Layoff letters were issued Friday to several city employees whose positions are funded by state grants.
Historically various departments covered by grants will receive a verbal or email notice regarding funding commitment, followed by a written contract from the state. City bean counters are concerned state money scheduled to cover the grant period starting October 1 may not arrive on time … if it’s coming at all. The city budget is already bleeding.
City employees say the budget office is overreacting. Either way, this will not be a good weekend for some grant employees as they left work on Friday with a layoff notice. All they can hope for is the money to come in and layoffs rescinded. It’s unclear what social service agencies will be impacted by this decision.
Baseball season is coming to a close, and that means league championship and the heroically named WORLD SERIES follow. Can you follow the action without a scoresheet or a TV scoreboard? I personally find it difficult.
So Mayor Finch (or Tom Sherwood), if your goal is $8 Million savings, where do we stand today, nearly 25% of the fiscal year complete??? How many layoffs, totaling how much fiscal year savings (adding back unemployment compensation expense) has been accomplished towards the $8 Million hole??? Putting up the totals would provide some evidence the Finch Strategy is working. Of course, if it is not working, and city services are flagging, and lower paid positions are hurting large numbers of people and departments, then the Finch Strategy will be found wanting. And failure to communicate … well that increases employee fear.
If that is the labor strategy of “the bosses” who for all we know (because there is no scoreboard) continue to enjoy their 2010 raises with their cronies, then it a cruel reign of terror. And if the City Council does not demand to know the score, then they are even less competent than any comments before.
Q. How many budget directors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A. Answer is unknown because they have never had to do it. With layoffs, perhaps we can get an answer!
Q. How many budget directors does it take to prepare a budget that does not include all customary and necessary annual City costs, leave an $8 Million gap in revenue in place and let your Mayor declare that he has lowered the City budget for yet another year with a straight face?
A. Only one. Because we can see this is what happened this year.
And why is no one connected with Pension Committees in this City commenting on the people with stewardship responsibility, the meetings that are held with reporting to current and retired employees and the decisions that are made to fund or not to fund ongoing costs??? Is there not one City employee reading this question these last two days who can answer?
Laying off people who are paid through grants continues the cruel reign of terror. Where’s the grant money? Did anyone ask the Grants Office? Isn’t it their job to keep track of the grants and make sure all the paperwork is in order so employees do not get WRONGLY laid off? Is there anyone left in the Grants Office or does Sherwood run that too?
Beacon, the City Council will not demand to know the score because they all feed from the same trough as Sherwood and the Mayor. No one is asking the questions because they are all looking out for themselves. We need accountability and we need it now.
Didn’t W.T. Grant’s go belly up? Paging Financial Review Board!!!
Grin–paging a board of finance via charter change electing people who are qualified, experienced professionals in finance, public and private. Bridgeport cannot continue without a qualified Board of Finance. We do NOT want a state imposed Financial Review Board reminiscent of the Mary Moran bankruptcy path.
countdown–Actually the FRB was instituted during the Bucci administration because of $60 million in bail bonds from the State. Mary Moran had nothing to do with this.
What we want isn’t always what is needed and some kind of authority needs to investigate the shady financial dealings that are going around the city of Bpt. A thorough investigation is sure to turn up a few crooks amongst the city-hall castles.
*** How you doin’, yeah, how you doin’ & what’s left in your wallets? City cuts continue for the low-income employees who live in Bpt while management enjoys life in the ‘burbs. Local newpapers & media mostly cover headline news now so most local info goes by the wayside, no? *** Tea Party patriots are upset with the nation’s Dems but for the last 8 years the GOP was no better! It’s time to get back to basics, no? ***
Dorothy, we’re not in Kansas (land of youthful innocence). And Bridgeport we’re not growing mushrooms (cultivated in the dark).
So where are we? And nobody can answer that with any degree of assurance or verifiable accuracy in too many areas, especially finance. And fairness, shady dealings and crooks get mentioned again. What to do?
Let’s think about ETHICS once again. You probably know the State authorizes cities and towns to have an Ethics group and has established specific statutes requiring procedural compliance by the local group.
The essential task of such an entity is to investigate and then determine whether or not there has been a violation of the Charter, ordinances or Code of Ethics by a public official (elected, appointed or employed) and if so determine appropriate sanctions and if not, dismiss the complaint or terminate the investigation. An Ethics panel can initiate an investigation on their own, without receiving a complaint. Very interesting!!!
Sounds a little more serious than what we are used to here in the City. And it starts with good citizens appointed by the Mayor, serving within eligible terms, oriented to the variety of State enabling language and the City documents, meeting regularly for discussion and completion of work, and perhaps sharing with the public at large, on occasion, what is ethical and what is not from experiences around the State. Finally, they ought to have the opportunity to call upon legal advice from a source independent of the office of the City Attorney.
Well what do you think? Come up with your ideas. What should be investigated, without a specific complaint and why? Where are conflicts of interest most prominent or at least the appearance of same? What might those conflicts lead to that is adverse to the public interest?
Would you favor a public meeting of the Ethics Board to share how they see their role today?
“All open positions are frozen” ***not*** Look at Benefits. “We are not able to give any raises.” Look at Public Facilities. LIE, LIE, LIE. 15 people laid off from NAGE. Why are we not publicizing half received their jobs back? Maybe City services were really going to be impacted, even though his office said they wouldn’t. WHO is running this ship? Does anyone really care? Many are just walking with their heads down hoping no one notices them so they don’t appear on a layoff list.
