Joe Ganim’s officially in the race for mayor, raising money, attending events, building a campaign infrastructure. Tonight (Thursday) at The German Club on the East Side he’s conducting his formal kickoff. Ganim is building support based on relationships and nostalgia, but most electors vote on the future.
Ganim writes on his Facebook page:
Everyone, I want to have the biggest party ever on Thursday. Do me a favor – hit “invite” and invite 25 of your closest family and friends. It’s going to be a ton of fun! I’m working on a great speech for you!
Ganim has three key pieces to address in his speech:
1. How will he avoid the trappings that drove him from office?
2. Where will he take the city?
3. Why is he a better choice than Bill Finch?
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Now this is where Tom Coble, Maria P, Jim Fox and Lisa Parziale show their ability to raise the dough. Each one of you will be required to get at least 50 people to the biggest event on earth, the resurrection of Joseph Ganim. The most corrupt Mayor in the history of Bridgeport. He, whose picture picture is prominently displayed on the cover of Corruption in Bridgeport by Sullivan. I will give Ganim credit only for having the ability to generate more PR than Mary-Jane Foster. As Finch approaches $500,000 it still is nice to know in this economy people have money to wipe their asses with and contribute to Joe Ganim’s campaign. Sorry Joe, but as you once said to me, you know how it goes.
A wise politician friend said to me you can only go after the corruption issue once. I totally disagree. There are 25,000 new registered voters in the city in the last 15 years. Believe me, education is a great thing. So everybody looking to bring back yesterday to the city, Ganim will thank you for your hard cash. I can only be sure of one thing. There are city workers who will be getting paid by taxpayers working on his campaign during the normal working day. I only speak from past experience.
I don’t know about that but you can be sure there are city employees working on Finch’s campaign every day. Getting bitter.
It’s astounding to me a jackass like you would be so critical about Joe Ganim and not Mayor Finch who has sat on his ass for the past seven years and made some of the most bizarre business deals I have ever seen in my life! Obviously Stevie you don’t pay taxes or rent, maybe you live home with your parents or something like that! Not that there’s anything wrong with that!
Bass Pro Shops with a 20-year return on our tax dollars is unthinkable!
The Timpanelli Seaside Park UI Solar Vortex land grab project, $250k or $300K least a year, a bad return for 20 years, that’s if we ever get the land back!
While the UI Co. pollutes our air with CO2s that are killing our kids and seniors, while Mayor Greenie sits on his hands again! And does nothing!
Seven years of Bill Finch’s taxation, so has anyone heard this Mayor say he would like to hold the line on taxes? Or is that just in an election year!
What was Finch thinking when 177 units of housing on the East Side would only pay $700 a year in city property tax per unit with a 40-year abatement! It will cost this city $500 per year to remove their snow and garbage per unit!
Joe Ganim has common sense, obviously you and Bill Finch have none!
Joe Ganim comes from a family of businessmen who know how to hold down property taxes and what’s a good deal for this city.
Bill Finch wasted eight million dollars of taxpayers’ money on a park to nowhere, I haven’t seen one person in that eight million dollar park yet! Not even a flucking dog!
This time the taxpayers of Bridgeport will vote their wallets and send Joe Ganim a mandate!
Stevie will be paying triple the taxes on his mom’s house she left him when Ganim wins, maybe even get his hours cut on the teaching gig at that cushy school.
Why put such a bullseye on your back, Stevie? Dumb question I know, you can’t help yourself.
BPT REBEL, my mother is still alive, you stupid asshole.
Cushy school? Hours cut? Triple the taxes when Ganim wins. BPT REBEL, you have proven to be the typical Ganim supporter. You are ignorant on so many levels. Honest to G-d, a target on my back? Holy crap, you are just plain pathetic.
Oh I’m sorry, you can’t help yourself. This is the Ganim network and I am an outsider. Thank G-d.
