Former Mayor Joe Ganim, forced from office as a result of his federal corruption conviction in 2003, is considering a run for his old job. Would you support his candidacy?
- Say it ain't so, Joe. (50%, 114 Votes)
- Run Joe, run. (42%, 96 Votes)
- Maybe, if he shows contrition. (8%, 18 Votes)
Total Voters: 228
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Can’t wait to see the comments on this one. 🙂
OIB Poll asked the same question, Should Mary-Jane Foster Run For Mayor? I said run Mary-Jane, run. She has not announced she will run yet. On this one, run Joe, run. Joe knows the road will be filled with questions about his jail time and he must be prepared to answer them and tell the voters why they should vote for him and what his plan is for Bridgeport.
Oh definitely, run Joe, run. African American lives were so much better until that dictator William Finch came to office. The oppression under his leadership has warranted the need for Bridgeport’s first black mayor. If Joe can get me his grandmother’s recipe for babaganoush, tabbouleh, stuffed kibbeh and rice with lentils I’ll work my ass off. Run Joe, run. Let Bridgeport get what it was destined for after our arsenal of Democracy status ended. If it weren’t for this blog, Joe Ganim would have faded into obscurity. Thanks to Lennie asking this question over and over again, Joe gets another chance. NOT!
On another note, is it me or does David Daniels III miss an opportunity with every post? He was running for mayor, does he have anything to say? Has Ron Mackey and Donald written him off as the first black mayor?
I like Joe Ganim, he ran this City without a tax increase for 10 years, while Finch taxed many people out of their homes for the last seven years.
It’s great to be green, but this is a poor city and being green is a luxury we can’t afford at this time.
On one side of the coin Finch wants this city to be green at the taxpayers’ expense, while he lets the UI Co. choke our kids and seniors to death, and adding to the global warming crisis.
Joe Ganim and John Fabizi have done the most for this city, John has given us all the new schools being constructed right now, and Joe gave us the Arena and Ballpark at Harbor Yard and it was Joe who started the Steelpointe project.
Finch has been playing the part of a caretaker so long, he has nothing to call his own.
We will not see a dime from Bass Pro or any other retailer on Steelpointe for the next 20 years, that’s if Bass Pro is even coming.
So what’s next on Steelpointe, Bill; Nino’s Italian Ice?
If it comes down to Ganim vs. Finch, I’ll vote for Joe!
Don’t the people of the Park City get tired of the rest of the state laughing at us? We go nuts because some retail stores are going to open without any skin in the game. Constantly are trying to find the most incompetent people to act as our politicians, and never miss a chance to get a handout from Hartford or Washington. Any scheme that may try to bring money to line the 5%-ers pockets is always open. Please get some self respect and stop lowering ourselves to the expectations of the pseudo patricians from Fairfield County.
Joe, you got my vote!
Sixteen charges of corruption, seven years in jail. Bridgeport on the verge of major development. Mayor Finch would have to be hung out to dry and the people of Bridgeport would have to be brain dead and Joe Ganim would put his family name through the sewer with no pride for him to attempt to run again. It is so painfully ridiculous to ponder such a situation. I am still curious if Fabrizi would change his mind and if Mary-Jane Foster will run. I just can’t see FINCH being threatened at all but hey, you never know.
There is only one difference between Ganim and Finch. One was caught and one has yet to be caught.
So hypothetically, what does a three-way primary look like between Finch, Foster and Ganim? Does Ganim take votes from Finch? Three-way primaries are tricky. Sometimes it’s a spoiler and sometimes it can get the job done. Any thoughts?
We were all waiting for Musto’s reelection bid, but even more so for Finch, Musto did very little to help Bridgeport.
While on the other hand Finch has done nothing on holding the line on taxes, which has hurt Bridgeport. For seven years he has raised taxes while his political buddies’ taxes went down, some over 18%.
Will MJF hold the line on taxes? I think so.
Will Joe hold the line on taxes? His record has proved he will. In a three-way primary Joe should win, in a head-to-head runoff, the people of Bridgeport will send Finch his mandate, don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out, Mayor!
Is it 2015 yet?
These guys and girl can’t hang around forever. Is it even possible at this point for their herding up a slate of Council people?
Who says there needs to be a full slate?
I can’t believe people are still interested in Joe Ganim. I’ve stated it before and I’ll state it again, during one of the strongest economic growth periods in our nation’s history (bubble or not), all we got out of the Ganim administration was a strip mall with a Bob’s Furniture Store and Dunkin’ Donuts.
