Anyone read CT Post reporter Keila Torres’ piece on recent city hires? A snapshot:
More than 100 jobs were added to the municipal and Board of Education payrolls from January 2009 to June 2010, the same time period during which city unions were warned of massive layoffs if they did not grant concessions to help balance the city’s budget.
In the 18-month period, 106 jobs amounting to more than $3.8 million in salaries were added to the city’s budget, not including benefits and pension contributions for the full-time employees.
Of those 106 hired, only about 90 employees are still on the city and BOE payroll, and only four of those people have positions funded through grants.
That means the city has added nearly $2.8 million in salaries for 66 new employees, and the Board of Education has added nearly half a million dollars in salaries for 20 employees–all while demanding that existing employees find ways to give up $4 million in concessions in 2009 and now $8 million in concessions to fill the holes in the city’s budget.
Those numbers do not include teaching or administrative positions hired within the BOE or the 310 part-time seasonal positions hired within the 18-month period, which includes poll workers, camp counselors and seasonal maintenance workers.
On the Board of Education side of the budget, almost all of the new people hired through the city’s Civil Service Department were either school crossing guards or maintenance workers.
“Remember, we opened all these new schools, so that creates a need for more cleaning people, janitors, crossing guards to be at the schools,” said Elaine Ficarra, spokeswoman for Mayor Bill Finch. “Some of these (schools) are replacing other schools, but they are bigger, so they may need more people.”
“In essence, really, on this list, there aren’t really any hires that were made that weren’t necessary,” she added.
The city is trying to close an $8 million budget gap now entering the third month of the budget year. The city has been waiting for unions to step up to agree to concessions. Will they? When I checked with folks in city hall on Tuesday it did not appear they’re any closer to achieving those givebacks. But sometimes a layoff wave could trigger union negotiators back to the table.
Meanwhile, unions are awaiting responses to the following questions presented to management:
How did the city come up with the dollar amount that each union has to give back? What is the formula and how was it applied to each union and the unaffiliated?
Who was hired during the last 18 months during the so-called hiring freeze?
Who got raises during the so-called hiring freeze?
How much has the city paid outside consultants and temps during the last 18 months?
Want to stop this BS and clean up the mess?
JohnMGomes.com
Getting rid of Finch will not stop the nepotism and cronyism that is so rampant in B’port. We need to change the City Council and the leadership at the DTC. Short of doing that, the problems will remain. Does anyone really think Gomes, Caruso, Fabrizi or any other candidate would not bring along some family and friends? Getting rid of Finch may be a good thing but the problem has deeper roots than him.
independent soul // Sep 1, 2010 at 6:37 am
Yes this all can stop if the next candidate is not a “machine-made” product.
It’s what you might call a long shot but there are enough disaffected voters in Bridgeport to become intrigued with the presence of a candidate qualified, capable and not beholden …
This is all about city council, dtc, and city administration isn’t it?
When the “wave” starts, I certainly hope it begins with the Civil Service Director’s daughter. My god, such arrogance. He certainly fits right in with this crowd.
When we continue to elect candidates who are entrenched with the Democratic machine, what do we really expect? There are so many positions at city hall that could be eliminated or consolidated tomorrow and the city wouldn’t skip a beat. Asking for concessions then hiring consultants, as Finch did last year, is incomprehensible. And then to have the gall to come back this year and ask for more concessions, give me a break!
I recently had a chance to speak with John Gomes and he appears to have the right vision and leadership to run Bridgeport. He spoke about the waste and inefficiency he uncovered while serving as CitiStat Director, and some of the immediate changes he would make, if elected. It will be interesting to see if he remains independent and challenges the status quo, and finally bring in an era of efficiency and accountability.
Wasn’t toooo independent when he took the job. “I’m just saying ….”
Hector A. Diaz // Sep 1, 2010 at 10:12 am
Responding to your posting
You are incorrect, Hector.
John Gomes had nothing to do with independence or dependence when he first applied to John Fabrizi to be considered for a Public Facilities position.
Nothing happened …
A year later and an administration later, Gomes got a call on Friday to come to a Press conference the following Monday announcing his appointment to be the first Director of the Mayor’s new pet program, CitiStat-Bridgeport.
You can bet the Mayor wasn’t going to pick his friends to go in and take the fire because of the intense reform that was inevitable under the new CitiStat-Bridgeport Department, exactly what the Mayor ordered …
And then eventually returned everything to the kitchen because it was too well done … Mario must have been doing the testing.