Jim Fox, just for the record. I own six properties in this city. Just for the record, if you read the paper I have sold an interest in three properties in just the last three weeks. Two in the North End and one by Beardsley Park. I live in the North End and pay over $25,000 a year in taxes . Not bad on a $14,000 a year substitute salary. Mr. Fox, Jimmy, thank you for inquiring. I haven’t lived with my parents since I proudly purchased my first home at 23 after college because I refused to pay rent. Thank you for inquiring, Jimmy.
Thanks, Steve. I just sent invites to most of my Facebook friends! I am looking forward to having another great time. 🙂
Steve,
I’m sorry your viewpoint is so parochial, but the presence of some of the most credible names in Bridgeport’s history of election campaigns have joined the Ganim campaign, and that speaks as well to the position Governor Malloy’s has on the Second Chance initiative. Not on your agenda?
Having worked for both Mayors, I can tell you Ganim can do more for the City of Bridgeport in his first term than Mayor Finch/Wood has done in nearly eight years. But you already know that, Steve.
No, I’m not worried about relapse. What we should worry about is the continuing, unabated corruption that continues in the current administration.
If you need, John Marshall Lee and I would be quite willing to show you the pattern and practice.
No, Carolanne. If anything I think it speaks volumes to how much people despise Bill Finch.
If Joe Ganim is the step forward then I don’t want to go there.
Steve,
The budget conceived by, prepared for the Council, presented to the BRBC (who do not vote in Bridgeport for the most part), reviewed in a hodge-podge fashion with very few changes, and approved last night is either a sign of vast contentment or profound confusion but no worries because taxes have been kept level. So the voters cannot blame Finch for a tax increase once every four years?? Not true. What about home values that have decreased unevenly across the City and critical errors regarding the subject of Grand List values in the CAFR-2014? More mistakes or bald-faced lies? There is not adequate knowledge on the Council with the exception of one or two at most, and they have been on this merry-go-round for years, work for the City currently and know where their bread is buttered. The majority of the votes last night were from folks who cannot answer basic questions about the budget process, so they follow the Sherwood Shuffle. And the taxpayer has only one job, pay your taxes (and WPCA fees) or face foreclosure.
Those things have not changed. Pay car fees or Denver boot is in working order. (Seen twice in use in the past week.) But ask for some basic numbers about the money spent by the City to acquire the 70 acres of Steel Point Infrastructure District, and what happens? Next question? Or look for lists of abatements and tax deals currently in operation and/or approved by Council over the years? Next question? What is the hesitation of GOOD GOVERNMENT with releasing such info? None. So hesitation or blind secrecy (as in the case of the 2013 valuation completed but never accepted by the City though they let taxpayers spend $300,000 for the research) are practices of LESS THAN good government. Can we do better? Definitely. Time will tell.
So Steven,
How much do you think the Finch for mayor green signs cost that have been hammered into every available curb corner in the City? About $500 each?
Mr. green machine.
Carolanne, those signs were up when Mary-Jane was running. Apparently it works. Lololololol.
Thank you, John. Has never been more clear.
Carolanne, I appreciate your passion for Ganim. I understand Finch let you go. It is good you have the funds to support Ganim. I totally support second-chance initiatives. There are so many in Bridgeport who cannot even get a job picking up shit on the sidewalks but it is nice many of you believe Joe should get a $132,000 a year job and the keys to the kingdom because he fucked the city, denied he fucked the city and now all of you sycophants are just beyond ridiculous. I am being parochial? Is Joe Ganim Damien Thorn? I will say this, Joe Ganim is very fortunate there are those who support him unconditionally.