Exactly. So true and so sad.
Ten years of nothing. Can you see all the developers lining up to throw their money Ganim’s way? I just cannot.
Steven Auerbach, I view this as more of an opportunity to listen and it wouldn’t be the first time I have been written off, I will take my chances with the electorate, not the intellectuals I’ve had the good fortune to have read in here. 🙂 Including you.
David Daniels, thank you for responding. If you are seriously considering a run let me give you a bit of advice you may choose not to take. This blog is your free opportunity to discuss issues that are important to you and to address your opposition. Although you are clearly being respectful, you need to let everyone on this blog know why you are the candidate to watch. What makes you a better candidate than Mayor Finch, Mary-Jane Foster and G-d forbid Joe Ganim? Now if you choose to not address these issues on this blog, you will have a hard time reaching the other residents of Bridgeport. Lennie Grimaldi has given you a free opportunity to introduce yourself as a potential mayoral candidate. I already know you. I have known you for 30 years. You still have to address important issues and this blog is your opportunity to introduce yourself to the blogosphere and get people talking. Write a commentary like Andy Fardy, Maria Pereira and John Marshall Lee. I hope you will listen to these pearls of wisdom. Good luck.
David Daniels,
Let me give you a bit of advice you may take or leave. DO NOT LISTEN TO ANY ADVICE FROM STEVE AUERBACH. HE IS OUT OF HIS FREAKIN’ MIND.
OIB is a very minor segment of the Bridgeport voting population. Don’t wast a lot of time courting these votes while ignoring the greater portion.
Otherwise Stevie A speaks wisely.
Bob, I am stunned to say the least, you do not think David Daniels would be wise to take advantage of Lennie’s blog. It is all about marketing. Even Lennie left him out of the poll. He does not live in Bridgeport. He is an awfully nice gentlemen but a little more charisma couldn’t hurt. He could use a little bit of Marilyn Moore-esque fire in his delivery. It was only a suggestion. If I announced I were running for Mayor, I would be on my soapbox at every opportunity including this blog. As you know, I carry my soapbox with me everywhere I go.
Steve,
Dave Daniels has returned to Bridgeport as a resident. I hear he has a rental unit in the downtown district. Thought you would want to update your “soapbox” reporting! Time will tell.
Jim,
Here is the difference. When Joe was first elected the city finances were under the careful control of a Financial Review Board. Due to these facts and the fact the city was locked out of the bond market due to its bonded debit from an operating budget deficit and its failed bankruptcy actions, outside forces forced the city into fiscal restraint which allowed the city to build a huge rainy day fund.
And when the rains came it poured. The FRB was gone, the city back in the bonding game and Joe had a very aggressive Finance Director in Jerry Barron.
Jerry Barron was dipping into the reserves in no time and between Ganim and Fabrizi it quickly disappeared.
I do not see how Joe Ganim is going to return Bridgeport to the land of milk and honey. Am I right, Honey?
Bob Walsh has hit the essential storyline.
When the Financial Review Board was the “watchdog” they were able to see the operating books as well as every other set of Capital, Grants, etc. reports. They also had a tighter lens on all employment practices in terms of filling positions according to a plan and maintaining reasonable levels of compensation for necessary and completed work. Is there anyone in the City who can testify to the efficiency and effectiveness of City employee performance? What a novel concept!
The “City fund balance” that is covered in the City Charter and deals with readily available liquid unreserved and undesignated funds for the most part should amount to about 8% of City operating funds. When Ganim and the FRB were in power we had about $55 Million. Today there may be around $10 Million. We’ll see when the external auditors provide us with the 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Review, right after Christmas. Should be very interesting reading on multiple accounts.
Accompanying the CAFR will be single audit reports of both State and Federal funds. What will the latter tell us about the situation at the Bridgeport Housing Authority? Be patient … not under the tree. Time will tell.
M.S., I believe it makes a lot of sense to have a full slate. A candidate would have all ten districts working harder with much more outreach and after getting elected, would provide more support. It’s important to have a Council that backs you. I think it’s very apparent. It would also be much better for the City to have a City Council with more vision and leadership rather than one that simply gets appointed by a political machine and just goes along with the party line.
I’d like to thank you for your advice, both of you gentlemen. When and if I see fit to jump in with commentary I will, but I prefer to listen at this point noting the position of others. I have taken several opportunities to make my impression felt, not viewing everything as a soapbox though.