John’s professional qualifications as well as his bona fide Bridgeport residency are the two factors Finch used. No godfather was present ever … so ride that horse out of the barn Hector, what have you got next … that we can help you with?
Ms. Curry who, what. I have no idea what you are talking about, but I’m the last person you may want to come at. I know a bit more about Mr. Gomes and his “FRAT” brothers than others. MY only problem has been all the “rhetoric” about him and him not steppin’ up to tell us where he’s at. While I may not carry as many votes as some I do have a good number of friends “citywide” who rely on me for direction at election time. Now, What I said was when he took the job “he wasn’t too independent” Like the MANY, MANY, MANY times you’ve been given, through the years. Now, I’d be happy to let you and others know who those “frat” brothers are. You may have gotten my post confused with another’s. AGAIN, I’m just saying …
YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN JOBS.
Hector A. Diaz // Sep 1, 2010 at 5:47 pm
referring to your post
Hector,
Why are you the Last person I would want to come at? If you’re talking about rhetoric, you’re not talking about John Gomes … you’re talking about the Mayor … whose about as rhetorical as they come …
Again, if you were really astute you would know both you and I were the beneficiary of patronage. If you want to go further with this and talk about when you work at a patronage position at 752 Main street, I have no hesitation … having been there myself.
So let there be no snide implications and let us know the frat brothers of one of the largest and best-known fraternities in America.
And nobody is up for veiled innuendo about frat brothers.
Speaking of someone who is independent.
I just attended a coffee hour given for Jim Himes. Himes has passion, is fiscally fit and is independently worthy of our votes.
“Let the Good Himes Roll!”
The Unions could care less about these hirings. As long as they are allowed into the unions to pay their dues, don’t expect any of the unions to do shit. NAGE hasn’t done shit in any matter involving me. NAGE has done shit for Cleave who was still in layoff when Councilmen Richard Bonnie was hired at the airport. If the airport needed someone for over a year, why not call back one that was let go, but still had two years to be called back. Every single new hire is now in one of the Unions. Keila can’t even get my name and street of residence correct–even if I wrote it down for her.
Just when you think you have seen it all something else hits the fan.
That rag we call a newspaper has a frontpage story in Bold headlines stating ARSON CHIEF CHARGED IN BLAZE.
Well first let me state the person arrested was a police officer and not a fire chief.
Second let me state this person may have investigated fires but was not the lead investigator.
This just flat pisses me off on a number of fronts, all of the good cops and firefighters are smeared with this person’s greed and stupidity.
It pisses me off because fire investigation belongs in the Fire department and not in the police department.
The demise of a good fire investigative unit Note I said fire investigative unit not arson squad, began under former chief Maglione.
In an effort to make all his fire inspectors happy he started putting them all on call thus NO ONE actually became proficient in fire investigation. This policy is still being carried out by chief Rooney.
When Dave Rentz and I did Fire investigation that’s all we did. We developed informants and wrote our own warrants. We did have detectives as partners. We never had to call the state in to do our investigations. This is just another lowering of standards and expectations by those in charge. In fairness to mayor Finch he inherited this policy from the Fabrizi administration.
I’m down with Hector on his post.
Stop all of these pseudo-Gomes bloggers.
Let’s see John Gomes actually say something.
His Godfather in the East End demanded he get his job as payback for their support of Finch. Patronage was good for Mr. Gomes when he gets a job.
Patronage is BAD for Mr. Gomes when he loses his job.
I guess Ms. Curry is scared of you, Grin. She actually questioned me about your post. Still no comment from Mr. Gomes “I’m just saying …”
Hector A. Diaz // Sep 1, 2010 at 5:54 pm
Look to your own post. Do you not remember what you say? I am simply answering you … not anyone else when I take the time to cut and paste a reference.
I didn’t ask a question. I made a statement. The statement being “He wasn’t toooo independent when he took the job.” No question, just like you, me or any other person who would take a political patronage job. This is not new. If he’s had a change of heart since getting FIRED, I for one would like to hear from him what that change of heart is and why’d it happen. Again, “I’m just saying …”
Hector A. Diaz // Sep 1, 2010 at 6:10 pm
No change of heart Hector … just another Mayoral appointment that brought with it subsequent betrayal by the Mayor. No political will or moral compass to guide him … that’s our Mayor. A simple uncomplicated betrayal by the Mayor … like the other good dozen of bright capable people before him.