Bill Finch knows the University is going to be a huge issue. Ganim and Foster should make this a huge issue. Otherwise I maintain Finch like Fabrizi has done incredible things in the face of the Joe Ganim corruption charges and convictions. A leopard never changes their spots. I voted for Joe Ganim his second run and again so I do hold bitter feelings of betrayal. I had never once criticized Ganim in any media before during or after Ganim’s conviction. That being said, I cannot be criticized for believing Joe Ganim should not hold public office again. If he does win. I will support him because I am a cheerleader for the city and unlike most on the blog, I have better things to do than rip the city and leadership apart. I do not need to fight Mayor Finch’s battles on this blog. He has his own army and $500,000 and never requested my assistance. If he does not embrace UB, well he was advised so let the cards fall where they may. I will he gardening, looking for a career change and camping during the primary season.
Dear OIB gang,
I will not be there tonight though not for lack of interest in what Joe has to say, but a pre-existing commitment to a meeting with a current Bridgeport institution leader, Bishop Frank Caggiano. He has sized up and responded to an opportunity to change direction, share process with a larger group of people, and engage more people in the mission of the Catholic Church than before. I mentioned my favorite three governance words to him upon first meeting a year ago, OPEN, ACCOUNTABLE and TRANSPARENT. His rapid response to me, “Those are good values.” I think so also as you know.
Tonight needs to be a start on certain specifics in order to convert, if possible, the many doubtful about the actions that broke more than one Federal law. Though he has paid the price assigned by the judge, his failure to fully embrace responsibility early and often, whether rational, emotional, or because of family ties, causes many to be sure of a “transformation.” It is more than the “traps” he fell into that benefited him at public expense (self-interest trumps public service) or trappings that may have provided a sense of necessary entitlement. How will the public keep him away from that behavior and see that he stays away from temptation? What is his motivation? The why?
Second, I am not so concerned with where he would take the City, but rather where he will lead others in collaboration so when he leaves office next time the City will be richer in the positive experience of many on boards, commissions, and in elected responsible positions where expectations of the public good were much higher than the past eight years, where training and education were part of job initiation, and regular evaluations were a part so people can learn and grow to benefit the citizens.
Third is Bill Finch has used words like Open, Accountable and Transparent at various times, but he neither knows what they mean as governmental “best practices” to even attempt to be responsive. Too much of his time is spent making and keeping secrets, reducing any voices other than his favored few, and incapacitating check and balance governance structures in Bridgeport. That can only be attractive to businessmen who live out of town but are vendors to Bridgeport at this time and are willing to support his campaign. And possibly to those who work for the City currently (but not necessarily the citizens of this community, sadly) as they have a very real self interest in keeping the status quo. What will Joe reveal tonight? Tomorrow? And next week? Enough to keep the race interesting? Time will tell.
JML, I know the Ganim event will be a bore without you there. Mr. Personality. I am sure it will be a healthy turnout and I am certain Joe’s speech will be great.
JML in your case in particular, it is too had you will not be there as you need to see how a politician speaks and excites a crowd. In running and knocking on doors it is best you learn how to be a politician and not a college professor giving lectures. As long as you sent your check tonight, you most likely will not be missed. I was told there were going to be some big name endorsements tonight.
Here is a thought, if Joe Ganim can run for Mayor, he can hire tax collectors and department heads who are also convicted felons. I guess that is a great thing. The question is as Joe asks for support to run for the highest office in Bridgeport, would he extend that to lower middle management jobs? Only in Bridgeport.
Sorry auto correct
Steve,
Mayor Bill supports those re-entering the community according to info on OIB. I don’t know or care who is running his campaign PR but perhaps someone can show how many folks who have run afoul of the law he has really helped. So many claims. So little backup. Calling something a half-truth in this climate is really an overstatement!!
I have read enough of your soulful endorsements of Bill Finch and others for too many months to think you intend anything favorable for me when providing pointers on running for office. I have a naive sense that when I do walk around with materials that cause people to stop, look and listen to what is being done to them, year after year, and reflect on the story I lay out for them that this may be determinative in getting them to the polls and how they vote. If you are knocking the lectures of college professors that is one thing, but what about a conversation with a homeowner taxpayer where he is asked questions about what is happening and has someone ready with answers to his questions? A change in my experience. Worth a try as an example of community service. Time will tell.