OIB Poll: Top Mayor Past 25 Years

Every individual who has occupied the mayor’s office has inherited problems that date back to the 19th century. The Democratic Town Committee is akin to a Tammany Hall farm team.

Whoever wins the November election would do well to administrate the city in a transparent manner. It would behoove the winner to commission an efficiency study. The highest taxation rates in the United States of America subsidize so much wastefulness and redundancy, the economic needs of the city are neglected. It’s a given there will be cronyism in politics. It needs to be curtailed in Bridgeport. The municipal payroll is so bloated with incompetents hired to grant favors or satisfy political debts, the city cannot afford to hire a full complement of police officers, cannot afford to repave crumbling streets, and cannot afford to fix a failing school system. All the current occupant of the mayor’s office (and that is all he does there, occupy space) is crow on about new playgrounds, spruced-up parks, and a glorified shopping center.

The taxpayers of the city of Bridgeport will be paying police and fire protection, water and sewage treatment for Steel Point while the corporate owners of Bass Pro, Chipotle and Starbucks take the money and run. Good job, Mayor Finch.

This is an informal poll, obviously. It also indicates a growing sentiment among informed voters Bill Finch has been an ineffective mayor. His campaign is doing everything possible to avoid any potential confrontations with Joe Ganim. Every day it looks like Joe Ganim will be the once and future mayor of Bridgeport. Every day Bill Finch looks like the mayor of Munchkin City in the Merry Old Land of Oz, fearing the Wicked Witch of the West. Adam “Pecker” Wood ought to be reminded Joe Ganim has no resemblance to Margaret Hamilton.

Among Finch’s most recent gaffes:
1. “There was Mayor Bill Finch, standing in front of NBC CT and News 12 cameras,” according to Michael P. Mayko’s reporting in Tuesday’s Connecticut Post, “championing the groundbreaking importance of an all-access playground for disabled children.

“Approaching was the contender–Joe Ganim–who hopes to regain the crown and City Hall this fall. Ganim was ready to blast the mayor and his police officials for quelling disturbing police news. Finch promoted the playground and left.”

2. As Brian Lockhart reported in yesterday’s Connecticut Post, “Finch did not join his challengers Wednesday in submitting so-called nominating petitions to the town clerk–documents that would secure the primary’s losers a ‘Plan B’ spot on the November ballot as independent or third-party candidates.

“But seemingly out of left field, Richard DeParle, a Democrat-friendly Republican and used car dealer who holds positions in the Finch administration, handed in the 123 signatures necessary to launch a last-minute mayoral bid. He is running under a new Jobs Creation third party.”

3. More than a few people involved in the Ganim and Foster campaigns believe Mr. DeParle is a place holder for Bill Finch. “Talk is cheap,” Maryli Secrest, Finch’s campaign manager, said in a statement when asked about the DeParle theory that had political insiders abuzz late Wednesday. “We’re confident that Mayor Finch will win the Democratic primary.” Oh really? Must not be that confident, Ms. Secrest. If the Finch campaign were 100% confident of a primary win there would be no reason to engage is lowball political tactics.

4. A report Bridgeport’s public schools are failing, miserably, to meet the needs of special education students. The Center for Children’s Advocacy filed a complaint with the state Department of Education on behalf of eight children–the second in two years–asking them to intercede. The center details numerous examples of neglect from the past school year, including the case of one special-needs child attending a summer program in the district who for two weeks straight came home with a soaked diaper because no one changed it. When the child’s mother finally went to see what was going on, she discovered the only adult in the class was a paraprofessional. In another case, the district is accused of failing to provide even minimally required speech and language services to a student at Central High School, who suffered neonatal meningitis as an infant leaving him with multiple disabilities including the inability to speak.

Another special education classroom was described as failing even to have cots or blankets at nap time, forcing children to rest on a dirty floor. And in a fourth case a 16-year-old with anxiety and emotional issues improperly placed into a special education class where students aggressively acted out because there was nowhere else to put him. He made no educational progress toward his Individual Education Program goals.

5. Politicizing two events created to honor the work and life of The Rev. Mary McBride-Lee, who marched in Selma, Alabama with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to protest for voting rights. The marchers were confronted by a racist police force armed with billy clubs, fire hoses and snarling dogs. There was nothing political about either event. Secretary of State Denise Merrill was scheduled to speak at both events but Finch’s office had other ideas. According to Brian Lockhart’s excellent story in the Connecticut Post,

“Finch’s office urged Merrill to reconsider.

“‘We definitely talked to the mayor’s office,’ Merrill confirmed Thursday. ‘They did say they heard a rumor this would be used for political purposes.’

“Merrill’s office decided to cancel the 3 p.m. event to honor McBride-Lee, notifying her Wednesday that the secretary of the state had a conflict.

“Finch, in an interview Thursday, pled ignorance of any meddling by his office.

“But through the state Freedom of Information Act, Hearst Connecticut Media obtained a text exchange between Merrill’s spokesman, Av Harris, and Finch Chief of Staff Adam Wood, who, it is thought, is heavily involved in the mayor’s re-election bid.

“‘After much discussion last night we are canceling Thursday’s event,’ Harris wrote Wood. ‘Denise will speak at the NAACP luncheon at the Holiday Inn, but we are not doing the 3 p.m. event at the East End Tabernacle Church. We don’t want to cause any trouble. Hope that helps.'”