that the BOE doesn’t adequately supply books to the classrooms, I doubt that they would give up control of their libraries. Sending their students to the Public Library so that they can deal with them (students) seems to work to their (the BOE’s) advantage. Why change that?
My mind is made up on the referendum questions. “No” on #1 and “Yes” on #2.
Joel, this blog has a strict NO TEARS policy that applies to all community events. I understand you were upset at the prospect of not seeing me but proper decorum must be maintained at all times and at all costs.
I forgot to mention that they were “alligator tears.”
H (Hooray!) for Joel Gonzalez!!! He’s voting “YES” on the library referendum question …
We’re on a roll, OIB fans … Joel is a big surprise from a “No” voter to a “YES, we can!” voter on the library referendum question … The Latino vote is coming out of the woodwork now. Hector A., my friend … I think you’ve started something of a trend on question one … I still don’t know anything about it … I just heard whispers about it a couple of weeks ago, but no details … is it a bona fide referendum question or just a distraction as Joel calls it to muddle the library referendum question???
ECON 101: you cannot give something to somebody without taking it away from someone else. There is no free lunch.
Conclusion: For the 999th time, the referendum is another tax increase and puts upward pressure on tax rates.
REJECT The Alpha Plan and Vote NO on NOvember 3rd.
“ECON 101: you cannot give something to somebody without taking it away from someone else. There is no free lunch.”
I agree! Your idol Bill Finch has a potential budget problem to solve. You of all posters have expressed your full confidence in our (not your) mayor and his staff’s ability to solve budget problems. Your idol was able to close a $40 million deficit (how many mils is that?) while making it look easy, and here you are shouting that the sky will fall if referendum #2 passes. You don’t sound confident that your idol Finch can close a $2 million plus budget shortfall, when he has convinced you that he closed a $40 million deficit. Why? You don’t make sense!
Finch took jobs (“something”) from other city employees to give to his friends (“someone else”) and this is where I agree with you. If referendum #2 passes, your idol Finch will have to pull the trigger “ECON 101” again. What we will have to wait and see is whom will he be “taking it away from”? Whom will be that “someone else”? Will he be taking from those he allowed to be hired? Last hired, first fired! Will he take from those working many years with the city?
Will he be taking from the taxpayers? All of these choices that Finch would probably have to make are not good ones for all involved. But unlike you, I believe that if it is in fact true that the Finch administration did in fact close a $40 million deficit while making it look easy, a one-mil shortfall should be no problem.
Local Eyes:
ECON 101: There is no free lunch … agreed. But YOU, the Bridgeport voter, not Mayor Finch, not the city council, not the DTC, can give $2.1 million more to the Bridgeport Public Library’s budget for a full 1 mil (total: $6.9 million) every year automatically … as a voter, this is your one chance to bypass the mayor, the city council and the political obstructionists to fund your library adequately. YOU DECIDE. And yes, you need to take the $2.1 million from the other city departments’ budget or allocations … As mayor, I would start with taking it away from Police Horses allocation (when you need the Police they’re not coming over on horseback with Paul Revere, when you need the Fire Department, they’re not coming over with buckets of water on horseback). In ten years as a Bridgeport taxpayer, I’ve enjoyed seeing the Police horses at parades, but for law enforcement purposes I have not seen the need or justification to fund that expense. In ten years as a taxpayer in Bridgeport, and a 5-year resident of the East Side (and I moved to the East Side specifically for drugs, hmmm, to observe and learn), I have never heard or read about a drug raid or anti-drug program carried out by the Bridgeport Police that impressed me to pay for that wasteful, senseless, and counterproductive effort. I would send that part of the police budget for drug raids and counter-narcotics programs/money to the library towards the $2.1 million. That’s ECON 101 from me! Vote: YES on the library referendum question.
For the 1,000th time, it is not a tax increase just because you say so … it’s a tax allocation. Take money from wasteful expenditures (drug raids, counter-drug operations) and put it into beneficial resources and services for the city and its residents, the LIBRARY!!! Vote YES!!!
Sylvester you are right on … BRAVO.
I would replace the horses with a goldfish, if someone wants to look at something. Put the bowl on the mayors desk. Actually watching the fish go ’round and ’round should keep Finch entertained for days.
How much are we as a city paying for injuries sustained by the mounted cops; I bet a lot.
Anyone know how the BOE is going? I am sure Timpanelli is busy earning his pay and pushing it right along.
*** L/E, your point is well taken on the P.T. Barnum rule “you can’t get something for nothing”! However Finch & the city of Bpt’s governmental setup, breaks this “RULE” every year during budget season. So maybe it’s time for the city’s libraries to start getting theirs on “direct withdraw” so to speak? The more “$” city services and employees, along with taxpayers give back to the city, the more they want & take, by any means necessary. Plus, did the Mayor in fact close a $40 million deficit or merely just keeping the sinking budget vessel afloat while buying some time using smoke & mirrors? Time for the Bpt library dept to attempt to put their future survival in the hands of the voters! ***
LOOK AT WHAT IT TOOK to overcome my logic. Bloggers–never mind the lurkers–are responding to my ability to hijack a blog and speak as a sole voice with a johnny-one-note precision. Just because you have a keyboard doesn’t mean you know how to blog. As a group you’re easily labeled as reactionaries. In addition …
Joel, you’ve lost your mind–I hope you find it. You are off-base in all your conclusions. STOP putting words in my mouth, too.
The CT Post doesn’t call this a webzine. The CT Post calls it a blog. New Sport: EXTREME DREAMING.