Can we dream a little? Who says there’s no super wealth in Bridgeport? Get a load of this, the 281-foot, 3000-ton Cakewalk that according to East End yacht builder Derecktor Shipyards surpassed her four predecessors in size and is the largest yacht built in the United States since 1930. Now this is a company we need to promote. Hey, maybe they’ll let us have an OIB party on one of their yachts! www.derecktor.com
Launched in August, this baby is scheduled to make her much-anticipated debut at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in October. Do you think Linda McMahon can afford one of these? Does she have enough dough to buy a polling lead? Not yet, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports poll. Dick Blumenthal still holds a lead, albeit delicate, over Linda. Nine points is not a comfy lead for Dick, although he’s over the 50 percent mark. Linda’s problem, high negatives. From Rasmussen:
Democrat Richard Blumenthal passes the 50% mark of support again this month against Republican Linda McMahon in Connecticut’s race for the U.S. Senate.
The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Voters shows Blumenthal picking up 53% of the vote, while McMahon earns 44% when leaners are included. One percent (1%) prefer another candidate, and two percent (2%) are undecided.
Since March, support for Blumenthal has ranged from 48% to 60%. McMahon’s support didn’t climb out of the 30s until July except for a brief spike in May just after a New York Times report that Blumenthal had embellished his military record in public statements over the years.
This statewide telephone survey of 500 Likely Voters in Connecticut was conducted on September 9, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/-4.5 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.
Blumenthal is viewed favorably by 62% and unfavorably by 38%. Those numbers include 31% who share a Very Favorable opinion of him and 20% who view him Very Unfavorably.
Reviews for McMahon are 49% favorable, 49% unfavorable. But while 19% view the Republican Very Favorably, 27% view her Very Unfavorably.
Freaking Lawyers
Good grief, how many outside lawyers are making six figures off Bridgeport taxpayers? How many millions has the City Attorney’s Office paid through the years? You want to save money? Start here. From the Hartford Courant:
Democrat Edwin J. Maley Jr., a longtime aide to state legislative leaders, is proof that the right political connections can make your retirement years as financially lucrative as when you were a highly paid state employee.
Maley, 56, of Cromwell, retired in 2007 after a 28-year career as a legislative staff attorney, much of the time serving as legal counsel and chief of staff for state Senate Democrats. His annual salary was about $180,000 during his last few years on the job, not bad for government work.
But public records show that he has been able to exceed that in three of his retirement years since then — 2008 to 2010 — because he’s collected his pension while doing part-time work for three government entities. And those three entities are led or influenced by former or current Democratic state senators with whom he worked as a state legislative employee:
• Maley, who operates a part-time solo law practice out of his townhouse condominium in Cromwell, was paid $217,000 between late 2007 and the end of last month by the city attorney’s office in Bridgeport — where former Democratic state Sen. William Finch is now mayor. Bridgeport currently pays Maley $7,000 a month for legal work, a city spokesman said.
Full story: www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-lender-column-maley-0912-20100912,0,701281.column
Let’s Eat
OIB friend Jonathan Kantrowitz has assembled a list of city restaurants with links. Check this out:
blog.ctnews.com/kantrowitz/2010/09/11/bridgeport-restaurants/
There is no honor in politics anymore. Finch sold his soul 100 times over. Fear of losing power is an even more powerful motivator than the greed of getting power. Power and influence are the way to get money and he who has the money makes the rules. It is a vicious cycle. It is not about capability, intelligence, morals. Power corrupts absolutely. Not to say there aren’t exceptions, but Bridgeport leads the pack in a morally bankrupt administration with its parasitic pals. Maley has another Hartford pal pulling in some serious money from Bridgeport too. I wonder if Anastasi had his feet held to the fire to make the statements he did or is he just looking to keep the family employed too. He turned his back on and screwed so many people, including Malloy. I think Finch better watch his back, because people aren’t as forgiving as they appear. Skeletons have a way of popping up at election time. I predict a spectacular Halloween of 2011.