Grin Reaper // Sep 1, 2010 at 11:28 am
Just to let you know Grin Reaper, I am not a pseudo-Gomes blogger. You can take what I say at face value and trust to its accuracy.
As I view this specific Gomes campaign for Mayor of Bridgeport in 2011, John is saying what he needs to be saying to the voting public when he walks the voting districts, and he is saying what he needs to be saying when he posts on his website, www .johnmgomes.com, and he says what he needs to be saying whenever he speaks at events and forums he attends, as well as sponsored Gomes events. So he is actually saying not only something, but a lot of somethings!
As for your thoughts on patronage, it is not patronage that is the topic under discussion as much as it is the blatant abuse of power that produces a daughter to David Dunn in a position that should have rightly been made available for other candidate considerations. Grin Reaper, it’s about abuse of power.
Finally, there is no godfather in the East or West or North or South End for Gomes. There was no rush by Finch to satisfy any East End demands. This was his way out. This is when the East End got the first of many whacks by Finch … and a bigger surprise to Finch was that he wound up with someone who actually thought they should be doing the job for which they were hired. The Mayor couldn’t pimp the City on this appointment.
Does he sit on your lap while you speak and move his lips? “I’m just saying …”
Sorry about that last comment a “little below the belt.” What I meant about being the last one to come at is I’m not in anyone’s corner as of now and I’m not sure who I’ll support for mayor. I know how to work elections and do have a following of registered voters. I would think my help with any campaign would be appreciated. I only question why so many are so eager to speak up for him and we haven’t heard a word from him. If anything my message to him is time flies and he needs to step up while being the ONLY announced candidate. Why lose that waiting on some opportune moment that may never come? Use the fact that he is the only announced candidate and SAY/WRITE/DO something. He has the edge right now but he’s not taking advantage of it.
Can’t speak for the man but I can assume he is waiting for after Malloy is elected in November to ramp up his campaign maybe? Gomes was one of the first Malloy supporters and Malloy appeared at a fundraiser in Gomes’s behalf. Just sayin …
Then you should be held accountable for having voted for losers.
And if Malloy doesn’t win?
Reaper–Thank you for your patronage. Please blog again!
Proud to be a contributor to OIB especially in the past week or so. Lots of helpful info, good history on subjects and reasonable discussions to point toward a better way of handling governance in the future. However, very little indicates we are headed correctly today in any particular area!!!
Re Keila Torres article:
To me, David Dunn’s explanation for his brand of nepotism is particularly touching. He hired his daughter part-time for a short period because he knew that he could work well with her??? Love the “family ties” but I am upset when I learn the Dunns live out of town and therefore a super qualified City kid did not get a chance at a job, some practical experience and a little money. Why are City opportunities exported to the ‘burbs if this is accurate? If I am wrong, I apologize for jumping the gun on this. Opportunities for City kids are important, and assuming Dunn’s work was genuine, that real experience was denied to someone less connected. Just another example of HELP MYSELF FIRST it seems to me, and a real negative one for City employees who are not City property taxpayers.
Sounds like all of the garbage in the city isn’t necessarily in the gutters.
Hector A. Diaz // Sep 1, 2010 at 6:27 pm
Hector,
Are you trying to be pornographic in your 6:27 post?
Not acceptable on any level …
Answer to your question. No, not pornographic. Scally, wally, do dah.
Hector A. Diaz // Sep 1, 2010 at 7:00 pm
Hector,
Let’s be clear. John Gomes is not doing it the way YOU want it done … He’s doing it the way a good candidate works.
He works for votes going door-to-door. I know you remember that door-to-door came long before OIB.
Your help is welcomed if you are on the same page. It is not welcomed if you mean to attack or undermine this effort.
This is not a “corner” where you need to be if it isn’t apparent to you immediately that this candidate is doing things differently …
Well, at some point he’s going to need some help from some Bridgeporters.
Hector A. Diaz // Sep 2, 2010 at 4:07 pm
Hector, I assure you, John has already reached that “some point.” And some help is coming from some Bridgeporters and somehow it is growing each day so that at some point there will be enough someones who have helped sufficiently to see to the successful election of John M. Gomes in the Democratic Mayoral Primary of September 13, 2011.
What Hector, you didn’t know we knew it was Bridgeport help and Bridgeport voters who will make this happen? Your help is welcomed Bridgeporter …