Bpt is a kingdom where the king is the jester and the jester is the king. You have Tom Sherwood in his Office being creative with other people’s lives he believes he is an alchemist trying to turn lead into gold. The only dept you never hear is getting layoff letters is Rose Hoy’s fiefdom which she personally lost all her grants yet the city continues to fund out of secret accts only Tom knows about we need a king not a court of jesters.
When Mayor Sherwood says “jump,” they all say “how high.” Not everyone is treated equally however. When Dept of Aging Director Rose Hoyt lost her grants due to incompetence, her employees did not get laid off. They were kept on using fake grant numbers when in reality they were actually being paid through the city’s general fund (your tax dollars). This was done by Mayor Sherwood as a favor to Mario. That’s how he keeps his job.
There are no checks and balances. There is no audit dept. There is no oversight. Mayor Sherwood does what he wants making it up as he goes along and there is no one to stop him. Only the taxpayers and the employees suffer.
Bruce Lee we can’t be the only two people who work for the city who know this scam (I am guessing you may work for city through your outrage). I strongly believe through his ignorance the jester (The Mayor or that was what he was elected for) has rogue dept heads who do as they want or don’t do anything because he just doesn’t care or get it because green is in. Bpt the greenest brokest city in the US OF A.
bpt guy, everyone knows about the scams. This is commonly referred to as the “Sherwood method of accounting.” When Finch was running for office he promised his supporters that Sherwood would be the first to go. Add that to the list of lies.
bpt guy no I’m not an employee of COB but I have many friends who are. What I’m hearing from them makes me sick. The COB is the most corrupt organization I know. The dept heads put in by Fabrizi and Finch are raping this city. They are taking as much as they can for themselves and the hell with the employees or the taxpayers. Just look at the take-home cars. Finch issues a press release that all but 3 will give back their cars. This is untrue. Take a look in the driveways of most dept heads and you will find the cars still there. Make sure you go to Monroe, Fairfield, and Monroe (CC’s new digs).
CC’s new digs are in Newtown.
FYI
West End Moving and Storage did what it does best–it moved to Stamford, lower taxes etc.
I wonder if they can move Testo, Timpanelli, DiNardo and Finch out as well?
*** Bpt primaries are over, voters made their party choice, no? So why not send a message of political no-confidence by not voting in Nov 2010? Besides Dems are 95% sure to win in Bpt regardless but by boycotting the pols, turnouts would be very small & that should get the state’s news attention for sure. *** Back to basics, ’cause action always speaks louder than words! ***
Average Bridgeport Joe knows nothing of all of the above. How would he? Does the CT Post report anything about the goings-on in City Hall? Very little. Employees know only too well, but talking about it is sure to bring retribution, so the cover-up goes on. Until the people of Bridgeport learn about all the goings-on and get outraged NOTHING will ever change. Business as usual; transparency non-existent.
Gossip of The Rialto!
Judy Collins “Souled Out” her 2 performances last evening at the Downtown Cabaret!!!
Was there for for the 1st show–Great performance.
Mojo,
Everyone must vote in November! There is a lot at stake. The Governor’s race, The Senate and Congressional races. No, please no silent protests when it comes to voting. Everyone must get out the vote, especially Bridgeporters. Malloy, Blumenthal, Himes …
I spent the entire weekend registering voters. I gave out the number to call to request an absentee ballot if someone said they would be out of town on election day. In Bridgeport the number is 203 576 7208.
They only need to check their name off. They don’t have to vote for anyone (if they don’t like any of the candidates). By checking their name off they are exercising their right to vote.
I agree with Mojo but I think we should send a message to the Democrats who assume they will always be elected. Do not vote for any incumbents. The incumbents had their shot and look what they did.
Blumenthal has had 40 years in government. 40 freaking years he has lived off the public and he still can’t tell the truth. His Vietnam lie for me sealed his fate. What else has he lied about?
Musto thought it was a great idea to put a women’s prison in Bridgeport in his area. He thought that until the public stood up and said no way.
I plan on leaving the governor’s spot blank because I think they both suck. I don’t believe either one will help Bridgeport.
Commander of the “Toys for Tots” brigade, I suppose he gave himself a few medals for that.
Quite the war hero!!! Just give me some truth already. Bloomin’ liar.
ANYONE OUT THERE have any suggestions on HOW TO PUT THE WORD OUT to the average citizen about what’s going on or are we only going to moan about it to each other on this blog?
*** FLYERS containing 10 negative facts affecting Bpt taxpayers by united OIB bloggers & concerned voters. Small investment to get the word out is action well needed. *** What’s left in your wallets? ***
*** Regardless of a city boycott for the upcoming election, Dem candidates would probably still win in Bpt. However an organized voting boycott would help send a big message for next year’s local elections! The parties have picked their candidates & in Bpt it’s a wrap for the Dems; as for the entire state, it might be (?). My family & I will not be voting in this coming Nov. election. The Dems. have been disappointing & the Republicans no better! *** Action speaks louder than words & smiling faces tell lies. ***
*** LET’S GO JETS! *** J.E.T.S. ***