Mayor Bill Finch, weeks from leaving office, is considering another five-year appointment of Police Chief Joe Gaudett. Should Finch make the appointment or allow Joe Ganim to choose his own chief?
- No, allow Ganim his own chief. (83%, 207 Votes)
- Yes, Finch should appoint Gaudett. (17%, 41 Votes)
Total Voters: 248
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This type of politics is bad for the department and Bridgeport residents. It creates dysfunction within the department, which will affect how they perform on the job. If you’re having a bad day at home, you’ll have a bad day at work. If you’re going to a bad work environment within the department, the citizens are going to experience an unwarranted and unpleasant experience with the officer. Personally I think this and other positions that are key in bringing out the mayor’s vision, the citizens elected him/her on, should be allowed to obtain the people they need to bring it to fruition. The City Council needs to set these contracts to be renewed January 1 every four years on the election year. If the mayor wants to renew someone’s contract or replace them, they should have the ability to do so. That’s common though, getting things done. But unfortunately everybody’s into something, and is just looking out for their own selfish needs and really don’t care for what’s best for others and their safety.
Robert Teixeira,
When it comes to governance structure and process one needs to consider what additional responsibility, power or authority you are delivering to an office (without necessarily considering the actual persons currently in mind). Thus when the Charter language about Police Chief was last written, it was not tied to the four-year mayoral cycle. However, the current Charter strengthened the Executive power relative to any other position in the City and it seems to me this would be a further unnecessary strengthening in terms of the results of the past 12 years. If there is a case to be made that city governance is strongly influenced by forces NOT ELECTED by the majority of citizens, which some folks call the MACHINE, then why strengthen the hold that group has on the City? Time will tell.
As far as time, there was a time when governance, process and written language considered a black slave to be 3/5 of a human being and property, to do whatever they wished with them, even kill them. Their children were still slaves if they were unable to by their freedom. I’m not sure what percentage of human being they consider the Irish and Scots slaves. Just because something was written and said something, doesn’t make it true or forever relevant. The power we’re talking about is already held at the mayor’s office. If the MACHINE you’re taking about is why a person becomes mayor, then the Machine was behind Finch’s wins, and why Ganim got elected. Then what are we really talking about? My point still stands. It’s a better structure and clearer language. What’s the difference between a MACHINE democracy or a dictatorship? In my opinion, I guess it’s who wields the power behind them.
JML,
Finch has shown us a lack of concern for the niceties of discretion.
Finch did exactly what he was told to do. Even Finch knew he should have petitioned, like Joe and Mary-Jane did to get on the ballot. HE didn’t because he was told not to. The only difference was those who received the perks of his Mayoral-ship. Gaudett and the driveway-guy included. As far as time goes, ask the terminator.
www .youtube.com/watch?v=ftgmdRlDkko
I happened to be present at a meeting of the NAACP Exec Committee last Thursday evening at which Chief Gaudett and 11 members of his department were present. They participated in a Q & A session that covered a lot of ground.
One takeaway was certain crime statistics are maintained and released weekly at 11AM by the Chief in a meeting that I, as a member of the public, attended. Got some questions answered about what was tracked and how the weekly, 28-day, and year-to-date presentations help focus on current activities within a longer perspective. (Only Channel 12 and the City public information officer were present with the Chief aside from me.)
If the public wants to have information, be at the table, etc., we need to be more curious, more active, and find out where secrets are kept relative to where information is available. How many watchdogs out there? Time will tell.
John, I have a question. This current blog is about, basically should Gaudett’s contract be renewed. Your post is campaigning for his renewal. You mentioned him by name. So I would assume you want him to continue being Bridgeport Police Chief. How many meetings has Gaudett and the others from the department gone to? From what I read on the site, blacks were under represented during Finch’s mayoral-ship. The timing to attend such a meeting by the department is like not raising taxes during an election year, self-serving, if they only attended this meeting. And who stole the money? Did Finch find a job yet?