OIB Rumor Mill:
Joel has only 8 fingers. Here’s what happened:
With a doctor by his side and an ambulance waiting outside, Joel did a live self-amputation on cable pay-per-view. The documented global audience was in excess of 14 million. This exceeds any previous telecast and is the biggest PPV of all time!
Joel’s take: $20 million.
Subsequent bloggers can write about what he did with that money or why the audience was so large …
Reminds me of the original “Twilight Zone” (might have been “One Step Beyond”) where a young Steve McQueen is asked to bet on his lighter.
Maley is one of two Hartford people who heavily influence what this administration does. It is time for the state to step in and investigate how this administration is spending tax money. Jesus $217K plus $7K a month who the hell is this guy, F. Lee Bailey?
Why do we have a city attorney’s office and just what the hell do they do? I was unaware the city has so many complex cases it needs outside attorneys.
The question is how many other outside law firms are we paying?
Another question is who authorized this expenditure? Where was the city council when these funds were approved? McCarthy get your head out of your ass.
You know in case anyone was wondering this administration could care less about the citizens of Bridgeport. Finch you can walk the streets from now until the cows come home and it still won’t mean a thing as long as you keep wasting taxpayers’ money and do it at the expense of the city employees.
It’s amazing this information shows up in the Hartford Courant and not the CT Post.
Maybe it’s time for the city employees all of them to band together and work directly from the rule book and the contracts.
Now we need to know the name of the other attorney or bigwig from Hartford who is leading this administration around by the nose.
If there was ever any doubt about who was running this city read a portion of the Courant article posted by Ron Mackey.
Bridgeport City Attorney Mark Anastasi responded to a Courant inquiry last week with a statement saying, “Attorney Maley has provided invaluable advice and consultation regarding improving the quality of the City Attorney’s office service delivery plan and facilitation [of] our modernization plan.
“In addition, Mr. Maley has been fully engaged in a number of complex, substantive budgetary and development projects on behalf of the City. As you are aware, Attorney Maley has extensive experience in complex economic development projects and public governmental budgetary matters.
“I am pleased to report that the retention of Attorney Maley at a fixed compensation level has been a significant reason why the City Attorney’s office has been able to significantly reduce costly reliance on outside legal counsel.”
Derecktor can build the finest yachts in the world. The customers still, thanks to Charlie Carroll, have to navigate through shit to get to the boatyard. Kind of ironic … no?
I would like Mark A the city attorney to explain a few of his kiss-ass statements: “Attorney Maley has provided invaluable advice and consultation regarding improving the quality of the City Attorney’s office service delivery plan and facilitation [of] our modernization plan.”
What the hell is your service delivery plan?
Just what the hell are you modernizing? Could it be new list of outside attorneys? Christ knows your office has hired everyone except Dewey, Cheatem, & How.
“Attorney Maley has extensive experience in complex economic development projects and public governmental budgetary matters.”
What complex economic development are we involved in except that pipe dream called Steal Point?
Yeah he has done a great job with budgetary matters. He has done it on the backs of city workers.
Mark how do you look at yourself in the mirror when you shave, have you no self-respect left?
I have to enroll in law school and become a fast Eddie.
I wonder if the mealy mouthed Maley can help Mark in a lesson on the “Rule of 72” regarding the compound interest on the Klewin case?
I wonder if Joel understands “the rule of 72” does not apply when interest rates are as low as 1%.
bonus: www .JoelGonzalez.com is available. Grab it!
yahooy and anna, “Perfect Together!”
“town committee” great question. “I would like Mark A the city attorney to explain a few of his kiss-ass statements: “Attorney Maley has provided invaluable advice and consultation regarding improving the quality of the City Attorney’s office service delivery plan and facilitation [of] our modernization plan.” In fact all of those questions you asked concerning Bridgeport City Attorney Mark Anastasi and that office need to be answered BUT who is going to ask those questions? NOT the Connecticut Post. This system is just another way to feed money to the state Democratic Party in return for favors.
Andy, why is the story about the City Attorney’s Office in the Hartford Courant? I am aware of just 3 reporters in past years who looked and provided the citizens of Brideport the important political information, and they are John Gilmore, Jim Callahan and Lennie Grimaldi (before he got into politics). Where are the reporters who investigate instead of trying to always have access to leaders and being afraid to write?
Ron, TC, et al.,
Every day, in every way, this administration continues to spend Bridgeport taxpayer money, often without bidding or notice or awareness on the part of their partners in governance (the City Council); out of town: for legal services, marketing video (must be no talent in town or what?), and from where: extra budget? and for what: Klein public relations fund? Legal administration services delivery and modernization? Would that include open, accountable and transparent City processes?
OIB lists numerous questions daily. Some get answered but most do not.
I have been keeping track of some. Put them in a file. It is my idea some evening to get listed as a speaker and provide the City Council in five minutes with a homework list. Answering the questions might prove we have some checks and balances still alive in elected government. And my other Q & A opportunity comes with next year’s Mayoral election. The Usual and Unusual suspects for Mayoral campaigning are currently residents of the City it’s safe to say. They should get a copy of our unanswered questions (maybe next June at an OIB party), kind of a pre-season playbook. What the Mayor has failed to provide as answers for these questions during his first 42 months will and should be held against him at election 2011, if he is in the running. And the answers should be available from the best candidates or else we will realize they along with our current Mayor do not have a clue about what to do, without the crew who have gotten us where we are today. Sad but true!!! Keep asking! Expect answers!
BEACON2 // Sep 13, 2010 at 4:33 pm
After reading your posting, I thought it was a rather brilliant idea you had … a public reading. I’d be delighted to assist you.
Ron for the most part they are writing BS fluff pieces. The blame goes to the Post editorial board and to anyone else in upper management. This paper has missed the boat on several big stories in the past.
Just look at few recent happenings they barely covered and did no investigative reporting:
The leasing of a foreclosed building to the Police Department.
The future leasing of the Bodine Building from 2 brothers who have an LLC with unnamed principals and the list goes on.
I have told them on a few occasions things that were going to happen and should be looked into and what happened a fluff piece or a small filler piece. If I want news about Bpt I read the Hartford Courant.
Today my name is Global Eyes. Here are 10 videos showing the folly of politicians worldwide. Bridgeport CT does not have a monopoly on political shenanigans.
www .ranker.com/list/top-10-videos-of-politicians-fighting/ian-tindell <–
I love lists–they have universal appeal.
BEACON2 Great idea. Problem is this Mayor will have ALL the answers to your questions and by the time he’s done, he’ll have you wondering why you didn’t already know the answers. Transparency to this administration means Saran Wrap.
Before you decide what you believe in, you have to decide whom you can trust.
NOTHING is more transparent than Saran Wrap. It is ultra-clear and cannot hide a mistake.
I hereby nominate Ray F. (OIB’s webmaster) as coolestdudeinbridgeportdotcom (CDIB) for fixing my mistakes and helping me keep a level head.
bonus: www .FCBuzz.org
How ’bout transparent Scotch Tape?
*** Transparent is to clear as change is to something new. Real transparent change starts @ the local level, then sprouts like limbs upward towards the top! *** ‘Til that happens, it’s Groundhog Day reruns in Bpt regardless of whether you’re on the left, right or somewhere in the middle. ***
9-14-2001 Twin Towers site:
www .americanrhetoric.com/speeches/gwbush911groundzerobullhorn.htm
Did you know Nancy Hadley was the second runner-up in this Florida contest?
www .ctpost.com/news/article/Fla-woman-rides-shotbun-in-the-weinermobile-656500.php